TELEGRAMS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 77, 30 March 1912, Page 9

TELEGRAMS.

UNREST AND DISCONTENT. THE SUGGESTED ROYAL COMMISSION. [bt telegraph— special to the post.] CHRISTCHURCH,,This Day. ' In an interview, Mr. G. R. Whiting, one of the Labour leaders in Christchurch, di6cuE6*ed the proposal approved by the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce to appoint a Royal Commission to enquire into industrial unrest in New Zealand. He said that he was very pleased to see by a report of Wednesday's meeting of the Chamber oi' Commerce that one member recognised " that the world had arrived at a time when it had to recognise that Labour would not continue to work under the present wage system." There coWd be no doubt to anyone who studied the question that the present unrest throughout the world was due to the social conditions of the great mass of the people. Even in New Zealand the conditions of the workers were anything but satisfactory and undoubtedly those conditions could be improved without injury to anyone. With regard to the appointment of a Royal Commission, if it meatit 'that; the Government would 'appoint the Labour leaders, he was strongly opposed to it, a 6 he considered there was no one better qualified or able to appoint leaders of Labour than Labour itself. While ha was opposed generally to a* Royal Commission because those bodies had proved to be 60 futile in the past — in fact, he had never known one to be of any advantage to the community—he believed that if the repre-, sentatives of Labour were elected by the Trades Councils of the Dominion, there would not be the same objections to the suggestion approved by the Chamber of Commerce. He was well aware that the strike methods of settling industrial disputes was a very old and barbarous one, but he had seen strikes in New Zealand recently which, in his opinion, were justified. As the Hon. H." F. Wigram had said, " the standard of education and intelligence amongst the workers was exceptionally high. Then could people wonder at the unrest and discontent? Were men of intelligence going to stand by and live under conditions that were unfair and unreasonable? The average worker in New Zealand found himself in a most deplorable condition. Although working hard and long, he was unable to receive sufficient to keep himself, his wife, and his family, in anything like the ordinary standard of comfort, and undersuch conditions how could people expect to find anything but unrest and discontent? PROMPT PAYMENTS. REPORT FROM AUCKLAND. * (81l TBLEGBAPH — SVECIAL TO TUB POST.] AUCKLAND, This Day. As an index to the prosperity of a community, there is perhaps nothing more convincing than the ability 6f aU classes to either- become the*r own landlords or to pay their rents in a satisfactory manner. Enquiries on these points were made of Beveral land agents in the city by a representative of the Star. The answers showed, that Auckland must certainly be in a flourishing condition. One large firm, which collects the rente of hundreds of houses, stated that in only two cases during the past; year had they to put bailiffs in. Tfien it was not so much inability to pay as stubbornness that caused the trouble. Questioned as to the way in which purchasers of properties on time payment came forward with their instalments, the agents stated that little or no difficulty was experienced. "So far from having to chase up the purchasers," said one, "we frequently have them ringing us up to make -enquiries as to when payments fall due. . We have not had one single caso Where a purchaser has forfeited hia deposit. If by any chance, he is una"ble to continue the purchase there are plenty of others on the lookout for all kinds of property who can be got to fill the breach." A VETERANS RECORD. ONE-TIME CHAMPION SHOT. [BT TELKaaAPH—SPKCIAL TO THB POST.] NEW PLYMOUTH, This Day. A gathering of veterans to celebrate the Battle of Waireka brought to light the interesting fact thai; in New Pljmouth there lives John O'Donnell, of the 55th Regiment, the erstwhile beet shot' in the British Empire. It is a far cry to the Crimea War, but O'Domiell recollects clearly the circumstances connected with his distinguished achievement. It was after the cessation of hostilities, while the army was still in the Crimea, that a shooting match wasi arranged between the representatives of. all the British Regiments. Although scattered over the Peninsula none of the regiments failed to take part. Commencing at 200 yards the competitors ehob over ranges up to 900. In the final stage* the only two men in it were Private O'Donnell and a sergeant. At 800 range -the sergeant came right up on his opponent until he was only two point* behind. When the two soldiers Breasted the 900 mouna, however, O'Donnell recovered himself, and in his own words "put on two bullseyes and three centres while the other fellow clamped on two bulls and one centre." Amidst resounding cheers the regiments assembled and the Hibernian received the handshake of General Pennyfeather, commander of the second division. He was also personally congratulated by' Colonel Dobney, Colonel of the Regiment. To-day O'Donnell'a most treasured relic is a. medal inscribed : "Presented to John O'Donaell, best shot in the British service," etc. The veteran though 83 still handles a rifle. On. Thursday he shot at the Waiwakaiho ran^e in competition with fellow Taranaki veterans. Time ,haa wrought changes, and the old "Brown Bess" no longer used, and Briton's one-time best shot had to be content with a modest 13 at 200, ■16 at 300. His score was not the lowest, however. Tha old man fought at Alma, Balaclava, and Inkerman, wa« one of the relieving force at Lucknow, and survived Cawnpore, Delhi, Peshawar, and Rawal Pindi. The records of the Veterans' Association vouch for his Crimea feat. The hardy old warrior does not regret the twenty years he served for the nation ; he is certainly nob one of the "awful examples" of soldiering which the anti-militarisfc pointy . a warning finger to, and he gave far more than the few years' training asked of present-day youths. [PBES3 ASSOCIATION.] GIRL SUFFOCATED. RESULT OP PLAYING WITH MATCHES. AUCKLAND, 29th March. Death from suffocation was the fate that overtook Belinda Bow/ nine yearn old, at the lesidenee of her parents in Pnnsonby, this afternoon. At about 3.30 p.m. the child's mother left home for a few minutes to visit, a sick friend, and the little pivl Belinda, who was a semiinvalid, "enfamed at home placing with her five-yeuv-old brother ana two of hie playmate*.

An elder brother of the Bow children, on returning from school, noticed smoke in the house as ho opened the back door. Jle immediately went for his mother. It was then discovered that a kapok mattress was smouldering in tho room where the little girl Belinda slept. Mrs. Bow entered the room, which was full of smoke, and found the child on the bed unconscious. The smoking mattress was on the table, and she left it there whilst she carried her daughter out into the back yard. A neighbour assisted her in a fruitless attempt to resuscitate the child. Meantime neighbours suppressed the fire in the house. • It is supposed the fire was caused by the t children playing with matches during the mother's absence. MINING DISPUTE SETTLED. •WAIHI, 29th March. The Conciliation Council, composed of Messrs. T. Harle Giles (Commissioner) and the assessors, commenced yesterday and concluded its sitting this afternoon. ■ In the matter of the dispute between the Amalgamated Society of Engineers and the local mining companies it was agreed that forty-five hours constitute a week's work, with six-hour shifts in wet places. Regarding apprentices, the issuing of certificates for service of time was agreed upon. It was agreed that the- minimum wage for tradesmen serving five years' apprenticeship or five years continuously in, one company be 11s per day. Youths' wages for the firft year are fixed at 4sr per day, second year ss, third year 6s, fourth 7s, and fifth Ba. After this they are to receive journeymen's wages. The proceedings were characterised by the utmost good feeling on both sides. AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES. 1 AUCKLAND, '29th March. ,The question of establishing agricultural colleges in New Zealand was raised by Mr. Walters at a meeting of the general committee of the A. and P. Association to-day. The time had come, he said, when lessons in aggriculturc should play a more' prominent part. Colleges might bo .established 'near the leading centres of population where agricultural instruction could be imparter to boarding and day students. He moved that a be set up to report omth'e proposal to a later meeting, Mr. Garland, in seconding the motion^ assured Uie meeting that the Education Board would view the proposal in a very favourable light. The sub-committee whs unanimously elected. DRAINAGE FOR INVERCARGILL INVERCARGILL, 29th March. One of Invercargill's greatest needs municipally has long been an up-to-date sanitary system in the inner area of the city. This want will soon be satisfied, as the ratepayers to-day carried a proposal to borrow £31,000 for this purpose, and work will be pushjed ahead as rapidly as possible. The system will be extended later. TARANAKI OIL WELLS, LIMITED. p NEW PLYMOUTH, 29th March. Sir George Clifford, at the invitation of the Earl of Ranfurly and his colleagues, has decided, after paying a -visit of inspection to the oil wells at Motui'oa, to join the board of directors of the Taranaki (New Zealand) Oil Wells, Ltd.