DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 February 1922, Page 2

DOMINION ITEMS

‘Per Fress Association./ ARSON BY MAORI. WELLINGTON, February 4.—At the Supreme Court, Richard Hodge, a Maori, who had pleaded guilty to a charge of arson at Taihape, was today sentenced to two years’ reformative treatment. The prisoner’s counsel said that the accused had apparently set fire to a house out of pique over an intrigue between his wife and an insurance agent. E.F.C.A. ATTITUDE. WELLINGTON, This Day.—The General Secretary of the Locomotive Engineers, Firemen and Cleaners’ Association states that there is no truth in the statements which have been circulated that the Association had agreed to an alteration in the hours of duty and overtime rates. The E.F.C.A. stands for no alteration of these conditions. ENGINEERS’ REQUEST. NAPIER, This Day.—A mass meeting of engineers who desire an injunction restraining the Railway Commissioner from reducing wages, adopted a resolution that the Government should discharge the Commissioner on the ground of incompetency. Last year there were 13 accidents caused by pea-rifles. The deatlis casued by pea-rities were ten, and the deaths by other firearms 40. EX-SOLDIER DROWNED. WAIROA, This Day.—A fatal accident occurred at the Aidkeen Soldier Settlement yesterday afternoon. Two returned soldiers, Francis Patrick / Meagher and William Harold Nicol, were crossing the ' h .i < age, when lhe post supporting lii e. ahe l.ioke. The men were thrown ... , me (iooJed river. Meagher was ■ IrowneJ and had his neck broken. Nicol, w..s a poor swimmer, reached the mink in an exhausted condition. Meagher’s bo.ly was recovered 400 yards lower clown. A.S.R.S BILLOT. WELLINGTON, February .2.--TIIO coming cut in the wages of railway- - men is still exercising the minds of the rank and file of the Amalgamated Society of Railwaymen, but before any ballot is taken regarding the means to be acb pted in resisting tiro reduction memb&is of the executive of the society intend to explain the whole position thoroughly to the various branches. It is believed that some branches want definite action taken without delay but as against hurried procedure it is argued that it would be preferable for the men to wait to have the views of pie executive placed before them directly, and that if the taking of a billot is postponed until after the first cut in wages in April the service will have a clear idea of how the Government’s retrenchment jiolicv s going to operate. The probabilities are that opposition to tho retrenchment scheme will not take definite shape before July, when the second instalment is due to be taken off wages.