DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 April 1937, Page 2

DOMINION ITEMS

' [PJtB PBEBB ASSOCIATION.] THEFT OF CASH-BAG AUCKLAND, April 16. A cash-bag containing about £26 was removed from rhe office of a tim-ber-mill in the city this morning. It had been left'on a desk a few feet behind the counter and the staff was momentarily absent. PEACE LITERATURE WELLINGTON, April 15. The Government has decided to admit peace literature disseminated by the New Historical Society of New York, free of customs duty. In making this announcement, Hon. M. Fagan intimated that he was taking discretionary power, as he con- g sidered the material was purely of an g educational nature. H LAND COMPENSATION WELLINGTON, April 16. Regarding the compensation claim against the Minister of Public Works by the Wellesley Club for land taken, three land agents to-day gave evidence for the Crown. Their valuations of the building and property varied from £7,920 to £9,250. William Hollis, land agent, said the club building would be a death-trap B in an earthquake. There were cracks g in the brickwork over the doorheads, g The structural life of the building was g passed. H The decision was reserved. h WORKERS IN TRAM BARNS | WELLINGTON. April 16. | A test case in which the Welling- g ton City Corporation was charged H with a. breach of the Factories Act ® was heard in the Magistrate’s Court to-day. The corporation was charged with employing a man in a factory as tram adjuster on a Sunday, and failing to pay him the extra rates. It was stated that the purpose of bringing the case was to obtain a judicial opinion as to the rate to be paid to tram adjusters in the corporation’s sheds on Sundays, and whether the barn portion of the buildings could be regarded as a factory as specified by the Act. The case hinged on whether those engaged in the barn were skilled workers. . The Magistrate, Mr. W. F. Stillwell, reserved his decision. FEDERATION OF LABOUR WELLINGTON, April 16. Considerable progress was made today at the National Industrial Labour Uiiitj T conference with the new constitution for a Dominion-wide organ- , isation of unions. All national bodies which hitherto have spoken and acted ' for various sections and alliances with- g : in the Labour movement will disap- g ' pear and a new unified. authority, the g New Zealand Federation of Labour, will stand supreme. Local administration will be conducted by district ‘ bodies responsible, to the parent or- ’ ganisatiion. Sponsors of the conference claim that its main objective has been ’ achieved with the creation of the fedr eration, which is expected to elimin- ' ate factional strife. The conference will continue to-morrow morning.

LICENSING ACT BREACHES I ’ WELLINGTON. April 16. “ Fines totalling £97/10/- with costs were imposed by the Magistrate, Mr. E. D. Mosley, on residents of Porirua and Titahi Bay, charged with various offences under the Licensing Act, during December and January. The charges arose from inquiries made by Constable Stewart Meredith Griffith, of Auckland, who at the instruction of the Commissioner of Police went to stay at Porirua. He obtained work at the Mental Hospital and entered fully into the life of the district. The hearing of the charges against 18 defendants occupied the Court for six days Mr. Mosley stated that he accepted the constable’s evidence and that the ' convictions as set out must follow. He 1 remarked that in his opinion the prac- ! tice of taking liquor to dances was ; disgraceful. Sly-grog activities, he • added, were particularly" pernicious “ because of the absence of control. Nine of the defendants were charg- ' ed with the unlicensed sale of liquor on one or more charges and fined from £2O downwards on each charge. COM M E R CIA L T R AVE LLER S. CHRISTCHURCH, April 16. The following officers were elected i at the annual conference of the United . Commercial Travellers’ and Ware- . houisemen’s Association, held to-day: [ President, Mr D.« Y. M. Millar (Dun- , edin); honorary" treasurer, Mr H. H. Wauchop; auditor. Mr H. Bricknell; P elective member of the board of man- ; agement of the accident and sickness insurance fund, Mr W. A. Drake; board of management, of the “New Zealand Traveller,” Messrs W. _A. ‘ Drake, S. A. Orchard, and G. E. King. The retiring president, Mr G. E. ' King, said in his address that the " year had been a strenuous one. but ' the associations had progressed both ■in finances and membership. The ■ recent labour legislation (particularly ’ the formation and compulsory, membership of unions) had very" greatly" 1 affected all classes of the members, both employers and employees. Just ■ what the ultimate outcome of the up- ‘ heaval in the life of the business com- ■ muinity would be was difficult to say. The next conference will be held, at Dunedin.