DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 December 1940, Page 2

DOMINION ITEMS

[per press association.] CLERICAL WORKERS. WELLINGTON, December 5. Complete agreement was reached in Conciliation Council proceedings for the New Zealand Clerical Workers’ Award. Apart from an increase of 3/- in the pay of hotel clerks in cases where only one is employed, and a minor alteration in the method of holidays, there was no alteration in the award. Mr. M. J. Reardon presided.

I- PRISONERS IN BALLOT. AUCKLAND, December 6. , Provision is made in the national (service regulations to cover cases of drawn in the overseas ballcrt, who (iare undergoing terms of imprisonI’ment. When a prisoner is released, pthe Area Officer is to arrange to have tyfim medically examined, and if Classed as fit, despatched to camp. CHARGE DISMISSED. WELLINGTON, December 6. The charge against Jean Simon, imarried, of assaulting Maxwell Nelfcon Walker, was dismissed by Mr. I Stout, on the ground of provocation, j The case arose out of an argument lin a house, in ’ the course of which 'there was a suggestion of the use of a knife. STOLEN PETROL WELLINGTON, Dec. 6. Hearing the sound of a petrol pump being worked in a coal yard in Taranaki Street, at night, a policeman shone a torch in, whereupon a man crossed the yard and disappeared over a fence. Search resulted in the discovery of William Peter Anderson, 28, who was not a motor owner, but apparently was acting for someone else. He was sent to gaol for a month by the Magistrate (Mr. Stout.)

INVALIDED HOME. AUCKLAND, December 6. . Seventeen soldiers invalided home (from overseas, arrived at Auckland ito-day, in a special railway sleeping car. They were met by relations, friends, and representatives of the Army Department. The Army provided transport to the homes, and [three who were travelling to Whaingarei, were given a meal at the station restaurant. The men are being Idischarged from the army, but will be [given hospital or other treatment required. FERRY AGROUND. WELLINGTON, December 5. Caught by a strong gust of wind at low tide this afternoon while berthing at the Rona Bay wharf, the Cobar, the remaining ship in the East Harbour [ferry service, bumped on the southern [end of the wharf, and began to drift jinshore. She ended up aground, almost parallel to the shore, with the stern a few yards from the wharf. A full gale was blowing, and clouds of spray flew as the waves broke against the steamer’s side. At times she rolled heavily. With the aid of the rising tide, the tug Terawhiti pulled the ferry, off the beach about two .hours and a-half later.

WAGE BONUS WELLINGTON, December 5. Decision was reserved by the Court of Arbitration to-day on an application by the employers under the New Zealand Private Hotel Employees’ Award foi’ exemption from the Court’s general order awarding a 5 pei’ cent, cost of living bonus. The application was based on two grounds. The first was that the business of the employers had already suffered severely from the increase in the cost of living, and the decrease in patronage caused through the curtailment of tourist traffic because of the war and rationing petrol. The second ground was that payment of the cost of living bonus would impose ah unfair burden on the industry. Ninety per cent, of the workers were supplied with board and lodging by the employers, and so were not affected by the increased cost of living except in regard to clothing.

MOTORISTS INJURED WELLINGTON, December 5. Six persons were injured when a rental car in which they were travelling along Thorndon Quay toward Wellington about ten o’clock last night, collided with a telegraph pole near the corner of Davis Street. Those injured were:— . Mr. H. Roberts, ship’s steward, driver of the car, fractured jaw, head injuries and shock. Miss E. Orr, housemaid, fractured left arm and wrist and shock. Miss M. Porter, dietician, abrasions to the left arm and shock. Miss I. Barron, housemaid, punctured wound on the right leg and shock. “Mr. V. Troke, ship’s steward, injury to the right ankle. Mr. B. Marsh, ship’s' steward, injury to the left leg. The pole was shattered by the force of the impact, which brought down telegraph wires and also the tramway overhead wires. The car was badly damaged. . .. ■ The Free Ambulance took the injured people to the hospital. Miss Orr, Miss Barron and Mr. Roberts were admitted and the others were able to go home after receiving treatment.