DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 July 1944, Page 8

DOMINION ITEMS

PRISONERS SENTENCED. NELSON, July 19. Arthur Thomas Meikle, aged 33 years, was found guilty in the Supreme Court on a charge of carnal knowledge of a girl under .sixteen years of age. Meikle was sentenced to twelve months’ imprisonment with hard labour. Jack Gay, aged 20 years, and Patrick Stirling Gay, aged 18 years, were [sentenced to terms of three years and I two years’ orobation respectively, for breaking and entering the living quarters of Rev. Father Bourke at the rear of the Motueka Catholic Church, with intent to commit a crime. “MAN-POWER” DECISION. GISBORNE, July 20. In dismissing a charge against Barbara Scott, dancing teacher, of failing to obey the Planpower Officer’s direction to return to employment at a tobacco factory, Lower Hutt, the Magistrate (Mr. Walton) held the fact of her mother just then leaving the hospital after an operation justified the defendant’s failure to return. He held also that defendant'was entitled to receive the wage set out in the Manpower Department’s notice to her, and that the underpayment of 12/- per week would afford additional ground for leaving her employment, on the principle that service and payment of promised wages were concurrent conditions. MEDICAL SCHOOL. DUNEDIN, July 20. “I have met to-day the most progressive Dean of any medical school I’ve visited during my travels,” stated. Dr. Edith Summerskill, the British M.P. in an address at the Town Hail. “He has vision. I believe his picture of the essentials of medical training is right, The people of Dunedin arc fortunate in having such a man. “I have often wondered why the deathrate among your mothers at confinement is the lowest in the world. To-day 1 found the answer at the Queen Mary Hospital. I realised that lhe students at the Medical Schoo* are trained and educated to become very efficient doctors. I have met doctors in Europe, in the United States, Canada and the Soviet Union and I am convinced by what I saw this afternoon that here, in New Zealand, in this comparatively small town, are to be found some of the finest doctors and some of the best workers in the sphere of medicine.” AUCKLAND GAS WORKS AUCKLAND, July .19. The strike at the Auckland gas works continues. There will be no gas supply in Auckland to-morrow, according to the manager of the Auckland Gas Company, Nir. R. Worley. He said that even if the men returned to work there would still be no gas to-day, as it would now take some time to get the -works in production again. The original strikers, tradesmen, clerical workers, and drivers, who walked off the job yesterday, were joined in sympathy this morning by members of the Gas Employees’ Union, although the union at that stage had not declared an official strike. The action of these men did not affect the position, however, as there was no steam in the boilers to maintain production. They are not personally concerned in the dispute, but left work to attend a meeting of the strikers. Members of 14 unions are involved in the strike. There were various meetings to-night, which were attended by Mr. F. P. Walsh, who said afterwards that there was nothing to report. SERVICEMEN’S LOANS. NELSON, July 19. A public meeting attended by 400 persons was addressed by Mr. John Hogan, and unanimously passed a motion “urging that all loans to returned men for housing be interest free and self-amortising at a rate not greater than the present, rale of interest, and calling on all interested citizens and organisations to support this proposal.” The Mayor, Mr. E. R. Neale, who presided, said that as a member of the local rehabilitation committee he supported the motion so far as it referred to assisting returned men. The question of the gap between a man’s earning capacity and housing costs was a problem which had caused the committee concern. At the present time the few men who had already returned could not be coped" with, said Mr. Neale and when ship loads started coming back it would be years before their applications could be dealt with.. Local authorities were not at fault. It was the bottleneck in Wellington that was the trouble. Local and'regional committees would have to be ; given wider powers before theposi- ‘ tion could be relieved. The meeting also unanimously car-

vied, a motion urging the adoption of a debt-free policy of national finance as the only basis on which rehabilitation and national reconstruction could be successfully carried through.

GAS METERS ROBBED. AUCKLAND, July 20. Thefts of money from a number of gas meters in houses in Victoria Street west, yesterday morning, have been reported to the police. Householders said that a youth had represented himself as an apprentice in the employ of the Gas Company, and said he had authority to collect <noney in meters. The youth told nousewives that as all gas was to be cut off next morning, it was imperative the meters be read, and money collected immediately. The youth explained his position by saying the usual collectors were on strike, and the company was employing apprentices to do their work. As the keys were not accessible, and the money had to be collected at once, he would have to break the locks, the company, however, would later make repairs. One woman stated that after taking 4/- from the meter, the youth coolly handed 3d as discount.