DOMINION NEWS

Grey River Argus, 10 December 1938, Page 10

DOMINION NEWS

WAREHOUSEMEN'S AWARDSCHRISTCHURC, December 8. ' Awards for general warehousemen and for soft-goods warehousemen in the Northern, Taranaki, Wellington, Canterbury, Otago, and Southland industrial districts have been made by the Court of Arbitration. In the soft-goods workers’ case, the only matter referred to the Court was the date for the coming into effect of the award. The New Zealand Federated Storemen, Packers, and Warehouse Employees’ Association has agreed to a 42-hour week? because of recent pronouncements by the Court that hour s will not be varied at present. The parties agree, however, that the fact that the union has agreed to the 42-hour week in this case will not prejudice any further applications by the union for a 40hour week.

Wages have been made payable retrospectively as from October 21 l;st and the other conditions of the award are effective as from December 2. The wages range from 15s commencing under 17 years of age, to £5 from the eighth year onwards for males, and for females from 15 s to £3. i la the genqiya,! warehousemen’s award for workers outside of softgoods houses similar provisions were made for a 42-hour week, retrospective wagQs for the :som,e districts. This award also applied as from Dectember 2. The wag’p.s range, for males, from 15s to £5, as in the other award, and for females from 15s to £3

DEATH OF LABOURER.

PALMERSTON N., December 8. At an inquest into the death cf Ernest Lovatt, aged 51, who was killed when a fall of earth occurred in a clay pit, evidence was given that there were regulations covering similar excavations in the Scaffolding and Excavations Act, but the work concerned in this case came under the Factories Act, which had no regulations covering such operations. The Coroner (Mr. Graham) asked the management of the pit to take note of the evidence offered relating to the Scaffolding Act. The Coroner said it was advisable that such pits should be brought under a regulation as to the methods employed, though he did not impute any lack of care or any negligence on the part of those in charge of the operations. For the police, Inspector Cummings said he would forward the Coroner’s rider to the quarter concerned. The verdict was that death from multiple injuries was caused through a fall of earth. Every precaution had been taken to secure the safety of the men, the Coroner added. SUICIDE VERDICT. AUCKLAND, December 8. Returning a verdict of suicide bypoisoning, in the case of Joseph Dodgson, a war pensioner, aged 49, who with another man, Cecil Francis Hunt, drank liquor from a glass in the flat of a married woman on November 22, the Coroner said it was “the! old, old story.” j The Coroner advised the woman to get work instead of “messing about with men.” I The evidence showed that Dodgson' and Hunt’ were both visiting the | woman at her flat, and Dodgson had become jealous. He produced the poison and both men drank it from a glass. Dodgson died on the way to hospital, but the woman gave Hunt mustard and water, making him vomit, and he recovered in the hospital. PARCEL POST, WELLINGTON, December 9. An increase in postal rates for inland parcels is announced by the Postmas-ter-General (Mr Jones). It is aproximately one-sixth. He says that he satisfied himself the charges are still low for the service given.

XMAS MAIL. AUCKLAND, December 8. I The last dispatch of mall for the Empire air route to reach London for delivery before Christmas, left Auckland last night by the Westralia for Sydney. As the Awatea, which left Wellington for Sydney on Tuesday night, took a big consignment of mail the Westralia’s dispatch was not exceptionaly large, totalling 45 bags and weighing 16591 b. The majority of the letters were from Auckland. The mail is expected to reach London on December 22.