DOMINION NEWS

Grey River Argus, 24 November 1944, Page 6

DOMINION NEWS

DAIRY FACTORY WORKERS. P -A. WELLINGTON', Nov. 23. , With reference to a statement by the Minister of Labour (Hon. P. C. Webb) that both the New Zealand Dairy Factory Workers’ Union and their employers had agreed to a fresh meeting of the Conciliation Council on Tuesday in an attempt to remove the present difficulties, members of the Executive of the Union said, today, that the conference, yesterday, was called at the earnest request of the Minister and did not, in any way, “wash out” the direct action ballot now being taken, the papers for, which are returnable by November) 30. . Mr. L. D. Robertson, Secretary of the Auckland branch of the Workers’ Union said: “The present position is very grave, and it is to be hoped that the Conciliation Council meeting on Tuesday, asked for by the Minister will resolve the serious difficulties that face the industry. I would urge my members to await the outcome of ' these fresh negotiations, which will be made known at the earliest possible moment.” SUPREME COURT SENTENCES. E.A. AUCKLAND, November 23. “Like many others who come before this Court, you prefer to live a life of idleness instead of working and earning an honest living,” said Judge Callan, in sentencing Donald Lamon to twelve months’ imprisonment to be followed by twelve months’ reformative detention for dealing in forged petrol coupons. The Jud°-e added that although the actual forging was probably done by someone else, accused’s offence was grave. Leslie Snow for stealing £645 from a Chinese was sentenced to two years and six months’ imprisonment. A watersider, Francis Kane, for theft of two revolvers from the wharf received two years’ hard labour. FATAL FALL FROM BUILDING. FA. AUCKLAND, November 23. Phyllis Elizabeth McGilvray, 68, married, College Hill, Ponsonby, was killed instantly, this morning, when she fell 15 feet from an upper storey verandah. It is understood that she was leaning on the verandah rail talking to a child below, when the rail broke. BOY KILLED BY 'BUS. PA WELLINGTON, Nov. 23. Noel Fitchett, six years old son of Mr A H. W. Fitcliett, 17 Gracefield Road, Lower Hutt, was killed instantly when run over- by a railways ’bus opposite the entrance to a school this morning. JOHN HOGAN’S PRISON SENTENCE. WELLINGTON, November 22. In sentencing to a week’s- hard labour John Hogan, charged with failing to comply, with a manpower direction, the Magistrate, Mr A. E. Dobbies, said*. “Direction to essential industry is a war-time measure which no Court could allow to be frustrated. The defendant sets hims-elf up as judge of his own case, and says that his direction is not warranted, but he gives no evidence to support it, whereas there is evidence that the manpower problem in the Hutt Valley is- so acute that his direction is more than necessary—it is essential. The defendant stated that his direction was initiated by other motives than manpower needs. There was no tittle of evidence that it was initiated except in the ordinary cours-e of the business of the department. The defendant has a wife and three young children, and this is taken into, consideration, but a monetary penalty is not appropriate where an offence is committed deliberately and with indifference.”

C.O's. IN DETENTION.

P.A. WELLINGTON, Nov. 23. The Wellington Methodist Synod passed a resolution protesting against the indeterminate sentences on objectors in detention camps. It w.as stated that some men had been detained nearly three years and others exceeded that, and still no end to the sentences was in view. This was stated to be a travesty of British justice, and it was decided to urge the Government to follow the practice in England, where a sentence does not exceed two years.

HOLIDAY WORK FOR TEACHERS. P.A. WELLINGTON, Nov. 23. “I should be very glad to accede ion continues to be of such urgency position would permit, _ but I regret the manpower position! in the Dominion contniues to be of such urgency as to make it necessary to call on students and teachers for a measure of assistance,” said the Minister of Industrial Manpower (Mr. A. McLagan) in a letter read at yesterday’s meeting of the Wellington Education Board, in reply to a protest by the Board at the’ direction of teachers and students to work during their vacation. Allowing for the fact that these workers had other holidays during the year, and were also allowed a break at both ends of the Summer holidays period, added the Minister, he did not think the request to them to devote part of their total annual holidays to work of national urgency could be held to be unreasonable. “As you are aware, moreover,” the Minister wrote, “I have arranged for all single teachers of more than 30 years of age, and all married teachers irrespective of to be exempted from direction this year. Of the remaining teachers I have asked Manpower Officers to ’keep direction to the unavoidable minimum. .