DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 April 1925, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

BY TELEOEAPH —PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT. BOOKMAKER FINED £2OO. AUCKLAND, April 21. At the Police Court James Johnson, aged 40, was lined £2OO for carrying on the business of a bookmaker at the Avondale racecourse yesterday. The police stated that the accused was a man worth £9OOO, but was carrying on honkmaking in a small way. The defence was that accused only made bets with friends, but Iris clients included a policeman, SHOP HOURS. MR JUSTICE. FRAZER'S VIICY. AUCKLAND, April 20. "i wish to goodness the Government would deal with the whole business of closing hours, and fix the hours dcfinitelv,’’ said Air Justice piazcr, when an application for exemption was before the Arbitration Court to-day. “We know that Queen Street shops have to close at certain hours, and if wo close the little shops in the suburbs at the same hours, we might do them an injustice,” ho said. "Take tho suburban shop where a man lias worked no a business and has a ecitaiu amount of regular custom. He might employ eiio or two assistants. Now, it we' dose his shop at the same hour as the Queen Street shops a Hock of competitors will come along and take from him the business he has worked up. It’s a pity the Government doesn’t take over the business of fixing tlie hours definitely.” HAHLFY FOR BEER. GROWERS ON STRIKE. RT.jENII.EIM, April 20. “That the farmers of the district lx! re: ominondod not to grow barney on contract, as the 1 rice offered hy Breweries Ltd., vim, As per bushel, is in the opinion of this meeting not a remunerative one.” This is the text of a resolution adopted by the annual meeting of the Blenheim branch of the Farmers’ Union. This branch, the members of which inI dude most of the leading growers of Marlborough barley for some time, has been negotiating with the brewers in an effort to improve the conditions of brewery central ts, and in co-opera-tion with Ihe Seddou branch, which also represents a large number of barley producers, the branch achieved several advantageous changes in the terms of the contract notes. Nothing could he attained however in the matter of an improved price. Breweries Ltd. stating that they were unable to increase the price to more than os a. l>Uslu*l. The seen jury (Mr R. Wanden) informed the. meeting that he bad eon- . ferreil with a representative of tho . Seddou liraneh, and he had learned that ■ that branch would sup-port the Blenheim union, in any elfnrt to gam an , advance in prb e. The only thing to 1 do. was to show a united front, and ' make it plain to the brewers that- then' 1 rriee was considered insufficient. ■ Afr AY. IT. Gaiie moved, and Air H. * s. Reeves seconded the resolution * quoted above. It was adopted utiani- ' mimsely. , The mover claimed that the farmer

|,...| a right to hold out for a reasonable .price. Afr Reeves raid he hoped the growers would stand by the union to a man. \|>RR ENTICES ACT'. AUCKLAND. April 20. In Ike Arbitration Conn Mr C hit-!;, on behalf of nine, union-, asked lor amendments to orders covering apprentices, which were the. outcome ol a conference between the employees and I lie employers. Mr .liisliri' Frazer said that Hit Court had m. power to make the alloral ions. unless hy individual apMi,■alien el' llm appremue. I Imre mul , iearlv been a mi-iiuderslaiidiiig between the commit too ami the Aluns|..r c| Labour v.hcn mailers wore di--euxsetl regarding the drawing up ol . the Apprentices Ait. Mi Clark said some who were apprealiees before the coming into operation of the Act were not being paid the same wages as lads who since had become apprentices. 11 is I loiiotir said t hat Ihe ( nurt hail , over lo make orders ret respect ive except in individual applications. Mr Clark: Thai means that we have l, | rimr hi I'm . Ibe ('Tul l j-very mdividual apprent is ■' will) Ids parents. ! 11 i- 11 011011 r : Yes. hid you miisl salisly the Court that Hie apprentice- : slid, was unfair at ihc time it. was on- 1 to roll into. If you take my advice you | will try to get the Ael amended. ,

DISSATISFIED PRINTERS. WELLINGTON. April 21). A deputation irom Ihe Hovorumoiif Printing and Typographical I nion and the Government Printing Office waited on the Ihm G. J. Anderson today objecting to more than six apprentices being employed. Incidental speakers criticised the low wages paid as being responsible for the shortage <*f inmpositors in il*-* printing ollice. Outside offices, it was alleged, paid os to Ids a. week more. The .Minister, in reply, contended that what with superannuation ami other privileges Government employees' were better oil' than other compositors. If tho stall' preferred it, they could forego their privileges and work under an award of the Arbitration Court. The Public Service Commissioner was willing to let them have whichever they liked.

'DIPHTHERIA. > \ THE IMMUNISATION SCHEME. ! WELLINGTON", April 20. In New Zealand, the Health Depnrtluent has made use of the method of diphtheria immunisation for some three or four years past. The first occasion on which the method was used ! extensively was at Raveusbourno . School, Dunedin. This school had shown a high incidence of diphtheria for several months, and it was decided . that the best solution of the difficulty was to immunise all the pupils at the school. This was done hy the Department’s school medical officers, and since then the disease has been practically absent from the school. In addition, the Department immunised the children at other institutional schools at Dunedin, also at schools at Hamilton and Murchison, which were at tlie time regarded as being in endemic areas. The results in every ease have been most encouraging and indicate that in this method medical science has a most valuable means of combating diphtheria. The report of the bacteriologist who assisted in the immunisation at Hamilton. indicates that the results show that the method' has been very successful there. In further proof of the recognition of the value of the method, it may he mentioned that some of the largest life insurance companies in America now advertise immunisation and recommend tlie public to make use of it as a sure defence against the disease. In view of such overwhelming evidence, the Health Department is anxious to make the facilities I'm* adopting it generally available, and it is therefore desirable that parents should realise that there is at hand such a powerful weapon to combat this .grave disease of childhood.