DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 July 1926, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by TELEGRAPH PER PRESS ASSOCIATION,

MOTOR COLLISION. AUCKLAND, July 20. ,

■ A collision between two motor cars at a road inter-section a mile south of Papatoetoe to-night resulted in lour men being injured. One, J. Hardwick, was sent home with cuts on the face and bruises. Three others were admitted to the hospital, their names being as follows:—L. AY. Foote, concussion, condition serious. Miles Bailey, concussion. Karl AVorker, dislocated shoulder and cut on the head.

All four men are employees of the New .Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company, and they were returning in the Company’s car from a sale at Clevedon. Their car which was driven by Foote overturned, and was badly smashed. The other car was able to proceed on its way.

TOO MANY IMMIGRANTS? SITUATION IN AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, July 19. Complaint was made at a meeting of the Auckland Unemployment Commit, tee to-day to the effect that immigrants were displacing New Zealanders, with the result that a great majority of those now registered as unemployed in the City were local people. The weekly report showed that the men registered with the Labour Department numbered 656. the lowest number since the Committee was set up six weeks ago. Of the number 546 were.classed as fit for heavy work. Employment bad been found for 108 men last week, making a total of 767 who bad been placed. - At tlie women’s bureau set up last week, applications bad been received from 40 women and girls, and vacancies had been reported for 21 general servants and cook-generals. There bad been only two applicants for such positions, and these had been placed. Openings bad been provided for lout girls in shops, factories, and offices, and one waitress, and three' housekeepers making a total of 10. Eight others bad been sent out to jobs, but no report had been received whether they bad accepted them. Mrs A. J. Dreaver. who lias been associated with the AYomen’s Employment Committee at the Trades Ilall. whs present by invitation, and she stated that they bad registered 270 women and girls of whom about 100 were shop assistants, and most of the others domestics. There were now about 250 on the list, employment having been found for the remainder. Nearly all were New Zealanders, and she stated that every immigrant ship arriving put some of our own girls °ut of work. In reply to a question, Mr AV. Slaughter, officer in charge of OAuckland branch of the Labour Department. said tint ttlie percentage of immigrants among the men registered was very small.

Mrs Dreaver stated that a number of girls coming out from England as domestics went into shops, showing that they were not domestics at all. Mr Slaughter said that under the shop assistants award wages were based on age and experience, and be doubted whether the position was as stated.

Staff-Captain Davies, of the Salvation Army, said that the girls coming to Xcw Zealand as domestics were required id' provide two references, and evidence that they were engaged in domestic work. His own expoiienee was that it was difficult, to get domestics to go into the country.

BROADCASTING. PROGRESS OF NEW STATIONS. AY ELLINGTON. July 19. The erection of two new broadcasting stations at Auckland and Christchurch is said to be proceeding satisfactorily, and it is hoped that at a very early date they will he on the air. The Department and the Broadcasting Company have been making cflorts to have the Auckland station ready by August Ist, but unfortunately, owing to the recent bad weather in Auckland, the erection ol the masts has hoon .somewhat delayed and the opening will/ probably not take place until about a week later. Apart from the erection of the masts, the station is ready for operation. Listeners throughout- the Dominion may expect a very gieat treat in comparison to what they have been accustomed.

The Western Electric Company, from whom tiic stations have been purchased. has sent to the Dominion one of its experts to supervise the erection, and it is quite clear from the.interest that is being taken in the completion of the arrangements that the efficiency of the new stations is assured. The actual output of the new stations will he 500 watts. The input power will, of course, he very much greater. It is understood that there will be no lack of talent available and the company hopes to broadcast excellent concerts. When the exact date of the opening is known, the arrangements in regard to it will be published. Tt is hoped that the Prime Aljnister and the Post-master-General will lie present, and will give short talks between musical items.

The plant for the new Christchurch station arrived by the same steamer as the Auckland plant and the Christchurch station should be operating sonic time in August.

BANKER’S IMPRESSIONS. WELLINGTON, July 19. The banking member ' of the Rural Credits Commission, Mr P. IT. Cox, who returned to Wellington to-day by way of Australia, lias some shrewd observations to make upon tilings seen in the course of his world tour. In commenting on the conditions of rural life prevailing in Northern Europe. Air Cox said that farm life there was much simpler than it is in,New Zealand. For a farmer to own a motorcar was the exception rather than the rule. Every inch of the ground was cultivated to its full extent. Everything possible was got off even second and third class land by intensive cultivation and manuring. Countries like Belgium. Denmark and Holland were really at the end of their tether; they bad too large a population and the ground could not possibly lie made to produce more. “Contrast that.” said Air Cox. “with New Zealand, Australia, or South Africa, where the ground lifts been hardly scratched. Think of the possibilities before us.”

While in England, the Commission experienced the great strike. “The spirit displayed on all sides,” said Air Cox. “ was wonderfully good, and com-mon-sense generally prevailed. One tiling the strike taught the world was that it is absurd to talk about a revolution in England. The Russians with their money were very wide of the mark in their ideas that they could foster a revolution.

“But in the Old Country,” added Air C'ox. “ there is still much to he learned ris to the proper relationship between masters and workers. There is a certain arrogant spirit sometimes displayed towards subordinates which does not make for efficiency. Tt is apt to stifle initiative. In America things are different. The whole stjff of a business concern pulls together, and while there is no disrespect on the part of those iff junior positions, thgy are not

afraid of discussing matters with their seniors. Trouble in Labour circles will not end until more of that spirit is displayed in England, where there is not the free and independent spirit that is seen in New Zealand. A contrast to New Zealand working conditions was found in South America, where wealth and poverty were seen side by side. There the mixed coloured population work for very small wages, with no educational or other advantages. 'Mr Cox prophesied that when they cease fighting amongst themselves these mixed breeds and foreigners will take a hand in an uprising to better tlieir own conditions. Brazil lias launched out on a scheme of absorbing ten million workers from other countries, chiefly from Southern Europe, and is very strictly enforcing regulations to prevent the entry of any diseased or unfit settlers.”

SUDDEN DEATH. DUNEDIN, July 20. Mrs Robert Cadzow of Highcliff, was found dead in her bath this afternoon Death is believed to be due to heart failure. An inquest will be bold tomorrow.

ANCIENT DRAWINGS. AUCKLAND, July 20

In a little cliff cave in Arapuni district. faint drawings which may belong to a remote period of Maori history, have been discovered. One, about afoot long, is of a cantic, tlie prow oi which does not conform to the ordinary Maori style, lint sweeps up in a curve, and appears to have curved decorations in the bow. Two figures or plumes arc distinctly outlined. The drawings have not yet been examined hy an "authority, but there is hardly any doubt that they are important to ethnology.

DOjfr COSSACKS TO STAY. WELLINGTON. July 20.

The' attractions of the Dominion sometimes prove too great to overseas visitors, and they stay to make tlieir home in God’s Own Co u 11 1: \. the latest victims to the Dominion lure are three members of the Don Cossack Choir. Forfeiting their return passages they are deserting their fel-low-singers. Two will endeavour to make a living on. a dairy farm, and the third, it is rumoured, lias fallen a victim to the charms of one of New Zealand’s fair daughters.

FLOUR AND EGGS. WELLINGTON, July 20.

The price of New Zealand Hour in A\ r ellington, which was reduced five shillings a ton a few days ago, has keen raised ten shillings as from tomorrow. The cause is said to lie a rise in wheat and flour in Australia. The effect so far in Hie price of bread is nil. The bakers say five shillings is too small to pass on. I

Fresh eggs that wore worth 3s (kl to 3s 8d on June 18th., are quoted today at Is lid to 2s. A leading firm of local merchants who confirmed this price fall suggested that a couple of merchant firms who were able to influence the market had held for higher prices, and thus had checked consumption, which fact was considered to he one of the causes of the fall.

POWER BOARD RATES. WELLINGTON,. July 20.

The Southland Electric Power Board is one of the not very numerous power authorities that have had to levy a rate in order to finance their undertakings. This policy naturally does not commend itself to landholders in outlying places which the Board’s reticulation has not. reached, and who are getting little benefit from its operations. A complaint was made to Parliament ill the form of a petition by 169 ratepayers, wbo ask for several alternative remedies against the Board. They say that shortly before the poll on the proposed loan of £1,500,000 for the completion of the Board’s works, the Board issued a circular stating it intended to reticulate the whole district, and if a rate had to ho struck it would not exceed a farthing in the Cl. On the strength- of these representations the loan was carried, hut the Board has since resolved not to reticulate certain areas, and has struck a rate of a penny in the £ of unimproved value over the whole district, with the result that some ratepayers in the excluded, areas have to pay £IOO and upwards yearly. The petitioners are informed that the rate will have to bo considerably increased, in order to enable tlie Board to meet its liabilities. As they are unlikely for many years to receive the benefits of reticulation, they consider that an injustice is being done them. They ask alternatively that lion-reticulated areas he excluded from the rating area, that the Board be compelled to reticulate its whole district, or that a limit of one sixteenth of a penny in the .£ of unimproved value be imposed on the rating of non-rotieulated areas.

POLYNESIAN ETHNOLOGY. WELLINGTON, Julv 20.

Dr P. Buck, Director of Maori Hygiene. accompanied by Airs Buck, left for the Cook group by the Alaunganui this afternoon. For several years past the authorities of the Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Have been conducting anthropological research in connection with the natives of the various Polynesian Islands. At the last Pan-Paci-fic Science Congress, held in Australia, it was decided that the research work in Polynesia should be left to New Zealand and the United States, as these countries are both specially interested in the people of the ‘Polynesian race. Following this up, the Board of Maori Ethnological Research is conducting investigations in Rarotonga, and Dr Buck, on their behalf, is to make an nnthropometricnl survey there, and also to obtain information' of interest regarding the Rarotongan branch of the Polynesians. This subject is of interest to New Zealand, not only liecaii.se the Cook Islands are part of the Dominion, but also because the .Cook Islanders are the nearest of kin of the .Maori people;

ROY MOTOR DRIVER

AUCKLAND. Julv 21

Arising out of an accident which occurred on tile Great North Rond on tlie night of Afnv 14, when a woman was injured, Harold George Walker was fined £lO on a charge of negligent driving by Air F. K. Hunt, S.AI." at the Police Court this morning. evidence was given that the accused v as driving a truck about 7.30 p.m., when the woman was knocked down by the mudguard and injured. The accident was reported by tlie accused to the Newton Police ten minutes after it occurred. Walker, in o statement which was priven to the police, said that he svav two women standing in tlie middle of the road. He attempted to avoid them by goihg between tlie pedestrians and the footpath, but. one woman stepped back and was knocked down. He s-id lie as travelling lit between 15 and 20 miles per hour, and that be pulled up in three yards. i Counsel asked the Magistrate to take j into consideration that AValker nad j only recently turned 16. and that be j had not long left school. He bad a j license to drive. j

In Addition to a fine of £lO, the defendant was also ordered to pay costs totalling £6 11s 2d, while the Alagistrate cancelled his license for a period of two years,