LATE DOMINION NEWS.

Mataura Ensign, 14 May 1912, Page 2

LATE DOMINION NEWS.

I MINISTER'S WIFE ON ENGINE. I'EK UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. ASHBURTON, May 13. The Minister for Railways (Hon. A. M. Myers) to-day promised a deputation which waited on him here and which asked for a faster early morning train service to Christcliurcli that the speed of the train would he accelerated on two mornings weekly (Wednesdays and Saturdays). The Minister refused to consider a request for a new railway station. Mrs Myers (who with the Minister is taking a great interest in the working of the Department) made the journey between Rakaia and Ashhurton on the first express this morning in the cab of the engine. MORE RAELWAY TRUCKS. TIMARU, May 13. The Minister for Railways (Hon. A. M. Myers) met members of the Harbor' Board to-day, and listened to complaints of a shortage of trucks and shunting power, on the wharves es- ! pecially, and also an insufficiency V j shed and yard accommodation. I Mr J. Oraiyic,_ M.P., added a- com- | plaint regarding'the inconvenience of ! the road to tin; goods-shed crossing, shunting and train-starting yard. It jwas pointed out that the accommodation ; provided eight years ago had become i inadequate, as the traffic had doubled in that time. .The lack of shunting power meant a loss ':o shippers, through slow work and overtime pay. The men sometimes had to leave the holds and move the trucks on the wharf. Tlio Minister said that, after visiting Christcliurcli and Timaru, lie san' that the. truck-building programme must be reconsidered. Ho intended to put an end to that complaint and would probably have trucks huilt outside the Department. He suggested that the Harbor Board should follow Auckland's and Wellington's example and provide facilities for working the wharves. He would consult his responsible advisers on the whole of the matters submitted. To provide the facilities asked for everywhere within reason was necessary for the development of their resources hut it would mean borrowing. He hoped that those who asked for them would not accuse the Government of frenzied ; finance, if it borrowed to meet their requirements. 1 s| SEARCH OF TREASURE. v| Ji DUXEDIN, May 13. '■ j A number of people assembled at jPort Chalmers this afternoon in expecJtation of seeing the steamer Wairoa J start on the voyage to the Auckland Ise' lands in search of the treasure supy; posed to be lying in the wreck of the -ship General Grant. The unexpected 1 happened, however, and it became gon--3 orally known that a writ of attachment - : had been issued by the Vice-Admiralty 3 Court restraining the vessel from, sails.; ing, pending a settlement of the claims Jj against her. The writ was issued at instance of Messrs Stevenson and Cook, Port Chalmers, and it is under-! j stood that the amount involved is about _i £3OO. The managing owner has left , for Bluff and it was impossible to 1 get in communication with him toi day. c. —. J A FARMER KILLED. \- OAM ARU, May 13. A farmer named George Lotto was v killed at Queen's Flat to-day. He was '.loading a dray when tine horse bolted .land he was thrown out of the cart and , : picked up dead. FALL OVER STEEP FACE. NELSON, Mav 13. The injuries to Mr Robert Allan, a i well-known business man, who fell over ■ a steep face while camping on a hill on . Sunday night, consist of severe cuts on the head and chest, while several ribs | were also broken. His condition is serii ous. CABINET AUTHORISATIONS. WELLINGTON, May 13. Cabinet to-day accepted a tender for the erection of a. cottage hospital at Rotorua. A subsidy for deep sinking at Boatman's (West Coast) was approved, also the erection of a new school at the corner of College street and Botanical j road, Palmerston North. I LAND VALUES AND LABOR. DUNEDIN, May 13. The New Zealand Land Values League, which has branches in four centres, has decided to join the United Labor Party. FIRE AT NAPIER. NAPIER, May 13. An aecommndation-house at Polnie, owned and occupied by Mr H. Bodloy, together with a bakehouse, billiardroom and several detached buildings, were totally destroyed by fire early this morning. A bucket brigade saved the stables, containing a large quantity of feed. The insurances total £1775, divided between the Norwich Union, British and Dominion offices. WARNING TO SEAMEN. CHRISTCHURCH, May 13. , At the Lyttelton Police Court this morning Harry Swain, a seaman en- I gaged on the steamship Turakina, was , charged with having been absent with- j out leave from that vessel on Jun« ' 28, 1911. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment. , The same accused was charged with having on April 16, 1912, at Dunedin, < engaged as a seaman on the Tarawera, and with, having wilfully and fraudu- < lently made a false statement as to his name. Senior-Sergeant Rvan said that < the charge was the first of its kind laid \ under section 138 of the Shipping and \ Seamen Act, and the case was brought < ns a warning to other seamen. The , a-cused pleaded guilty and was fined I f

J THE DEFENCE ACT. PALMERSTON N., May 13. The Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce, has received 41 replies so far regarding its resolution congratulating the Minister for Defence on his determination to enforce the Act. They are from local bodies and chambers of commerce and 38 .express hearty approval. The Auckland Harbor Board and the Masterton Borough Council were non-committal and only the Sumner Borough Council is adverse. Further replies are coming to hand daily. SHORTAGE OF LABOR. AUCKLAND, May 13. Recent advice from Wellington is to the- effect that there is a considerable shortage of labor in many departments of industry in that centre. The clothing industry in Wellington is said to be feeling the pinch very keenly, it being apparently impossible to obtain hands sufficient to cope with the work offering in various clothing factories. Inquiries among representatives of the clothing industry in Auckland go to show that the same unfortunate state of affairs is practically duplicated in this city. Speaking to a 'Herald' reporter the manager of a large clothing firm stated that the industry is suffering acutely from a deficiency in the. supply of factory operatives. Orders long overdue are impossible of execution, simply because the people cannot be induced to accept employment. The demand is more particularly for girls and the situation occasionally becomes absolutely desperate owing to the shortage. .Manufacturers receive indignant letters from customers demanding to know why their wants have not been J supplied, and are quite, helpless in the face of the situation. The most serious aspect of the question, he added, is that retailers who cannot afford to disregard the demands of their own customers are forced to fall back upon imported articles, when they would prefer to deal in locally-manufactured goods. There appears to be a perennial dearth of domestic servants, both in town and country. The few domestics offering naturally please themselves as to the kind of situation they will accept and it would seem that they engage themselves in hotels and restaurants in preference to private establishments.