LATE DOMINIUM NEWS.

Mataura Ensign, 28 February 1913, Page 7

LATE DOMINIUM NEWS.

LABOR AND DEFENCE. THE ATTACHMENT OF WAGES. PES. UNITED PitESB ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, Feb. 27. The recent conference of trade union delegates called by the Federation of Labor, at which a basis of Labor unity in politics was evolved, declared hostility to the compulsory military training system. A committee was appointed to consider the situation created by the Authorities in attempting to attach wageft to meet default in payment of fines" imposed under the Defence Act. This committee has resolved to circularise every trade union in. the country. The communications signed by Messrs W; T. Young (chairman), and P. H. Hickey (secretary) state that, having given the matter careful consideration, the committee advises that each trade union should carry a vigorous resolution- strongly protesting against any form of punishment meted out to miners with conscientious objections to registration, drilling, or oath-taking under the Defence Act, for, in the opinion of the committee, all the forms of punitive penalties so far devised in this connection are equally abhhorrent and intolerable in a constitutional democracy, whether such punishment be imprisonment, military detention, or garnishee. I "To beat the garnishee," finally continues the circular, "we would commend to your good offices the proposal of., the Passive Resistors' Union for beating the garnishee, which is the payment of a weekly levy of 6d by passive resisters in order to create 1 a fund for strike pay if and when a member leaves his work directly an attempt is made put in force the attachment order on his wages. As we understand that the P.R.TJ. has appealed ?to you for .a donation towards this fund, we bespeak your cordial" co-operation in the'lhatter. '. '• ' feels that passive

resistance with the backing of work-

ing-class support will ultimately prove —•, the -means of blocking the scandalous persecution which, in the name of defence, has stained the records of our country. At all events, it is fitting tlurt the workers bo united for those brSrVe/'sbns -of their class who are fighting injustice; ' "In conclusion,'-we would point out that the position herein taken is substantially that of the United Labor Party (as decided at its Easter Conference), and also of the Federation of Labor (as per resolutions at its conference of the following May)."

AN ECHO OF WAIHI. PER J DRY CHARGE DISMISSED. AUCKLAND, Feb. 27. An echo of the recent rioting at Waihi was heard at the Supreme Court, when Walter Edmund Harvey, an arbitrationist, appeared charged with committing perjury at Karangahake on -JNfovember 10 when giving evidence before Mr Walnutt, coroner, who was inquiring into the death of Frederick Geo. Evans, the Federatibnist who was fatally injured during the disturbance. Mr M. W T alnutt stated that accused was cross-examined on December 13. He was warned by Mr Lundon to be « careful, as he might lay himself open to a charge of perjury. His evidence set' forth that he had never carried a revolver in New Zealand; that he did not present a revolver at anyone at Karangahake on November 10; that he did i not utfcet the word "Bill" in address-] iug six men at tho same place on the same dav; and thai he did not say "It's all right Bill; I've got you covered," or any words to that effect. Mr Reed: Was it not manifest that the Feds, had great feeling against him? Witness: \es; very manifest. Jas. Mclndoe who took down the depositions at the inquest, agreed that Harvey was in a very excited state. Wm Hunt, miner, of Karangahake, deposed that on Sunday, November 10, accused arrived in the town on his way from Paeroa to W r aihi. Passing the boardinghouse her presented a revolver - at the party sitting on the roadside and called out, "It's all right, Bill, I've got vou covered." He then drove on '" Henry John Bond and Patrick Hanfling, miners, of Karangahake, corroborated/the statement of Hunt. Percy Jas. Goldie, of Waihi, stated that he sold the revolver produced to the accused on October 14. Detective Sweeney said that he searched accused's room and found the revolver. Accused was served with a summons to appear at the court an January 21 to answer to a charge of having presented a revolver at Karangahake ," but before the date he took passago for Sydney. On being warned about leaving the Dominion he said he would be back in time to answer the charge. Subsequently, in consequence of instructions received, witness laid an information against accused on a -charge of perjury and Harvey was arrested immediately upon arrival at Sydney- He was under an assumed name, but had communicated his right name to the captain, and asked for police protection, as there were Feds. on board. ■ ' Mr Reed: Had Harvey ample time to go to Sydney and get back in time to answer the charge of assault? The Detective: Plenty of time. His Honor, in summing up, said that the defence admitted that the statements had been made, and that these ■were untrue. Therefore the case resolyisd itself into an inquiry into the statar.of the man's mind when he made the statements. The question before the Jury was hot 6ne"6f law," but of fact.

The jury, after a brief retirement, found the accused not guilty. The foreman explained that his fellows considered that the accused had made false statements when suffering from severe mental strain, without appreciating the importance of what he said, and that the Crown had failed to establish intent to mislead justice. The prisoner was thereupon discharged. MOTORS AND FINANCE. AUCKLAND, Feb. 27.

Some trenchant criticism concerning the disposition towards "frenzied finance" was indulged in at the annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce by the retiring president (Mr G. Elliott). There was a growing inclination, he said, on the part of many firms and limited companies to run and increase their business on loans from private individuals, at call or on deposit, for full periods. Notwithstanding all the warnings uttered by the press and by responsible men, continued Mr Elliott, there seemed to be little inclination on the part of the citizens generally to curb extravagant expenditure. The introduction of the motor-car had done much to encourage individual extravagance, and had been a factor in increasing our imports very largely during recent years. Something' like £3,000,000 had been spent in motor-cars and motor-cycles throughout the Dominion, without taking into account the large and recurring amounts for spare parts, tyres, oil, benzine or spirits. In the mrch of civilisation the motor was replacing the horse, which was bred in the country the vehicle drawn by the horse, which was built in the country, and the feed for the horse, which was grown in the country. While not condemning the motor-car, he was satisfied that its importation and use assisted in upsetting to some extent for the moment our financial equilibrium. FIRE AT DUNEDIN. DUNEDIN, Feb. 27. A fire occurred shortly after 10 o'clock to-night in a five-roomed wooden house situated Bay View Road and owned and occupied by Mr Bernard Goodmahson. Mr and Mrs Goodmanson and Mr Bernard Goodmanson, jun., had all gone to bed, and shortly afterwards the latter was aroused and found the back portion of the house on fire. Some delav was apparently occasioned in giving the alarm, and the house was a mass of flames when the brigade arrived. Nothing could be saved. The furniture was insured for £l5O in the Alliance Office, and the house for £2OO in ihe London and Lancashire.

BURGLARS IN A HOTEL. AUCKLAND. Feb, 27. Another hotel robbery is reported. That the offenders are expert at their work is slio-wn by the fact that the Star Hotel in Albert street was burgled during the night or early hours of February 14, and although the haul was not extensive the burglars made a thorough search of at least three rooms. They obtained some £5 in cash. ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES. WELLINGTON, Feb." 27. The total arrivals in New Zealand from oversea during January were 5877 as compared with 5096 in January, 1912, and departures 2681 as compared with 3031 in the previous January. 'GAZETTE' NOTICES. WELLINGTON, Feb. 27. The 'Gazette' notifies that the deershooting season for Rotorua and Whakatane, Mahia, Peninsula and Wairoa (Hawke's Bay) is to be from April 7 to Mav 5. The Chatham Islands are proclaimed a district within which liquor is not to be supplied to Maoris. A PRISONER'S PLEA. AUCKLAND, Feb. 27.

The prisoner Joseph Edgar, who" only a short time ago was sentenced to a w.cek's confinement on bread and water for malingering, was again charged today with refusing to perform his allotted task. The prisoner said that he could not work. He was living in agony. The doctor, however, could not find anything wrong with him. Edgar was ordered to come upf for sentence when called upon, and was sent back to t\\e cell to think matters over till the morning.

A ROTORUA GRIEVANCE. ROTORUA, Feb. 27. A', meeting of householders was held to-night to consider the report of the School Committee regarding the position of .the movement for tho establishment of a district high school here. The "ommittee reported that in August last Mr Garland, chairman of the Auckland Education Board, had given a verbal premise that when 20 pupils werci obtained the establishment of the school would be recommended to the Minister. Last month Mr Garland visited Rotorua and stated that the Board was op]>csed to district high schools. One reason advanced was that qualified teachers could not be secured at the salaries the Board was able to offer. Rotorua was not a desirable place as a tourist resort for a district high school, and Mr Garland saidj that if he had 100 children he would not send one of them there. Speakers took exception to this slur on Rotorua, and the meeting passed a resolution that the Minister be approached directly.

COSTAL SHIPPPING

DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER. AUCKLAND, Feb. 27. The Minister for Marine (Hon. F. M. B. Fisher) was waited upon this morning by a deputation representing the New Zealand" Shipowners' Federation relative do a number of disabilities and harassing regulations under which owners of coastal shipping at present labor. The first Question broached was that of wireless telegraphy on coastal steamers. Captains R. G. Hammond (assistant manager of the Northern Company) said that there was some doubt as to which new regulation regarding the installation, of wireless on coasting steamers was to be carried out. At the present time all coastal steamers wore fitted with Morse code signaling apparcus, either with electric light, or. if the boat did not possess it, then with a Morse lamp with which all coastal officers were familiar. Lighthouses and signal stations were also equipped with Morse lamps, with the use of which keepers were familiar. "Let me explain the intention of the Department before you go further," said the Minister. "So far as wireless is concerned the Department proposes that it shall be carried on all large passenger ships and ferry-boats, like the Maori, for instance, but it is not intended that it shall be installed on small vesssels."

The Minister remarked, "My chief purpose in visiting Auckland is to take away as far as possible the harassing restrictions put on owners without endangering thci public safety. What 1 should like you gentlemen to do is t:i set up a small committee of two <<r three to meet Captains Fleming and Atwood, and come to an agreement on as many points as possiblp. and then come to mo with those- y-u are v»t able to agree upon and we will see what can bo done. I want to get tho mnt'rr settled as spoodilv as possible. Mok ■ your demands, therefore, in snoc'fie terms, and if von cannot agree w'th the Department's officers come to r.u- and let i)s see what we can arrange. The officers of the Departmenti have been tied' down with regulations as much as .shipowners. They have to carry out hard and fast rules, even if thev are not wise ones. It is all right if the .safety of lives and general protection of the public arc concerned, but we wish our officers to use a little more discretion. We mils'- therefore, give them more discretionary power, else we shall never arrive at anything satisfactory." Several others matters which it was intended to lay before the Minister were held in abeyance till after the conference agreed upon.

A TRAVELLER'S DEATH. DUNEDIN, Feb. 27. A post-mortem examination on George Croker Smith. commercial traveller, disclosed extensive heart disease. Death, was attributed to either cardiac failure or angina pectoris. A verdict to this effect was returned. Deceased represented the Wiley and Russell Manufacturing Co., Massachusetts,

DOMINIONS ROYAL COMMISSION. DUNEDIN, Feb. 27. At the sitting of the Dominions Royal Commission to-day Mr Loudon read and expounded a remit from the Chamber of Commerce advocating the formation of a National Reference and Development Bureau, with headquarters in London and branches in various parts of the Empire. What the Chamber wanted was an Empire Board of Trade.

The chairman remarked that he did not think they could ask the Government to examine facts and vouch for the accuracy of company prosoectiises. Hugh Mitchell (secretary" of the Otago Provincial Council of the New Zealand Farmers' Union) said that the shortage of farm labor was becoming more acute every year and in consequence farmers were compelled to reduce their cropping areas and prosecute a class of farming that could be done with limited labor". He advocated the resumption of the Sedgwick scheme for bringing out boys from Britain. The union was asking for legislation which it was hoped would relieve the shortage of labor. William Belcher (general secretary of the Seamen's Union) said that there was unfair competition through lowpaid crews on European vessels and the possibility of the invasion of the New Zealand shipping trade by, vessels manned by lascars and coolies. There should be an alteration in the New Zealand Constitution giving Parliament power to legislate for its own shipping. He wished the coastal, intercolonial and ocean trade to be governed by the colonial law. A good many vessels not subject to Australian or New Zealand law visited the Dominion. He recognised that there- was a difficulty in the way of allowing colonial legislators to enact their own laws for the government of shipping, but Canada had passed such laws. This concluded the Dunedin sittings, and the Commissioners will leave for Christchurch to-morrow, PURCHASE OF A SECTION. WELLINGTON, Feb. 27. A paragraph originating in Taranaki which is going the rounds alleges that the Government recently purchased for £I2OO a section at Stratford which stood on the valuation list as worth £3OO. OnMrMassey's attention being drawn to it by a 'Post' reporter jhe said on seeing the paragraph in print he had made inquiries and had ascertained that tho Railway Department had purchased part of a sawmill property which was absolutely needed in order to give more room. '1 he sum of £I2OO included the cost of the land plus compensation for loss cf business. In all probability the cost would have been greater if tho land had been (.oiapulsorily acquired.