LATE DOMINION NEWS.

Mataura Ensign, 3 July 1914, Page 2

LATE DOMINION NEWS.

■ '4THE KAURI IN PORT. i PEE UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. WESTPORT, July 2. The sjs. Kauri, which was towed off " tho beach yesterday, was 'brought)- into • port at five o'clock this evening and . 'berthed at the wharf. She is) to -bo takeni into the floating basin in the morning to have temporary repairs effected. prior to ta.king her to- Port Chalmers for docking. FARM LABORERS' DEMANDS, BLENHEIM, July 2. Tho demands of the Blenheim Farm and Station Employees' Union were formally placed before the Conciliation Council at Blenheim this morning. On. behalf of the employees the following statement was ma<le:—We are not prepared t<i discuss the demands of the union at all. The Arhi-t-ration Court -has already dealt with the question of farm labor in Canterand declined to make an award. It in other awards exempted farmers and l employees from the operation of .awards of „h« court, therefore moving an established precedent. We refuse to discuss the matter at all, and it must be referred direct to the court. The representative of the union said ihac the statement, regarding the precedent in Canterbury was unwarranted. If employers were going to take this stand it was no use going any further. Ho asked were not farm laborers, entitled to the benefit of the. Conciliation and Arbitration Act as well as | other workers? He protested agal.nst te attitude of the employers. Commis- | sloner Halley said that lie wmikl in- | form the Arbitration Court of the posiI tion.

DUNEDIN EXPANSION LEACUE. QUESTION OP EMPLOYMENT. " OOXEIDIN, July 2. A deputation front the General Laborers' Union waited' on the exeiutivfl of the Dunedin Expansion League tonight, asking that the Clyde-Cron;i.v,ell ' portion of the Central Otago railway 1)0 put in hand at once, with the object of giving employment to a large. number of! general hiborei'si who five outof work. Th.e nirnilber was stated to •be about 200. The deputation received a sympathetic hearing, and as it was j pointed out during discussion that there , miigh.t 'be a delay ill getting tire Otago ] Central' work started! at onoe 'the scope of the deputation was increased to in- ; chid© any other railway or the public •works. The executive of the League resolved , to telegraph to the Minister for Public j Works strongly endorsing the request, and suggesting that a number of the men could be absorbed at once at Beaumont, stating that the circumstances of many families were serious, and urging prompt action. It was also resolved to advise the Otago memibers of Parliament <if the representations to the .Ministers and to" seek their cooperation. < SOUTHLAND LEACUE. ] BRANCH AT BIVERSDALE. 1 A meeting of those interested in the < formation of a branch of'the Southland t League was held at Riversdale on iM'on- i day evening, and the attendance s augurs well for the formation o,f a i strong branch in that centre. i Mr Joseph Smaill was voted to the 1 c'hair, and after outlining the aims and t meeting of the League urged upon the 1 meeting the desiraibleness of forming I a local*branch. f

Mr P. C. Gray, of Gore, delivered an lddress on the League and its aims. He said 1 that the idea was not a new )ne, and similar organisations were doing (rood work in other narts o.f the Dominion. He quoted tho* work of. the Dominion Expansion League and .pointed out that several puiblic works- of large dimensions had ibeen carried out through the influence of that body having been exercised. The Southland League would ensure that Southland womt get a fair share of money for expenditure on public works to' the benefit of the district. The speaker pointed out that frequently in the past the different parts of the province had been in opposition to one another, with the result that the very thing for which they were contending had been, lost to all. United action -was wanted, and it was this that th© Southland League aimed at. (Mr Gray also explained the constitution, the formation of the Council, and the proposed! method of, dealing with all matters, sudh, as railway routes. A committee of 25 residents was appointed, with power to add to their number, to take the necessary steps to call a. public meeting and to form a large branch. Mr Fred. Baylis was appointed secretary. The meeting decided to invite Mr Chas. Campbell, general secretary, to attend the public meeting.