DOMINION NEWS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1744, 19 February 1920, Page 6

DOMINION NEWS.

Per Press Association. DUNEDIN, Fob. 18. At a meeting of retired railwaymon this afternoon it was decided to form an association to protect their interests and particularly to secure an increase m the superannuation allowance in order to meet the increased cost of living. The secretary tv as instructed to communicate with the other centres with a view to combined action. The meeting was strongly in favour of a flat rate irrespective of length of serWELLINGTON, Fob. 19.

A statement setting. forth the total cost to* Now Zealand of the military occupation of Samoa from the beginning of the war to December 31, 1919, shows an expenditmc of £428,490 5s lOd. The expenditure for the December quarter was £8586 9s 3d. A case is being heard at the Supreme Court in which a seaman named James .McGregor claims £IOOO damage, from the Wellington Seamen’s Union on the grounds that plaintiff was wrongfully expelled from tiie Union, which had since prevented fiini from following his usual occupation. According to counsel, some lime in Deeembet plaintiff was on the steamer John, on which was also a young fellow named Simpson. Complaint was made that, tin' last named was not a member of the Union, and plaintiff offered to pay his subscription. ’I lie offer was refused and later plaintiff complained to the Assistant-Secretary of the Union regarding the matter, and the As-sistant-Secretary demanded fiom AhGrogor the amount of the latter’s subscriptions tlem clue. McGregor went to the Union office and paid the money and said the Assistant-Secretary should go about his business in a more sober manner He did not mean in any sense that the AssistantSecretary was drunk. Next, day the executive of the Union met and .McGregor was told to apologise to the Assistant-Secretan. Hi' declined, and was expelled from the Union, but denied receiving notice of expulsion, It was alleged that at the instance of the Union he was prevented from shipping on various coastal steamers under tho threat that if he was employed the crews would come out.

TTAIARU, February 18

Representatives from three local Labour 'unions waited on the Hospital Hoard to-day and, asked for better treatment for nurses ■ at the General Hospital.. The hoard explained that tho nurses’ wages were recently increased all round, and—the Public Health Department, as well as the Hoard, considered them adequately_ paid. ’1 he 1 deputation complained that girls employed | in the hospital laundry did-nqt get the holidays to which they were entitled, and that I recently three had given notice on one day to leave. The board agreed to inquire'’into 1 tin's, and into any other definite complaints I which might bo made. The deputation said ' there were persistent rumours that all was net as it should bo at the hospital, but declined to mention names, fearing that nurses might lie victimised. The board expressed its willingness to go into definite charges, but said that it could not deal in gcneraliGISBORNE, Feb. 19. I Frank Ballar, alias Frank Devine, charged with burglary at Opotiki. was before the Police Court to-day, and remanded to Opotiki.