Points From The News

Northern Advocate, 16 March 1948, Page 3

Points From The News

HARBOUR BRIDGE.—After several months of negotiations, an agreement is about to be signed between the Government, the Auckland Harbour Bridge Company and M. R. Hornibrook Proprietary, Ltd., of Brisbane, consulting engineers and contractors to the bridge company. Under the agree-, merit the companies transfer to the Government all rights and assets in connection with the bridge project and agree to the empowering act being repealed-. In return the Government is paying about £15,000 to the other parties to reimburse them for their expenditure and liabilities incurred. HOSPITAL CARPENTERS.—Subject to the consent of the Wages Commissioner, the Auckland Hospital Board’s carpenters will be paid an increase of lid an hour on their present wage rates. This decision was made by the board last night on the recommendation of the Finance Committee. The committee advised the board that as the Master Builders’ Association had abandoned its resistance to the carpenters’ demands the board found itself in the position of having no option but to pay the increase in conformity with the general practice of employers. WORLD CHESS.—PauI Keres (Russia), in the sixth round of the world championship chess tournament, drew with Dr Max Euwe (Holland), \Vhich gave Euwe his. first half-point after four consecutive losses. The game between Reshevsky (America) and Smylov (Russia) was also drawn. NO OPINION.—The National Council of the New Zealand Federation of Labour has expressed no opinion on questions relating to the Strike and Lockout Emergency Regulations and stabilisation, but has referred them to the forthcoming annual conference of the federation in Dunedin. This was stressed today by Mr P. M. Butler, a member of- the national council, who said a report that the council had decided to ask the Government to repeal the regulations and that it was expected that the council would simultaneously ask for abolition of “wagepegging,” was entirely incorrect.

RACE ABANDONED.— The interprovincial eight-oar race which was to have been rowed at Dunedin next Saturday has been abandoned. The race is for the Hallyburton Johnstone Bowl, and the decision that it would not be held this season was reached by the Otago . Rowing Association after advice had been received that the Southland crew had decided not to start. This would have left only the Wanganui and Otago crews in the race, and the Otago association was not prepared to hold it with only two crews competing. CHILDREN KILLED.—A Munich denazification court sentenced to five years’ imprisonment three German nurses who admitted helping to kill 332 mentally backward children by mixing doses of luminal with their food. The nurses said they believed that by participating in Hitler’s euthanasia programme they were assisting in a “mercy measure.” A civil criminal court will also try the nurses. GUILTY, BUT INSANE.—A jury in the Dublin Criminal Court found Lieutenant Henry Fitzsimon Cotton, 25, guilty, but insane, on a charge of murdering, on January 24, a Dubliner, Robert Robinson, and a former pilot of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Ronald Ernest Brain, of Auckland, at the home of two girls whom Brain and Robinson had taken home from a dance. Cotton shot dead both men.