WITHIN THE DOMINION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6652, 28 October 1908, Page 7

WITHIN THE DOMINION

LATEST TELEGRAMS riiESB association. AUCKLAND TRAMWAYS COMPANY ALLEGED BREACH OF AWARD. AUCKLAND, Octobor 27. At the Arbitration Court to-day the Auckland Electric Tramways Company was proceeded against by tho Labour Department for an alleged breach of award. The complaint arose from tho fact thav on Christinas Day cars had been seiu out and then sent in again, owing to rain coming on, and the men were only paid for the work done and not for tho werk which thev had prepared to do. Mr Tole, for tho Labour Department, said the trouble had arisen through the company refusing to pay regular men in tho service for less than forty-eight hours as a week’s work when the men were ready and willing to work. The union claimed that tho men were weekly servants, in view of the decision by the Arbitration Court in the Wellington tramways case, though the men were paid by tho hour. The fact that they had to give a week's notice of termination of engagement made the men weekly servants. The company claim that they were only be und to pay tho men for tho actual time worked. After hearing a great deal of evidence tile decision of tho Court was reserved. SERIOUS CHARGE AUCKLAND, October 27. The number of charges against men, young and old, of committing grave assaults upon little girls has been unpleasantly frequent of late, almost every week bringing forth one or more of these indictments. This afternoon another was added to the list, a young man named Herbert McKay being arrested on a charge of having committed, a criminal assault upon a little girl at Mt. Eden. Detective Miller, in asking for a remand at the Police Court this afternoon, said the offence was alleged' to Lave been committed in a barber’s shop at Mt. Eden in which the accused was employed. McKay was remanded until Monday next, bail being fixed in two sureties, each of iiaO, GISBORNE SHOW. GISBORNE, October 27. Tho Poverty Bay A. and P. Association opened its two days show to-day. There was a large attendance till i o’clock, when a thunderstorm sent the people scurrying homo. The entries constitute a record, and the general standard of the show is high. In sheep tho principal prize-takers are D. Kirkpatrick (Lincolns), W. Jobson (Shropshires), C. Mathews (Southdowns), and J. Bnmton (Border Leicesters). English Leicesters are not represented. Tho light horses were judged to-day, the classes being well filled and the quality exceptionally good. Carrington’s Gazeley was awarded the championship, and the same owner’s Lady Reay was tho firstprizo mare. ' CLERGYMEN’S STIPENDS "A DISGRACE TO THE CHURCH.” DUNEDIN, October 27. At the meeting of tho Anglican Synod to-day Mr A. Washer brought forward a motion in favour of steps being taken t) bring under the notice of vestries throughout the diocese the advisability of increasing the stipends of the clergy. He said the average stipend of country clergymen was less than Al5O per annum. Such a state of affairs was a scandal to the church. Though at no period in the history of the church were good men more urgently needed, they could not ex, pcot men of tho right stamp to devote their lives to study and the church for a mere pittance. Mr Talboys, in seconding the motion, said tho stipends paid to clergymen were a disgrace to the church, but tho difficulty was to find a remedy. Tho trouble was due to the fact that there wore only a few people in such parishes who would support tho church. The Rev. W. Curzon Siggers said the system of paying clergymen would never bs satisfactory until they had a central fund into which all revenue should be paid and from which stipends might bo paid. The Rev. H. L. Snow and Dr Hockon also spoke. The discussion was adjourned till tomorrow. THE MACHINERY ACT CHRISTCHURCH. October 27. Mr A. E. Hislop, secretary of the Institute of Marine Engineers, addressed a large meeting of engineers to-night in support of the proposal tor the amalgamation of tho two engineering societies m New Zealand and engineers who do not belong to either society, with the object of protesting against the provisions of the Machinery Act, under which engine-drivers could take positions which should be occupied by duly qualified engineers. BOY THIEVES AT NELSON NELSON, October 27. Several robberies from shops of money, toys, etc., were reported recently, and the police have apprehended a gang of five boys ranging in age from eight to eleven years. All have confessed. One place was broken into by means, of a brace and bit. There were only small hauls, the money taken from one shop being spent in the other, which in turn would be raided. From one place the gang took a load of coppers and some fireworks. The boys will bo brought up on Monday. INCENDIARISM WANGANUI, October 27. Further evidence of the presence in Wanganui of, a fire-misor was discovered this morning at the infant school, where a quantity of paper and rubbish had been placed in the corner of a shelter shed which is underneath the school building. The paper had burned out without setting fire to the buildings, which were only scorched a little where the fcioendiary had been at work. This makes the fifth incendiary act within a fortnight. CHRISTCHURCH LABOUR MARKET CHRISTCHURCH, October 27. Unemployed workmen are still being drafted to the Domett railway works, and to the Midland railway. Employers are complaining that there is great difficulty _in securing female workers for the shirt and other clothing factories, and the Labour Department officials say there is a decided scarcity of labour in those industries. MORE PAY AND LESS WORK AUCKLAND. October 27. The Arbitration Court fixed the wages of coopers at the rate offered by the employers—A2 Jss a week, being an increase of 3s a week. A reduction of one hour in the week’s work was made.