CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8103, 4 May 1912, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS

A GOOD ACT. “The Act is a good one and it should bo strictly administered.” remarked the spokesman of a deputation to the Minister for Labour yesterday in reference to the Inspection of Machinery Act. ‘Tt is a good Act,” rejoined Mr Laureneon. "Just the other day I received a request from the United States Consul for full information in regard to our Act. He wrote that the number of accidents in New Zealand was so phenomenally small that they recognised that there must be some provisions in New Zealand that they had not in the United States." POST OFFICE WANTED AT BROOKLYN. Reference to the lack of postal faoilities at Brooklyn was made at last nights meeting of the Brooklyn Municipal Electors' Association. It was stated that the suburb had a population of 4000 to 5000, and was without a post office. An application to the Postal Department for an up-to-date post office building in charge of a permanent officer had not yet got beyond the stage of "under consideration.” Post offices existed at Kilbirnie and Kaiwarra, each of which suburbs had a much smaller population than Brooklyn. Councillor Frost stated that there was a strong necessity in this direction, business being done at present in a little awkward shop. It was resolved that a deputation be arranged to wait on the Postmaster-General at an early date. ALLEGED CONSPIRACY. Tho first case under the New Zealand Commercial Trusts Act of 1910 is likely to come on for hearing at the next sittings of the Supreme Court in Wellington. Information was laid against the Colonial Sugar Refining Company last February, charging it .with having committed a breach of the Act, which renders any person or firm liable to a fine of ,£SOO if it enters into a conspiracy to monopolise, wholly or partially, the demand or supply of any goods, in New Zealand if such a monopoly is against tie public interest. It is alleged that the Colonial Sugar Company gave preferential terms to a group of merchants, and that a table of discounts was in existence under which only purchasers of unusually large quantities of sugar could obtain benefit. The Merchants Association of New Zealand has been joined with the Sugar Company as defendants. There are over fifty members of this association, hut as a test of the individual position of all these members the Crown has selected of their number leading Wellington wholesalers: Messrs Levin and Co., W. M. Bannatyne- and Co., and Joseph Nathan and Co. for prosecution. Under the same law the Supremo Court has just granted what .is technically termed “an order for discovery” against tho defendants.. This gives ’ the Crown power to examine the documents of tho firms, including their correspondence relating to the purchase and sale of the commodity alleged to be the subject of a monopoly arrangement. REPORTERS NOT WANTED.

Thirty or forty "anti-militarists” assembled at the Socialist Hall last evening to listen to “reasons” why the Defence Act should be killed. The ."comrade” who presided, prior to calling on the first speaker, espied a lone pressman, and intimated to the meeting that the executive had • decided to exclude the press unless it was prepared to mete .out fair treatment to the "conscientious objectors." One Wellington paper had published short reports of their deliberations, but another journal had tried to ridicule their work. Another "comrade" considered that the press were their “enemies” and the paper referred to by the chairman as having ridiculed them had reported their last meeting in a biassed and in some ways a childish manner. A resolution ratifying the executive’s decision was carried and the reporter withdrew amidst smiles and remarks, a female "objector’s” voice being beard to great advantage.