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Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIV, Issue 14042, 27 April 1920, Page 3

The news of a strike among railway locomotive men throughout the North Island 'reached us* shortly before our", hour, for going to,: press. . The situation is serious, and might have been avoided if a more reasonable and conciliatory spirit had been exhibited by the Government. A dangerous situation has been pending for months. The railwaymen were unahiously of opinion that in the matter of pay they have been shown less consideration than other Government De-' partments, and they have issued' repeat- j ed warnings that if their, grievances were not investigated in .':'. the .manner : ' provided by the Industrial Disputes Investigation" ilct they would be "• compelled, much against/their wish, to strike; The Premier's persistent'reply was that he would appoint a Commission to investigate and decide any points in dispute. Hence the deadlock, which is especially inconvenient at a time when it is desirable to fittingly display our loyalty to our Royal visitor, the Prince, and impress him with a sense of our loyalty to each other. Probably there will be an earnest to provide a corrective for a desperate situation and to avert what now threatens to be a catastrophe by finding-, some way out of the impasse. But dignity would have been preserved by an avoidance of such a necessity.

McConachy was in much better form last night, when at the Soldiers' Club rooms a large and interested number of spectators followed his brilliant play closely. Giving an Oamaru amateur 400 in 750 up, he won easily, running out on an unfinished 51 break. He made breaks of 144, 142, 114, 113, 50, 51 and 40. Mr A. Gilchrist ,a returned soldier, with a. start of 14 point in a game of snooker won from the champion by more than his handicap, '-and. was loudly applauded. McConachy's exhibition concluded with an exhibition of trick and- fancy shots which were warmly acclaimed. I An account of a trip by motor through the Otira Gorge and Westland, and ,home via ; Nelson, Blenheim, and Kaikoura, given by a recently re-; turned Oamaru party, enables a realisation of all the beauties and carefree joys that lie within reach of the possessor of a car. The. party consisted of Mr and Mrs J. A. McKenzie, Mr and Mrs Aikenhead, and Mrs Ballantyne. Hokitika, Greymouth, and West port were visited. The bush-clad vistas of the Otira and Buller Gorges, the winding road through three hundred miles of bush to Murchison. the fruitladen dales of Nelson, are described as very lovely aud a complete change from any other part of the Dominion. The' roads were recommended by the party as very good indeed, with no' really dangerous spots, while the accommodation throughout the fortnight's trip was very satisfactory. To North Otago residents the four days' continuous travel through was the . most remarkable event of the All were unanimous in the determination to make the trip again. During the trip the party experienced only two hours of rain.

A Haka trial enthusiast was besieged at a Palmerston sale recently with queries regarding its Haka trials on May sth, and it was evident that a fairly large contingent of men and dogs wore making arrangements to go to Kurow for the meeting. Local dogs have been putting in some solid training, and will take beating, hut it if; becoming more evident, though entries will not close till May Ist, that- they will have larger fields to compete against than for many years. Arrangements have neen made by the New Zealand Picture Supplies • to kinematograph the principal scenes in connection with the tour of the Prince of Wales through the Dominion. Tlij welcome to the Prince at Auckland will be fully "shot," and it is anticipated that the film will be shown in Wellington on Tuesday next. Specially elaborate arrangements have been made to take the big Maori hui at Rotorua, and it is most likely that the pieturcs of this event —probably the last big Maori gathering of its kind—will be shown the world over. A runaway in Thames street this morning created great interest and demolished a tree-guard between the Post Office., and Steward street. The trap and horse belong to Mr Mansfield, of Enfield. It was tied up out towards Weston, but pulled off the bridle and, by a devious path, galloped into town. A well-meaning person spread his arms in Thames street in the attempt to stop it, but succeeded only in driving it in amongst the trees. The horse was not going very fast at the time, and would probably have continued well in the middle of the road until tired. As it was the trap struck the tree-guard, smashing it and barking the tree, and overturned. The horse dragged if for a. hundred yards or so before coming to a. standstill. Information has been received that Miss Uerita Broad has been successful in passing the art of teaching and rudiments examinations, thereby completing her A.T.C.L. diploma course. Miss TJ. Broad is a pupil of Miss Cartwright, L.A.8., L.T.C.L. An open meeting of the Waitaki Branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute will be held in the Middle School on Saturday next at 1.15 p.m., when Mr H. A. "Parkinson, M.A., of Wellington, will deliver an address on "The Needs of the Day in Educational Reform."

There should be a good attendance at the important meeting in Hayward's Picture Palace to-night to discuss the question of North Otago's inclusion in an all Otago Power Board. The southern, speakers, who will arrive by motor car this afternoon, are Sir George Fenwick and Messrs A. S. Adams and W. B. Steel, of Dunedin, and Mr R. D. Poison (Lindis). An instructive discussion is certain.

Some fourteen candidates for the ballots for soldiers' properties in this dis'trict were examined this morning by members of the Land Board, but there remain a larger number to be dealt with, and the process will extend well into to-morrow. It is unlikely that the ballot will take place before Friday. The following is the draw for. the medal match of the North Otago Golf Club to be played on Thursday and Saturday next: Familton v. Armstrong, Woodward v: Scott. Fotheringham v. Hamilton, Roxby v. Douglas Reid, Hewat v. Cuthbertson, Maude v. Theo Russell, J. Eraser a bye, Littlejobn v. Hargreaves, Chisholm v. Humphries, Elcoate v. Uttley, Saunders v. Abel, Haines a bve. Dickson v. N. G. S. Gibbs. Fyffe v. Sumpter, Ablett v. H. Gibb. ' The bogey match.played last week was w r on by Roxby (3) 1 down, P. Maude (7) 2 down. A farewell concert and dance will be tendered to Mr and Mrs .T. A. Meek in the Enfield Hall on Friday, May 7th.

' Messrs .las. Craig and Co. are buyers of empty quart bottles, gallon tins, and oil drums. The Ngapara Oddfellows will hold their annual ball in the Ngapara Hall on May 28th. London.advises that the New Zealand mails despatched by the s.s. Westmeath, via Panama, arrived on April 21st.

A team of Waimate Druids will visit OamaVu on Thursday evening to try conclusions with the Endeavour. Lodge of Druids in a challenge euchre match. Play will commence at 8 o'clock in Bartrums' Tearooms.