Local and General News

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21279, 24 February 1939, Page 6

Local and General News

Secondary Industry The establishment of secondary industries in Taranaki was considered by a special meeting of businessmen at New Plymouth last night, after an address by Mr F. L. Frost, M.P. It was decided to ask the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce to investigate the possibilities and confer with the Government. Etiquette of Disengagement The statement by a witness in the Supreme Court in Wellington on Tuesday that it is correct etiquette for a man who breaks an engagement to leave the woman in possession of the engagement ring attracted comment from both judge and counsel. His Honourexplained that the legal position was similar to that stated to be created by custom, and counsel remarked that “Halsbury” endorsed etiquette. South Australian Tourists A party of South Australian tourists will arrive in Timaru to-day on a tour arranged by the New Zealand Government Tourist Department. This afternoon members of the party will be taken for a motor drive as the guests of the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, and will call at Waimate, where the Mayor (Mr Geo. Dash) will entertain them at afternoon tea. Afterwards an inspection will be made of the Waimate Gardens. Press and Centennial The National Centennial Press Committee held its first meeting during the annual newspaper conference at Hanmer Springs yesterday. The meeting was addressed by Mr J. W. Heenan, Under-Secretary for Internal Affairs, whose suggestion that the press should intensify the work it had been carrying out during the last three years in the interests of the Centennial Celebrations was approved. A general policy was outlined, including provision for assisting the national and local Centennial organisations to make the celebrations a success in every way. Grey District Memorial One of the most enthusiastic meetings held in Greymouth for many years last night decided that the Centennial Memorial for the whole of the Grey district should take the form of a combined Women’s Rest and Plunket Rooms. Several other proposals advanced by those present were dropped in favour of the proposal adopted, for which a number of speakers stated there was urgent necessity. The building, which is expected to cost mor6 than £3OOO, will probably be erected on a central site in the borough. Drowned In Milk Found by his mother with his head and hands immersed in a bucket of milk, Peter Cunningham, aged 11 months, failed to respond to artificial respiration. Giving evidence at an inquest into the death of the child before the District Coroner (Mr J. A. McLean), the mother, Mrs Ellen Evelyn Cunningham, of Pikiwahine, said she had left the baby playing in the kitchen and when she returned about 10 minutes later she found him with his head and hands in a bucket of milk, and his feet just touching the floor. The inquest was adjourned sine die. Population of Dominion Statistics which have just been made public reveal that during the year ended March 31, 1938, the Dominion recorded its highest population increase since 1930-31. The increase of 17,268, equal to 1.09 per cent, of the population at the beginning of the year, was caused partly by a higher natural increase and partly by an excess of arrivals in the Dominion over departures. At the end of the year New Zealand’s total population was 1,604,479, with the dependencies and mandated territories making the total 1,679,814. Details of these figures are given in the annual survey issued by the Census and Statistics Office. Heavy Damages Awarded Special damages of £B5l/9/9 and general damages of £2250 were awarded to Percy J. Morris, of Whangamomona, by a jury In the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday, in an action against Edgar R. Putt, of Otakeho, as a result of an accident at Tokoaro about two and a half years ago, the jury finding that the other defendant in the action, Alexander Riley, of Ngatea, Thames, did not contribute to the accident. Judgment was entered for Morris for the sum named. The case was the outcome of a collision between Putt’s car and a motor-cycle ridden by Morris. Riley’s truck was parked near where the collision occurred, and it was alleged that it was unlighted and, combined with Putt’s negligence, caused the accident. As a result of the accident, Morris was severely injured in a leg and spent many months in hospital. Engine-Drivers’ Dispute The parties in the Dominion engine-drivers’ dispute met in private conference in Wellington yesterday in an endeavour to reach a further measure of settlement, the dispute having been referred back to them by the Court of Arbitration. Agreement was reached on a number of points previously unsettled. The major matter referred to the Court, which will hear the dispute to-day, is wages and holidays. It was agreed that the hours of work should be those of the particular establishment. Wages for youths are to be the same as in the Wellington award. Steaming up is to be paid for at ordinary rates. The employers dropped their claim foi- overtime to be at time and a half. In connection with the annual inspection of machinery, it was agreed to adopt the Court’s machinery clause regarding working extended hours under the Factories Act. The Union dropped its claim that workers be deemed to be in effective charge of machinery. It was agreed to provide reasonable and practicable safeguards against inclement weather, also that where a worker was transferred to other work he should be paid whichever was the higher award rate.