NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8981, 15 November 1907, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

TAMPERING WITH WESTINGHOUSE BRAKE. THE RAILWAY DEPARTMENT AT FAULT. By Telegraph—Press Association. MARTON, November 14. At the Marton Court, to-day, before Mr Stanford, S.M., a boy named C. H. Loughnan, son of Mr C. A. Loughnan, of Palmerston North, was'charged with having turned off a Westinghouse brake tap, which might have obstructed the working of the railway. Mr Hutton, of Wanganui, appeared for the Department, and pressed for a heavy penalty. He pointed out the seriousness of the act which might have resulted in a bad accident similar to the railway catastrophe on the line.

His Worship said that it seemed to him to be wonderfully stupid on the part of the Department not to have these Westinghouse taps protected in some way. They could easi'.y be boxed in and made secure by the use of special keys and for the protection of human life. It was absolutely necessary that such precautions should be taken.

Mr Stanford scolded the boy, but said he would inflict no penalty , as it was the fault of the Railway Department.

A SERIOUS CHARGE. By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, November 14. The exhumation, to-day, of the body of a young woman who died recently has led to the arrest of a nurse who is charged with attempting an illegal operation. FORGED TOTALISATOR TICKETS. By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, November 14. At the races, yesterday, fifteen forged totalisator tickets were handed in and paid on the Musket Stakes. : >■,, At the Police Court, to-day, a young man, named Henry Toovey. was charged, with uttering them and was remanded. The value of the tickets was £1 16s each.

BROACHING CARGO. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, November 14. Captain Mcßeath, of the Warrimoo, which arrived from, Sydney, today, states that some of the steerage passengers attacked the fruit cargo on the passage from Sydney, and the decks were strewn with fruit-skins. Yesterdav two passengers were caught in the act of abstracting oranges from a case. One man had shaved himself and could not be identified to-day. A second man, whose name is William Stephens, was before the Court, and said he only took one orange. The Magistrate said he could not take into consideration the allegations of the captain, and could Only deal with a specific charge. Stephens was fined ss, or 24 hours' imprisonment.

RVTING ON UNIMPROVED . VALUE. A POLL CARRIED. Ey Telegraph—Special to the Age. FOXTON, November 14. A poll on the rating on unimproved value, to-day. was carried by 104 votes to 86. There were three informal votes. ARBITRATION COURT. COOKS AND WAITERS' AND BUTCHERS' -DISPUTES. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, Novemer 14. When the Arbitration Court met, to-day, it was stated that the conference had failed to make an amicable agreement in the cooks' and waiters' dispute. It was arranged that the Court should hear the dispute to-morrow. Mr Pryor, for the employers, said he had been told that the union intended calling a great number of witnesses whose absence from employment to attend the Court threatened a serious inconvenience. It was intended to minimise the inconvenience as far as possible.

Mr Justice Sim said that success did not depend on the number of witnesses called, but on the' force of their arguments. The Court proceeded to hear the dispute between the Butchers' Union and their employers. The union asked for "dry" pay instead of so much per week and found. The wages asked for represented an increase all round of five shillings per week. This rise was asked because of the increased cost of living. Mr Brown asked if "dry" pay included meat. Mr Cooper said that the men asked for 5s worth of meat, but were willig to accept 5s in cash instead. The union also asked for a reduction of hours from 56 to 50 per week. Five witnesses gave evidence on behalf of the union's claims, and two on behalf of the country employers. Mr Grenfell, for the employers, said that first shopmen were now receiving equal to £3 15s per week, while the lowest paid adults, except drivers out, fot equa> to £2 16s. The employers asked that first shopmen should receive £3, second £2 10s, small goods men £2 15s, general hands £2 Is, and riders-out if over 21 years of age £1 2s 6d. They also Wanted the allowance of 5s worth of meat to apply only to married men. Fifty-six hours weekly were necessary" to carry en business. The employers objected strongly to preference to unionists. Five witnesses were heard, and his Honor intimated that the further hearing of the case would be taken at Napier and Palmerston North commencing at Palmerston North on the 22nd inst.