TELEGRAMS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2046, 5 April 1907, Page 3

TELEGRAMS.

THE HASTINGS FATALITY.

Press Association. NAPIER, last night. The inquest on the man George Read, who died in the Hospital on Tuesday, was concluded to-day. EvL dence was adduced to show that he had gone to Hastings on Saturday evening and had returned to Ngatarawa early on Sunday morning in an intoxicated state, and had commenced smashing windows and furniture in the whare occupied by a youth named Windns. Read struck Windus on the face with a broom, and also struck him with a table leg, with which Windus subsequently hit Read on the legs. A scuffle then ensued, the two men closing, and after a struggle, both fell together, Read underneath'. Windus then hit Read two or three times on the face with his hands, and Read went away, returning later on with a pole, with which he struck Windus on the head, stunning him, but other station hands coming on the scene, took Read away, and so prevented Read from further assaulting Windus. Windus stated in his evidence that there had bon no quarrel between Read and himself. Read was about the station on Sunday and Monday, but did not complain of feeling unwell; ho only said his eye was soro. On being driven to Hast-

ings on Monday afternoon, he said he must have been given some very had liquor at Hastings, on the previous Saturday, to make him behave as be had done. Windus). evidence as to the row was corroborated by the two other station hands. The jury returned a verdict that death was due to fracture of the skull, but that there was no evidence to show how the injury was caused.

- THE PENALTY OF AGE. DUNEDIN, last bight. At to-day’s meeting of the Otago Harbor Board, a report was presented, dealing with tlio Board’s staff, "the principal clauses of which were that no officer over the age of 70, should hold a responsible position, and no tradesman or laborer over 65 should be employed, unless under special circumstances. AVni. Alirams was granted 12 months’ leave of absence on full pay and retired. Capt. AlcCallum, Harbor-master, was granted a year’s leave of absence on full pay from Sept. 30 next and retired. Capt. AfcDonald, pilot, was granted twelve months’ leave of absence on full pay and retired. Capt. Goldie, temporarily filling the position of Deputy-Harbor-master at Port Chalmers, was retired after six months’ service. The Harbor Board decided to grant the Shipwreck Relief Society £lO.

HE SANDILANDS TRAGEDY. DUNEDIN, last night. The adjourned inquiry touching the death of George Francis Sandilands was concluded at the courthouse at Balclutha. Nothing calculated to show the - actual cause of tlio accident was elicited. Evidence from Kaitangata, that of Constable Marshall, went to show that Sandilands had spent the time while there on the fateful dav in the house of a friend, and when the constable saw him leaving he appeared to be quite sober. Richard Cornesh, licensee of the Stirling Hotel, deposed that Sandilands had been four times at his house altogether on the day of the accident. Once In the forenoon on a bicycle, and three times in tho aftornoon when out' driving with his wife and child, but all the drink he had obtained to witness’ knowledge, was two glasses of beer, a bottle of draught beer to drink on the road, and two bottles of bottled beer (which were subsequently found intact in the buggy wlien fished out of the river). The verdict of the jury was that deceased met his death by drowning ill the Clntlia River on AVednesday night, 20th March, as the result of an accident capsized into tire river at the cliffs along the borough road, but there is no evidence to show how the accident took place. A rider was added that the attention of the local authorities should be called to the dangerous state of the road, and the jury also took occasion to compliment Airs. I. L. Morrison, the only witness of the occurrence, for her prompt action in going for assistance. Yesterday afternoon the body of Airs. Sandilands was discovered washed up on the river bank near the Presbyterian Church at Inchlntlia. There was a great gasli in the head »

SOUTHLAND NEWS. INVERCARGILL, last night. At the inquest on Samuel Wariioc'k, at which the jury decided that death was due to alcoholic poisoning, a witness stated that deceased had taken some medicine. Tho medicine bottle had now been found and an analysis of the contents will probably be made. The quarterly returns of the Invercargill Police Alagistrato’s_ Court show that- during the period 171 _people were charged, as against 127 for the same period last year, and 146 were summarily convicted, as against 96. The figures show an increase in what may bo called minor crimes, the cases of drunkenness being 22, as against 19, and the number of prohibition orders issued 19, as against 14. In civil business there were 268 plaints loitered, and 121 cases beard, the aggregate amount sued for being £2544 6s Id, and the amount recovered £1371 13s Bd. Last year’s figures under the same head were: 376 cases, 194 hearings, £3348 10s sued for, and £1994 9s recovered. There were 18 judgment summonses, as against 15, and _ll orders made thereon, against 15. During the nine months of no license ended 31st March,. 78 persons were convicted ot drunkenness. AVith ono exception all the cases' were traceable to places other than Invercargill. During the same period fines amounting to £250 had been imposed for sly-grog selling.

.HEAVY TRAFFIC.CHRISTCHURCH, last night. During the las.t three weeks 200,000 railway passengers have booked to or from Christchurch. ’ .* JUSTICES OF PEACE. WELLINGTON, last night. Among Justices of tlio Peace announced to-night in the Gazette aro Mr. Jas. Grant, of Alurapara, Galatea, Air. Ewan Alfred Jackson, of Hqngaroa, and Air. Geo. Kirk, of Pt„ Awauui.

MUSTERED S’ UNION. DUNEDIN, Inst night. A deputation From tho blusterers Union waited on tho Minister oi Lnbor. asking lor more efficient inspection of shearers’ accommodation in regard to certain stations in Otago and Canterbury, and representation of country workers in the Legislative Council. Tho Ministor said in regard to shearers’ accommodation tho complaints made would bo carefully ioo'ked intb by an olliccr who would bo detailed ‘to investigate them. With regard to tho second request he would be pleased to place tho matter before his colleagues in the Cabinet in the event of further calls to the Council being made.

UNDER THE BAN. WELLINGTON, last night. Government has docidod under section 9 of tho Post OJBco Act Amendment of last session that no postal packet addressed to the following shall bo either registered, forwarded or delivered by tho post office of Now Zoaland: —-Freeman and Wallace, Sydney and Melbourne; Dr. Wallace, Sydney and Melbourne; Dr. White, Sydney and Melbourne; Dr. F. Bell, Sydney and Melbourne; tho Secretary, tho Freeman and Wallace Institute, Corn or Elizabeth and Bathurst streets, Sydney, and at Melbourne; tho Electro Medical and Surgical Institute, Corner Elizabeth and Bathurst streets, Sydney, and at Molbourno.

WORK AND WAGES. AUCKLAND, last niglit. It is understood that at tlio forthcoming sitting of tho Arbitration Court, tho Auckland Electric Tramways Co. will bo cited on a charge of discharging fourteen motormon and conductors without giving a week’s notice as required by tlio award. Two of the men will also bo cited on a chargo of leaving work without giving due notice. Both charges arise out of tho tramway strike in November last.

DUNEDIN, last night. Speaking' at tho Trades and Labor Conference social, tho Hon. J. A. Millar replied at some length to tho criticisms mado by the Conference regarding his reference to Australians in connection with tho slaughtermen’s dispute. Ho justified his statements and said ho had only done his duty. He admitted that delays of tho Arbitration Court had been largely responsible for tho trouble, and said he would introduce legislation to provide that a dispute would bo heard 14 days after being filed. Ho also said ho would introduce legislation amending the Shops and Offices’ Act and Workers' Compensation Act. THE MISSING BOAT. TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. Press Association. AUCKLAND, yesterday. Tho worst fears are entertained for tho safety of the five men in the missing patiki. The police engaged a launch the whole of yesterday, and spent the day searching tho islands of the Gulf and bays where the boat might take shelter in rough weather. No trace of the boating party was discovered. A second boat engaged by the relatives of the men also made an extensive search, witli-

out result. Later.—The missing patiki was picked up outside Tiritiri by the scow Era, having been driven to sea by the gale. Only one of the five men aboard, J. Pilkington, was in the boat, the other four having perished, viz., H. and F. Pilkington, sons of the survivor, Lionel Skinner, and Me Alley. Particulars at present are meagre. J. Pilkington states that three of the crew struck out for the shore and were drowned. One boy stayed with him in the boat, being sickly. Pilkington nursed him for eighteen hours, and then the boy expired. Pilkington later threw the l ody overboard. Pilkington, senior, .had been forty-two hours in the boat when picked up. The boat left Motutnpu in a squall, and was driven to sea Pilkington, senior, interviewed by a Star reporter, stated that the crow of the patiki included himself, 42 years of ago, Fred. .Pilkington 17, Harry Pilkington 15, Lionel Skinner 19, and W. McAneny 18. They left Auckland at 10.30 on Monday morning to cruise round Motutapu and back. Pilkington, senior, was at the tiller till they had passed Motutapu. Between that island and Rakino, being tired, he gave the tiller to Lionel Skinner about noon, and himself proceeded to get lunch ready. About five minutes later a puff of wind struck the small craft. Pilkington, senr., let the sheet go. The patiki rocked a few times and then went gunwale under. McAneny, who was a good swimmer, struck out for the shore, 250 yards away. ,heard him shout, but saw T nothing more of him. He was undoubtedly drowned, as the water was infested with sharks, -and news of his reaching the shore must have been received before this. Pilkington, senr., Skinner, 'Fred. Pilkington, and Harry Pilkington stuck to'the boat, which was full of, water. Harry Pilkington being a weak lad, his father had to assist him to retain his hold of the gunwale. Now and again the boat would turn right over, and the unfortunate four had to get a fresh hold. During the afternoon Lionel bkmiier said it was no use hanging on any longer, and the next time the boat turned over lie disappeared. IHuing the same afternoon Fred. Pilkington disappeared, Ins bot ty b ?“fi found next morning under the deck of the boat. Pilkington, seni.,held on to his son, Harry, until o P- m - The buffeting of the sea rendeied the hoy unconscious, and lie clieci. Pilkington, senr., kept the bodies in the boat until Tuesday night, and then threw them overboard. L nkington, senr., managed to get the mast unshipped, and the boat floated, being half a yard out of the wa,tei on one side. He was able to keep a seat in her. He drifted past Motuihi on Wednesday, and at daybreak was ten miles outside Tiritiri. He was then seen from the scow Eia, which took him aboard and brought him to town."He is suffering a good deal from exposure Hansen, chief officer of the Lia, states that just at daybreak on Wednesday the lookout on the scow heard a cry .of distress and descued a man clinging to a submerged boat with a battered slurt waving fipm the naff. A welcome answering hail was given and a boat lowered and rowed to the patiki, which was all but awash with the solitary human freight, dressed m ragged trousers and coat clinging combings and leaning against the centreboard ease exhausted. fj 1 kington was lifted into thei 0 and aboard the scow. He stated lie had just given up hope when he sighted the .Era. AUCKLAND, last night. Clias. Hanson, member of the scow Era’s company, was seen by a btai representative shortly after the scow put -into harbor. The ill-fated pitiki, the subject ot much intoiest and observation, was being towed astern. She is of the ordinary type ■■a •common about Waitemata, about, if! or 18 feet in length, about 7 feet beam, and painted green. Hie masts and sails bad been cut away by the onlv survivor, to prevent the boat turning turtle after she capsized. Hansen’s story Was that the ltia was coining from Tainia, laden with timber for Auckland, and. when six ( ,j,rht miles outside of Till just- at daybreak on Wednesday morning, the look-out beard a cry of distress, and nee ring out descried a human figure clinging to a submerged boat, w'lth a battered shirt waving Irony the gaff as a signal of distress. A boat was lowered from tlie Era, and all speed made towards tlie patiki, which was all awash with its solitary human burden, dressed in a ragged pair ol trousers and coat, clinging to combines and leaning, exhausted and scarcely able to speak,' against the centre board case. As Pilkington was rowed aboar dlie managed to convey to bis rescuers that lie had just oiven up hope ' when the welcome si Hit of the Era gladdened liis eyes. He could speak with tlie_utmost difficulty, for having been 47 hours without food or water, he had succumbed to the maddening craving for drink, and had rinsed Ills mouth with sea water, and it wras in consequence raw’ and blistered. Afterwards lie recovered sufficiently to relate the tragic tale to liis rescuers. AUCKLAND last night'. Speaking to a Herald reporter, Pilkington said: —There were four sharks constantly round the boat after Lionel Skinner’s body was gone. They seemed to know’ that I was hanging on for life. I don t know whether they were attracted by the dead bodies in the .boat or not. A" small one came cjuite close up to the boat, but three very large ones kept about twenty feet away. I could see them quite plainly swimlning ’ around' tlie boat. Somo times their bjig black fins would be show- ■ iiig. I kept tlie bodies of my sons Hurry and Fred., cin board until

Tuesday night, and thou put them overboard. Mrs. Skinner, mother of Lionel Skinner, states that their married son, Albert, intondod to go out in tho Marion on Monday, but at the last moment docidod to go to tho races instead. Lionol is tho second son she has lost by drowning, the first having lost his lift in tho Waikato River. Slio states that Pilkington, sour., was a very caroful man with a boat.

LABOR PARLIAMENT Press Association. DUNEDIN, yesterday. At tho Trades and Labor Conference this morning Mr. McLaren (Wellington) moved that it be not within tho power of any Conciliation Board or Arbitration Court, when making an award or industrial agreement, to make the hours ol label lor any class of workers in any industry, in excess of the hours prescribed by Acts of Parliament for workers in that industry, neither' shall tho Board or Court have power to make any provisions in their awards and industrial agreements which will deprive workers coining under the scope of those awards and agreements of any holidays or other privileges which are granted to those workers by Act of Parliament. lie said where, no union existed, and there was no award or agreement, the provisions of tho Shops and Offices Act for'a maximum of 52 hours a week for shop assistants was enforced, but in Wellington there was a union working under an agreement specifying 50 hours a week, instead of 52 hours. He contended that in fixing the number of hours the Court could not exceed 52 hours. The Labor Department, however, took an entirely different view of the situation—holding, in fact, that the Court could override the statute law. This meant the Legislature had abrogated their powers to a Court of three persons. The motion was seconded by Mr. Hampton and carried. It was resolved that it is desirable that all decisions of Arbitration Courts shall bo given within three months of the filing of a case, also that in cases of application for tho enforcement of awards, industrial agreements, or other orders of the Court, it shall not be necessary for an industrial union or association to comply with the provisions of sections 105 and 106 so far as a ballot is concerned. AVith a view to preventing evasion of the carpenters’ award, said to he going on in Wellington, it was unanimously resolved that in any trade or calling where an industrial agreement or award is in force the term “worker” shall include any person who shall undertake to do any work without supplying at least 75 per cent, of the material required for such work or undertaking. The following resolutions, embodying suggested alterations in the Arbitration Act, were agreed to without discussion: “It shall be illegal for any employer or manager to summon his employees before him and request them to sign any document forcing individual opinion respecting the conditions under which they are employed where there is a union in existence in connection with the industry in which they arc employed ; that section 22 be amended to read : ‘Any Council or other body representing not less than two industrial unions or either employers or workeis, may be represented as an industrial association.’ ” It was resolved that the Arbitration Act be amended to prevent pluralisation of votes for Conciliation Board elections.