MOTOR FATALITY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3054, 16 April 1917, Page 6

MOTOR FATALITY

LYALL BAY COLLISION

EVIDENCE AT INQUIRY

At the Magistrate's Court on Saturday, -Air. V,. Gi. Biddel!,-S.M., held an inquest into the cause of death of PatricK 'Joseph O'Caiiaghaii, of Lyall •Bay, who was injured by a motor-van last Tuesday, aud died the next day. Mr. H. j< , . o"%ea.ry represented" the de-

ceased's relative*, Mr: 11. £. Evans the driver of ii:e vain, J.'iiomas'jidgaf Grey,' awi Senior-Sergeant- Emerson conducted the ease for, the police. Dr. F. J. Mulhoiiaid, house surgeon at the Wellington Hospital; 'stated that deceased T.'asvreeeived into the hospital ftt 9.15 p.iK. on April 10. He was sufl'eriog i'rani general injuries and shock, aiid Laii a number of abrasions: all oveil his body. .Deceased jnade no statement bfevo'td thu remark that he had been knaoked down. Death, took place at B.SO p.m. the following day. ' Witness, iwas of opinion that_the external injuries received by deceased • would not have caused death. There was nothing abnormal about deceased's heart.

Patrick J. O'Caliaghan, son of deceased, said his was 58 years of age, an'd a His general state of health during the past few months had been good. Witness was not aware that hie father suffered from heart trouble. ■. ' ' '

Charles Joseph* Clart, Lyall Bay, staied that at §.45 p.m. on Tuesday •last his attention was arrested by a crash of glass, followed by. cries of "Help! , help I I've killed a man." KespondSng, to the call," witness saw O'Calkgiian lying on the road apparently unconscious. Deceased was taken into the Lyall Bay bath-house, end everything possible , was done for him. Dr. Jacobson, who was called in, arrived at 7.25 p.m.,--and ordered , the removal oF the injured man to the Hospital. The driver of the van was very much up/sefc. The night was, very dark and it was raining at the time. . At i the spot where the accident occurred tne road was badly formed.. There-were no footpaths. The night was so dark that it was impossible to see more thanlive or six yards ahead. . . ■

Thomas Edgar Gray,. driver of the van, said that he was -on his way from' Lyall Bay to Island Bay, and when about a chain past the salt water baths the collision occurred. ' The van was moving at about 15 miles an hour, and the head and tail lights were burning. The night was very dark, there was a drizzling rain, but there was no traffic on the road. He saw -O'Callaghan, who was going in the same direction as the van. From the time deceased was seen until he was struck witness had no opportunity of giving airy warning. The van was kept to -the centre of the road. The front of the van struck O'Callaghan, -who fell down. The van was swerved to the left,, and had gone : 15 yards before it was pulled - up. 'Witness then ran back to deceased, and called for help'.- In the bathhouse O'Callaghan 'complained about his neck, but made no mentiou of the accident. The two acetylene lights on the front of. the van were burning brightly. Witness said he held a certificate issued, by the City Council, and he had been, driving for about three months. . ■'■ . ■ '

To Mr. O'Leary: Witness said ho was in the employ of Messrs'. J. Nathan and Co., and hud been driving the van' for a fortnight. He lit his i»imps while at Lyall Bay, and they failed once because the carbide was of poor quality. He replenished the lamps at the bay. ,He .was unable. to see the. road'through'the screen of the van. ■■

Asked if fifteen miles per hour was not rather fast under the circumstances, witness said he was looking round the screen ' >

The verdict of. the Coroner was that deceased met his death through being knocked down by the. van driven by Thomas Edgar Gray. It was not for the Coroner's Court to decide whether the driver was guilty, of negligence. That might be the ■ subject of; o'ther proceedings.. ■. ■■ V; . ' ..

DOMINION'S FISHERIES

. MINISTER OF MARINE'S* PLAN.

The question of the fucther development of the New Zealand fisheries is receiving considerable attention from the Hon. G.NW. Russell, tho Minister at present in charge of tho Marine Department.

In a statement to an-Auckland "Herald" reporter, Mr". Russell said that in reply to a cablegram sent by him ,when ho aasnrned contrgl of the Marine Department, Prof essor of Canada, has cabled stating that lie would make every effort to forward his full report on the Now Zealand fisheries in time for it to be presented to Parliament this year. The report from Professor Prince already laid before Parliament in 1915 was only an interim report, but the Minister remarked that it contained many valuable suggestions. Ono notable suggestion wae in regard to the question of turning to account .certain varieties of fish which at present are not in favour with' the ordinary consumer, but which in.Canada, under Professor Prince's management, are treated in such a way as. to. form an excellent article, of, diet and commodity for export. y .-■;.'

"There are markets," -continued the Minister, "in India, China, and other countries to which' this- low-grade fish could-be tagulsrly sent... ; My. opinion is that this is k a. field that 'should be exploited in the future in New Zealand. One difficulty, so far as fisljermen .are concerned, is that of finance. There is also the question of cool stores, to hold the fish until it can be marketed to advantage. An excellent lead in this matter has been given by the assistance afforded under the Fruit Preserving Act. of 1314 to fruitgrowers in erecting cool stores. 'As fish is regard-, ed by medical men as being as. necessary, even if not more necossary, an article of food than fruit, there "is no reason why the fish industry should not receive the same financial assistance as that already given to fruitgrowers. I propose to bring the matter before the Cabinet, and the' experts of the Department are at present considering the question. The, primary object in view in that of speurin? cheap fish .for home consumption,. but th<\ possibilities'of opening up an export trade to Australia-, where there is an almost unlimited markot, will be kept in vi<MV."

Mr. Russell paid the. question of transit of fish also would .b e considered. Ho WPS hopeful that it would he found nossihle to devise a satisfactory fonn of, cool carriage In crates on the railways without it being Jiocessarv to lake up tlu , whole of a'truck.