TELEGRAMS

Hokitika Guardian, 3 December 1920, Page 3

TELEGRAMS

[I’KII FBBBB ASSOCIATION. COPYBIGUT ]

ORCHARDIST FINED

TAURANGA, Dec. 2,

At the Magistrate’s Court to-day a local orchardist was fined £2 and costs for failing to comply with a notice dealing with the fire blight. Mr L. Paynter, Orchard Instructor, stated this was the first case of the kind in the Dominion. The Magistrate stated that he was satisfied that defendant had done a great deal of work, but still had not oomplied with the notice.

SAWMILL FATALITY. OHAKUNE, Dec 2,

At Goldfinch’s No 1 sawmill this morn ing, John McCrae was killed by being jammed between ■ two logs, his skull being fractured. A tragic feature of the accident is the fact that McCrae’s wife died two months ago, and ho leaves a family of seven children, whose ages range up to seventeen years.

SOLDIERS’ BUILDING GRANT. WELLINGTON, Deb 2,

The Under Secretary for Lands has notified the Returned Soldiers’ Association that the maximum advance to soldiers for the erecting of a house will be from £750 in a town to £9OO. This will make a total advance for a section and a house up to £llsO. The R.S.A., however, contends this is too little. It is urging the Government to make it £1,500/

STEAMER BREAKS DOWN

WELLINGTON, Dec 2

The steamer Garbetta, which arrived at Wellington this morning, from Newcastle, with 7100 tons of coal, was delayed considerably on her trip, owing to her engines breaking down. The Garbetta left Newcastle at 8.30 a.m. on the 25th of November. She experienced fine clear weather until 8 p.m. on the 27th, when a thick fog was encountered. This cleared at 4 o’clock the following morning. At 7.30 o’clock the same morning the engine broke down, the low pressure cylinders collapsing entirely, and the Garbetta was brought to a standstill. The engineer at once commenced repair work and at. 7.25 p.m. a compound had been effected. This enabled the vessel to proceed at five knots per hour, and later her speed increased to seven knots. Fine weather was experienced 'until her arrival in port this morning.

NO HOUSE FOR JELLICOE. „CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 2,

Even the representative of the King is not immune from the inconveniences and disappointments entailed by the house shortage. Lord Jellicoe had hoped to make , a prolonged stay in Christchurch, but the following letter, read at a meeting of the,Navy League, to-night, from his private secretary, shows that Christchurch cannot at present have the honour of having the Governor-General resident in the city: “In reply to your letter of November 19th, I have to inform you Their Excellencies had intended to go into residence in Christchurch, but that owing to its being impossible to procure a suitable house, they are now unable to to do so, and I am unable to say when they are likely to be in residence there.”

A POSSIBLE STRIKE. TAIHAPE, Dec. 3

Members of the King Country Timber Workers’ Union employed at Egmont Box Coy’s mill, Ohutu, have decided to cease work to-night, unless their demands are conceded meantime.

MR MASSEY’S VIEWS. AUCKLAND, Dec. 3

The proposal that income tax should be made payable by instalments, Is one which the Prime Minister, as Minister for Finance is disposed to consider fav. ourably. Mr Massey said it was a suggestion which contained an advantage for both sides. Not only would that give a taxpayer the opportunity of meeting his obligations, a portion at a' time, but it would help to tide over those lean periods in the year, when incomings were not sufficient to meet current calls, and when it was often necessary to borrow temporarily, in order to tide over the time. The only disadvantage was that it would entail more book-keeping, an increase in the staff and a certain increase in over-head expenses. The change to the new system would entail legislation, and there was no prospect of it being effected before next year. ' GOVERNMENT LOANS. AUCKLAND, Dec. 3. The position of Government in regnv' 1 to borrowing was satisfactory. , As soon as thq present six million loan for soldier’s settlement was fully subscribed, it would not be necessary to ask ' for any money for sonic time to come. So far as could be judged, that loan would remain open until Dee. 16th. A two ■ million loan for public works was virt- | ually completed.' There were some thousands short of a full total, but the deficiency was not large enough to be of any moment. Not only were these the only loans to he floated for some time, but six millions would be definitely the

last to which the compulsory principle would be applied.

PUBLIC SERVICE conference. j WELLINGTON, December 3. I Both police and postal and telegraphic departments are holding a conference of administration officers. The former has to unify its action under the amended Gaming and Arms Act and provide for extended control given to the four principal superintendents, and also ; the collection of statistics. The Postal Department has two conferences, one of inspectors and the other of chief postmasters and superintendents of Telegraph offices. pa Loon a h£ld up. WELLINGTON 1 , December 3. The IJaloona which should have left for Melbourne last night, was held up by trouble with the stewards who objected to the accommodation. She hopes to get away to-day.

PRODUCE PROSPECTS. AUCKLAND, Dec. 3

Tlie Premier states the latest cable, though not definite, indicated a slight improvement in prices of coarser wools. A large shipment of dairy produce is already on the way to England and this month the first shipment of free meat will be dispatched. We can look forward to the value of’exports again exceeding the value of imports. The financial position will be relieved to that extent.

BOOT PRICES. AUCKLAND, Dec. 3

A meeting of Auckland Boot Retailers Association passed a resolution regarding the firm belief, that there is no ground for any anticipation that prices of footwear will appreciably decrease in the present or immediate future. Some figures indicating the extent to which the imported articles is flooding the market, so far as boots are concefried, were given to the Premier last evening. The return recently furnished, he stated, showed that for four months from July to October this year 39,509 dozen pairs of boots valued at £492,450, bad come from overseas. For the corresponding quarter last year there were imported 15,220 dozen pairs valued at £112,652.

TWO MEN INJURED

AUCKLAND, Nov. 29

The crew of the 32-foot launch Victor which, with over 50 other' boats, was lying off Arkle’s Bay on Saturday evening, had an unpleasant experience, resulting in two of the *•«>«• being sent to a private hospital. The launch was off the bay about 6 p.m., and soon after the crew set about preparing tea. A double Primus stove was used, both sides being in full blast when, without any warning, it suddenly exploded. A sheet of flame shot up over 20 feet high, and enveloped both the cockpit and cabin. There were six persons on board. Mr Glass, who was nearest to the stove, picked it up and threw it overboard, the flames being finally smothered with rugs and blankets, hut not before several of the crew were badly burnt about the arms, legs, and body. The two young men in the cockpit, Athol Bailey and William Webb, of Parnell, received the full force of the explosion, and were the greatest sufferers. Willing hands from the other heats in the hay helped to put out the fire, while Dr La Praik, who was fortunately on board the launch Marguerite, dressed the burns. The launch, which was not damaged beyond her cabin fittings, left at once and brought the sufferers to town, where they were conveyed to a private hospital. Young Bailey was unconscious on the trip up, and his condition is more serious than his fellow-sufferer, who is progressing favourably.

CHARGE OF PROFITEERING. CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 3.

Bernard Francis Darby, trading as Wallace and Co., in the Magistrate’s Court was fined £25 and costs for selling to R. E. Alexander, Director of the Agricultural College, Lincoln, half a gallon of borol patent medicine for 455. The evidence showed the wholesale price paid by defendant was 255. • FOUND DEAD. AUCKLAND, Dec. 3. G. A. Briggs, butcher, ex-Mayor of Parnell, was found dead in a room of the business shop, which he recently sold, with the gas turned on. The indications pointed to suicide.