VARIOUS DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 April 1921, Page 1

VARIOUS DOMINION ITEMS.

TELEGRAMS.

-*u-EGHArU —PER PItESS ASSOCIATIONj ZOO OWNER FINED. AUCKLAND. April 11 John James Bovd was charged at Oneliunga Police Court this morning, before .Mr M’Kean, S.M., with a breach of the borough by-laws, by keeping within the borough certain lions, tigers, leopards, and hyenas. Air Reed, jun., appeared for the defendant, and Mr Skelton for the Borough Council. Mr Reed asked to have the case adjourned, pending the hearing of an appeal against a recent Supreme Court judgment, which upheld the validity of the by-law. After hearing Mr Skelton, the Magistrate refused to grant an adjournment, but declined to inflict a penalty for each day on which the animals bad been kept in the borough contrary to the bv-law.

Defendant was convicted and fined C2() and £o 12s .costs. Notice of appeal was given, and the costs of the appeal wore fixed at £2l.

ROBBERY AT ROTORUA. ROTORUA, April 11. Another hoarding house robbery is reported. The sum of £27 was taken on Sunday night from what was considered a secure hiding place. COMPLAINTS OF BAD GRADING. WELLINGTON, April 11 Complaints have been made to the Chamber of Commerce by overseas buyers of hemp in Australia, United States and Great Britain, that there has lately been a serious departure from the uniformity which characterised the grading of New Zealand hemp hitherto. As a consequence, oversea buyers threaten to turn their attention to other fibres unless an immediate improvement took place. Ilemp workers admitted that there was some ground for complaints. The complaints are to be tabulated and forwarded with representations on the subject to the .Minister of Agriculture.

THE ARMS ACT. 4 AUCKLAND, April 12 Claude Osmonde Barker, who masqueraded as a clergyman, was to-day lined Cot) ami costs, with the alternative of three months’ imprisonment, lor having in bis possession a firearm (loaded revolver) without lawful purpose. Mr Poynton, S.M., said the carrying of firearms was a grave matter.to the community. GASWORKS COAL. DUNEDIN, April D Tlie position in regard to coal supplies nt -the gasworks is better Ilian it has been for some years past. About 1000 tons of coal arc in stuck, and a further supply of ISOO tons ot Newcastle coal is arriving. Other supplies are in sight, so that for the immediate future at least the requirements of the gasworks are assumed.

CRICKET. WELLINGTON, April 9. Mr I*. R. Waddv in a letter to the Press discusses “Wlmt is wrong with New Zealand cricket?’’ He says:—“lt is futile to contend that New Zealanders do not take cricket seriously. Those who play do. They tried to win, and failed. Cricket enthuiasts should try to discover the reason, and help them. Waddv suggests that division into senior and junior clubs is too arbitrary, and does not allow for promotion. Juniors are kept junior too long. and many remain seniors who are not qualified. One or two competent coaches would work wonders.

He considers that New Zealanders do not study the game scientifically, and do not practise. He also has some remarks to make oil umpiring and methods of selection, which he criticises adversely.

UNIMPROVED VALUES RATING. AUCKLAND, April 12. An extraordinary position lias been revealed ill connection with a petition sent to the City Council last, week asking for a poll to be taken on tlie question of rating all properties in (lie city area on the basis ol tin* unimproved values. As Hie result of an examination of the petition bv the ( Valuer, no poll will be held. One of the factors rendering .the. petition invalid is that some of the persons whose signatures appear thereon have been dead several years. A total of ! names appeared on an old portion ol the petition. The Valuer’s '('port gave instances of names attached to various sheets of the petition of persons who were no longer living. One he said, died 14 years ago in London. Another died eight years ago. one in 1917. am'

one in 1918. The city solicitor advises that the council could not treat these old signatures as valid. The deduction left the names representing only 12.) per cent of the atepayers, which is below the required portion, so no poll eventuated. alliance of labour. WELLINGTON, April 12. Xt is understood that a ballot of members of the Seamen’s Federation on the question of remaining in the Alliance of Labour resulted in a liifg majority in favour of alliance. The I'rej„g Workes’ Federation is now taking ~ I,allot on the question of the Alliance.