TELEGRAMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 May 1921, Page 4

TELEGRAMS.

VARIOUS DOMINION ITEMS.

1 {PEU PUEHH ASSOCIATION.-—OOPYBIGHT., FALL IN THEATRE. DUNEDIN, May 22. On Saturday afternoon as the audience was leaving a vaudeville matinee a boy named Erwin Phillips, fell from the top of the gallery to th e floor of the stalls, a distance of thirty feet. He received injuries to his head, ribs and leg, and although his condition is serious it is not regarded as critical. THE DOOR OF HOPE FIRES. AUCKLAND, May 21. At the Supreme Court, in the prosecution <of two girls charged with attemptep arson at the Door of Hope Reformatory, in January and February, Margaret Metcalf was found guilty. Sentence was deferred. Myrtle Bridges was found not guilty by the Judge’s direction. In his belief there was no case to answer .

EARLY WAIROA SETTLERS. WAIROA, May 23

The death is announced of Mr A. G. Smith, an old Wairoa settler. He was the champion shot of the Huranuia Mounted Rifles, and won many local

trophies. Another pioneer, Mr James Hanna Smyth, died yesterday. He was born in Ireland in 1832, and emigrated to Australia. and was at the Ballarat and Gabriel’s Gully gold fields. Ho enlisted in Dunedin in 1864 in the Military Settlers, nnd the following year took part as a sergeant-major, in Fraser’s “Fighting Fifty’’ in battles at Te Hatope, Kairomiromi and Pukeinaire, being wounded in the last mentioned engagement. Kairomiromi was one of the smartest* engagements of the New Zealand war, fifty men accounting for eighty-six of the enemy. The deceased was a member of the first Wairoa County Council in 1877, and later took part in municipal politics, school affairs and racing. He possessed a wonderful constitution ,and had a great memory for the events of the old days, and possessed all his faculties to the end.

DOMINION CHAMPIONSHIP.

WANGANUI, May 21

Entries for the New Zealand championship bird match aggregated 53, and shooting was keenly contested by competitors from Canterbury, Auckland, and other parts of th e Island. At the end of the 14th round all competitors who had bad two, misses were asked to stand down, with the right to come in should the remaining competitors fail in their subsequent shots. This left Messrs A. Dobson (Auckland) and L. P. Hughes (Auckland) with all their birds shot to that stage, and seven competitors with only one miss. In the 20th round A. Dobson, who had shot all his birds to that stage missed a difficult shot, and this left him equal with J. R. King, (Huntrly). Each bad killed 21 birds, and divided first and second prize money (£120). In the shoot off for the championship each killed his first two birds. Dobson killed bis 24th bird and King missed. This left Dobson champion.

The shooting of Dobson was of a. very high order, and consistent throughout. On Wednesday he killed all his birds, and his aggregate for the meeting was 35 out of 36. The keenness of the shooting may he gathered from the fact that 18 competitors divided third prize money, these eompetiors having only two misses each. G. Brnerc (Christchurch), last year’s champion was among those who divided third prize. Other former champions in third running were J. Casey (Wanganui), T. Parker (Napier) and W. Woolvern (Hamilton).

FREEZING INDUSTRY.

BAD SEASON FOR WORKERS

WELLINGTON, -May 23

Doleful reports are coming to hand regarding the state of the freezing industry. Operations now are slackening off considerably, anti several works already have closed down. The season is said to be one of the worst experienced in tlie matter of small earnings, i Slaughtermen aie leaving the Dominion for Australia in large numbers every week. Within four weeks the industry will be at a standstill. It is stated that among the works recently closed in thi- Dominion as far as slaughtering i.s j L -on(jorned are:—Onslow, Feildiug, Patea, l’ctonc, Kakariki iLongbtirn and [inlay. At Wliakntu there have been only five days’ killings in a fortnight. The Cast led iff workers have been reduced from 200 to sixty. At Waitara work is irregular. At New Plymouth conditions are reported to In much the same as at Waitara. At Masterton the staff has been reduced from 281 in April to 191 a week ago. Short days are being worked in some instances. In Canterbury there is a slackening off, but conditions in the south are better than in the north.

From Auckland the position is reported to l>e anything but good. The Westfield works are far from normal. At Southdown, Horotiu and Whakatane hands are. being reduced. It is expected that all the northern works will ho closed down by tbe end of the month.

MOTOR CYCLIST KILLED. NEW PLYMOUTH, May 23. A young inan, John James Cavanev, was killed on Saturday evening while riding a motor-cycle towards the breakwater. He collided with a telegraph post when passing a trnmear. At the inquest the Coroner, in returning a verdict of accidental death, added the following rider:—“l think the proper authorities should take into consideration the advisability of making it compulsory for every- motorcyclist to have a certificate of competency to manage his motor-cycle.” THE MTSSING OMEGA. HOBART, May 24. A ship’s spar picked up near Botany Island, is stated to he identical with the spare booms carried by the missing Omega, when she sailed for Lyttelton.

North British Rubber Hot Water Bags, with the “Unique” never-leak stopper, have the North British Rubber Co’s trade mark stamped on the neck—the emblem of quality.