NEWS AND NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 June 1921, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

An aeroplane ambulance, built by the firm of Vickers, has ben tested in Britain with successful results. It has a siieed of over 100 miles an ‘-hour, and can carry four stretcher cases or eight “sitting up” cases, with an attendant and two pilots. There are two engines, either of them capable of driving the aeroplane alone. The body of the machine, is designed so Vas to permit of stretchers being lifted in and out easily and .quickly, and the attendant can move freely among the patients. It has been suggested that machines o this kind may play an important part in hospital work in sparsely-settled districts, where the victims of accidents and sickness under present conditions may be days without medical aid. An aeroplane ambulance could bring an urgent ease from an out-back district to a city hospital within a few hours.

A sensational occurrence l ook place in the Court of General Sessions before the luncheon adjournment in Melbourne last week (states an exchange). Vincent L Hvndes, a former officer of the Victorian branch of the Returned Sailors and Soldiers’ Imperial League of Australia, when the foreman of the jury returned with a verdict of • gvußy against him, produced a revolver, which he dramatically turned to his temple, and puller the trigger. The cartridge, however, failed to explode. A wauei and constable rushed at the prisoner, who was in the dock, and seized him. Hvndes pleaded not guilty to 1 nving on or about November 27, 1920. with intent to defrud, forged and uttered an authority or request for the pavment - money 'purporting to have been an authoritv or request from John AT Kenaie, president of the Melbourne branch of the League. v

One of the topics of the day (says the Dunedin “Star”) is the story of how a certain life assurance company doilie business in New Zealand managed to reduce its tax payments. The talc is here given as told. The Oove/rmnont allows: life assurance companies first of nil 2 per cent, deduction from interest enrningsj that is to say. if a company earns 5 per cent it is taxed on only 3 per cent. The Government allows a further reduction of hnlf the general taxation—such companies pay 4s 5d in the pound instead of 8s 9d. On ordinary debentures the charge is a flat rate of 2s fid in the pound. The company referred to-*) runs the narrative—got rid of a number of its mortgages and bought debentures with the proceeds. On these debentures the department .wanted x 'i charge the 2s fid., hut the company contvnded that the half concession came ami as a fact it paid vho Is 3d. •md left the Commissioner to sue for the other Is 3d. In the result, after consultation with the experts, the position taken up by the company is found bo he sound in law and unassailable.

There is no likelihood of a butter shortage in the Dominion riming the present winter, asserts the Auckland “Herald.” There was a large increase in product’,>n during the season just closed, and substantial stocks are said to he held in the various butte--produc-ing districts. The position, as far as Auckland is concerned, fs that a certain quantity of butter is still being manufactured, and the hulk of it is going slraigh: into consumption. The quantity held in the grading stores after the ls,st of the Imperial stocks have been token by the Mamari will he about 44.000 boxes'. The; new season’s make will he coming to hand in about six weeks, and the quantity held in store will he ample for all requirements in Urn meantime. -Much less butter than usual has been sent to the south this season, and the immediate southern demand is not expected to he very great. The decrease jn the quantity required liv the southern districts this season is said to be due to the mild weather that lias prevailed having made possible a greater autumn production than usual.

Representatives of all shades of opinion vver 0 present at a civic reception to Mr Andrew Fisher at Brisbane on Juno 13. tributes to the guest iveie paid by the Mayor (Air J. F. Alaxsvell), Mr Gillies, Minister of Agriculture, representing tlq, State Go\ eminent; Mr € .Taylor, leader of the Nationalist Party, and others. Air Fisher in tile course of his reply, said he was proud of the establishment of the Australian Navy. On th e political side of things lie would as soon drop a big balImu down on a crowd and select the men it touched as members of . arliament as proceed in the way they carried on now. As to the great and delicate question of finance he desired to say that in England he had found that the world’s biggest financiers were just as much “in dreamland” as were the people of Australia generally at the present time. The golden thread running through the speeches was that our race had not deteriorated when the war found us, and it had not deteriorated since. Our ideals wer e much higher today. and as a result of our sacrifices our children’s children would benefit by the tragedy which had occurred. They would Have higher ideals, nobler aspirations, and a more fixed determination that they would he just and true to other people, hut they would allow no other people to touch out . own affairs or attempt to suppress us in any way.