VARIOUS DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 August 1921, Page 4

VARIOUS DOMINION ITEMS.

TELEGRAMS.

[BY TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION]

QUESTION OF PROTECTION. AUCKLAND, Aug. 1

Replying to a deputation from tho Iron and Steel Industries, asking for preference to New Zealand manufacturers, Hon J. G. Coates said the whole question would 1)© dealt with at a conference at Wellington shortly. It referred to equality of New Zealand manufacturers tendering for public

works. Ho favoured preference of ten to fifteen per cent, but could not form a close corporation for the whole of New Zealand manufacturers. He intended to go into the whole question. If New Zealand bad the artisans and plant they would get tho preference.

GRADING OF TEACHERS

WELLINGTON, Aug. 1-

The appointments of the following members of Appeal Boards in regard to the grading of teachers are gazetted -Chairman, Joseph William Poyn ton, 5.M.,; representative of Education Department, Theophilus Benjamin Strong, M.A., B.Se; representatives of the certificated teacher's, Berries Newman Thornton Blake, M.A., and Norman Hcyworth Sanger Law (North Island) : Christopher Thomas Aschman and Frederick Giles Gibs, M.A. (South Island)

WAIOTAHI MTNE

AUCKLAND, July 29,

Shareholders in tho Waiotahi Gold mining Company passed n resolution voluntarily winding up the company. The company was formed on July 28th. 1871. with a nominal capital of £IB.OOO in 6.000 shares of £3 shares. The amount of capital actually paid up is £16.000 divided into 240,000 shares of Is Od each paid up to Is 4d. These shares are held by “BO to GOOshareholders, one of whom owns about one-third of them. The value of the gold and silver produced is £680,190, out ot which dividends totalling £400,800 have been paid, an average of £6O 10s per share on the original 0000. Tho bulk of bullion was won since 1904.

PRISONERS ESCAPE

OAMARU, Aug. 1

Between six and eight o’clock this evening, two prisoners: John Andrew McWilliam and George Slaven Thomas on remand for alleged burglary escaped from gaol. They were allowed into a. passage between the cells for exercise, and they pulled out a one-inch bar, and squeezed through an aperture. At a. late hour there was no sign of the (senpecs.

RURAL MAIL SERVICES AUCKLAND, Aug. 1

Important new proposals in regard to rural mail services were outlined by Mr Coates at Manuiewa to-dav at a function after the opening of the Rost Glliee. lie said that at present the sellers had to secure a mail contractor and the Department, paid a certain sum, the seltler finding the balance of tin 1 cost of the service. The cost- could mil he passed on to the public. lie mis considering a proposal by the Department, that, there should he a charge of £2 a year for every settler along llio road, provided that there were four settlers to a mile for daily delicery. Under the present guarantee system, a man mild pull out at any moment. Jto said: If a man puts out a kero-

scnc tin or letter-box wo must deliver his mail into it. We want to get at the man who won’t, carry out his share of responsibility. fuller the now scheme, if a man doesn’t care to come into it, lie can just Imp on to his old pony, and toddle off to the nearest I’st Office. If is the endeavour of the Department to arrange as far ns possible for some facilities for the people who were game enough to settle in the hack blocks.”

THIO FT AND FORM FRY. A FOR'LA N'T), Aug. 1. Justice Salmoud in the Supreme Court gave expression to his views of the Court of Appeal’s new standard of punishment for crime, ns illustrated in a ease last week in which, a sentence of 12 months imprisonment for forgery was reduced to probation. Addressing the prisoner, his Honour said that the accused had altered a cheque for wages from Cl lfis to £lO 10s. There was no excuse for tin’s offence, nml if llis FTonotir wore at, liberty to do what he thought right in the exercise of his own judgment he should sentence accused to six inontlis’s imprisonment. Fortunately for the prisoner, the question of the proper standard of criminal sentences had boon reviewed, and. in a

more serious ease, where a man had attempted to steal another man’s savings there being no proof of extenuating eireuTiistaneos the Appeal Court hold that an offence of that description was not deserving of any punishment. The prisoner was discharged automatically and admitted to probation. Mis Honour said he was hound to follow that precedent, hut said: “This decision seems to me to amount to this, and nothing I else: that probation is a matter of , course and of right in easesl of offences ] of dishonesty, unless they are repeated, j fn other words, every man in the j country is entitled to commit, one theft j or one forgery, with safety and remain at liberty. T cannot help thinking that this doctrine is unsound and . dangerous, the inevitable result of j which will lie a degradation of the standard of honesty in this common- j jty.” Probation, as his Honour regard- i oil it, ought to lie treated as a special I privilege, to he granted on special j grounds and in special cases, but not a. ( privilege to he granted as a right and ;l , matter of course in all cases of a cer_ lain class. To grant probation in the ; present ease, and in the appeal ease, ’ and in such eases when offences arc committed deliberately by adults without excuse, was a direct method of pro- ' during crime in this country and not ! one of preventing ii.

’Flic prisoner was discharged, and ordered to come up for sentence within two years if called upon.