DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 May 1923, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION

LOAN CARRIED

CHRISTCHURCH, May 3. A recount of the votes east on the loan proposals in connection with the Municipal Concert Hall lias resulted in the proposal being declared carried by 5391 to 5294. There were no fewer than 1-118 informal votes. The proposal is to raise a. special loan of £35,000 to build a Municipal Concert Hall in Manchester Street. AN INQUEST ADJOURNED. AVAIAIATE, May 3. An inquest was opened and adjourned to permit the.taking of the girl’s evidence concerning the death of the illegitimate female baby of Agnes Y r oung a hotel waitress. The Coroner, AD E. D. Aloslev, S.AI. commented severely upon the action of the girl’s mother in not immediately reporting the matter to the police. Only when a doctor was called to attend the girl, nearly two days later, was the matter brought to light. A FATAL FIRE. WELLINGTON, May 3 A; fire attended with fatal results occurred in the Young Women's Hostel to-night. Apparently it broke out in a, room occupied by Miss Gourlev, an immigrant, wlm bad just and -ed by the Ulimaroa, Screams were hood coming from her room on the top storey. Volumes of spoke rolled along tlie passage and prevented her rescue until the unfortunate woman, who it is believed was suffocated by the smoke, was dead. Her body was also burnt in places.

ORIGIN A MYSTERY. WELLINGTON, May 4. Tiie origin of tlie fire in the Y.AY.C. A. Hostel, MacDonald Crescent, remains a mystery. The victim, Aliss Hourly, arrived from Sydney by the Ulimaroa only yesterday morning and was to have proceeded this morning to her destination which, at present is unknown Immigrants arriving by the Rotorua to-day, were to have been accommodation at the Hostel to-night, but the authorities state that accommodation has now to he found for them elsewhere. Great difficulty in reaching the seat of the fire wa% experienced by the Five brigade and as the nearest water hydrant was located cn AVellington Terrace, a considerable length of hose was required causing delay.

A AYOOL POOL. WELLINGTON, Afav 2

Afr J. Grimsdale Anderson (Pelorus Sound) submitted to the Dominion Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union to-night the outline of a scheme for a. wool marketing control board for Hie whole Dominion. He suggested that a AYool Board of not less than five members should be elected by the Farmers’ Union and the Sboepowners’ Association, or by the whole body of slieepownors. The board, he urged, should engage two or three of the best experts in the Home wool trade to act as selling agents in Britain and fix a minimum price for each quality for sale, such price to be the minimum parity for corresponding Dominion sales. The board would appoint its own wool-classers in the Dominion, big flock owners being allowed the option of having their clips classified on the station by elassers duly authorised by the board. All smaller clips would be ’ clashed in brokers’

stores, each broker to have a suhsidary wool pool for bis own clients. Expenses of the board, snlaiTes, etc., would he financed by a small poundage rale on all wool sold, the grower only paying for Hie actual handling and classing. After discussion of the outline of the scheme it was referred as a remit to the coming Dominion Union conference.

SINGAPORE AS RECEIVING STATION. WELLINGTON, May 2. At a meeting of the Dominion Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union to-day, a letter was received from the Registrar of Imports and Exports at Singapore, as to the possibilities of the sale of New Zealand produce at Singapore. Considerable trade, he said, was carried on between Australia and British Malaya, in frozen meat, bams and ‘bacon, butter and cheese. There were no direct shipping facilities Horn New Zealand io the Straits Settlements, and if wholesale prices neve the same in New Zealand as in Australia, and goods had to lie shipped via Australia it was probable that the extra freight would render business impossible. There was, as far as he could ascertain, apparently sufficient cold storage accommodation on the premises of the Sinapore Cold Storage Company. Ltd., for the requirements of the port for tlie next few years.