DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 May 1923, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[BY TELEGRAPH —PER TRESS ASSOCIATION.] THE ROYAL WEDDING. WELLINGTON, Af.ay 1. On the occasion of the marriage of his Royal Highness the Duke of York the Governor General sent the following message to the Secretary of State for the Colonies :—- 1 beg to express on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand, with whom her Excellency and I desire to associate ourselves, most earnest and heartfelt good wishes for future happiness to their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York on the occasion of their marriage. Hi- Excellency to-day received tlic following reply from the Secretary of State:— Their Royal Highnesses the Dnk> and Duchess of York wish to express to yourself and her Excellency and the Government and people of New Zealand their grateful thanks for your kind message. THE FINAL FIGURES. OAATARU. Alov .0. In the Oaniaru election, the absent voters, were:—Alacpherson 131, Lee 131. The final figures are:— Alacpherson -1192 Lee 4147 Informal 21 .Majority for Alacpherson 310 DAIRY CONFERENCE. DALAI ERSTON X.. May 0. The Dairy Farmers’ Conference passed r .mils that pressure he brought on the Government to have the -Moratorium Act extended; that favourable consideration ho given of the offer ul ji. Fielding Company to slaughter and ficeze pig- for export and also for the local demand. A resolution was passed that vtie Conference regrets the Railway Department had made 150 per cent, increase in tlm freight of dairy produce, against only forty per cent, for meat. COST OF LIVING. DUNEDIN, May 3. When Mr f>. Bareham. in the brickworkers' dispute before the Arbitration Court urged an increase of the old demand bv 2-~> tier cent, Alt' .JusiicC Frazer declared his disbelief in the adequacy of Air .1. AleC iimhs s figures on width the union had been calculating. and said that there had been a drop nf more than 11 per cent in the cost i ! living since the old award was made in .March, 1921. Mr .Inslice Frazer slated in the Arbitration Court this morning that iho cost of living was oti per cent above tin' pre-war level and that he ! thought waves had been increased more. In reply tn this, Alt' Borehani remarked: Your Honour may know mote about it than 1 do, hut I have practical cxp'-rience. and I am wearing a pre-v-ar 3s !’d shirt that vest me Ds. FT 11 Ft K BY FIRE-BALL. Al t KI.AND, May 3. in the height of the recent storm at Mercery Bay, a terrifying experience o; ctii'i'cd. On the telegraph wire ahem a mile from the Colville Post (11;:ce, a "groat hall of lire” was seen 1. 1 explode. A spectator, w.bo was more than half a mile awa.v. -aid the mdse was equal to the explosion oi a case of dynamite, and for quite ten i minutes his oars were lull of leverhcrntinas. The cxph'shin took phuo on lo|i ol an iron lelegraoh pile, splintering- llle insulators and crossann into hundreds of pieces, and scattering them chains away. The insulator bolt j was burnt dow n to Ihe size of a twoinch nail. A hole nearly live feel ai loss- was tin n in the ground at the loot oi the pule, and to its full doplli. The wit moss "I the -pec taelr says: 'the "lire ball” colli inned its cour.se through (he ploughed field, and was last seen travelling towards the hill- at an immense speed. The full severity of the storm was felt: oil the gulf side of Coromandel Peninsula, and greatly damaged the Thames mad. A AYO.MA.VS DEATH CHRISTCHURCH. Alay o. Airs Anita Gunderson, a widow, GI years. of ago, died under an anrestheliv, while undergoing an operation at 1: v -wham liosplt l yesterday. All's Guuib-n-en entered the Hospital on Tuesday for treatment for an internal complaint and an operation was (leaded on. During die orenilicn she died. An inquest was opened and adjourned till next week pending a pest mortem examination.