DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 May 1923, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by TELEGRAPH —rER TRESS ASSOCIATION.] ASHBURTON COKE FAMINE. ASHBURTON, May 24. Ashburton is threatened with darkness owing to the absence of coke at the power house. The Power Board purchased the plant from the Borough Council this week and discovered that the coke stocks were depleted, which is unusual at this time ot the year. There were only eighteen hags whereas tortv bags are required daily. Uigent appeals despatched to all quarters revealed the shortage was general. A small consignment of coke left Dunedin this morning, hut the position is critical. PAR.M .SCHOOL’S SUCC ESS. ASHBURTON, May 2b. Opinions gathered from farmers after Iho recent farm school declare the school tattgld more in a week than a youth learned on a farm in several years : also that increased cultivation of Mhent will not result, but the instructions will assist those converting cereal land to sheep and dairying, the latter promising expansion ; that lucerne growing involving labour, is unattractive; that peas and lucerne lie increasingly groMii, including pea rotalion between wheat; that the freezing. Murks lie asked to manufacture beet sugar, paying about thirty shillings per ton for beets.

BAND CONTEST NEXT YEAR. PALMERSTON X.. May 2b. The New Zealand Brass Band Association has granted permission to hold the 1!)2<I contest in Palmerston North. The required financial guarantees have been forthcoming, and Mr E. R. 15. Hellion lias been successful in securing guarantees from Palmerston North residents of a value of £llb(> in sums (f from £b to L'2bO. It is estimated the. amount necessary for prize-money and general expenditure will be C 1250 and this has already been practically guaranteed. Knr the purpose ol mailing pioliiiinaiy arrangements in regard to the contest a meeting Mas held this evening, the Mayor, Mr F. J. Nathan, presiding. M. Ilolhen. "ho is President of the North Island Bind-’ Association, explained that the contest Mould appeal to all classes of the community, and lie could conceive no better use for any surplus fund than the allocation proposed. INCOME TAX CHARGES. DUNEDIN, May 2b. At the Police Court, David Lawrence Miller of Lawrence, pleaded guilty. to two charges, the one to making false income tax returns, and the other to aiding ami abetting. The Crown - Rtoseeiitor stated that for four years, defendants’ returns showed approximately £2OO. the total for four years being CBSI. As a re-

sult of investigation, an assessment was made at £-lf>i:l. Tin* returns were always made out hy the second doft'iiUntil (the son), but the father could not he ignorant. For the defence it "as stated that the father had alteady paid A >2l l>x deficiency to the (tepartm,-til. The soil had a, wrong idea i f the ba-io income tax. Fines inflicted ell fi.ur cluugcs totalled i’RLb advances for houses. AUCKLAND. May 24. Keplving to a deputation requesting greater facilities to persons wishing to build houses for their own u-e, Mr Masses- said that the total number of houses that the Government had advanced money to build, or had limit, was LJ.Hiil. and the money found was Clß.aid.JJt.!. He "as going to Tsk Parliament t> make a serious alteration m the la". At P'osent the Covenom jit may. tinder the Ad'aiices m Settlers’ and the Advances to Workers’ Acts, advance 75 per cent, of the ,-ost of a building, lie "its. going to a-k Parliament to increase this to fib per cent. That "as a pretty big risk, and lie did not shut his eyes to it: hut it must be romeiiiucred that the State advanced money <m a table, ot niorts liability, automatically lessening with each lmif yearly payment. He suggested that, under the scheme, tho\ would have to provide probably « » ul - Rou pounds, as there would I e a rush to take advantage, of itHOARD OF AGRICULTURE. WELLINGTON. May 2fl At the first meeting of the nev. Board of Agriculture, a letter was received from Societies in Nelson, Marlborough, ami Westland districts suggesting that the regulations relating to the"election <>f members of the Puard be amended so as to permit ol the election being conducted by post. Tt was decided to recommend the matter to Government for favorable consideration.

the sugar shortage, duty ON 4AVA SUGAR. WELLINGTON, May 2:1. It. is understood that in order to relieve the sugar shortage in the Dominion, the Government intends In remove the duty on .lava sugar, which at present stands at a half-penny per lb. BETTING FINES. AI AG f STRATH’S ('GARMENTS. AUCKLAND, May 23. “Fines arc of no use. in this case. | u ,t 1 cannot impose imprisonment, said Mr Povnton. .Magistrate, m dealin" with Frederick Howard, who appeared on a charge of pubU-ly exhibiting a, double chart on two races at lakapuna. The police stated that the accused was a water-side worker. tk •mil been remanded for sentence pe'mi„" Supreme Court proceedings. he accused was acquitted in thar (ouit on a charge of hookmaking. Ihe accused was lined €2O the maximum penA barman named Frank Kelly veas fined £lO on each of two charges o havings made bets at tote n •» hotel bar. The defence was that tlu ,>• cased accepted money on behalf <f a bookmaker, and was not himself allowing that occupation. fu commenting on the l.ut t . was possible to make bets m an o,.en bar. this virtually constituting a common "sming house Air lo.ntou. .... • • kmiufthe accused guiltv ol betting and agreeing to pay “tote odds.

AUCKLAND BURGLARY. AUCKLAND. Alay 23. fact that the house is o.il> a - 10110 ■ throw from the police station. MORli” burglarif.s. PALAIERSTOX N-- May 23. Three business premises were hurg.ed on Thursday, npparentlj bj a k- = that has been operating m the town for some time. A eons.de.ahL numb, have been reported in the las. few weeks.