DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 June 1923, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

' -oBY TELEGRAPH—PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] A( ' Civ I>A N D Qi: A 1; AXT IXE .STATION. li Kl’I.Y TO COMPLAINTS. AUCKLAND, May 30. The complaints by the Malvina's Australian passengers. cabled from Sydney, are pi'oliably of the same nature as those communicated by through passengers to residents of Auckland. In a letter a passenger stated the prevalence of mud and cattle droppings about the buildings uncle matteis unpleasant for women and children, and indicated there had been no recent inspection atul clean up of the premises. As further evidence of this, the writer added: The cooking stove was found to ho chokon up and meat put into it overnight, was net rooked by the following morning. The blanket'.-, in stock showed indi lions of mouhiincss, and the organisation of the

catering service was inadequate, resulting in an occasional shortage caused by the spoiling of supplies by rain. In an interview, the Medical Officer of Health. Dr. Hughes, stated that a complaint had been received concerning cattle droppings. The island was partly tinder the jurisdiction of the Agricultural Department, a nd cattle and sheep were allowed to graze near the buildings to keep down the grass. A certain amount of difficulty was experienced with regard to one stove, but two ether stoves were available, and further assistance was given diie.tly any difficulty was reported. A caretaker was always in charge of the buildings, and the blankets were over*.allied by him, the chief difficulty being damage liv moths, and special

means were taken to obviate this a> much as possible, giving rise to a not objectionable- odour in the blankets. Vi'et weather increased the discomforts r-f the passengers, lmt the buildings were for temporary accommodation only. Captain complaints received on the second day were attended to at once. The Director-dotterel of Health visited the island last Thursday, and iweired no complaint The I'niou Company carried out the catering and no complaints acre received by the officials concerning this. IUBbK-IX-SCHOObIS WELLINGTON, May 30. A representative gathering of over ICO clergy, with Archbishop Julius presiding, decided to approach the Crime .Minister with a view to securing legislation in respect to Bible teaching in schools. Arrangeun nts are being made for a deputation to Mr Massey at an early date. A committee was set up to further the interests oi the movement. THE MAO It I HACK. DR. BECK'S OB 1 NON.

WELLINGTON, May '2O. Speaking in an amusing vein at the Rotary Club .Luncheon to-day. I)r \\ . I’. Buck made leferenee to the study of the human race by means of skulls. He explained that he himself was a mixture of an Irish race and a Polynesian race. That was obvious. ! Laughter.) These present that day were piobably just as much mixed as be was. although they might mil know about i'. (Laughter.) Of course he diil uni menu mixed aloulmlk ally. (!. might"!-'. Run laud Dickson had poinC.d cut that if they te: k the ■ Is ll o- ; i'.'ii Ipul been sludg'd in New A. id'ud. t lii-.\ would Hud that the h-i'g-hee j d type predominated in the Ntrlh i!i"i<"’' there note more l.roadheaded cub’ in ilie .South. Ik-e.iu-e of Cud . aid Dickson, it was shu’.'.ii that the ' S'nth Island i..•:ij>lhad been di iveii ’old by the Ninth Island people, aml in some cases had been driven ns tar as the Chatham fshnnls. The lirst ;• mi 1 1• v. iio iui.iabitetl New Zealand vet - lb" alpine l.\|e. 'lke hi-lcry oi tlte Maori people was the history of New Zealand, and it should !e cu- ' conntgi d. The Maori peoj h. Dr. Buck thinks. must eveutnally disapjea, tlirough intermingling and inlerimirrying. ! CHELSTCHBRCH TO BI.EN 11 KIM. | advice to MOTORISTS. ! BLENHEIM, May 29. I Motorist:; who may wish to travel between Christchurch and Blenheim, will be interested, now that the East (oast road is definitely (dosed to through traffic for many months, to leini that, the route to Blenheim from Christchurch via the West Coast pro:on ts no difficulties, and that though it is rather round-about, it oilers reasonable road access between Marlhereugh and the Canlerhurv capital. Mr 1\ Branton, an experienced Blenheim motorist, has just returned alter a journey to Christchurch and hack via the V.rn Cnti'd. I!i‘ informed a teportcr that he left Blenheim on Sunday, the J3th. in.-E, and reached Christchurch on the following Tuesday, and he also made the return journey in under three days, lie said there warnothing to complain about tbc Otira though it was a stiff climb. The surface was good and the whole route from Blenheim to Arthur's Bass ) resented no troubles. From A.rtl.ui's I 'ass to Springfield, however, the road was to till intents and purposes closed and travellers used it at their own risk, lie had traversed it both going to and coming from Christchurch, l>:.t he would advise motorists contemplating the trip to rail their cars from Arthur’s .Bass to Springfield, or oven into Christchurch, flip railway charge being very moderate. The same steps should le taken on the return journey.

COMPENSATION CLAIM. LAKOURER'S INJURY. NAPIER, May 29. A compensation claim of some interest to employers of labour was heard before the Arbitration Court to-day. John Double claimed that while in the employ of \Y. A. Amner and Sons, Napier, in October last, he sustained a strain which affected his heart as a result of a crowbar slipping while he was prising a large stone in a quarry, and that in consequence lie had been totally incapacitated since. Plaintiff said the crowbar struck him on the chest and that he suffered some pain and was obliged to ease up. He returned to work the day after the accident, but complained of the effects of tl'.o blow, and after that day could not again resume, being compelled to enter hospital. j Defendant denied that there had I keen any accident, and contended i that plaintiff had for some time suffcr- ! ed from aneurism of the aorta, the | natural development of which caused his present condition. The medical evidence was somewhat conflicting, but the Court found that, although an aneurism existed before the date of the accident, there was no evidence to show how far it had progressed. If some change on the plaintiff's condition was ensued ns a result of the strain, then that was an nccii dent, and the Court chose to believe f the evidence of the accident given by tlie plaintiff. The medical evidence brought by the defence agreed that plaintiff had had a strain. It may have been that in the course of Nature plaintiff would have become incapacitated, but the Court found that he received the strain arising out of

his employment by defendants. Plaintiff had been in receipt of iH Is 7d per week, and was entitled to 55 per cent of that amount from the date of the accident till such time as it was ended, suspended, disminished or increased by the Court. Plaintiff was also awarded £L medical expenses and 12 guineas general expenses.

WELLINGTON RAILWAY STATION A PRELIMINARY WORK. WELLINGTON, May 30 Wellington has long been waiting for a new railway station but the work has been hung up year after year through the necessity of reclaiming a large area front the harbour to provide the room required for buildings and yards commensurate with requirements. Negotiations between the Government and the Harbour Board, which have been spread over several years, at last came to a head am! an agreement was arrived at, but even then further delay occurred over the preparation of plans and other preliminaries. The first real step toward the actual beginning of work, was taken to-day, when a contract was signed for the construction of a concrete retaining wall. The successful tenderer is C. F. Pulley and the sum involved is no less than ,1:181,7).'I 15s. Seven other tenders were received, ranging up to £310,729. Even now it will he six months before vvovic actually begin.', and it is expected to take lour years in all to build Hie wall. Filling in will be done with spoil dredged from the harbour. This is the ninth, contract Mr Pulley has carried out for the Harbour Board. The price compares very favourably with the engineer’s estimate.

AY AI RAC FLOODS. BLENHEIM. May 31. Mr F. AY. Eurkert. Chief Engineer of the Public AYorks Department, this meriting toured the areas afiected by the recent flood in order to gather data to enable him to advise the AVairau River Board as to the best means to tackle the reconstruction of tile destroyed protection works. HE NED LX EXHIBITION. DUNEDIN, May 31 A meeting of the Exhibition Committee approved the Lake Logan site. The Chairman said that if at the end of six months it was found that the area could not he got ready. they would have to look for another site. The Harbour Board’s Engineer slat ed that it was reasonably certain the reclamation and consolidation work would lie completed in time, ii' he got Ihe Bluff dredge at once to work simultaneously with the Dunedin dredge. It was suggested that .Southland might charter tile dredge at a low elirage, as tiie Province’s contribution to tee Exhibition Fund.

AVAR PENSIONS. WEI.I.iXGTOX. May 31. In respect to rivent i rilicism the Minister of Dol'eni e. Sir 11. Rhodes has issued a statement to the : lie, I that considerable misunderstanding exists as to the working of the Afar pensions Department. lie said tint medical treatment ami war pensions go together and that <i. decision affecting Fite one affects the other. The only question to decide is the attriblitabili't.v of disability to service. The decision is not made by the Directurth neral of Medical Set vices, as stated, lmt by the Pensions Board, lie has iff. understood why the Christchurch Returned Soldiers Association, so repeatedly endeavours to persuade U.o public that the questions of entitlement roe decided h v the Director-General. The Minister states that the claims of returned soldier.-- have fai n ci usiantly veiled, but apparent ly. t'.eie ha.-. I veil no mil.be recognition of the fact licit the Slate Ills al-e get to be eon-itlend. li i>i l l<l be easier, and in"! o i •',!!!'.it !<; •/! air i lie < la inn iliat ai e inu.-toOiK I "•ring foe:-ed, ami in pi on base popularity -ny a inn free graining of pensions. It would be extremely easy and pleasant. Ti e Government, while anxious to deal generously v it Ii the returned soldiers, must however, have some limit as to v hat mig'il reasonably le expected. The State prut isiuti fur war pensioners’ 1 envisions have in this Dominion Icon mo;e liberally interpreted than in ails other. The AA’ar Pen -inns Act has in be administered, not only ill the interests if (he returned soldiers, hut aNu with due regard to the interests of the State. alleged bogek bookie. AUCKLAND. May 31. At the Police Court to-day Reginald Beniamin, .aged 30. a labourer, and Trevor I.i mini'll Richard Cunningham, aged 23. a taxi dtiver, were char ed with having on April 18th. obtained £22 trim George Bavington Rowley, by falsely lepro-fitting that Benjamin was a bookmaker. The complainant, a farmer near Fokeno, said he anivd at

Auckland on the moaning of April 18 anil had not known cither of the a.e(issod before. That day he luted Cunningham's taxi, and by him was introduced to the other accused, who was described as a bookmaker, anoiher name being given. 'Witness took a

double on Sleet eh Mixture and Mirkie at ofi to 1. giving Beniamin a Cl. Re also had Cl on Dean Dillon, engaged at the trots. Two days later, in a hotel, the accused advised complainant to have a lump on Quest, competing at Mannwntu Races. That day witness gni' a .£2O cheque on Quest. Later he endeavoured to stop payment, hat was too late. Quest ran second, hat he received no money.

The accused both pleaded nut: guilty and reserved their defence. They were committed for Dial, bail being allowed.