DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 September 1923, Page 2

DOMINION ITEMS.

LBY TELEGRAPH—PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

RENT FIGURES CHALLENGED

AVELETNGTON, Sept, 14.

At the Arbitration Court to-day Mr J. Read, President of tho Trades and Labour Council and Air C. H. Chanman, instructed by the Council, asked for leave, belorc tho Court made its next pronouncement with regard to wages, to allow tho Trades Council to place a case before it which practically challenged the Government Statistician’s figures relating to rent. Mr Justice Frazer said that he would consider the application made for a special hearing and let the parties know the Court’s decision later. SYSTEM ATIC THEFTS. AUCKLAND, Sept. 14 At the Police Court six boy burglars, aged 16 to 17 years, and sons of peoplo in comfortable circumstances, were an organised gang who perpetrated systematic thefts. Each was fined £2O and placed on probation for fivo years and ordered to make restitution. Frederick AY. MeCleunan, on, two charges of practising medicine and surgery, not being a registered practitioner, was fined £5 or one month’s imprisonment. DOCTORS REFUSE EO COOPERATE. AUCKLAND, Sept. 14 The Hickson Committee say that they invited medical men to co-oper-ate in the mission but they refused to have anything to do with it. They practically said that they did not know anything of Mr Hickson’s methods of cure and didn’t want to. It was also stated that medical men in. Wellington and Christchurch were co-operating with the Committee there.

A NELSON FIRE. NELSON, Sept. 14. A fire this morning gutted the upstairs portion of a two storied building in Trafalgar St., occupied by E. O. McGuire, optician. The lower floor, occupied by Mrs AV. H. Reay’s Geisha Tearooms were extensively damaged by water. BRITISH DELEGATION. DUNEDIN. Sept. 14. Tho Biitish Migration delegation met the representatives of the Expansion and AVelfaro Longues, and the Employers’ Association to ascertain their views and those of manufacturers, regarding any shortage of labour. It was pointed out that large areas in Otago anil Southland wanted settlement, and that industries were held up for want of skilled labour. SHOP BREAKING. CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 14 From the viewpoint of crime, tho police report that Christchurch has seldom been in so favourable a position as it is at present. For some weeks past there has been almost a clean sheet so far as reports of serious crime are concerned. Lesser offences have been reported, but they have not been numerous.

A case of shop-breaking which occurred at tlie Star Stores early the other morning. i> one of a class from which the city is seldom entirely free. Some months ago quite an epidemic of such cases kept the police officers busy, but the arrest of a number of youths and the placing of Griffiths under lock and key brought a cessation. Tho Star Stores, which suffered from the incursion of thieves are ■ situated at the corner of AA'orcoster Street and Stanmore Road. The shop was left, at ten o’clock on Sunday evening, and on Monday morning it was found that the Yale Lock of tho front door had been twisted round from the outside. Peoplo living in the immediate vicinity actually heard the burglars talking between the hours of 2 a.in. and 3 a.m. on Monday, but attached no importance to the noise, thinking that it was neighbours talking. The thieves appear to have devoted attention first to the hack of the premises, and to have then decided that the front offered the main attraction to the intruders, who stole all the cigarettes in the shop, and also removed the stock of patent medicines on one shelf. In all, about- £ls worth of goods were taken. Tho theft appears in have been the work of youthful thieves, who exhibited a considerable degiro of recklessness in carrying out their crime.