DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 November 1923, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

[BT TELEGRAM —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] UNREGISTERED CIIEAUST FINED. DUNEDIN, Nov. 12 Magistrate Bundle gave his reserved decision oil the charge against AVilliam Alicliael Wilkinson of selling a bottle of Hall’s AA’ine without a license. In dismissing the ease lie held that the defendant, though not ii pharmaceutical chemist under the Act, was a chemist, being a vendor of drugs and medicines and was entitled to exemption under Section 3 of the Licensing Act though, lie commented, it was obviously improper to allow an unregistered chemist to sell liquor.

On two further charges of using the name of chemist while unregistered the defendant was fined jL'2 on each charge. OBITUARY. DARGAYIL'LE, Nov. 10. The death is announced of Afr John Slnllworthy, ex-member for Kaipara. aged sixty-nine years. He represented Kaipara electorate from 1908 to 1911. At the time of his death lie was chairman of the Kaipara branch of the Farmers’ Union. He also was a prominent member of other local institutions. He is survived by his wife and a grown-up failv of sons and daughters. "WANGANUI, Nov. 11. Mr Robert Murdoch, a well-known commercial man, died in a private hospital after an operation tiiis morning. Apparently lie was in good health yesterday. Deceased was president of the Rhilosophicnl Society, a prominent Freemason and an authority on many scientific questions. SENTENCE FOR THEFT. AUCKLAND, November 12. Alfred Arthur Hinds, alius “Soldier Thompson,” was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, after pleading guilty to eight charges of breaking, entering, and theft. Thompson, a professional wrestler, was arrested after a great struggle with Constable NeliolF. who overpowered and InmdeulVed him after a struggle lasting 20 minutes.

CHILD KILLED BY .MOTOR. GISBORNE, Nov. 12 A motor fatality occurred Ibis afternoon, the victim being a six-year-old girl named Alary Rowan. A party of children had alighted from a train car and were crossing to the side of the road in front of the tram ear, when a motor ear driven by .Miss Orr. of Tekaraka, passed the tramcar, and struck the child. She was admitted to a private hospital Milfering from a fractured skull and injuries to the head, but died a few hours later. INJUDICIOUS CONDUCT. HASTINGS, Nov. 9. A lew weeks ago the serenity of a meeting of the Hastings Borough Council was ruffled bv an unusual incident resulting from a clash between the Mayor and Cr. L. AY. Fowler. The, latter hatl made a statement which the Mayor took as a reflection noon him. and the councillor remaining obdurate to repeated requests i<> with draw, the Mayor sent out for a policeman, in whose company (r. Fowler quitted the meeting. Now C'r. Fowler’s

seat is declared vacant as the sequel + y nether iucidoiit in “ inch the police

figured. A few evenings ago he injudiciously interposed between a constable and a man whom he was arresting on a charge of drunkenness, and oil Wednesday -Mr Fowler appeared at the local Court to answer a charge of obstructing the police in the execution of their duty. He was convicted and lined Co and costs, the penally being accompanied by some pungent remarks from the Magistrate on the standard of conduct expected from men holding public positions. When the Borough Council met last night, Cr. Fowler was in his accustomed seat, hut before the ordinary business was taken, the -Mayor said lie had advice from the borough solicitor that Cr. Fowler’s seat was vacant by reason of his conviction. He therefore requested him to leave the table. Air Fowler accepted the position gracefully, and immediately complied with the Mayor's request. The vacancy will he filled by u byelection forthwith.

Civil. SKR.VANTX AX.I) PENSIONS. M'FU.IXGTOX, X«.v. Hi. Speaking at a presentation made to 1 1 iin yesterday on his retirement from the Post Office staff. .Mr 11. A. Higgins said that one tiling that keeps public ollieeis from retiring is the matter of pensions. There are adequate pensions for men but with widows the case is different. A man could go out with a pension of three io four bundled a year while, all his wife would get was eighteen pounds per annum. Mr Higgins said tlml he had devised a scheme that would remedy fliis condition of alfaiis, hut the years had passed and the Guveninidnt always said that it had too much else to attend to. He thought that a scheme lhat would confer such benefits on widows should he taken up by someone and carried into effect. It was often said that public so mints were being handsomely pensioned off by the Government, hut the fact was that the Government only contributed ohe-lifth of the suporannnuat.ion fund, the income of which totalled C-ISO .000. Tiie Government contributed one-fifth of the pension, fund and. to say it paid hnmh’omoly the pensions of civil servants was a gross perversion of the facts.