DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 December 1923, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by TFXEGRAPH—PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] BIG CONTRACTS. WELLINGTON*, December 17. The time for the receipt of tenders for the Arapuni dam contract and power-house equipment has been extended till the end id April owing to th magnitude of the work involved in preparing estimates. T understand that two large English firms of con tractors and one Australian firm are among those interested in tendering, and have surveyors on the site. Another interesting contract closing early next year is lor a section of the East Coast main trunk railway, and judging by inquiries made regarding the conditions of tendering there will be good competition for this w; rk.

It FARE TIE’S IM M IG R ANTS. WELLINGTON. December 17. The Ruapehu, which arrived from Southampton to-day, brought 270 immigrants, comprising 59 men, 96 women and 115 children. They are hooked as follows:—Auckland SO, Wellington 01. Lyttelton 26, Duedin 11. Gisborne 2, Napier 7. New Plymouth 2. The remainder are lor various South Island ports. The North Islanders left to-night, but I he. others aie detained till Thursday, owing to no berths being available on tlit: ferry steamers due to the Ruapehu's early arrival.

CHESS championship. WELLINGTON, December 17. The chess tournament is to he held at Wellington this year, beginning on Boxing Day. There are twenty-one entries, anil if ail appear it will he a record, the previous best entry being twenty, at the Christchurch Exhilittion in H)O6. On this occasion the time limit has been narrowed to 20 moves per hour, and if more than II! compete the players will lie divided info two sections. The tour 1 iphcst in each will play off.

TIM ART WOOL SALE. TIM ARE, Dee. 17. T he opening sale of ihe Tiinaru wool season was opened this morning in the presence ol a full bench ol buyers, topresenting all interests, local and overseas. The catalogue contained 13,661 bales, compared with S3S2 bales last year, the difference being accounted for by the better shearing conditions during iho I ast six weeks. The wool throughout had come forward in good condition.

From the outset it was plain that buyers were intent on business, the limits being unusually elastic and the bidding throughout spirited. \ aim’s «ere largely on the basis of the Christ church sale last week. MAIMING HORSES. WIIAKATANE. December IS. William George Wright, wa.s eliargeit at the Police Court with wounding a mare at Wuimana by means ol corrosive chemicals. .Evidence was given that the mure was lotit.d with its eye injured, and bleeding, on November Id. On December T. the mare was left, at Taueatim, and was missing niter the pictures, being louml live miles av.ay. on the Sunday, staggering and bleeding. The evidence- showed that on November IP, two impounded horses were found injured, one dead and the other dying. A watch was kept on the pound, and accused was seen tiding past on the evening of December I, leading a mare, later identified as one that was injii-ied in \\ a.intwna Gorge. Several olhei burses were wounded in the pound in the last fe-i mouths. One had the tendons on ks hock severed and had to be destroy eii. (hi April 7, accused was found in the pound paddock at 1.30 a.m. Evid-

om v v. Ei\ <. u u.-. i'j iiiiTi'tnz * in.niieais at the accused's, residence similar to those believed to be vespuMsibl,- ior the injuries. Ateused .pleaded not guilty and »:s committed fur Dial at the Supreme (•'curt-, at Gi'bo: tie. WATERSHiERS' AWARD. WELLINGTON, December 18. A deputation from the Watersidcrs’ Federation asked lion. .1. G. Anderson to-day, to remit the lines imposed on the wateisidcis who had refused to vuik the Mararoa after 5 ]).m. on SatluJav. April 1-lth. it was pointed out on l>«.*h;df of the men that there had been no collusion to defeat provisions of tin* award, and that the employers had agreed to them being a died ahelher they wanted to work or not. The .Magistrate had refused the rigliL to appeal, which the Eninu felt sure would have been grant-

The Minister replied that ho would go into Ihc matter, hut pointed out the importance of waiersiders agreeing io work the vessels alter 5 p.m. on Satin clays to avoid inconvenience to the public, lie to listed that the Union would he aide to evolve some means of overcoming such difficulties which had occurred in the ease of the Mamie, WEATHER CONDITIONS. WKLIAXCTON, December ]B. An anti-eyeiine, which has ruled so long in the north, has steadily decreased during the past three days, übile a westerly low pressure still continues in the South. These conditions have accounted for the high westerly winds and changeable skies, with rain on tin' western coasts and southern districts, but dry and sultry weather elsewhere. The outlook is now very promising for a good general rainfall.

THEFTS OF JEWELLERY. WELLINGTON, Dee. 17. A young girl’s longing for jewellery, no matter how obtained, resulted in the appearance at the Juvenile Court on Saturday, before Mr C. It. OrrAValker, S.M., of a fourteen-year-old girb who was charged with stealing two diamond rings, valued at £ls, the property of Leo Alarm. Two other charges were also preferred against He girl—the tliett of a diamond cluster ring, valued at £7 7s, th property of Elizabeth Mary Ross, and of a similar ring, valued at £l2. tile property of dames Batten. ■C.'hiel-Detoclive Kemp stated that th.- aectt.sed had stolen the first- two rings Irom the shop of tin; complainant Marris. and had then sold them to a sec ond-hand dealer. Detectives McLennan and .Tairold interviewed the second-hand dealer, said the chief-detective, but when asked for a description of the woman who sold bin. the rings, the dealer gave a false d< scription. T’jc accused, it was explained, evidently not satisfied with wluit she had already go't, went to the shop of Ross, the jeweller, and asked to see a tray

of rings. She was shown some, and at an opportune moment quietly abstracted one. The theft- was not noticed at the time, and the accused was not detained. She then went to nn other sec-ond-hand dealer, named Batten, and again made the usual request that of wanting to view some rings. A trayfii 1 was shown to her. hut. instead of abstracting otic as she hod done before, she quickie slipped into tin* tray i!n ring she had stolen previously, and took one of nttiea greater value. In endeavouring to dispose of her stolen booty, she was a nested by Detectives JarrohL and McLennan. The ehief-detot ti res said that all the rings had keen recovercU, Together with the sum of £7 18s paid to the accused by the .second-hand dealers. Mis Worship decided to admit the gill to probation for 12 months, and stated that the actions' of the secondhand dealers "ere not oil they should have been, and Hint further inquiry should he made. NOT WANTED IN N.X. W'E.EI lINGTC'N, Dee. 17.

I’erc.v Bellamy, who the police staled lots a “tecotd” for housebreaking and theft in Australia, appeared at the I'oliee Court on a charge of landing in New Zealand while lie was a piohibifed immigrant. Mr E. Rage Js.M, after hearing the polhc evidence, ordered that Bellamy he deported to Australia, and that until in- cmbaiked ho should he kept in custody. NO INEO-Mi.-lAX ItFTTKNs. WEI'.UXG !tiN, December 17, Failure to furnish returns tor income tax as'Cs.sincni has cost the New Brighton Co-operative Money (Tub £lO. plus (lie cost of the (irosecuLi'-n. The ,-as ■ was he ,rd at the Police C-urt by Mi E. Page S.M.. to whom it \\a- slated that the defendants had caused a great 'led of inconvenience i; past years by furnishing reins ns al a later period titan ihe lime stipulated. For a s-imiiar uli'etic-*. the St. Mary's lira.AHi el the Hibernian and Catholic Benefit So:-inly was tilted £5. In the cio-e of Fdwal'd h. Rosenborg Mr J. M. Tudhopo. ~f the Cm-'.ii Law Cibce. Slated ilia! defendant had not furnished icl e-iis lor several veins. He li id been under tile mistaken iniptession that II he paid default asscsstuen!* tin re was no need to send in income tax returns-. One thing in hi.-, l.ivimr was that- lie did md attempt to evade pitying the tax. In fact, "hat the defendant paid m default assessment would have exceeded the amount he •amid have had to pay in income tax. Alter further evidence had been la-aid, lEs Wii'.-liop imposed a fine of £lO and !; v ,e- ai-i.otitici'd that the depart - treat int. tided i.o lake p">r< edings i-i ah where thete i repeated ucmeelli.i.jinee V- fill ike la".