DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 January 1924, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[BX TELEOKAPH—PEP. PXIESS ASSOCIATION.] LIQUOR IN A DRY DISTRICT. ASHBURTON’S CONSUMPTJOX. ASHBURTON. Jan. 17. Ashburton is not so dry as geiieitally supposed in spite of the prohibition regime as beer admitted under permit last year totalled 30,350 gallons against seventeen thousand three years ago. Wines and spirits decreased in popularity, the totals for the year being whisky 200 gallons, brandy 1-15. gin 54, rum 37, and wine 572. The December importations, including Christmas cheer were: Beer 7.723 gallons, whisky 318, brandy 27. gin 5, rum .31. and wine 120. The ligures obviously do not include illicit liquor, of which the police campaign gives an occasional glimpse. It is declared that milch illicit liquor is traded in bottles of whisky known as bombs, being a marketable commodity at a sovereign each. THE PREFERENCE QUESTION. AUCKLAND, January 15. "The Dominions must understand that it England gives them preference it does not mean that they are to be allowed to make (ho British taxpayer pay more money in order Iha I thev can buy American motor-cars, declared Sir Arthur .Mansfield, Controller of Fa I s and Oils in Great Britain during the war, in an interview on t!ie arrival of the M a keen I ruin Sydney. Sir Arthur .- make...: a loin ol the British Dominion', and ha- already heali to South Afiia and Australia. On the siibj: ci 'I pis ferciice, he said the ordinary man in the si reel at Home did not want preh'i'enee il it I meant a dearer breakfast table. hut the question had not been clearly put lo the eleeiois at la ! election. Tim j Motherland lie. (led sonic one who could place Hie matter properly before the nation, and Sir Arthur though! I I liar such a n.an n odd lie found cvcllti Hally. IBs ti view was in favour of ! pptvloreiuv il preieienee meant unity |of the whole Empire. All primary and | secondary imliislrics. lie said, ought to have a hairier loimd iheni within the ; Empire, and any mil skiers that broke ! through might to he taxed, lie erilj iris; il the altitude "l take all and give nothing which the Dominions adopted. In South Africa and in Australia he had found that they bought the elicit post products possible, going to any market for ihe purpose, while they get tie.' he- 1 price they could from Great Britain. The aim seemed to be In get ihe best price in England for wool and buy American inulin-ears. That one-sided policy would mil do. The attempt oi the Dominion'; and Cl loonies (u develop their- secondary industries, he considered, was ralher a mistake. These count ri< -•■ were «>.*>- > Mindly agricultural, and England was industrial. Australia was trying In become industrial and was tailing in agriculture. Then' was a decided diil t from tin* backwoods into the eitio- where the atmosphere and life were at last three years behind .that of English towns. lie believed there was still a lime of re I rilmt ion. and that Australia did not realise Unit we tv-re poorei and no! ru-her bet anso "! the

QU \ 11. ISLAND. WELLINGTON, dan. IV Quail island in Lyl lei Lon Harbour ha - I icon a leper station fol some yem s no.'.. It is also a quarantine -'"ion Inr imported stock. Experieme ha -how u l hat it is difficult, ia L" ' nn | i I do, 1" make Hi" I Wo lIUoI ex I ■ The Health Department am! Hie Agrieu!l :iial Department have and ihe men who have In look alter the slock naturally do not like lo Lc on the .inie island a < the imfut. Utilities who are .tillering from h.-pie-y. It would appear that the only way cut ol tile difficulty L to ie'.e:'-. Quail I da."d . ly '. a !r; , > . ■ and to Mult the South L.kuid .Lock quarantine station Lo the quarantine island in (Magn Harbour. This would have Hie effect ef doing away with the South Claud quarantine station for infected passengers nil incoming ships. who would have to he quarantined on Somes Island. Wellington, but this would make liti!" dili'erem-i from the preseii! practice, a- nearly all ihe overseas pas-eii.-er ship., now make either Wellington it Auckland their f:r=t port of call. The "illy other alternative would appear to lie the shilling of ihe leper st.'iiiou to Mime .suitable island on the east coast of tli" North l-html. Th" island chosen would, of course, have lo be one within easy distance of supplies and medical inspection. The problem, which is a difficult one, will have to be •solved soon. OLD MAN’S SAYINGS. AUCKLAND. Jan. 15. That truth i> opa tiger than !h Lion iexemplified by lift* story of the return of notes to the value oi till ft is re-

ported to have been stolen from the Post Office Savings Bank a week ago. An elderly man named Henry Lovell had placed the money on the desk and left to get a bank-book cover from another desk, the notes disappearing in a moment. It appears that a well-to-do Sydney business man. who suffers from epileptic fits, saw the money and picked it up, intending to take it to the counter, but suddenly felt illness gripping him. All thought of the money lied, and he made his way to a friend’s house, feeling very ill. lie left that evening by train for Wellington, and only on reading in the papers of Lovell's loss did the post office incident occur to him. and a search revealed the money in his pocket. He at once telegraphed to the post office and forwarded the

ti BKiurr.osis toll. CAXTITtBURY AND ATTKT AXD HTtiHKST. A STIBCRTO-V, .tannery 17. The Health Inspector, commenting on ihr- Teeth toll of tuberculosis, says that Auckland and Canterbury bead tlie death li«ts. Eighty New Zealanders Pave died of tuberculosis during the i.-tst seven v.eeks. (7 IT. CAPES Cl 1A BO KD. CITBiSTCrtriH LI. -Inn. 17. !|l. Capes, fruiterer, brother ol \V. [>, Cap: s, appeared before the ('curt on a charge of conspiring with \V. I’. Cap--. Win Williamson and .fames (folding to defraud the Southland Racing (lull hv sub.- til uting Willie Lincoln for Look Dm. lie was 1-.. -nanded I > Dunedin to appear on i-'riilav, 1 ail not being applied for.