DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 February 1924, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by TELKGRAFU—per pbesb association.] MR HOWARD, ALP. CHRISTCHURCH, Eeb. G. The condition of Mr E. J. Howard. Labour M.P., for Christchurch South, is very grave. To-day there have been three doctors in attendance on him, find his relatives are very anxious as to his condition. He recently was struck on | the head in a motor accident in South Canterbury, hut it is not known if this is the cause of hi- illness. YOUTH DROWNED. GISBORNE, Felt. G. A distressing totality occurred on Waiknnae beach this afternoon. A boy named Arthur Neill was drowned. The buy wa.- bathing, and there was a heavy sea running at the time. Apparently lie gul beyond his depth and was swept away by a swill undertow. A little girl informed a party of bathers some distance away, which included Tom Heeney, the well known boxer. Taking a lifeline, Heeney made a gallant attempt at rescue, but he was severely buffeted Gy the huge waves, and several times he was swept backwards. He managed, eventually, to reach the spot i.u the vicinity of the accident, hut no trace of the lad could be .-ten. Jleiiiey was exhausted and battered a- the result of his attempt. T he budy lias not been recovered. Thu victim left the High School at Christmas, and had just been appointed to the teaching stall' of a country school near Gisborne. LORD .1 ELLK'OE. WELLICN'TON, Feb. .5. The present Labour Government in England will have shortly to appoint a Governor-General for New Zealand. It I- uiioflieiallv staled that Lord • lellicoe will leave fur England in OetoRAM.WAY RETIREMENT'S. (I IK [STL'I I FECI I. February G. A strong prote-L against the compulsory retirement of the Christchurch District Railway Traffic Manager, Mr'.1. li. .Mitchell, upon the completion ol ■ It) years’ service in the Department, and a general protest against the retirement of Civil servants who were -l ill capable of giving their best, service- to tlm country, was made to-night oi a meeting ol the Executive of the Canterbury Progress League. It was decided that the Minister he asked to reeon-iiler the compulsory retirement of M r Mitchell. During; the discussion. -Mr A. F. Wright said that if seemed to him that the men who had reached 111 years’ service were being retired to give (ho juniors preference, and to allow others to enter the profession. There were -erne Civil servant- who ought to he retired after TO years’ service. Laughter.) The country sull'erod the loss by Hie retirement of efficient men, and tin- public bore the charge made upon the Suporaiinuat ion Fund. FOUND DROWNED. CHRISTCHURCH. February G. Ernest Franklin Thornton, aged 20. n Postal official, was found drowned in the Darlieh] School Bail's io-day. lie had been missing since Monday night, w hen he at tended a social gathering. and did not return to the hotel whore he was -taying. ORDER FDR ARREST. WELLINGTON, Feb. 7. Marti-, a coloured man. who was to have appeared at the Supreme Court to answer a charge of theft along with one Burke, did not appear, ami an order was made for hi- a i n -t .

AIT, blacks' 'Manager. WELLINGTON. Eeb. 7. Vnnni:; Ihe names discussed as the probable manager of the A*l Blanks a,,.. TVau. Chairman oi the Management Committee Mol,e el. cx-Pw ' dent J the Cnion; Frost. Auckland. Wih.oii Canterbury : Harris. Dingo; Glenn. M.P.. and a member of tbe 1005 U am. OBITUARY. DCNETTV. Jan. 7. Obituary.—’Robert Alexander Calender, postmaster at Mosgiol. lie .initied the service in 3.SIJ.T. DFNFDIN. Feb. 7. Obituary. -George Watford Sale, local manager "1 tbe New /.calami Bonn and Mercantile Agency Coy. for tbe past 14 years. Deceased was reputed the oldest servant, of the company in New Zealand. He joined the London office in the seventies and was manager of the Hamilton branch lot--17 years, being a pioneer in opening up the Waikato. drowned. DT'XEDIX. Feb. 7. Tbe police arc advised that .Tames Cousin. IT. was accidentally drowned on a farm at Pool burn, while bathing in a creek v. it It other lads. lb" body was recovered burglary charge. CHRISTCHURCH. Jail. 7. At tbe .Magistrate's Court. Wilfred Ronald AYildcy. charged with breaking and entering into Mason Strother* T.td. on Fell. sth. and theft of £5 m cash, also revolvers and cheques, v.as remanded till Feb. bull. Bail was refused . POLK F. CHANCES. ORK.YMOCTH Fvl>. 7. Police Inspector Mulhie.son has been appointed tu .Napier in succession to Liu lute Inspector Dew. Inspector Eccies (Dunedin) Ims been transfoned to Greymotitli.

infant drowned. A ICELAND. February 7. .U Hubsonvillc yesterday, i ilivc Meric Simon, fifteen months old, crawled into a hole in urn ground used as a duel; bath and w»,s drowned. THEFT CHARGE. Cll IMSTCII I RC 11. Eeb. 7. Further evidence for the prosecution was heard this morning against R. D. Martin, former Trades Cnion Secretary, charged with theft of union funds. George Jeffreys, a former president of the Retail Shop Assistants, said during IS'l7 the balance sheet persentcd by the accused was not adopted as it W as not audited nr signed. Witness forgot what explanation Martin gave Later a balance sheet was accepted conditionally, though witness was not satisfied. 1 XC'EXDTARISM SUSBECTED. AUCKLAND, Feb. 7. A lire, strongly suspected as the work of an ineendiarist. broke out in the bakehouse of T. A\ . McLean, Gro\ Lynn, at 2.15 this morning when Mr McLean found sacks burning in a position which would have set the building alight. The damage is about ten pounds. About four weeks ago a similar fire was discovered and extinguished on Mr McLean’s premises. A RHODESIAN ROBBED. AUCKLAND, Fob. 7. At the Police Court Walter Vincent, aged 62. said to be an Englishman recently arrived, was remanded on a charge of stealing £220 by means of a trick, It is alleged that he got money

from a. Rhodesian mine owner visiting Auckland on the pretence that he was a horse owner and would invest it profitably at the Fiavera races. Tito accused was arrested at Alorcor oil his way south in the Alain Trunk train. AIARTIN CASE. CUR rSTCHURCH, Jan. 7. F. AY. Rowley,. Registrar of Industrial Unions said he originated the prosecutions. Witness was examined by the defence, hut refused to express an opinion whether Martin was justified in taking his salary expenses out of union funds. AIARTIN COAEMITTED FOR TRIAL. CHRISTCHURCH. Eeb. 7. Martin reserved his defence, pleaded not guilty, and was commit'.-1 ‘or trial.