DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 February 1924, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[nr TEi.KQKArn —pe it tkess association.] HAND CONTEST. PALMERSTON N.. Deb. 13. E. Flat cornet solo “The Carnival resulted:—P. Mayes (Auckland Artillery). 79 points. Hayes was tile only competitor. WHITE ISLAND COY. OPERATIONS TO COMMENCE. OPOTIKT, Eeh. 13. Major Kent, representing the While Island Sulplinr and Fertilising Coy. Ims received a cade from London requesting him to start- development work on a Inroe deposit of fertilisin'; materia! on White Island, as the London Hoard has oilers from Australian and other firms to take the entire output. As soon as Mr Johnston is able to complete arrangements for erecting quarters for the men and securing an anchorage for shipping active operations will be started on the Island. .SOLDIERS' LANDS. WELLINGTON. Eeh. IJ. Applications from soldier sett hue for revaluation of their holdings may he received, according to last- session's Act, until the end of tins month, hut the majority of claims have been in hand for some time and considerable progress has been made in investigation of the eases.

Local committees first report to the Dominion hoard on each specific application. Much of this work lias been done, although the extent of the claims for revaluation is so great that the work is not by any means complete. It may even he found necessary to extend the time for receipt of applications. The. Central Hoard, which Ims the duty of finally deciding each application. has been busy making its own inquiries into eases nli.ue special points have at i -on. Thus the whole business is iu-11 in hand, hut owing to its great extent il is unlikely that the Minister of Lands will be able t<i ascertain the complete effect ol the concessions authorised by the statute until after Parliament meets next June. Tim Prime Minister when explaining the measure, suggested as a rough eslitnute that the revaluations might, mean two millions sterling as the extent of writing down soldiers' lauds, but several members expressed the opinion that the country would gei. off lightly on such terms.

Any delay in finally settling this important question will not prejudice the soldiers as il is provided in the statute that am revaluations which result will date from July. 1921. pp.onr.EM of commerce. W I iELIXCTOX. February S'. Yo.steulay the Wellington Provincial Industrial Association received a letter from its fellow body in Canierbmy Which provoked some discussion. The Cante: bury association's letter stated that it had resolved to write the Department of • Industries and Commerce “drawing attention to a eertr.in paragraph dealing with protection in 'Civie.s,' a text-book used by the Education Depaitnient. and at the same time to enter through the Department of industries and Commerce an cm pbr.tic piotest against the teaching in the schools of New Zealand of such doctrines. anti demand that Ihe Education Department expunge the <q minus expressed. and substitute therefor a straight out definition ol v. hat protection really is.” The Education Dopai t incut lu:d issued a pamphlet upon civics, which was distributed among t lie pupils of seeonr.uiy schools and the higher standards of the primary schools, said Mr Clmkard. of the Department of fnlust ,- es and Commerce. In this particular instance tlie writer had allowed his personal opinions to colour hi- work rat her strongly. The chairman considered lhai liny intent strongly endorse the l roicsl of the Canterbury association. Mi J. Pearce Luke: Personally I do not see that we have any itirisdiolioi in the matter. It is a question of civics. The chairman: He stales here: “There is not a good work to say for [uiteetiou. It- is lin.sotmd, hut it is retained and extended mainly for pnlit ■ ‘ and sentimental tea sons." Thai’s going too far . Mi Clinkard : A book like that should si ate- bot h sides of the care, and leave tie readers to form his own opinion M was resolved to reinforce the protest of Canterbury in the matter. TWICE Cl I ARC! ED. CHKLSTCII CHCH. Eeh. 13. To appear before the Court twice in one (lay. charged with llie same olfeiiee was lit:: lot that befel Lionel Robert Irving, who. hist Friday, pleaded guilty to indecent exposure mi Rmvfc's Road on February -Ith. Later in tlie day counsel (Mr Traecv) asked that the plea of guilty he withdrawn and one of not guilty substituted. The Magistrate (Mr Wyvern Wilson) would not allow this course to he pursued, hut ordered the whale of the facts to ho placed before hint on the next hearing. Yesterday Irving again appeared helore Mr Wilson. Mr Tracy appeared for accused. The Magistrate said that i n account of a technical flaw in the charge, the only way out of the difficulty was to convict Irving without sentence and allow the police to lay a fiesli information Two hours later, Irving .again .appeared. and this time Mr C. S. Tlmnms appeal'd for him. Mr Thomas said that he would submit that the Magistrate could not try Irving, as lie had already been convicted of the olfenee. The speaker had already made application to the Supreme Court to have the conviction quashed, and would ask that the prisoner .should be discharged. Senior-Sergeant F. Lewin asked for a remand until February ‘.Mth. which was granted. Bail was allowed in one surety of |£so. R EVEN E E INCH EASES. DUNEDIN. Feb. 12. The Hon .J. G. Coates and the Hon AY. Downio Stewart were entertained at luncheon, at the Savoy, by members of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce and Otago Expansion League. Over 100 persons were present and the Mayor of Dunedin (Air IT. H. Tapley) presided. Speaking in regard to the Post and Telegraph Department, Mr Coates said he wished to quote some figures relative to the operations of this Department. of which be was Ministerial head. The figures were for the quarter ended Decemlier, 19:23. !

The following were the principal items calling for comment:--

Postages and telegrams showed a falling off during that period of £03.000 and £0,300 respectively, due in each case to reductions which have taken place. Postages dropped from ltd t.o Id and telegrams from Is to Od. Ordinary telegrams increased in number by 76,000, but revenue from

that source showed a reduction of ■£l-LSCO Urgent telegrams increased in number by 3.500 but revenue, was £550 less than for the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Night letter-telegrams showed substantial increase in volume and amount, and the number transmitted was 19.000 more than for the corresponding quarter of 1922, making the revenue £1282,. an increase of £635. Press telegrams showed a slight increase in volume anti amount. Toll communications increased in number by 121.972 and in amount by £3937. Postal notes sold showed t.n increase in number of 77.000. The total revenue for the nine months ended December 31st.. 1923. was £2.152,015, against £2.199,802 for the same period of 1922, a reduction of £47.187. With regard to Public 4\ orks development this was going on quite satisfactorily and ho could honestly say the allocation of public money was being made irrespective of political consideration. His object was to move about the country and heroine acquainted with the requirements of each district, and also with a view to the grasping ot many ramifications of the Railway Department. GERMAN GOof)>. WELLINGTON, February 8. New regulations are announced for tl), assessment, for duty purposes, of Austrian, and Hungarian goods, which urn purchased and sold in English currency. li imported direct, the current domestic value shall he taken at the va:lie at which they are. in the ordinal-'.- course of business, sold for cash i i export, f.o.b. cr f.o.r. in those countries at date of ex fori, including export tax (if any!. li imported from I'nlte:! Kingdom nr Australia, the value shall lie determined as if imported direct. pietided that, if the -seller in the United Kingdom or Australia is not agent of tin nmnidaeUirer or exporter in the country of origin, anti, il the value cannot lie readily ascertained the value s* i: 1 1' bo that prescribed by Customs Act. less 10 per cent (United Kingdom) and 20 per cent, (Australia). I , depreciated currency duty shall 1 ■ levied at (53 1-3 per cent., ad valorem on firearms, felt hats, paper, perfumes, pianos, pipes, tithes, rubber tires, glass, looting tiles, fancy goods, medals, and vehicles. Goods not invoiced as purchased and s, la in English etirrencv can only he delivered on payment of duty and depreciated currency duty. Em ly delivery cannot lie guaranteed, ns u will la- necessary to refer all such eases to head office, to secure uniformity ibioughont New Zealand. The new regulations will come into force on Afr.y 7. 1921. DAMAGES AGAINST A SOLICITOR, DI'NEDIN. Eeh. 12. Judgment was given this morning in the Oninmii ease in which Basil de Lambert, Onnmru. tea merrhauf. sued Fred Ongley, solicitor, for £-15 damages for assault, ft was rot disputed that: there had been an assault, the defence being that the asraillt v.as < ommitted while defendant was inking front plaintiff a doeunn lit licit ngmg to the former, which was wrongfully in plaintiff's possession. The judgment I raversed Die laels sh.u.i in.v tli.it defendant relo-.ed to a,ccpl a cheque made payable 10 the n long per: rn. I It. 1 Ala gist ra le-1a ie: i that, uhni defeudani refused lo accept it. plaiutilf should, have made it payable to hearer or given up the receipt when demanded. He le-hl it proved that defendant slni lv plainttfi on the jaw and knelt on him when on the floor. Defendant must have lost, his self-control altogether hi lore engaging in such a i polish proceeding. When in that, i "mISI ion. be would not. weigh nieci; I lie nmnqiii o| lorce applied. lie held that doleudnni teal much moiv iniee and viol" in' than was necessary. Judgment would he for plaintiff, with costs. HEAVY TIIi'XDFRSTOII.M IN SOUI'II. . DFNEDIN. Feb. 52. A i l.iiufiersini'ii! accompanied by heavy pen Is of thunder and livid 'lashes of lightning, passed over the city to-night. Heavy rain fell, hut unlortnuatelv it did not last long enough to benefit materially tlie parched soil. During what is said to have boon Hie severest, thunderstorm for years at Alosgi-'l. lightning struck a chimney on the residence of Mr George Cooper, shaftei ing half of it. Air Cooper, who was sitting in front of ihe Mingo in the kit: Inn. was struck ly falling bricks, hill was not injured. The lore of the explosion blew of! he top , I the rang-. SCARCITY OF MONEY. AVI LI. HAVE TO SHORTEN SA.I I, CHRISTCHURCH. Fell. El. Mr Massey was entertained at luncheon by the Reform I'nrfy to-day. In the course of his speech, Air Alassey speaking of the Government's action in abolishing the income tax on land, said tHtiL the tax had been imposed as a war measure, and he considered that | the Government was quite right in taking it off. As far as lie was concerned, as Aimister ol Finance, lie would bo quite satisfied if the land tax was taken oil and the income tax remained, but he did not consider it fair to tax farmers in both ways. lie laid no fault to find wiih the linaneia! position of New Zealand, but the applications (or advance Irom the Advances Department were still pouring in. and a great deal of money was going out. Tlie higher rate o( interest being paid on loans by other countries was going to affect New Zealand, and there was going to he a scarcity to money. If the present tendency continued, the people of New Zealand would have t oshorten sail. The position was that if lie had to pay ti to lit per cent, interest for his loans, then lie could not go on lending money at !) per cent, but he had every faith in the country. The people were industrious, and he did not think the position would do any harm.