DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 February 1924, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by TEI.EOItAPn —PER PREBB ASSOCIATION'.] JUDGMENT FOR BOROUGH COUNCIL. MASTERTON, February M. In tin' Magistrate's Court to-day, Mr Five. K.M., delivered his reserved judgment in the case ol the Miistorton Borough Council versus Charles I'Mwaid Evans, formerly Borough Engineer in Masterton. The claim was lor A-bo lOs damages for alleged negligent super vision of the drainage work carried ont by the contractor for the Mastertol mo.tie tank. Ill's Worship gave judgment; for the Borough Council for seventy pounds with costs. FUTURE BAX I) CONTESTS*. I’AI.MHUSTON X. Eehi'iiary 11. At the annuJil meeting of the North Island Brass Bands Association, ll.e Chairman, Mr Ho hen, said a scheme .or the amalgamation of the Noith and South Island Associations was under review, which lie hoped would he .successful. The champion contests would tie held alternatively in each Island, the first next year i.n the North, each Association to remain intact and manage the contests in its Island, the ] rizc money not to exceed £OOO.

BANKRUPT THROUGH PBICF CUTTING.

AUCKLAND, Foh. II At a meeting of creditors of the Estate of Wheeler's Stores. Ltd., Edward Snuthelev Wheeler, lone,dor and malinger, .stated that in the six months om'\] Man'll, 1023, the losses amounted 1,, over nine thousand pounds. principally through (Hahuliu. and the mad order branches, lie admitted the eellapse of the company was due to t Inclining of prices.

.Mi Hold n son. liquidator lor I lie company. stated that as far as hi.- invest igntions had gone, there v.as nothing to imply that there had been any underhand dealings on. Wheeler's part which would account for the extraordinary

loss. No quorum being present, no resolution uas passed. LARGE DWELLIN';: DESTROYED. CM K ISTCt I UPC! I. l ei-. I T A lire destroyed a Lao storey eleven roomed house in St .Marlin s owned and occupied Ity X. K. Alaei' ariaue. poultry farmer, who was absent at the time. The house being high on the hills. Ihe blaze attract.''! thousands of spectators. AIR WILFORD ENTERTAINED. WELLINGTON, February 13. Mi Wilford, bender ol the Opposition was welcomed hoik by Inn nnisl'luents at a social. Ah Al'Ewau, the .Mayor of Petoiie. who presided, caused semi amusement by saying he wa.s mil going to ask them to sing "Millie. We Have Missed You," nor even “Where Have Ye Been All the Day Aly Boy Tumn.ie!" Alt Yeitch. M.D., said, that many ti'avc'llers merely sat down and took nourishment, hut Air Wilford sat up and took notice.

Mr M ilford, who was icreived with loud npidaii.se, cordially thanked those present for their very hearty reception. Re was glad to say the Liberal-Labour Baity was a very happy family, lie we-; proud to be the leader of such a paity containing su many capable men, and no wa.s sure the campaign throughout the Dominion upon which they wore ju.-l about to embark would show that I bei had in their midst many uf ihe I osr. speakers in the country. Air Wil

n rd gave a very interesting account of n.s visit to the East, desmibing tile varied and beautiful scenery he saw ,'ii d the habits and customs of different races, and at the close lie was accorded a hearty vote of thanks and nnitideie-e. COMMIT rEH NOR SEN TEN! 1.. DUNEDIN, February 13. At the Unlive Court to-day, .fames Rich.ml -M'Grath was charged with Having at Tnhakopa procured a certain noxious thing, namely, a box of pills, knowing that -nine wore io le unlawfully used. Accused pleaded guilty and was committed to the Sup-eme Com t for sentence. William Michael Wilkinson was charged with having supplied a box oi pills to Al’Grath. knowing that same were to be used for an unlawful purpose. Aei used reserved bis defence and w.i; committed to the Supreme Conn lor trial. B'il was lixod for accused in £2OO, and two sureties of £IOO each. SOLD) UR SETTLERS. REVALUATION of land. ASHBURTON. February 1 Soldier settlers express themselves sadly disappointed by the revaluation results. Several decisions have trickled through and their reception wa.s investigated by a reporter who interrogated several soldiers at the saleyards. Tile first one said he expected a ic(li'elion of nearly double what he received. His farm was vauloil twice too highly. If they could not succeed with the present favourable markets, they were bound to crash presently.

Questioned in detail, several soldiers concurred in tile belief that- the Central Board was responsible for slaughtering the decisions of rile local committee, wlio were conversant with local eond'il'iions. Many Lyudlmrst men '■ -'iv quite unable to pay the arrears .a tile period stipulated and all who led any arrears were di.sc|iialilied from rebates, which in one case equalled the total reduction granted hy the board, byndlmrst Settlement, sold to soldiers at £lO to £2O. was overvalued at C'C. “We must either .stick it or walk off", was the general comment.

OEN'EROPS BEQPESTS. 157*NEDTN. February 13.

T’nder the will of the late Mr C’. 0. V l.eijun. who died cm .January 3, substantial bequests have been made to local charitable institutions. Legacies of £50!) each have born given to convalescent homes conducted bV the I’atients' and Prisoners' Aid .Society. Victoria Jubilee Convalescent Fund, the l!oss Home, Cavershant Benevolent ilnstitution and the Salvation Army Rescue Flomo. The residue of the estate, alter sundry personal bequests and legacies, is directed to lie divided equally between the Salvation Army Rescue Home, the Boss Home. Caversham Benevolent Home, and Patients’ and Prisoners’ Aid Society. The estate is being sworn for probate at £19.000 and tile residuary estate, it is estimated, will be somewhere in the vicinity of £OOOO, so that the residuary legatees will each receive a sum running well into four figures.

SCHOOL FOR RETARDED CHILDREN*. WELLINGTON. February 13. The Department of Education is establishing through fTte Education Beard. Wellington, special classes for those children who, while not gaining much from instruction under the ordinary curriculum, are yet quite well endowed with intelligence for mechanical pursuits. The selection of these children is to he made by means of intelligence tests, together with the advice of school medical officers. Miss W. A. Valentine, formerly a teacher under the Otago, and Canterbury' Education Boards, who lias spent two years abroad investigating all matters relating to retarded children, han been appointed to undertake psy-

chclgietil work in intelligence testing She specialised in this work at Columbia University, New York.

The training of teachers for these two classes will he in the hands ot Miss Dorothy Barlow, London. a teaeher who is at present securing New Zealand experience, and who has undergone special training at Horne in methods of educating this type of child.

Operations will probably commence <.n March 1, af the Mount Cook boys' a,pi girls’ primary schools, where a class room has been made available. • ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS. DUNF.DTN, February IT Replying to Archbishop Mimni.x's .speech ■on Catholic schools, the Rev. Howard Elliott stated that lie did not ,-hject m Roman Cailmlies praising tlvl; o'Aii system of education. hut only -to their doing .-o ai the expense of ti.e Stale system. Archbishop Mannix had said that in env.ntries where Catholics were in a lIKI i'.,i it s' the Protestant minority leco'.ved everything they were entitle! to. But to-day, in Spain, no one dare beer Protestant schools, or any school where Roman dogma, was not taught. Here, where there was a Protestant mramity, the Catholics ve-e allowed Hadr own schools, hut must build them themselves, Would Archbishop Alanei\ sav how many Protestants were allowed to leach in ihe schools of Koutn-Wost Ireland, which were practically under the dominion of the local priest, though paid for by Engli-h money. Soon the sneaker hoped the Cut holies would be paying rates on all their velioid buildings, as other deii'U: iuaiiuiial schools did. The l’.l’.A. answer to Archbishop Mannix was that Catholics had more lit ertv in New Zealand than did I’rotestams in any Catholic count ry.