DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 February 1924, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by telegraph—.-/*eu puess association.} AN EDUCATION QUESTION. CHIUSTCHi;KCI 1, Eeb. 23. At re.-mlt of representations made by the Secondary Schools’ \-sn. the discussion will he reopened on the question of adopting accrediting, in lieu ot niaineuhttion. Tim Semite agreed to a, proposal by the Association that a meeting he held in Wellington between representatives of the Senate. Board of Studies, Education Department and Association, In discuss the position. In a letter to the Senate the Association slated there was no matter of greater educational importance to secondary schools than this question. DESTII UCITVE I II; 11. UAL.MEH.STON N. Feb. 23. The most .spectacular and destructive lire experienced in I’aimersten North for years occurred at 11 o ( lock last, night, resulting in the destruction. complete or partial, ol seven business premises in the Square and Cuba St. The outbreak was fanned hv a strong east wind and spread to the Empire Auctioneering Coy., 1 nivorsal Supply Stores. Schneidorman's tailoring establishment. Stanley s druperv store, “nobby’s'’ contecllonery . George’s tobacconist, and Sam Lee laundry. The stock ot \\ yrhcrlys, outlitter was slightly damaged by water. The Brigade were hampered by an inadequate supply of water. It took two hours to get the outbreak under control. Available insurances total £112,000. Four places wore totally dodestroyed, the owners being heavy losers.

NEW KALES FOUND. NAl’illlt. Feb. 23. Falls, taking six leaps to fall a depth of live hundred feet, have been discovered on the new mat! route now being surveyed between \\ airon (Hawke’s Day') and Waimatm, (Bay ol Plenty). They are saitl to bo most beautiful. A .MAO HI 11 FLIC. WANGANUI. February 22. \ tokititaha, or double-edged native axc, which has come into the po-session of the Wanganui Museum, Im.s the distinction of being the finest specimen ol its kind yet located in the Dominic,!:. It is three pounds heavier than the specimen in the Buller collection in tin' Dominion .Museum. The axe "ns found in a .swamp in the I’a tea district some time ago. the limler usiie; it as a door wedge until its historic value was discovered, and the local museum authorities were fortunate- to secure it. The dsieovery has .raised Ihc hopes (hat the To Awhio Range axe, the most famous of all early -Maori relics, will yet

he• diseovcieil. Tradition records flint it tv ns a. sacred axe carried on the Arana < anoe to leave a path across the Pacific from llatvaiki. Ti, is known that, it eventually passed into Hie possession ol the Ngarauni* trihe, hut many years ego ll was buried in tnpn ground near the AVnitotara River. The locution is unknown to Europeans, but the secret, resting place is passed down to elders of the trihe. MOUNT p(SA BUNS. THE BALLOT. DUNEDIN, l-’eb. 22. i The examination of applicants fur the Mount Pisa - ballots concluded today, the ballot taking jn.vc at b p.m. There tvas a large attendance at Cromwell, and keen interest was taken in the proceedings, as in each ease there were numerous application- from returned soldiers. Civilians worn debarred from the ballot. The ballot resulted a., follows: No mid run efli.i acres. £37 bull'-yearly lental. 133 applications, 13 to the ballot - At'. CL Mall, Palearou. No (320, Nugget to Qucensbury, 7014 acres, £SS half-yearly rental. 120 applications. 1! to the ballot--.). 11. Thomson. Christchurch.

Xo 027. Little Cripple Mock. !H7i acres. CM half-yearly rental, (-75 applications, 21 to the halhst- \\ . W. Robertson, Tokoiti. Xo .028, I.ochor block, 972-7 acres, £O2 half-yearly rental, 100 applications. 28 to the ballot—,J. I’. O’Malley. Paerau. Xo 020. J’,ig Cripple block. 10.100 acres £7O half-yearly' rental. 88 applications, 20 to the ballot A. J. Lee. Oamaru Xo 030. Homestead block, 21.000 acres, £IOO half-yearly rental. 120 applications. 39 to the ballot—-V. C. M'Millan, Xaseby. Xo 031. Dead Horse Creek block. 12.187 acres, £4l half-yearly rental. 142 applications, .7 1 to the ballot—(L L. Morris, 0. linker. Xo 032. Easthurn block. 12.990 acres. £l7 half-yearly rental. 89 applications, 3-1 to the ballot—J. \\ . Reid, Smith Dunedin. Xo 033, Centle Annie block. Lb. 200 acres, £77 I-Is half-yearly rental. I -”>S applications. .75 to the ballot—l’ev. M . Cowie. Dunedin.

Xo 031. Roaring Meg block. 11.112 acres, £54 half-yearly rental. 139 applications, -10 to the ballot—J. M. D. Brown, Kyeburn.

A CAMP I NTH)EXT. fsEQUEL IX COURT. DUNEDIN, February 22. A oa.se tluit Chief-Defective Lewis described as not a very serious matter was hoard in the Magistrate's Court today before Mr li. IV. Bundle S.M. A bombardier named Discolo was charged that, while the 14th. Battery was in camp at Matnrao in November. lie e-s----tablished or commenced a- lottery or scheme by which a horse was disposed of bv a mode of chance. Another man earned Julius, a gunner, was charged with assisting in the conduct- of the lottery, and about a dozen gunners and a lieutenant were charged with taking; part in the lottery. The horse was described as a “inoke” having no teeth in its head, and as being worth about “live boh.” All pleaded guilty but Driscolc, who stated that he knew 110tl’i.ng of the lottery till it was drawn, and the lieutenant, who said he merely, drew a ticket out of a hat to oblige the men and did not- take part in the raffle. The charges against these two were dismissed on payment of costs 7s. Julius said he had conducted the lotton for Driscolc. as the latter could not afford to risk losing his rank by conducting it. 'Io gave Driscolc the money collected. Driscolo said be sold the horse to Julius, who raffled it on I is own account. A receipt was produced which seemed to show that the horse had been sold to Julius. The case lasted most of the day, and was marked by an abundance of slang expressions and humorous answers under cross-examination. AX ADMIRAL’S VIEWS. AUCKLAND, Feb. 21. “I am no believer in the League of Nations. It is no use asking a hard assassin like myself to believe in it,” said Rear-Admiral A. C. Addison, replying at the civic reception to-day. “The Empire lias been created chiefly by or tinder the protection of the Navy, and if it is to be maintained reliance must still be on the Navy.” For that reason the Admiral regretted the necessity for economy. The British Xaw had suffered severely by

retrenchment. In the ranks of post captains alone ho less than 40 per cent had been retired. The “aico” hod been used to cut the Navy to the bone. There was no doubt about it. It was for the people of the Empire to see that the naval forces were adequately maintained. In Australia they had a small but efficient squadron. Sine coining to Australia he had become a believer in local navies. There were those who clung to the idea of one Imperial Navy, but as long as local navies kept in close liaison with the British Navy it was much better for the dominions to control their own naval forces. For one thing, there was a large personnel trained in the navies who afterwards remained in tbo dominions, thus creating a reserve which would ho extremely valuable in time of war.

Admiral Addison slated that the vj..jt of TT.M.A.S. Melbourne was not entirolv a joy-ride. Tt was intended tu carry out gunnery exercises with IT.MIS. Chatham. With small navies sur .|, as the New Zealand and Australian, co-operation in training was extremely valuable.