DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 April 1924, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

BY TELEGRAPH—IUtESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT. GOLF TO UR NAMENT. KISAV PLYMOUTH, April 23. Tlio Thinnalti Golf Touniamont was won by linlay Saunders of Wanganui, who defeated Dale, Hie 19-year old boy of Elthain, in the final, one up. JUGO-SLAV ADDITIONS. AUCKLAND, April IS New Zealand is receiving steadily additions to her population by the arrival of parties of Jugo-Slavs, and almost every steamer reaching this port from Sydney brings detachments of these people. A noticeable feature about these parties is that they iifcludo numbers of women and children. When the Uiimaroa berthed at Auckland on Wednesday she landed 34 Jugo-Slavs, among whom were three women aiul five children. Six of the party were men who had previously

been in tbe Dominion and had gone to their native country to revisit their people. New Zealand is being extensively advertised by the JugoSlavs on their visits to their homes,, and us a result of the recital of the alvantagcs of life in this Dominion, many compatriots aro finding their way here. BLAZE AT TE KUITI. , TE KUITI, April 17 A wooden two-storeyed block of shops in the main street was completely destroyed this morning. Though the brigade was promptly on

the scene, tbe place was a furnace of flames quite 40 feet high, which lit up the whole landscape. Six adults and two young children sleeping on the upper floor had a narrow escape, getting out in their night attire. Some got down the stairs just as they caught fire, and others via the fire escape and verandah posts. The ground floor was oeeuxiied by Mrs Sampson (tea rooms), Bryden and Fitzer (furniture manufacturers), and the King Country Auctioneering Company. The last-named were uninsured, and the loss is about £3OO. V. 11. Forman's motor-van and his stock were in the auction mart. All were uninsured, and the total loss is £350. The occupants of the upper floors lost everything. The brigade made a splendid save of the buildings adjacent.

Fireman Swift was badly burnt on the hands and knee while pu a ladder above the roof of I lie .Municipal Chambers next door, and DeputySuperiiitendeiit Swift was slightly burnt oil the hands. The building was owned by Paterson and. Lockington, but the insurance and value are not available. AMBITIOUS SCHEME. WELLINGTON, April 18 Mr W. T. Sliaiul, Mayor of Lower Halt, at a meeting advocated that surplus revenues derived from Lower Ilult road motor tax should be devoted to paying interest aiul sinking fund on a loan to permanently surface the chief roads of local bodies in the districts adjacent to the city. -Mr Sliaiul said the scheme was estimated to cost close on £150,000. Some doubt was expressed as to whether the liunucial results would be as -Mr Shatnl so optimistically detailed and it was decided to refer the whole question to the local bodies interested for examination and consideration.

The opinion was general that, whatever surplus was available, should be devoted to further road improvement as being only fair to those taxed for using the road. ABNORMAI I S EASON. DUNEDIN, April 19 Usually in the Dunedin district and generally in the South Island, the weather is steadily line from about the middle of April till the latter part of June. This year, so far, this experience is continued but without the customary fore-running of variableness. The dry period has come oil top of a drought. The land is thirsty and vegetation is dwarfed. In particular the hard fleshed turnips for cattle feed are blighted, and the water-courses are nearly empty. Such a long withholding of rain has not occurred for many years, some sav it is a record.

AUCTIONEER’S POWER TO SOIBLENHEIM, April 19

In n case before Tr Maunsell, in which C'louston and Py lie, stock agents, sued Hugh Berryman, Nelson, for t!ie recovery of £G3 17s, halancc due on a line of sheep purchased by defendant at auction, Mr A. E. L. Scantlebury for the defendant, moved for a non-suit on the grounds that the persons suing were auctioneers and had no cause of action in point of law. If auctioneers had no lien they had no right to sue. The Magistrate said the point was a fine one, never before raised in the Dominion, and lie would reserve his decision on it. The case was adjourned in the meantime. .32,000 CIGARETTES STOLEN. WELLINGTON, April 24. During the holidays burglars broke open the front door of Willis’ warehouse, in Wakefield Street. They unscrewed and forced the locks, and broke into the bonded section of the building whence they stole 32,000 cigarettes. Sacks were filled with G 4 boxes and evidently taken away in a vehicle. Tneir value is over £OO.