DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 June 1924, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

UY TELEORAm —PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT. cawthkon trust. INQUIRY AT NELSON. NELSON, June 19. An inquiry into the Cawthron Trust private Bill was hoard before Mr Justice Reed at tbe Supreme Court lo<lay. Air Atmore AI.J’.. amt ropresntatives of the City Council, the Harbour Board and the AYaimea County Council were present. His Honour stated at the outset that all he- could do was to hear evidence in support of or in opposition to the allegations contained in the petition and the preamble of the Bill. The Bishop of Nelson (Chairman of the Cawthron Trust Board) gave formade evidence, and was cross-examined by Air Atmore. who said lie was there to oppose the provisions of the bill. His Honour stated that all he lut'd to deal with was whether the facts contained in the hill were rue, and so far the allegations had not been contradicted. Any questions asked should lie on that point, and so far as lie could see the allegations could not he attacked. Air Atmore said the inquiry appeared merely a formal matter, and His Honour said that was so. In answer to Hi.s Honour, the representatives of the local bodies said that in the circumstances, they had nothing to say and the inquiry closed. R.O.T. CONFERENCE. AUCKLAND, June 19. The Annual Conference of the Rails way Officers’ Institute discussed various remits, most of which had been discussed by previous confornecs, dealing with payment for duty on statutory holidays, hours of duty, Sunday work, and overtime. These being disposed of. the Conference oceti- | icd the afternoon with questions aftorting superannuation and sttperauniiitnnts. The remits under this heading will again he discussed to-mor-row.

The following remit from the Wellington branch was carried after a lengthy discussion : “That this Conference congratulates the Minister of Railways on the decision that officers with service of forty years or over shall lie compulsorily retired. hut urges that in future, no exception to this rule he made." BURGLARS JEWELLERY HAUL. AY ELLINGTON. June 20 A large quantity of jewellery constituted a haul by burglars who entered the premises of T. Sternberg, a second hand dealer in .Manners Street. A jemmy appears to have been the instrument used to force an entrance through the hack door, and the marauders lost no time in collecting as much jewellery as could lie conveniently carried in tin attache ease, of which they took possession. Valuable rings and watches quickly changed hands, and the burglars decamped undetected. It is understood the value of the missing property is approximately CISO. Burglars also stole about £l5O worth of men’s wearing apparel Irom the rooms of G. T. Nation, merchant service outfitter of I'Yathorstoii Street, one evening this week. ROADMAN BELIEVED DROWNED. TAIIIA I’E, June 20 John Gilliaml. roadman. single, about .'LI years ol age, is missing at Moawluuigo, near Taihapc. lie is believed to have been drowned in till.* Moawhango river which is in high flood. Search parties are engaged, but so far without success. Gilliaml is believed to have a father and brother at Ashburton and a brother at Kawakawa. AID FOR HA UR AK I SETTLERS. GOVERNMENT SETS ASIDE C2o,(HH). PALMERSTON N.. June 20 Tim Prime .Minister announced last night that the Government had set apart a sum of C20.00(> as loans to settlers on t In* llauraki Plains, who hail suffered during the recent disastrous floods. This would, he said, help them in the meantime in renewing and nlhcr operal ions. WELLINGTON'S RADIUAI FUND. NO OOVER.VMENT SUBSIDY. WELLINGTON. June 20 Alter raising over Cld.lfid lor the radium fund in the expectation that the remaining half ol the cost would lie met liy a Government subsidy, the Hospital Board now limls there is no legal authority for sueli payment unless the Minister is satisfied the luud is insiillicieiit for the purpose. Sir .Maui Pomare has written to the Board setting out the law and pointing out that, the promoters ol the Itliul were made aeqiiailllcil with the position by the lion Sir Francis Bell. It is impossible to admit a proposition, he »avs. that a nunilier of subscribers may create a fund of any amount they chouse and then lor a responsible* body to demand Irom the Stale the provision of an equivalent sum.* .Moreover, the Act does not deline grants as L’l for Cl. Imt only for siteli amount as the Minister chooses, not exceeding that ratio. The .Minister concludes that it must first la* proved that CIO,dill) is insttflieieut and even then it must lie shown the deficiency is Cld.dd), and not a lesser sum. SURFACEMAN'S DEATH. WELLINGTON. June 19 An inquest into the death ol Waller I.ester, railway surfaceman, who was killed by a train near Ngaliatiranga, last Friday, was held to-day. Evidence was given that owing to boisterous, weather, the men were making lor a shelter when deceased was struck h> the engine. The driver statei! t lat owing to the stormy conditions, \;sibilitv was had. He saw no one o;i:ho track. The verdict was that death was due to misadventure, no blame being attachable to the driver.

.MENTAL DEEECTIVES ENQUI It Y. WELLINGTON. June 19 The Committee of Enquiry into the question ot feehlo-minded and sexual perverts (lion \Y. 11. Trigg-. M.b.C, chairman), has returned to Wellington, h also visited the Waikeria Prison Earm and Johanna Mental Hospital, taking the evidence of Dr Gribben. superintendent ol both institutions, and IV MaePherson. The week alter next, the Committee leaves for the South Island. where it expects to remain for about a fortnight. SLY GROGGER FINED. WELLINGTON. June 20 Young Ngar. who keeps a shop at the seaside suburb of Eastbourne was lined CIO. in default one month. tor selling intoxicating liquor without a license. When the police searched the premises they found 20 dozen bottles of beer. 20 bottles of port, and 7 bottles of whisky. During the past -ix weeks ho had been supplied with 05 dozen of beer, two dozen of whisky and 2 dozen of port. The police stated that Young had been carrying on an extensive business and probably had been doing better tlian some of the hotels.

LICENSEES APPEAL DISMISSED. AFCKLAXD. June 20. An application for a writ of mandamus commanding Manukau Licensing Committee to grunt » renewal of the

license of the Hibernian , Hotel, OneI liunga, ineule to the Supreme Court by • Rnss, the licensee, was dismissed by Justice Stringer, who concluded that the Committee had ample evidence m : support of their opinion that the hotel was not conducted in a proper manner. ELECTROCUTED. CHIHSTCHUIICH, June 20. A fatality occurred at .Southbridge, r a young man named Jack Hannah, 18 ’ veins of nee bell]e electrocuted. He was at the time working on the roof . of tlie National Mortgage Agency Co’s office. He received prompt medical i attention, hut all attempts to preserve : his life failed. j PRESSMAN DHOWNEI). WANGANUI. June 20. .Mr H. V. Dtiigan. Manager of the ; “Wanganui Herald’’ and one of the best-known local men. lost bis life in ; the Hooded river to-night. In order to make his oil launch safe he put oir in a dinghy, which capsized. Mr Duigau, who was an excellent swimmer, had li.is foot caught in a rope and was drowned. The body has been recovered. The deceased was prominent in musical and dramatic circles, and was lender of the Motor Launch Club, and an enthusiast generally in public affairs. lie was well-known in Masonic circles, being a Past Master of Lodge Tongariro. The news of his death caused widespread regret. INQIJKST PROCEEDINGS. WANGANUI, June 20. The inquest concerning the tragic death of 11. V. Duigan, disclosed there was nearly a second tragedy. William John Hartwell, a railway porter at Arnmoho who was getting his boat in near Arnmoho Bridge heard a. cry like “Help’’ further down the river. He answered and getting no reply proceeded down the river where he noticed a lantern alight. Ho stared for a while and then returned and got his boat and set olf down the stream in the dark. He fouled a rope and the boat capsized. Luckily be caught hold of the rope and dragged himself on to the deceased’s launch from which he was taken in an exhausted condition. Hartwell was unable to swim, and the river was in heavy flood at. the time. A verdict of accidental death was returned, the Coroner commending those who iissisted, on their promptness.