DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 June 1924, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

hy TEr.nonAru —muss assn., copyright. 'IT Al HER CONFERENCE. WELLINGTON, Juno IS A conference is being held with reference to specifications, regulations, and by-laws covering the use of timber in buildings. The conference is the outcome of a report presented to the Government hy the Director of Forestry in 15)20 regarding the treatment of the forestry situation in the Dominion. This report provided for a study of the sawmilling and wood-using industries with the object of securing more economical utilisation of forest products and a preliminary sillily of woou-usillg industries consuming more than half the wood used in the Dominion. Air W. Al. Rage, president of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, presided, and about forty delegates were in attendance. Fir Francis Bell, Commissioner of •State Forests, opened the conference. The conference divided into three committees which will deliberate todav.

SHOPLIFTING. AUCKLAND, June 18,

“This is a warning to shoplifters, and also the last time probation will he granted in such offences in this Court,” said Air J. W. Boynton. S.AI., in the .Magistrate's Court, to-day. He was dealing with the case of a woman who admitted seven charges of theft of goods totalling- £7 l.'is from three (inns. Accused was admitted to two years’ probation, ordered t.n make restitution. and pay 3'3x costs.

MILITARY DEFAULTER. AUCKLAND. Jam* is

11. Wiggins, a well-known jockey, who was charged at the Police Court with failure to attend military drill, was deprived of civil rights for ten years. A WIDOW’S CLAIM. NAIMER, June IS A sequel to the explosion of an acetylene gas cylinder at Port Ahuriri no November 1. 1023, was heard in the Supreme Court 10-da.v before Air .ilistin' .MacGregor and a special jury of twelve. Il'laintilf is Florence Louise Sporle, widow of one ol the men who died as the result of injuries received, and defendant is the Acetone Illuminating and Welding Company, from whom a stun of L"2000 is claimed. Air I’. J. O’Regan appeared for plaintiff and Air C. J’. Skerreti and Al.r J. Humphries for the defendant company. The action was not brought under the Workers’ Compensation for Accidents Act, as Sjuirle was not it servant of the company. He was driver for a carrying linn and happened to he oil the wharf in the vicinity when the cylinder exploded. Plaint ill contended that Sporle lost his life through negligence of the ilelcmlaiit company. Evidence was called to prove that all welded cylinders of the class lief tip: useil hy defendants were liable to explode and niily solid drawn cylinders were safe. If welded cyclimlers were Used they should he protected by matting, or rope coverings. (Tader cross-examination hy Afr Skerreti plaintill admitted that labour unions were paying all the cost ol'lhe action. Air Skerreti cunt ended that no negligence had been proved. For fifteen years the defendant company had been exporting a large number of gas tilled cylinders of the same type, as that which exploded, and never nelore had an accident. The greatest producer of acetylene gas in the world, a Swedish company, sent out unprotected cylinders. The hearing was adjourned. THE I.IDI'OB QUESTION. ALLIANCE QUESTIONS Al's.l’.

Al (‘KIiAN"O. .In'"' I--A large (leimtalimi ol the N’ctt' /calami Alliance met a number of meml,ers ol Parliament. this morning l» dismiss the l.iccn*ing Legislation. Mr Falkiner. President of the local prohibition coliuniltee said every candidate next election would be expected to make some statement regarding bis stand on the liquor question and his statement would be published bv the Alliance which wished the issue confined to lirohihitiou. Mr Harris, M.P., .said an hoiioiirnme understanding existed between the liquor party and prohibitioiiists that there should he the third issue of State Control. 7\| r FalkiiKT said that this had r<‘peiltedly been denied. Mr |'.ee. M.l\ said be woidd state bis views when be knew what was pioposed. The policy of the I .ahour Party would be bis policy. Mr Jordan. M.P.. said the l.alamr Partv bad no policy on tile liquor question.' Personally, he favoured a hare majority on a straight out issue. Imt if a section of the people thought Corporate control should he .submitted, it should be. He was prepared to support a transferable vote. Mr Dartram. M.P.. said be was not a prohibitionist, but the principle ul democracy would always come lirst with him.

f\|()\ SKCHKTAUY SKNTKNI.T.D. APCKI.AXD. June I‘J. At the Police Court. Thomas AYard r.romley. late assistant secretary of the Auckland branch of the federated Seamen’s I'liiun was sentenced to I'd mouths’ imprisonment lor the theft ol £8(1 of the I'nion funds. Mr Povutuu. S.M.. said that stealing money from bis fellow unionists aggl.ivated' bis offence. He refused to grant probation. DIU’C ADDICT DKI-’DIiK Ct)l'l!T BI.F.XIIHIM. June lit. Herbert Artlmr Maekie appeared before Mr T. K. Maunsell. S.M.. on a ebai'oe of vagrancy. ft was stated tlmt'~Mackie was -JS years of age and had matriculated wjimi he was I I. He was addicted to drugs and was loiind under the inliueme of drugs in his whale a; IJiverhmds recently. The premises of two Blenheim chemists were entered at night, but the tills were not touched. Ihe police inferred that Maekie had entered the premises in search of drugs. The police withdrew the charge of vagrancy on condition that Maekie entered the Nelson Mental Hospital as a voluntary hoarder. AYAXTKD FOB MAX'S!. U'GHTFR. APCKI.AXD. June 19. The disappearance of a sixtceii-year-old hoy, against whom a charge of manslaughter has hoon made out. tias mentioned at the Police Court. It "us stated that the hoy was in charge of a motor, which collided with, and fatally injured a widow named Kale Dowding in Karattgahapo Hoad on May li. A charge of driving a car without a license, also negligently driving a car. and failing after the accident to stop and give his name and address, was also preferred. The Magistrate issued a warrant for his arrest, but his name was suppressed.