DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 July 1924, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

BY TELEGHAPH—IT.F.SS ASSN., COI'VIUGIIT.

PI-XUUiAR DIVORCE SUIT. • WELLINGTON. July 10.

Reserved decision in the ease Barker versus Barker, a petition for dissolution of marriage, on the ground of desertion for three years and upwards has been moved into the Higher Court from Palmerston North by Justice S:dmond. The respondent, the wife, in this case, lived in the same bouse as the husband from July, 1920, till February, 192-1, but during that time refused intercourse with him.

Tno question for the Court was whether this refusal amounted to Robert ion.

WRESTLING. AI’CKLAND. July 10. A wrestling match between the Indians, Jawala and Sunni, for the professional light-heavyweight championship of New Zealand, and a purse of £‘2fX). at the Town Hall last night;, lasted four rounds, and was then called off without any decision.

JUNIOR HIGH .SCHOOLS. TIAfARU, July 10.

Following a full discussion on the question of junior high schools at the South Island .School Committee’s Association to-day, the following motion was passed unanimously: "This representative gathering of delegates of school committees of the South Island strongly protests against the scheme of junior high schools, especially its projected for Oumani, as calculated to wreck the primary school system of tlie Dominion, reducing the grades of Ihe teachers, and robbing the primary schools of their traditions created l>y senior scholars, especially in all sports ami musical interests and the like; and its making the extreme age of primary pupils nut more than eleven years, and. further, because it will reduce the primary system to the equivalent of a glorified kindergarten. A ileput at ion was appointed to wait on the .Minister of Education in conni'elimi with the matter.

It al'o was decided to ask tlie Department to expedite the training of dental nurses, and the establishment of dental clinics at suitable centres.

It was decided to advise that all transfers of touchers lake place at ihe etui nf tlu* vi*ar.

That the former Stale sclmls committees be restored was another resolution and that their tenure ol office lie 1 wo years.

.MENTAL DEFECTIVES ENQUIRY

CHRISTCHURCH, July 10. Before the Commission of Enquiry into mental defectives and sexual offenders, evidence wits given by Doctor Groshie, of Sunnysido Mental Hospital that there should he better provision for dealing with moral imbeciles The Colony system now lias much to recommend it, as it allowed lor classification. There should be a separate institution for epileptics, as there was a laid atmosphere lor them in the General Hospital. Segregation seemed to he the only method of treatment of sexual perverts, and moral imbeciles. If women should he segregated and possibly sterilised, it would be ridiculous to try to segregate 10.00.1 people, but some tiling might lie done in hoarding out ami registration, and keeping them under Government supervision.

I)r Lovinge said lie did i'°t tliinlc the time was ri]»c* for drastic .legislation. such ,ns wus proposed in ilm scheme for complete sogrogntion or operations. .Miss T'.tlwa rds. .Manager of the Chrislclmreli Deceiving llonie. in the course of her evidence, instanced two cases of the cost to the Slate of maintaining feeble-minded families. In the first case, in which were, eleven children, the cost was about .CU>. (, OO. ninl the lather had contributed I’d. In the second, the father, mother, six daughters and 21 grandchildren had cost up to the present C 0358 10s against .•ontrihut ions of eiS2 ISs.

appkal corin'

SOLICITOUS IX TltOl’M.l-

WKLLIXGTON. July 10,

The ( nun of Appeal suspended An,1,.,,w Paterson, of Pukekolio. barrister a,,d solicitor, from practice for one vear for professional misconduct. The Court adjourned till the first s ,fc tine „f 1920, the application of the New /calami Law Society to (ieor.'e William Urt'anl. of Wanganui, olf the role of solicitors for professional misconduct, suspending Aid am in the meantime.

The Court also unanimously dismissed iho appeal of floury Kdwanl Lyons against a sentence of five years’ tm-pri-oninciit with hard labour, imposed bv Justice Adams at Christehurch for indecent assault on a girl six years oi age.

01PSY PAT SMITH.

nrxKDix. July in (tipsy Pat SmiLli, who is at present conducting a mission in Dunedin, suffered a breakdown to-day. and is unable to continue the mission, and will leave for the Xorth to-morrow, on route to Scotland. Dr Carmalt Jones and Dr North, slate that the Missioner is suffering from serious mental exhaustion, consequent on the prolonged period of missionarv work involving considerable physical strain, and is quite unfit to continue his work, and must take a prolonged rest, otherwise he will suiter a severe nervous breakdown.