DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 July 1924, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

BY TELEGRAPH—rRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT.

MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE. HAMILTON. July 17

At. tin- Magistrate's Court, Joseph Bnlle. taxi driver, was charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of a hoy named Maurice Ansell. on .May (sth. Evidence was given that the hoy was riding it bicycle, when suddenly without warning, he swerved, with the result that accused’s ear. which was following, crashed into the bicycle, the hoy being thrown and kill-

There was conflict of opinion whether the accused, who accelerated and swerved to the right when he saw the possibility of an accident, should not have gone to the left, and slowed down. There was .also a wide difference of opinion regarding the speed of the car. Accused was committed for trial tit the Supreme Court.

shunter run oyer. TIM ARE. duly 17. A. If. Matthews, till years of age. a railway porter when engaged in shunting o]H'r;itions in the station yard this afternoon, jumped from the cowcatcher of the engine on which he was riding and was run over by a truck which wtis being shunted on an adjoinin' line. Until his legs were almost severed above the knee. He was taken to the hospital where both legs were amputated.

M'S. P. FOR AFRICA. leave for the caff. WELLINGTON, July 17. To-morrow four M’s. P. from the New Zealand Branch of the Empire Parliamentary Association lea.ve for South Africa and will be absent for two months. CHAIR OF AGRierr/rcRE. WELLINGTON. July 17. The requirements of the Victoria College Council towards giving full effect to the proposals in connection with the Chair of Agriculture, was the subject of representations made to the Prime Minister to-day by members oT the Council and others interested. Mr l.evi, Chairman of the College Council, said that the Chair had been founded by a gift of £20.0(10 by Sir W. Buchanan, subsidised iby the Government. The income did little more than provide the salary of the prolessor. who had licen appointed, and in order to set the Chair of Agricul-

lure going. they must have a farm for practical Work. The Council had come to the conclusion that to constitute the Chair properly, it would he necessary to appoint extra lecturers for th<‘ 1020 .session. He suggested that the appointees should he young men. who could later take* decrees. Professor Perm and Sir AV. Iluchanau also spoke. The Prime Minister said that, as a pastoralist, he realised the value of the subject. and that New Zealand was lagging liehind in agricultoral instrue. linn. lie agreed that the headiplaiters should lx' on a farm. The subject could not he taught to young funnels in a class room, 'theory and practice must go together. Professor ,'Perin could la* assured that the Government would assist him in his work, "i thins we will he aide to see wo get value for our money and if that is done, there will he no difliculty so lar as I am concerned, while I am pinance Minister. Your farm is there. If if is not .suitable, you have Worn'* and there is another in Hawke’s liav, and one in Auckland."

i>!•'.(■ i.lnk ok wukat (JUOWINO. WKIiI.IXCm.V. July IC. Speakiue iit the annual meetiup of the Council of Aericulture. .Mr W. I'citv. presilient. said I lint wheutprowine \vns on t In* decline in \e\c Zealand, and it was not much wonder when one took into account wlint an exhaustin'; crop it was. I.and that had (trown a hie crop or two ol wheat .would afterwards fail to pivp a pood yield of etrass unless it was heavily dressed with manure When one took into avount the hca»> cost of produe lion and the depletion ol s'dl leriilitv it was astonishinp that, anyone prow wheal. It was easily underst I that it roi|tlire<l a very hipli price to eompensatc the fanner. As lone as sheep, cattle and dairy ill}; were makiup roasonphle returns prazinp was a much sounder policy. New Zealand was naturally more suited to pastoral pursuits than prain-prowinp and to put his laud into pood permanent pasLuro with its lessened annual cost was the only way the farmer could defend himself apaiust the artificially hipli price I of everythin}; lie had to purchase. j

M A BIST MBOTIIFMS' SCHOOL nr H NT. TIM ABF. July 18. A lire this morning completely gutted tlic Marist- Brothers' school. The Haines had a good hold when the outbreak was discovered, and the brigade’s elforts could not prevent flic destruction of the place. Only lour brick walls arc now standing. The building was a very old one, and had been used as a school for many years, and is insured. The origin of the ■ nll- - is unknown. This is the seeond school lire here this month. I-’IMil) Lion. AI'CKLANI), July IS. Hubert Light, a recent arrival from China, was lined at the Police Court. £111(1 for smuggling dutiable goods into New /.calami and a further £IOO lor | resenting a false locument with intent to dciiand the customs.

A BYE-LAW DECISION. AI'CKLANI). July IS. Justice Stringer gave his decision at the Supreme Court on the motion by the Auckland Taxi Owners Association bi|- an order quashing a by-law increase the annual license fee from £1 to C 7 10s. and £lO, in-cording to the weight of the vehicle. His Honor said to levy such a tax upon a i-om-laratively small (section cif persons under the guise of license fees on vehicles plying for hire, was oppressive and unequal ill its operation. He retimed the amount to £2.

A MIT.OLCBY. WAI.MATE. July 18. A sensation was provided hy an attempted rubbery on the premises oi the Bank of New South Wales and the successful theft of twelve pounds from the safe of the Criterion hotel between three and tour o clerk this morning. Some time after three, the wife of the hotel licensee. Mrs J). Colley heard a bottle cia.-li in the private liar ami endeavoured to wake her husband who is a heavy sleeper. Then she opened the bedroom door hut hearing no further sound went hack to bed. When the hotel was opened at nine o’clock it was found that twelve pounds in silver was missing from the safe. Only coppers were left, but the safe had been locked up again. About four o'clock Forbes M bite, cashier of the hank of Now South Wales, who sleeps on the premises, heard a sound in the hack yard. On opening the bedroom window he saw an indistinct figure in the taint moonlight standing just in the hack door of the manager’s room which opens into the yard and which is almost directly beneath him. White tired down hut missed and the man sprinted down the yard and through the high hoard fence, locking the gate after him. White found the gas had been turned off at the meter and the telephone wires cut in the front office. A passing baker, however, called in the police hut the burglor ha d made his getaway.

Work tit the bank goes so show that the burglar was a cool and experienced hand. He had entered from a window and then opened the Isick door in readiness for a sudden flight. He had obtained A\ bite’s kays without disturbing the latter, hut these were useless without the manager's keys. 'I lie occurrence at the hotel supports the assumption that the previous licensee Mrs Stenhonse, (whose safe was twice robbed, on a latter occasion being relocked) that the thief is possessed of a key.