DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 August 1924, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT. .MOTOR OMNIBUS OX FIRE. AUCKLAND., August 12. The unusual spectacle of tiro being conveyed to it lire station with the lire brigade in hot pursuit was witnessed here this afternoon. A large motor omnibus of forty passenger capacity had just discharged passengers at the foot of Queen Street, when the hen.xine tank was fractured through collision. While the tank was being emptied someone in the crowd threw down a match, with the result that the rear of the vehicle was enveloped in flames. The bus driver at once set out at full speed up Hobson Street to the lire station. Fortunately the wind was a head one and the flame streamed for some distance behind the bus. Jll the meantime an alarm bad been givein and two engines' went to the spot by another route. While one extinguished the burning petrol on the road the other set off after (lie omnibus, which left it track of hurtling petrol. The engine arrived, at the station to liinl the brigade’s men dealing with the situation.

The omnibus which was insured for £I3OO in the South British Office was hadlv damanged, the hood being burned the upholstery damaged and the rear of the body charred.

L,\Xl> LAWS CONSOLIDATING ACT. GRAZING LEASE RENEWALS. WELLINGTON, August 12. The most formidable measure of the session in size- is tlio Ismil ltaws Consolidation Bill, which was introduced in the House to-day.

Mr M’Lcod, .Minister of ’ Lands, stated that it brought the mailt Act of .1008 u>> to date, and there were a few small amendments, which, however, did not materially alter the law as it stands to-day.

The measure relates to ( rowu lauds and does not cover the Lands for Settlement Art, 1008, or the Discharged Soldiers •Settlement Act.

Tile Bill comprises 080 clauses, uqd among minor amendments inserted is one which enables the Minister, in special cases, to approve of a plan, of town subdivision with frontages ol less than fortv feet.

Power is given to enable Crown tenants to pay for improvements hv instalments instead of immediately 011. taking possession. There is also power, whicii does not seem to have previously existed, to surrender a. Crown lease on the consent of the Minister uud with tho approval of the Land Board. Renewals of small grazing run leases are to he effected after valuation, madenot later than one year Indore tho expiry, and the now lease is to lie offered 011 a basis of not less than 2J per cent of the value of the fee-simple, less improvements. If the lessee ohjoct* to tho valuation the mat tor may lie referred to arbitration and the tenant must signify his decision regarding acceptance or otherwise of renewal within six months of tho original lease terminating.

.MEDICAL COUNCIL. CONTROL! OF PROFESSION. WELLINGTON, August 12. An amendment to the Medical Prartitiouers Act, .introduced in the House to-day. gives greater powers to the .Medical Board, now to be called tho .Medical Council. The council comprises the DirectorGeneral of Health and six members who are medical practitioners. The Bill provides that one of the latter shall ho appointed on the recommendation of the British' Medical Association. New Zealand branch, and one a member of the Faculty ol .Medicine of Otago University, who holds office on the Board of Health.

Sir .Maui Poinare explained that the .Medical Council will control all registration of medical men, and will have greater power to deal with minor offences. At present there- is no power to discipline a medical man. except for mm ions off ences. The Bill shows that the council wii have powers to make investigations into charges o[ grave impropriety, or infamous professional conduct, and may suspend a culprit- for twelve months, or impose a line up to £•>!). There is right of appeal to the Supreme Court. No practitioner may resume practice after discharge from a mental hospital without a license from tho council.

Holders of foreign diplomas, il thecouncil thinks lit. may he required to pas.-, an examination in medicine and surgery under the New Zealand University Senate before being allowed to practise in the Dominion. Unregistered practitioners tiro made liable, on summary conviction, to a flue or £IOO and a continuing penalty of £2O per day.

WXITAKT HIGH' SCHOOL PROPOSAL. TOLARU, August 12. At a snccial meeting of the 'I imaru School Committees’ Association tonight it- was decided unanimously to endorse the action of the Federation of South Island School Committees’ Associations in taking an active part in the opposition to the Oamarit proposal to attach the junior high school to the Waitaki High School. The proposed expenditure of £14,000. which the experiment involves, was oliaracterised as a gross waste of public money in view of the starvation treatment meted out to some existing primnrv schools through insufficient accommodation and inadequate incidental allowances.

MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE

WELLINGTON. Vug. 13.

\t the hearing of the manslaughter charm- against Frank AlcDevitt. whose motor ear knocked down Traffic Inspector Cross with fatal results, accused denied he was speeding, as proof of which, lie said he had travelled from Trentham to the place of the accident in :» time which gave an average of a little over fourteen miles per hour. Cross had suddenly appeared m front of the car. Accused swerved and tried to avoid striking Cross. He thought lie had managed to clear him. Witness said Cross was at first outside the beam of light from accused s car. Then he stepped forward. It was imi.ossil.le for McDcvitt to stop the car and avoid a collision. Other witnesses said Cross was standing m the middle of the road. For the defence. c-vwrtght said that he intended to call the evidence of ■McD"—'** and his oartv. which left Trentham at ten minutes to hve. the accident would have taken place at 0 o’clock, according to the broken watch The distance would be shown to be 10 1-3 miles, and the average speed must

therefore have lteen 1-1 1-3 miles an hour. Accused, in evidence, said that lie went to get his car before the last race, which was run about -1.4 G. He left before -Lot), and had a non-stop-run. He started at a very slow pace, increasi|ug to about 18 or 20 miles at the entrance to the Gorge. II" slowed down tit the Ilutt township, and was going so slow that his engine stalled on going on to the bridge. OORRUGATED STEAMER. an interesting vessel. AUCKLAND. August 12. A type of steamer not hitherto seen at Auckland is now berthed at the Queen’s Wharf. This is tho tramp steamer Ilio Claro, which arrived from New York yesterday. The vessel is constructed with corrugated sides, that is. stie has two bulges, each extending one foot seven inches outward, on both sides below the level of her loaded water-line. The corrugations' extend for about three-quarters the- length of the vessel, and are tapered off toward the how and stern. It is contended that a corrugatedbuiit 'vessel is much more economical to run than a flat-sided vessel. Tho Rio Claro. on her present voyage, averaged 10.2 knots on a coni consumption of 23 tons a day, whereas a flat-sided steamer would consume front JJS to -10 tons to maintain the same speed.

Less power is needed to drive a. corrugated vessel, according to Mr J. IL Batz sen., who lias licen chief engineer on the Rio Ci'aro since she was built in 1922 at Blytli, Northumberland. The indicated horse-power of the Rio Claro’s engines is IGOO, and to attain the smile speed on it flatsided steamer similar ill size 2300 indicated horse-power would he required. Air Batz states that the corrugations cause the vessel to steer better and she can carry about 110 lons more cargo. The distance between the outer extremities of the two corrugations is lift -I in., and the water between is said to act as a cushion, or fender, ■when the vessel is berthing alongside a wharf.

The economic steaming at sea, states Air Batz. is due to the cutway between the two corrugations guiding the water from the bow straight along the vessel’s side direct to the propeller, thus preventing propeller “slip” to a largo extent. There are only four vessels of tho corrugated type afloat, hut it is understood the builders have received orders for another twelve, some of them motor ships. Shipbuilders and shipowners are considerably interested in the corrugated type of vessel and tlio records of the Rio Glaro’s voyages have been the subject of many inquiries at her ports of call.