DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 August 1924, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

BY TELEGRAPH—ri’.ESS ASSX., COPYRIGHT. TRAGIC END FEARED. INYEIICAIIOILL, A up. Ir, Ihe mysterious disappearance of Allred Crott. a sitiple farmer, aped .'II, occupying a hush section at Chaslatids, is exciting dee]) interest. He has not keen .seen since July It!, when he parted I rein a neiphhour. Food on the table in his hut is undisturbed, and tin >ixe i; missing. Croft is known to have drawn money from tile hank, ;md seanh parties have scoured the district fruitlessly. It is fe'arcd that ( foil met a trapie end. A SING I I.A I! CASE. Al' (' K LAND, A up. |A. "When I married stpain I had the full intention that M'Coy was dead, drowned in a vvhalinp boat oil Norfolk Island, but afterwards he (time behind tin- m tin* street and slapped tin* on the hark, and I says : -Why. I thoupht you were dead and htiricd!' " That was the statement sobbed out by ;i woman in I lie Supreme Court durinp the hearinp ol' petition liir divert e. The circumstances were unusual. The petitioner and the respondent each admitted adultery. Jacob M'Coy. labourer, of Auckland, soupht divorce from Evelyn May M'Coy, whom he married in IPIPJ.

Mr Sinpcr. representiiip the respoitdeni. stated ih.-u tin- ptirties were ••e]:araled soii'e time after the inurriape. petitioner poiup to Norfolk Island. 11l J!)()."», helievinp M’Coy to he dead, the respondent went throuph the form of marriape with another man. She had received a cuttinp from ti newspaper .-tilling that .M'Coy had been drowned. Evidently it was another mail of the same name, for .M'Coy turned up apilin. The petitioner admitted itavinp lived with another woman in IPI I ami 1P1". Respondent, on entering tie* box. burst into tears, and, in an incoherent stream of words, site told a story of an unhappy married life. "He took me In an empty house, not a thinp in it. Then lie left ic.->. I had to pick up scraps ot bread to eat. .My father and mother had to keep me." she sobbed. Mr Jus lire llerdiiian prattled it decree nisi to each party. No order was made ;is to costs. SIIOItT WEIGHT TWINE. JiI.ENH ELM. A up. 1-Y

Complaint of short vvoipht in binder twine bought by the pound was made at this morning's uieetiup of the Ulenlieint Farmers’ I'niou by .Mr li. 0. Hammond, lie said he had not pivon the teat ter .serious thoupht until another farmer who used largo quantities ol hinder twine told him Hull, with one purchase, he thoupht he would have the bales vveipheil before they left the store for his farm. In the case of several hales the sivcrapc delicicliev ill the actual weipht and the slated wv'ipht on the. bale was .‘lib. With twine at Si I a lb ibis deficit represent ed quite a sum in the eii-e ol a larpe purchaser. Mr Hammond thoupht that farmers would lie well advised to ask their merchants to vvoiph the twine when pun based. 11 would he only a lair thinp, because the farmer was expected to pay by tl-e pound.

.Mr A. T. Vickers: 'flit- seems to me to be a matter between the farmers and the merchants. Il the nt'-rohanl i- I ieular aheiit weighing your grain in. Vnll slanild be Ml-t :)•< particular wlicii weighing Ids twine mil. The chairman Mr William Smith’! remarked that new twine was alwayslea vily oiled and the older il been me the lighter it gr-w. owing to tin- loss of -il.

The possibility of tin- fanners receiving short weipht in the manure he bought owing to lo - s mil of the hag vva- ah-i mmitionod. Il was dcchlod that Moth matters be referred to the provincial executive to inquire into.

THE GOYKRNt IR-G EX El! A LSI 11P. RUMOUR NOT CONFIRMED. WELLINGTON. Aug. 17 The story that Admiral Do Rebeck Im- declined the (oivornor-Gonoralship of NYw Zealand is not confirmed. Xu tdf’einl information ha- been receive I here. MORE ADMIRALS M EXT TONED. LONDON. Aup. 1-5 It i- leaf.led that Admiral Pakenham was approaeln :l before Admiral D.Rnbeeh. but he declined the New /calami Governor-Generalship because of it- expeitsivem-ss. Others n.iv. ineiiti.-tied are Admiruis Wemy-S. .Madden and Gough. Mr < aiiia.rpe. of the Colonial Oilioe. c.duiits that tin. nice handicaps all the Covertler-hips and ha poUlls nut that, while po-twar costs of upkeep have pm, Orally doubled, the emoluments remain on the pre-war lia-i-.

THE UNIYERSITY SYSTEM. WELLINGTON. Aup. 17. It was rumoured here during fee week-end that a commission wa- to he -et up to inquire into the I niversitv -vstoin of New Zealand, but the lion .Mr par r states that no decision of any kind has yet been reached. Ho .has teieived the opinions ol Auckland. Wellington, and ( hri-tchurch. but not Otago, vvlmse opinion lie awaits. AISI!A.MS TREATMENT. VERDICT KOI! £2(170 DAMAGES. AUCKLAND. Atign>t 10. In the ease of Mrs Lawrence, of Hamilton, agaiu-t Doctor limida.- Ma<-K-.nr.ie. ehvimiiip £2oo'» damages, lor alleged negligent treatment, the jury returned a' venih t for the full amount claimed.

PRIVATE MATERNITY HOSPITALS AUCKLAND, August Ml. There is some concern in Auckland over the threatened voluntary elo-ing of several private maternity hospitals. Ren- 1 -cnlative- ot small institutions aver that they are unable for financial reasons, to meet all the requirement* ot the ri-vi-ed tegulaii’.m- and earn a living, with perhaps a small protit. In s-ael, ,'a-es there i- talk of surrendering their licenses in October. CROSS-COUNTRY ( IJAMITONSHIP. WELLINGTON, AngU't 17. The New Zealand < ro-s country eliam: ion'hip. of live miles, was run on .-aturday iiefoiv a larpe atiepdapc-e. Owlv two nroviiuos Otapo and Mellinpton. were represented. Otago’s team were .1. W. Tap]) M apti E. K.rr.rovvn. ,T. B. Bibhy. \Y. H. Hobbs, It. (i. Cox. Wellington's team were: V> . Seratchard leapt.l. V. 15 Silver. E. Dome. I). Toild, 15. Kent, last named taking the place of U- A. Rose vvlm tens intlisDOsed, Seratehavd led lU the *Ltil. hilt nt the second lap Tapp. Tlrnivn and Rihhy

(all Otapo men) were in front. Tapp and BroWii, were tuiver displaced, liohhs heat Silver for third place. Bibhy was filth, and Todd sixth. Tapp’s time vvtts 111 minutes 18 seconds. Otapo won by 11 points to Wellington's lio (the lowest counting best). WIRELESS FOR COASTALS URGED WELLINGTON, Aup. 18. At the conclusion of a memorial service at the Sailors’ and Friends’ Satiety rooms, a resolution was passed urging the Government to have wireless installed on all vessels trading on the New Zealand coast. SNEAK Till EYES. WELLINGTON, Aup. Is. A panp of sneak thieves has evidently been in operation in the city as a visitor from Sydney at one of the leg residential hotels was relieved of an extensive wardrobe and money, the tourist being left with only what h - steed in. Fortunately, the money taken was of :t small amount as the visitor had not yet lifted his supply from the hank. In one ol the suburbs a resident went elf for the week-end and left his tnollmusc unlocked. When he returned tdl the contents had pone weekendinp too. As the place is in view oi it ueiphhotir'n till day, the thieves evidently made a nocturnal visit.

Other similar occurrences are reported and the householders’ slogan .now is: "Lock doors.” Good watchdogs are also itt demand. TVTANF.KAI RETURNS. WELLINGTON. August ,18. The Tutaiickni. which has returned from :i trip to'the outlying Southern Islands, brought four .-ca lions ami a sea leopard. They wore caught in a net and Iniight so strongly Unit some trouble v its required to pet them aboard. For a fortnight they sulked and refused to eat. but are now tamer. Some of the animals are lor the Auckland Zoo. The Tutiiiickai had line weather, generally, ami saw no signs of castaways. The provision depots are intact.