DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 November 1924, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

[I)Y TKI.MGItAI’H —Pit ess association.] KXCITI.VC INCIDKXT. RUNAWAY .MOTUI’-’lil'S. AUCKLAND, November hi. An unusual accident occurred in Wellesley .Street oust to-nijilit, when a iiioior-’hus ascending the hill rail out ot petrol, with the result that il bewail to run backwards, owing; to the brakes failing; to aet. The driver, bearing in mind the recent tramway smash at the foot of a hill, steeling; an erratic course managed to turn the ’bus into Rutland Street, when il ran over the footpath, becoming wedded between a lamp-post and a building' at the corner of borne Street. There were about ten occupants of the ’bus, all but one jumping; out. All escaped injury, but the rear of the ’bus was badly buckled. LMUCK OF BCTTKR. AUCKLAND. Nov. Id. The price of butter is being' reduced by a penny per pound the new wholesale and retail rates being;:—Superiine Is (>;[d. Is !)d : iir-A-j'rade Is (id, Is Sd; second g;rado Is Ad. Is ,d.

SAMOAN PROSPERITY. SLUMP CONDITIONS PASSED. WELLINGTON, November ID. Repeals from the Samoan administration received by the External Affairs Department show that the Crown estate's have completely receive red from -.lump conditions, when heavy losses were made. These estates were .submitted foi private leasing but no cloeision was arrived at and the probability i*. that they will he again placed on tin* market. The improved price of copra and reduced working expenses have enabled good profits to be made during the 1 past year. The latest quotation Dual the Iligli Commissioner shows that Samoan copra is worth £DI As jeer ton. An improved method ul coe-oa production Icy t-iiltiiig out excessive* shade has ipiadrupied the prndiict from the trees. This improvement is shared by private plantations, and its substantial natuie is evident from the fact that for seven months of the current year, 77*"> tons of cocoa have been exported and 80 tons are in store, compared with last year's total export of under .DUO tons. An unusually heavy c rop of kapue has been laised and an experimental shipment is being made' to New Zealand

Efforts also are being made to introduce* tin* tobacco plant into these islands, as it is believed the natives could effectively cultivate small areas which, in the aggregate, would provide* an appreciable addition to Samoan export. An officer of the administration when on luilough in New Zealand obtained seeds of tobacc o plants grown in llawkes' Ray and Nelson. 'I hose leave grown .so well in Samoa that photographs have he*, *ll .-feet to t!o* Minister of External Alfairs showing tobacco plants 7 feet (I inches high, with leaves 28 inches Icy II inches (tin* particularly line plant has leaves D2 inches by ID inches.

BANKRUPTCY FIGURES. WELLINGTON. November ID. Tim bankruptcies registered in October show a pleasing contraction, the total for the month being DS against lio in September and til in August. I.a.st mouth's figures were lower than in any previous month of the* year except- .January, when there were D 7 bankruptcies. In October last year the bankruptcies numbered AO. in October. I'D22. IID. and in October 1021. DD. For the ten months of this year tin* hatikt upteies totalled At ID. as compared with AAli in the rorrosponeling term of last year, anil ADli in |D2I. Once again farmers nee mini lor tin' larger proportion of the bankruptcies, their number nee-.Hinting for 12D. or alnmi t 2D per I*l*lll nl the total. Other I*lllll libelling .sect, inns were labomcTs AD. motor trade 2<>. builders 21, contractors and agents IS each, and carriers lA.

KJI’K DA M at: i:. IMX'IiDIX, Xovcmlior l."!. Won! viil iii'il iit L'fiDO st«M-liii«i, :«)() liii”s of cliiiir, wool pivsscs :ui(l slioiirin<r iniicliims tvcro lost in tin* li'viot woolshcil liiv. Till' luiililino wns insured in Stiito Oilin'.