DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 December 1924, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

BY TELKORAPII—PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT. VESSEL'S WATER LINE. | WELLINGTON', December 18. J Tlie statutory obligation on the own ' or of a vessel which arrived at Wellington so loaded as to submerge in salt water to the centre disc, indicating the lo;\d line, was defined hy Mr Pago, 5.. M., in a reserved judgment, in a case in which the superintendent of Marine proceeded against W. A. Ilitehins, master of the American steamer, Shreveport, for a breach of .snh-section (! of section 208 of the Shipping and Steamers Act, 1008. My conclusion,” said the .Magistrate, "is tliat this snh-section applies to all ships (whether British or foreign) in respect of which there is an ohligation on the part of the owner to have the disc on the .vessel at the time she arrives in port.” JI is Worship considered that something more than a nominal penalty would have Lo he imposed. The master of the vessel had been advised as to what was the law and he chose to disregard it. He was fined .C2J sterling and costs ,C2 9s. Security for appeal was fixed at ten guineas plus the amount of the fine and costs. j HOLMES COMMITTED. OAMAIMJ, December 17. In the case in which John Holmes was charged with having attempted to murder his wife, Annie Isabella, Holmes, on Xovemehr 2nd, the evidence for prosecution bore out the details of the tragedy already given. Holmes reserved his defence, and was committed for trial at the sitting of the Supreme Court to be held at Oamartt on February I.

The charge of attempted suicide against the accused was withdrawn by the police. CHAMPION BIN'EII’S VISIT. CIIIIISTCH MUCH, Dec. 17. A cable received from Australia this morning states that Dick I'.ve, the champion diver, was now unable to visit the Dominion this season. .MOTOR ACCIDENT. PA 1 HATHA, Dec. 18. A motor accident at Campbell’s (lolly on the Kaitawa-Ilinemen road, took place yesterday afternoon when J. [.'ranee. Postmaster at Kkatahuna. was seriously injured and is in a critical condition in the local hospital. The other occupants were: 11. Scott (Post Ollice chalfcur, of Wellington'), 11 McCiill (senior clerk, in the 0.P.0. ollice. Wellington). The former has a Hosh wound oil the thigh and McGill a lew bruises. It was a very wet day and at a dangerous bend the steering near failed to respond. McGill had been sent out by the Department to take ail independent ballot of settlers regarding the Pahiatua-Hkntahuna mail delivery. BURNED TO DEATH. PAHIATUA, Dec. 17. Thomas Brannigan, a well-known elderly carrier on the Maktira-Pongaroa load was burned in death in a wiinre early this morning tit Pougaroa township. lie was subject to heart attacks. The actual cause oi' the fire is unknown.

GOVERNOR-GENERAL. WELLINGTON, Dee. 17. The Governor-General and Lady l-'cr-gusson will leave here on December 27tb. on llieir first ollieial visit to Auckland. They will stay about a week. The date of llieir first visit lo the South Island Inis not yet been fixed. Their Excellencies have received hundreds of telegrams of welcome from all parts of the Dominion. This morning a representative deputation of (lie Presbyterian Church of New Zealand presented a loyal oddress. The General Assembly was reoresented by (lie Moderator, the Rev. G. Miller, of Dunedin, the Rev. .1. M. M’Keiiy.ie. and the ltee. W. Connie. Wellington. The Presbytery was also represented hy clergy and laymen. A HINT TO MOTORISTS. AUCKLAND. Dee. 17. .The relent speed traps :el by I lie Am I. land Oily (’oum il It .din dcpal I lilt'llt. lesiilled in the appearance ol over u score of motorists in the Magistrate’s Court.

Mr Royiiton, S.M.. said tlie motorini' public would luivc to take warning, since next year the law allowed as nmcli as three months in gaol lor dangerous driving. li’ines were imposed in each case. A FA I{A lIC It’S Hill TALTTY. DFXKDIX. December 17. Following what must have been a cruel thrashing indicted on a lad in his employ, a farmer appeared before Mr J. S. Itartholomew, S.M., in the Police Court this morning. The boy in his evidence said that the accused dismissed him, handing him some bread and dripping. Is Od wages for two weeks’ work, and telling him that .lie (ould walk home. The boy’s people lived at the lienhar, forty-seven miles south of Dunedin.

Dr. Arnold Perry (Acting-Medical Superintendent of the Dunedin Hospital) said he examined the lad. and detailed the many bruises on the body. 'l'he bruises and weals were suggestive of having been caused by a whin or a stick, perhaps by a strap. The Magistrate said that there was no doubt that the hoy had been cruelly ill-treated by the accused. The boy was not able to .give a reliable account of what happened. Accused, in view of the hoy’s mental deficiencies, should not have treated him as if he were of normal understanding. A cruel thrashing had been administered, and if he had been satisfied that more than one had been given, he would have sent the man to gaol. Accused would be fined £•”, and ordered to pay witnesses’ expenses £2 -Is fld. Default was fixed at one months’ imprisonment.