DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 December 1924, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[nY TELECRAPU —PFJI TRESS ASSOCIATION. | ADVANCE AUSTRALIA! | WELLINGTON, December IS. I Tim Austin linn postal powers that lie, have reached such a state of efficiency that they have taken elaborate pains to provide for emergencies when iiiclfioiciicy creeps through. A Wellington resident yesterday received an envelope from Sydney in which was contained a small diary hound with leather. What small amount of the cover was left intact was somewhat lamely apologised for by by a stampmark on the envelope which read: “Accidentally damaged hy date stamp.” The explanation was thankfully received, hut the indignant recipient of the diary said: “T cannot understand why tin- Australian authorities go to elaborate measures to vaunt what is apparently gross inefliciency. Why not rentedv the fault and do away with the need of this special date stamp at all ” A WOMAN’S lU*SE. WELLINGTON. December IS. Through the foresight of Kate Forster, a shopkeeper, of Soatoun, who. when she thought a man was visiting her shop at night and stealing some of her goods, placed powder on the door to see if it was disturbed. Sydney Charles l.eckie was arrested. and brought before Mr K. Page, S. M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Kate Forster gave evidence that when she saw the' powder disturbed she waited up at night to see i! the thief would revisit her, and on the third evening she heard someone trying to open the front door. The thief then wont round to the hack door, and Forster caught him. When approached by detectives, l.eckie admitted the thefts, and said that he had visited the shop ell previous occasions, lie opened the door with a key. The magistrate committed him for sentence on the charge, and for stealing a torch he was sentenced to 21 slays’ imprisonment. AUCKLAND .BURGLARY. AUCKLAND December 20. S. Stone and Co.'s hoot and shoe store was entered by burglars through a skylight on Thursday night and goods valued at from CIO to COO were stolen. The burglary was evidently the work of men well acquainted "ith the value of the goods taken which comprised ladies’ shoes and hosieiv. PAKAI’O!) I)F.X I!AIDED. WELLINGTON. December 20. i Tn the Magistrate's Court to-day Sing Wing was lined £lO in delimit two months’ imprisonment, for keeping a eommnn gaming house in Taranaki Street. Six Europeans found on the premises were each lined £.T. The house was conducted as a pakapoo Sellout. Counsel pleaded that the Chinaman’s customers were not of a very high standing and the place was what was generally known as a “sixpe'iUiiy toueli.’’ '.MOTOR TRAFFIC BY-LAWS. A I CELAND. December 21. Tils statement) Of the Mayor of Auckland that the revised lieavv-tral-lic hy-law, which is to come into elici t at the New Year, would include private ears as « II vis I'.unmeivial vehicles, has aroused a general storm of indignation among heavy ear owners and importers. The general opinion is that the new In-law is iniquitous, unreasonable and absurd. A meeting of the executive of the Auckland Automobile Association is t.i he (ailed to consider the matter. SI 111*1*1 Nf: STATISTICS. WELLINGTON. December IS. In lie Mimncir;. id slalisliis lor the year ended September .'Villi, submit led to the Wellington llarhotir Hoard last night, it is shown that the total tonnage inwards, outwards, and transhipped was 1 ..Tilt 1,2(1'!, which was 211.(111 tens higher than for the preceding vear, an increase of IS.A per cent.

Shipments of butler, cheese and frozen meat which went to British and foreign ports only wen' 00,802 toils, an increase of ,‘11(12 tons, or 0.0 per cent, on the previous year. Wool shipments were 170,x1A hales, which showed an increase of .‘l7ll hales and hemp had increased by 12.1 per cent. The amount of (oal imported was K>X,2liX tons, only lAtit t tons higher than last year. Timber inwards totalled 21.1107,(100 super feel, an increase of 12, x-‘Id.2T2 super feet over the preceding year, while Ihe outgoing timber totalled 1,0AX,001 super feet against AO!.000 super feet for the preceding year, increases rcsnuctively of OS.:! per cent, and 28.fi per cent.

Auckland fishing fleet. AUCKLAND Dec-ember 2(1. Two more trawlers will shortly he added to tin* Auckland fleet of fishing vessels. Ah- G. Sanford, managing director for Snnfords. Ltd., states that his company is now negotiating for the purchase in England of two more up-to-date trawlers to augment the company's fleet. Both vessels will steam to New Zealand, and it is expected they will nrirve in good time to commence operations in the early part of the new year. Two of the trawling fleet of San fords are being despatched to Sydney to engage in trawling off the Australian (cast. The Albert Sail (formerly known as the Hrolgao) sailed on Thursday evening and is due at Sydney on December 28 while the Gilbert San (formerly the Gunaiidaal) will leave Auckland about next Wednesday. for Sydney. Both vessels will proceed first to the trawling grounds in the Hauraki Gulf to secure catches of fish, afterwards continuing on to Sydney, there to land supplies for the Sydney markets, and to operate r.iT 1 the Australian coast.

| “A golden opportunity.” said Mr j CL Sanford, ‘awaits the development ! of the fishing industry in New South Wales waters. We have already open, ed a branch in Sydney and have registered the company there as a foreign company and as a branch of the New Zealand business. AYe shall buy more trawlers for the Australian trade as the growth of the business warrants it. AYe may, too, extend to Melbourne. Altogether we are looking forward to a great development of the industry in the large Australian centres.” wheat and chaff. BLE-NHETAI, December 21. The Blenheim Farmers’ Union at its meeting yesterday decided to join the agitation for the imposition of a duty on imported chaff, while the duty on imported wheat was also referred to. Information was afforded the meeting by which it was made plain that a very considerable quantity of Australian chaff had been landed in New Zealand or had been hooked for futu"? orders. This was owing to a record harvest in various parts of Australia and to the fact that the Australian producer was able to secure freight which only amounted to the same as the coastal freight that- had to be paid by the Alarlborough or Canterbury farmers. The proximity of the market was, therefore, of 110 advantage to the Dominion producer. The matter of the duty on wheat was also under discussion. This duty

' was abrogated until February 28. 102 A. Ins far ns the importation of 1,000.000 I bushels of fowl wheat into the North Island was concerned. This matter is also one of grave import to the farming community, and before proceeding in the matter it was decided to write to the executive of the North Canterbury Provincial Farmers’ Fnion and ascertain what steps were being taken in the matter and to assure that executive of the co-operation of the branch. MISAPPROPRIATION. NFAY PLYAIOUTH, Dee. 22. Gordon Herbert ALu-tin. a hank teller. pleaded guilty at the S.AL Court to fourteen charges of misappropriation. totalling 21780 and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Bail was allowed in self of 2800 and four sureties of £IAO each.