DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 January 1925, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

(by TELEGRAPH—PER TRESS ASSOCIATION. CROQUET. CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 21. The Dominion croquet championships wore continued in ideal weather-. Ladies championship singles. In the first round Airs Horn (Dunedin) heat -Mrs Gnstoigne (Dunedin) 20—8, In the handicap singles, second round, A. P. Stratton (Hawke’s Bay Champion) beat Airs Adamson (Dunedin); K. J. Ross defeated H. A. Penn (both of United); S. AltCullouglt defeated Airs Oxley, Third round, Airs Erickwell (Dunedin). defeated Alls C. W. Hadiield.

Ladies’ Championship, Ist. round:— Airs Alannire (Dunedin) bent Aliss Blake (Napier) 20—12, Second round—All's AVattkins (Hastings) beat ALiss Hesketh (Auckland). Death from: injuries. AUCKLAND, Jan. 21. John Barber, aged 05, died in the hospital to-day. He was admitted on Dec. 27th. suffering from bead injuries. Robert IViffen is at present on lemand 011 a charge of assaulting deceased on the date of his entry into tinhospital. -MAX RUNS AMOK. SCUFFLE WITH CABINET -MINISTER. WELLINGTON. January 20. A man ran amok at Parliament Hons-- in the quarters of one of the -Ministers, and before lie could be subdue:!. bad engaged tin- Minister and bis private secretary in hand-to-hand conllict. As far as can lie gathered, a young man who was at one time in a Government Department, called to see the Al blister and asked him for work. This the Minister promised to eosider. The man left, but ill a few minutes returned and took a. seat in the private secretary’s room. Shortly after, without: apparent warning, he attacked the private secretary. and, being in a violent state, bit him on the band and neck. Hearing a scuffle, the Minister, who is a power-fully-built man over fifteen stone in weight, came out and held the man down until reinforcements arrived. The intruder wa.s conducted from the building. Till- affair only lasted a few minutes, ami Parliament House then resumed its air of recessional repose. BURSTING OF A DAM. .11 ASTER TON, January ;>(). Six residents of Eansdowiic suburb which constitutes the north ward of Alasterton borough. have notified through their solicitors that they intend to take action against the council for damage to houses, property and personal effects, caused by the bursting of a dam during the floods on December IS. The dam supplied the suburb with water.

AN ORCHARD PEST. DISTR 1 BI'TKIX OF ITS PARASITE. WELLINGTON, January 2(1. New Zealand orchardists have been considerably troubled with mealv ling, a pest, against which sprays are ineffective, though fumigation, when it cap be applied is successful. The really effective* cure, however, comes from the use of a variety of lady-bird. which Californian entomologists breed in millions for use ill the orchards of that St a to. ft- "a.s originally imported from Australia. Supplies were obtained last year from California, and to maintain the ladybird until it is needed in orchards some hundredweights ol potatoes were kept at the Department, of Agriculture biological laboratory and allowed to develop shoots, on which the mealy bug thrived. This nr-ivid-d loci lor the ladybird, a 1 era- ion . rain: of the

Small supplies of ladybirds were distributed in the North Island ami South Island last season, but they do not maintain themselves under ordinary conditions, hence extensive breeding operations, under the direction of the entomologist. Mr f). Miller. who has raised many thousands ol this useful ladybird for distribution in glass tubes to orchards, from Port Albert in the North to Mntuekn in the South Island. It is confidently expected that the ladybird will dispose of the mealy bug pest and thus rid orchards of a, trouble which would otherwise prejudice the export of apples. Tne Department is importing supplies of a Sicilian clink-id from California. which after being reared at the laboratory can be liberated in orchards and will maintain itself bv preving on the inealv bug. Some important developments arc likely to be niinomued shortly in regard to Riieeessl ill control ol the pear midge, another serious orchard pest.

AIOTOR REGULATIONS. A COUNCIL’S CRITICISM. DUNEDIN. January 20. The new motor regulations were keenly criticised at last night’s meeting of the St Hilda Borough Council, which had the draft regulations before it. It seems as iif the public are going to he fleeced,” was Councillor Hall’s remark. He* went on to say that it looked as if the Government was trying. by imposing heavy registration fees, to add to the revenue of its own railroads. The charges proposed were simply outrageous. A man was going to pay up to £75 to have the right of the run of the roads.

The Alayor (Air C. Todd): That is not strictly so. The owner of a oneton truck will pay £5. a two-ton truck CD!, a threc-ton truck £24, and over five tons £75.

Councillor I.ongworth said it was going to he hard for those who had taken over lorries for a livelihood. Curries were, of course, in keen competition with the railways, and there were two ways of looking at it. 'The trains were running on their own raihoacL. while the motors were using roads that did not belong to them. The Alayor said that the Hon. A. D. Al’Leod and the Hon. AY. Downic Stewart had some time ago told a deputation that the Act was really having a year’s try-out. at the end o. which time any anomalies would he remedied. . . Councilor Edgar said that if the money was spent on the roads u would in the end return a benoht to the heavy lorry owner who used the roads. Councillor Adam: His grand-daugh-ter will get the benefit of it. perhaps! It was pointed out that it was too late now to do anything in the matter