DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 January 1925, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

BY TELEGRAPH.—PiII,33 ABSN., COPYRIGHT. OVERCOME BY GAS. DUNEDIN, Jan. 27, A sudden escape of coal gas in a 12meh main where the Corporation’s men were working rendered 5 men unconscious for some minutes this morning. The party working oil the main lad taken the precaution of inserting a rubber bladder to prevent the gas escaping, but this burst and the men quickly collapsed. They were soon brought round. AIOTOR COAIPETITION. RAILWAY EXPERIMENT FAILS. - WELLINGTON, January 20, An attempt by the Railway Department to run motors off the road between "Wellington and Petone lias practically failed. .The Department instituted combined rail and bus tickets enabling passengers to he transported from the rail into the residential reas at Lower Hiitt and Petone, mainly to meet the convenience of shoppers, hut motors continue to make direct trips to town at return fare which is a compromise between the Department’s first and second-class suburbans fares. The next move of the railways is to give a half-hourly t”ain service, utilising a new type of motor-train just imported. Speed trials are being conducted, and as soon as results are sufficiently definite a time-table will bo prepared for a faster sendee than that at present provided to be run by the new coach. A complete half-hour service cannot be established until the Department secures additional carriages of tbe same or similar type to that now being experimented with. There is on order another coach of the same design ns that already landed, and later a third, of different design, will be obtained for the Mutt line service.

The new conch runs at forty-five miles an hour, and it is anticipated that the present eighteen-minute schedule will be cut to twelve or fourteen minutes.

TOTAI.ISATOR PERMITS. AY ELLINGTON, January 26. It is understood that an announcement will ho made in the course of a few days covering the allocation of additional racing and trotting permits. The Alinister in charge of the matter, the I-lon. R. F. Bollard, personally inspected a large number of courses, lie has met many racing people concerned, and is almost ready with his list. He has one more trip to make, and that he started on to-dav, when he left for the- King Country to sec several of the courses there. He will then proceed to Taranaki to go over the Strafford. Opunnkc and New Plymouth courses. On his (return to AVellington he will have completed the investigations he thought it necessary to make, and an announcement will follow in the course of a very little while. The authority given by "Parliament was for the issue of thirty-one additional permits, nineteen of which are for trotting and twelve for racing. TRAAf CARS DAAfAGED. AYELLINOTON, January 26. At about mid-day yesterday, some one, presumed to he hoys, entered the city tram shed at Kilbirnic and started the motor of one of the cars standing inside. 'lbis ear moved forward and pushing two other ears in Lout if it hurst through the big doors at the end of the shed. The ears then tipped over the hank at the end of the siding oil which they had been standing. The extent of the damage to the ears and the shed has not yet been ascertained, hut it is expected to he fairly heavy. TWO JNQURIES.

MU LYSNAD'S A LIVKGATfONS. AYOOLSTON TANNERIES Cl :UH WKLI.INGTOX, .1 iliumry 20. Sir Francis Bell, Attorney-General, states that the Government has set up a Royal Commission to investigate , two important matters. One relates to allegations bv the member for Gisborne regarding the action of the Minister of Agriculture and the Meat Control Board in connection with the sale of the Gisborne Farmers’ Meat Works to Vestey Brothers. The second matter to be dealt with is the claim of the Woolston Tanneries, Limited, against the Crown, arising out of war-time control over hides. r l his has been the subject of inquiry by a select committee of the House, but the petitioners declined to place their case before that tribunal, owing to the nature of the order of reference. The present Royal Commission comprises : Mr John Alexander, barrister, of Auckland (chairman) Mr Gerald Fitzgerald, civil engineer, Wellington Mr Alexander Macintosh, formerly general manager of the Bank of New Zealand. The order of reference is extensive, but is not yet available. A GISBORNE COLLISION. GISBORNE, Jan. 20. The most sensational tram accident since the commencement of the service in Gisborne,’ occurred on -Saturday evening, when Pevrenl’s Muriwai bus collided with the Gladstone road tram close to Mill road. The sides of both the tram and the tins were completely torn away, the windows smashed, and the heavy studs in the tram splintered to smithereens. A passenger in the bus, ATiss Annie Collier, of Ataiuitukc. was thrown out on to the road, sufleiing a fractured arm. but the tram passengers, though shaken, escaped with-

out injury. The driver of the bus. Air K. Revreal. of Muriwai. said lie saw the tram approaching, and when about three chains away pulled off on to his. cor-rc'-t side. The next thing he knew was that the bus had struck the tram, but he did not think that any serious damage had been done, and so came on into town at about 10 miles an hour. AVhen lie got to Carnnvon street lie looked hack and saw that his passenger was not there. Fie did not take any orent notice of that, as he thought she must have got off on the road, although he had not actually stopped the bus. AVhen he reached the garage lie was astonished to find that the Ims had suffered such damage. The motormnn of the tram saul no saw the bus approaching him along the road. AVhen it was about 50 yards a wav it started to pull clear, but did not‘allow sufficient room. The side of the bus caught the side of the tram, both sides being torn right off.