DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 February 1925, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by TELEGRAPH—PER CRESS ASSOCIATION.]

FA LiSE D E GEAR ATI ON. PALMERSTON N., Pel). 18. At the Police Coot, a young man, the publication of whose name was forbidden, pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence on a charge that at Wellington he wilfuly made a false statement for the purpose of being inserted in the register hook of births, that lie had been lawfully married to the mother of his child at London. The police stated the accused was a married man, his wife living in England. For some timo past he had been living in Wellington with a single woman, who gave birth to a child. In making the declaration, the accused stated the mother of the child was his wife.

NAPIER WOOL SALE. NAPIER, February 18.

For the fourth Napier wool sale -of the current season, a drop in prices had been predicted in accordance with the recent trend of the market. This duly materialised, but was not so substantial as had been feared. In the early stages of the sale many good ch'ss lots were submitted and drew excellent prices, good crossbred fleeces bringing up to 87d, while for neck pieces competition was keen. Ruling rates are still satisfactory to the grower though they represent a drop of 7d or more per lb on the prices obtained earlier in the season. They still represent a profitable return on wool.

OCEAN RACE FOR YACHTS. A FIASCO. WELLINGTON. February 1(5. hie annual ocean race for yachts from Wellington to Port Underwood proved a fiasco owing to the calms which prevailed over the week-end. Seven yachts started, but all were becalmed off the Heads, and two returned to port. The others drifted all through Saturday nig,lit, and only three managed to reach their destination on Sunday afternoon, Wanderer being first an hour before Waircre which was an hour and a half before Mann. 'I he return journey was made under similar conditions in dead calms until nearing the Heads, when a strong northerly sprang up and brought the three boats into port. Wanderer arrived at the finishing line at 8.05 a.in. to-day and Mana at (i.ll a.in.. Waircre arrived between (5 a.m. and 0.30 a.m. The handicaps have not yet been declared. The proceedings were somewhat irregular, as the mark boat at Port Underwood had left when the boats arrived there. PETROL PIiiCES. A NOTE OF WARNING. AUCKLAND. Fob. Kb The suggestion that petrol is living regarded in some quarters in New Zealand as a speculative medium and not as the essential commodity it really is, was made by Sir Robert Walcy Cohen, managing director of the Shell I raiisport and Trailing Company, and managing direelin' of the British Imperial Oil Company. Sir Robert mentioned that, it had come to his knowledge that dealers were being induced to take over quailtil ies of petrol by statements to the effect that prices were likely to move, and he made it quite Hear that this practice was detrimental in- adequate and regular distribution anil a nicna.i e to the proper development cl a very vital section ol the Dominion's transport facilities. Sir Robert said lie found a most extraordinary position in New Zealand in regard to the oil business, in that the public of this country were being induced to speculate in petrol prices. If seemed to him that this was a most dangerous thing as if was damaging not only In Ini'inc ;. il:dl. hat to Ihr organised petrol distributing system throughout the country. To introduce into a serious business ol this kind the practice of giving “tips” to the public as to the supposed probable fails or rises of petrol prices, was reducing a business vital t:<> the welfare of every country to the level of a gamble. Those engaged in this practice, sooner or later, oin.i burn their lingers, and he thought it a most disturbing feature.

A.S.R.S. EXECUTIVE. WELLINGTON, Feb. 17

The conference of representatives oi the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants has elected the following as members of the Executive:— North Island—Messrs T. (1. Glasgow (Auckland) : O. T. Carlyle (Wanganui) : I. ciiurehouse and T. Stanley (Auckland). South Island—Messrs S. Schofield (Christchurch) ; M. R. Fell (Invercargill); W. J. Elliott (Christchurch); A. Melville (Hillside). The conference reappointed Mr Clias. E. Wheeler editor of the “Railway Review.”

CROWN GETS AN ESTATE. WELLINGTON, Feb. 17

The position of an illegitimate child in respect to the inheritance of the estate of a. deceased parent or grandparent was dealt with in a decision by Sir Robert Stout in the Supreme Court to-day. The estate a small one, belonged to a grandmother, whoso daughter had an illegitimate son. The daughter died in 1906. and the grand mother iu 1916. The son claimed the estate ns the grandmother had left no legitimate issue.

His Honour held that the provisions in the Act for illegitimate children did not apply to this case. He must read Section 19 of the Deceased Persons’ Administration Act as applying only to legitimate children, and the plaintiff therefore could not succeed. As-there was no next of kin, the estate would revert, to the Crown, but lie suggested the plaintiff should he given the portion which would have gone to his mother had she lived. DOMINION PRESS. ANNUAL GATHERING. AUCKLAND, February 17. Rotorua lias been selected by the newspaper representatives of the Dominion as the place in which to hold, their annual gatherings. The annual meeting of the Empire Press Union will he held on Monday, February 83, in the morning, and in the evening the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association will commence its sittings. The annual meeting of the United Press Association will he held later on ill the week. The business of the Empire Tress Union will include arrangements in connection with the visit to New Zea-

land of delegates to the Imperial Press Conference which is to be held in Australia, in August. These delegates "ill include Lord Burnham, proprietor of the London “Daily Telegraph” and many other distinguished members of the Press of the Empire. As arrangements at present stand the visiting delegates are to spend about eleven days in New Zealand. . A large and representative gather ing of New Zealand pressmen is ex. petted to assemble at Rotorua next week.