DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 March 1925, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

B 7 TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSN., COPTRIGHT,

.MINISTER OF RAILWAYS. WHAXGAREI, .March II

The fkm .1. (I. Coates, Minister of Railways, visited Whangaroi to-day to open the new railway station, a large and improved building, necessitated through the district’s progress, and the establishment of direct communication with the North Island main trunk system. Though the afternoon was not a holiday, about five hundred people, including numbers from the surrounding districts, attended. The speakers included representatives of local bodies in the Whangnrei district, also the Mayor of Dargaville. Subsequently the Minister opened a reinforced concrete bridge at the main entrance to the borough, erected by the borough council without Government assistance. He also opened a handsome concrete building five storeys higb, erected by the Public Trust Department. In the evening 'Mr Coates was entertained at dinner by local bodies, and later was installed Provincial Grand Master of (he Masons.

A SUDDEN DEATH. TIM AllII, March 12. - A man named James Oliver, aged 2d, dropped dead while passing through a field at Glenavy at 8 o’clock this morning. An inquest is Io lie held, A DEVIATION. BLENHEIM, March 11. An important development took place to-day in regard to the proposed deviation of the main south highway between Blenheim and Seddon. After inspecting and fully approving of a new route via the Dashwood Valley, which will obviate the steep and dangerous Redwood Pass road, and incidentally shorten the road by live miles, representatives of flic Awaterc and Marlborough County Council, agreed that both would do their share of the propsed work, subject to the approval and assistance of the Highways Board, and in consideration of this the Awaterc County agreed to abondou its claim to a redefinition of the county boundaries in the Redwood Pass area. DEATH OF SHIP’S FIREMAN. AUCKLAND, .March 12. Despite queries by the police and the depositions of various people, no evidence has been found to show how John Calhuul. fireman of the ICoromiko whose body was found in the harbour a few days ago, got into the water. Deceased slept on the hatchway on the night disappearance, but whether lie accidentally fell into the sea or committed suicide remains ft mystery.

A peculiar feature is that on waking in tile morning after Calland had gone, a companion who vilso slept on the same batch found the deceased’s watch and chain under his (witness’s) pillow. Mr Hunt, S.M., concluded the inquest to-day. Frederick Alexander Carbv, greaser on the Koromiko, gave evidence by deposition. He stated that all the crew were a happy family, and C'allaud had been very popular. AY it ness was positive there had been no rows on the ship while it was at Auckland. In witness’s opinion Calland took his blankets hack to the fo’eas’tle at 5.30 a.m. and put on his boots, ami then he commenced to climb the ladder to the mess room and when near the top the hand rails being loose, ho missed his footing or hold, and lell overboard on to the turret, and then into the

Dr Murray, who made a post-mortem examination stated that deceased s 1011, eye was blackened. There was ii" other external marks of violence. The skull was pot fractured. Deather was due to drowning.

The Coroner said that on the evidence, ho could only re ter a a verdict of found drowned.

NELSON APPLES FOB EXPORT NELSON, March 12.

The greatest interest has been displayed by the fruitgrowers of the province of Nelson in the loading in the hay of the AVaimana with Nelson : pples for London. Some fifteen t! c-us-aud eases were successfully lightered yesterday, and to-day everything is pi oceeding without a hitch. (.’apt on Cl-adleigh, Marine Superintendent for Uic Shaw, Seville Company. cane across to witness the loading. Drr: ngements have been made B* l load 133,000 cases in the hay this season. This is a rod letter day for the Nelson fruit industry. THE PRICE OF BUTTER. CHRISTCHURCH. March 12. The price of butter will he incieased in Christchurch to-morrow by Id per lh, making the wholesale price Is (id and the retail price Is Bd. VITAL STATISTICS. AVKLIJXGTOX, March 12.

The Gazette states that during the month of February, the total births registered for the urban areas amounted to 090, as against 110(5 in January a decrease of 170. The deaths in February were 101, a decrease of 50, as compared with the previous month. Of the total deaths, males contributed 208, and females 190. , r Seventy-four of the deaths were ol children under five years of age, beinic 18.32 per cent, of the whole number. Forty-five of these were under one year of age.