DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 April 1925, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

BY TELEGRAPH—rRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT

DI.SQ FA LI FI CATION’S UPHELD,

CHRISTCHURCH, April 2,

The North Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Athletic and Cycling Union last- evening endorsed the disqualifications on AY. Mackie and F. J. Carey until the end of the present season ; the first named for lighting, and the latter for boring at a recent meeting. .AIR LYSXAR’S CHARGER. WELLINGTON, April 1. .Air J. Alexander (Auckland), the Chairman of the Royal Commission of I nquiry into the sale to Vestev Bros of the Poverty Hay Farmers’ Property returns to Wellington on Saturday morning next, when he will confer with his fellow commissioners. The Commission will sit to take evidence on Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday of the following week, when it is hoped to finish the Wellington evidence, with the exception of the .Minister for Agriculture and l)r Brakes. The Commission purposes going to Gisborne after the Easter holidays to take evidence there. Possibly evidence will lie heard at other centres not yet definitely decided upon. Later there will he a further sitting in AA'ellington for the purpose of hearing the evidence of the Minister and Dr Reakes, which will be taken last of all. GUN ACCIDENT. INVERCARGILL, April 1. A distressing lability occurred at AYallacetown on Tuesday evening "lien Ernest Galbraith Townsend, 18 years of age, accidentally shot himself in the head while out shooting rabbits. Deceased slept in a but a short distance from bis parents! residence, and. as lie was to attend a dance that night, bis absence was not noticed. This morning bis sister discovered him lying near a fence with a gunshot wound in the head, which had proved filial.

It wa.s thought that deceased was getting through the fence when the trigger caught oil the wire, causing the gnu to discharge. HOTELKEEPER FINED. CHRISTCHURCH, April X. At the Magistrate's Court, J. T. Bourne, licensee, of the Crown Hotel was charged v-ilb a breach of the Award governing the hotel employees in that lu- made false entries in a wages book. Air F. D. Sargent entered a. plea, of ‘not guilty’ for the defendant. The evidence showed that Bcurne had in his employ a. porter named -McDonald. and. according to the wages boolc. was paying the porter £2 7s Gd per week. For some reason not stated the porter was discharged, and then informed the Union that, although lie had signed for the receipt of £2 7s Gd per week, lie bad received only £1 per week. “Unless all the hotels in Cbrist,Burch are working this swindle, this man Was paying a man £1 a week while Ids brother-hotel keepers were paying their men £2 7s Gd a week,’ obsened the Magistrate. “It is a fraud on the community.” The defendant was lined £2O, and se unity for appeal was fixed at a bond of J.MA. MOTOR TRAGEDY. AUCKLAND, April L Bruce Graham, storekeeper, oi‘ llorol iu. am! his daughter, aged 11. sustained fractured skulls in a motor ear accident near llwrotiu this afternoon, while Mrs Graham had both her legs broken, and her right leg badly lacerat'd. Oleson (Graham’s partner) who was driving, escaped practically uninjured. All three were admitted to the Waikato Hospital after receiving medical attention, soon after the accident. Graham and his daughter are in a critical condition, and little hope is held out for their recovery. The accident occurred at a difficult bend in the road. The ear skidded on the sand, while trying to pass another motor car, and clashed into a telegraph pole 1 . Villen it overt,limed, the motor ear caught lire, but the lire was extinguished by residents nearby, who were soon on the seem'. I lie ear badly damaged. LATER. Bruce Graham died on the way to Hamilton. His wife died shortly after admission to the hospital. •pbe latest advice from Hamilton stall's that the daughter's life i- despaired of. SIR HECTOR. DUKE. AUCKLAND, March 31. Sir Hector Duff, of Loudon, was a passenger by the Tainui yesterday from .Southampton. Sir I lector w ho, during the war period, was Governor of Nvassaland, lias property in Hawke’s Hay, and lie lias come to the Dominion in connection with ii. He left this evening for Nup-