DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 April 1925, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

(by telegraph—PEß press association. SOUTH ISLAND SERVICE. WELLINGTON, April 14. Within a fortnight or so, it is anticipated, an announcement will be made regarding the speeding up ol the express train services on the .South Island Main Trunk line. The running time of the through expresses from Christchurch to Invercargill. and vice versa, will he shortened by at least an hour. The new schedules should be in operation about the beginning of .May.

UNNOTICED THEFT. WELLINGTON. April 11. To he eon I roil led with the startling information that their preutsies had been burglariously entered over a week previously, and that the 910 worth of goods with which the marauder decamped. had been recovered by police was the unusual experience ol a local tailoring firm to-dnv. The arrest of a man for breaking and entering at Auckland was responsible lor the situation. In the course of their i n vextegation the detectives recovered a substantia! quantity of missing property hut. alter a tally had been taken a number of dainty made frocks and costumes remained unidentified. The arrested man made a statement on llm matter and the upshot was the appearance ot Detective Walsh at the premises of the firm to day to inform the proprietors that the shop hud bean entered last. Sunday wcc.s. Ihe intruder had operated so carelully. and had selected the goods from stock with such masterly precision, that the absence of frocks and costume.! to the value of ;inproxiinntcly 9 ID. had not been noticed. SISTERS OF .MEI!9 V. A FCK LAND, April 11. The landing of eight founders of the Order of Sisters of Mercy in Auckland seventy-five years ago was (cnimemornled to-da.v. High Mass was celebrated in ihe chapel of St Mary’s Convent, Fonsoliby. in tlm morning, Bishop Cleary presiding, and a i enjoyable garden party was hold in the afternoon, fully (>()-.) guests being present. Bishop Cleary paid a warm tribute in the splendid reior.d achieved by the Order, which lie described as the finest bower of the Catholic ta i t li. Oil behalf of (lie Homan Catholics of Auckland, the Bishop was handed by Mr H. M’Vengh. for presentation to the Sisters, a cheque lor 2G(MI. subscribed as a mark of loving uppreciat ion. HEALTH OFFICIALS. WELLINGTON, April I I. Dr Frengh-y, lately Deputy-Director of General Health, lias been appointed Director of the Division of Food atul Drugs. Dr Watt. Deputy-Director-Geiieral, will lin Arting-Direetor-Geiioral. during Dr Ynliutine’s absence in Great Britain and Europe. Dr M' Kilibin will succeed Dr Watt as Director of the Division of Public I lygiene.

TRAIN STRIKES M«-TOR. BE NED IN. April 14

Some pem>le ar,* burn under a lucky s t ; ir. The express which h-ll Invercargill ut (5.1(1 p.in. lu-day had a large* complement of passengers, and the abrupt nulling up id the train at the Mill "Road crossing, caused some con-st-emu linn.

AYindows were thrown lip and the passengers noticed in the dusk a bulky shape aluugsid * the engine*. croud

sunn e-uthered, and was niueli astonished to see a man arise from a motor car fl nd * ", on the railway track unhurt.

Inquiries elicited that lie had pulled up across the track earlier in the morning and had gone to sleep. The impact id the train against his ear was the means of causing him to realise that this place of rest was scarcely the most suitable, as the engine was jammed into the hotly ol the motor ear with the cowcatcher resting on the running hoard. It was found necessarv to hack the train.

The car. which had been carried about 25 yards along the track, was then pushed til safety by a number of the passengers, and seemed little the worse for the collision.

The train was able to proceed on its wav after a delay of about 15 minutes.