DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 April 1925, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

BY TELEGRAPH—PRESB AfJSN , COPYRIGHT. SNOW STORM IN CANTERBURY CHRISTCHURCH, April 16. Swept by snow, hail and rain, Canterbury experienced a great southerly storm to-day, anil reports from the country districts indicate that in some places, the position is serious. The city itself was deluged by a torrential downpour. The wind and rain were extraordinarily fierce in the late afternoon and the early evening. Snow fell at Darfiekl. Molhven, and Oxford. In tlie twelve hours up to !) o’clock this morning, two and a half inches of rain had fallen in the country. To-dav’s storm was the worst that has been experienced in the city for probably twenty or thirty years. Many of the city streets to-night are flooded with storm water, which is whipped by a gale, into drenching spray. r.. many places the tram cars aro ploughing through water. The River Avon i.s higher than it has been for many years. HEAVY RAINFALL. CHRISTCHURCH, April 17. Railway communications with Little River is now cut off by floods. The rainfall for the 24 hours ending 9.30 a.in. was 4.711 inches, a record for Canterbury. STORM STILL RAGING. CHRISTCHURCH, April 17. The storm is still raging although the wind lias abated slightly. The ferry steamer encountered huge seas south of Cape Campbell and some of the 400 passengers had a had time, although the vessel slowed down. She arrived at 9.30 a.m.

Slorm damage includes the fall ol 200 lons of elav oil the Lyttelton Sumner road.

Ciii'isU-liureli escaped heavy damage, hut one pliire on Ferry Road, near Manning’s Brewery, the water was a foot deep over the footpath.

FRIESIAN CVITI.E. WELLINGTON, April Ifi. A trial shipment of Friesion cattle, four hulls and 13 heifers, from Taranaki, Manawatu, llutt, and Canterbury, wore pul aboard the Port Kembla to-day for shiinnenf to the Argentine. Two small shipments have been made previously and well received there. If dairying on lines similar to those in New Zealand is established in the Argentine, Dominion breeders of Fricsiaus anticipate a considerable trade in cattle. FATHER AND SON BURNT. WAH’AWA. April 17. A lire 1 early this morning resulted in Morris Flynn, eightv-five, and AYilliatn dames Flynn, forty-live being burnt to death. The former who slept in a wliare adjacent to the latter’s store bad not teen very well for some time, and was visited by I.i.s ‘(.n about four o’clock and a lire was discovered an hour later. The son n.s’i.ed into the wliare- to his father's hwmo and is supposed to have been overcome l>v .smoke. Both bodies were badly burnt and almost iiuive-gnisanle. WIRELESS HANDICAPS. WELLINGTON. April 17.

The local radio enthusiasts, owing to the nnfavonrnble conditions, were unable to pick up the American broadcasting tests. Last night there was too milch loose electricity about-, a feature, a I wavs noticeable here.

PR ESS IYE MAORI CEREMONY TAUMAKUNUI, April 17.

There was a large gathering ol natives ill the Topeka Pa yesterday for the unveiling of a memorial in- nmilciit In the late To Maliuri To Rauralia, who was the Inst descendant of an ancient and prominent Maori lamily. I here was much disappointment owing to Sir .Maui Puma re’s unavoidable absence. There wore some twenty-seven tribes present and the unveiling ceremony was performed by Piupiu le Mher Ow-In-r". imisin ol le Rata Mahula. the Maori King. The ceremony was very

impressive and was carried out in m(•(irdani'o with Maori customs. Many distinguished Maoris were present.

TERRITORIAL CAMPS CANCELLED WELLINGTON, April 17.

All territorial camps scheduled to take place this military year have been imu elle-.l and trainees will not nowcarry mil. their period of seven days continuous training. Ihe camps wete postponed originally on account ol the infantile paralysis epidemic.

HOUSING SCHEME' STOPPED. WELLINGTON. April 17. Mr Ecrsyth. one of the Mayoral candidates laid a meeting that the City Council had stopped its housing scheme he am e there was no sale tor the houses and no applications for further building. hospital buildings. WHI.4NGTON, April 17. Tenders have been let for the con r,traction of two more hospital blocks to cost £145. C00. They will cover n frontage of 220 feet with an equal depth. boy hangs himself. AUCKLAND. April Hi. The inquest concerning the death o! Leslie Arthur Tupp-, aged 14 years, who was found hanging in an outhouse at his parents’ residence at Ponsmtby on April 3rd. was concluded to-day. The hov’s father. William Herbert Tup,), said his son left school last December, lie had passed the sixth standard and held a certificate ot competency. lie was employed a.s a message hi.v ‘for six weeks, lmt he relinquished the position a few days before his death, when he said he was going to look loi •mother job. Five years ago the boy was struck on the head and stunned by a large stone, which tell Item a clilL Ho hr,d not complained of the injury since, hut, in consequence ol the extraoiumat v circumstances of his death, witness thought the incident should bo mentioned. lie felt sure that the boy had no intention of taking Ins own < - bal.lv something ho had read, or hen (t, hr.;! Caused him. with boyish curios, y i;1 arrange a cord to sea the effect, null be failed to recover his leat. ' The verdict was that his death was due to hanging, the Coroner adding that there was no evidence to _ snow whether the ease was one ot simnL was due to the deceased’s rehearsing an act he lnd read ahout or seen at a picture show. No suspicion w-lmteiei \as attached to any person in con.uition with the m-currence.