DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 April 1925, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

[iiT TELEGRAPH—PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

BANK'S HANDSOME DONATIONS. AUCKLAND, April 22

Mr Bankart. President of the Auckland Savings Bank Trustees, stated at the meeting to-day that the amount for carrying forward as the result of a surplus for the year of JDGO.o-ffj and £5939, brought forward, was £66,197. The Directors decided to donate a further sum of £12..590 to lhe War Memorial Museum funds; also £IO9O to the Auckland Sailors’ Home.

LICENSES SUSPENDED. AUCKLAND. April 22. Mr Poyiitou. S.M. suspended for a year the licenses of two motorists charged with excessive speeding.

FaTOX AND K A KARO STILL IDLE. AUCKLAND, April 22. The watorsiders to-day refused lo work at discharging the steamer Exton loaded with basic slag. Owing to the demands for extra pay being declined, the Kakitpo also remains idle. STATE FORESTS. NEW RECORDS CREATED. ROTORUA,- April 20. During the past year, the State Forestry Department created a new record for the Empire in its planting operations. The total area planted was 10.9:52 acres, as against I.'IST acres planted in 1921. The total area of the State plantation:' is now (52,'7'i acres. These facts were contained in the opening address of the Commissioner of State Forests, Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, at the fourth annual conference of the executive officer:; ol the Slate Forest Service at Wliakarewarewa. Rolortia. 10-chiv.

‘'ln forest lire prevention, a new level of efficiency has been crefited,” added Sir Heaton, "which is due large I v to loyal public co-operation, and to the creation of fire districts. The losses over 1235 acres ol State

forest property during the year were approximately only CHI.” Dealing with the income and revenue of the Department, the Commissioner said that the total rec eipts .1 rom all sources were over L'l-COJItI.). as compelled will, <>'s(l(l .for logo. The total charges for the past year were approximately £140.090, while Cm. 009 was applied to the creation of new limber plantations and other lorestry works ol a permanent capital character. 4 lie surplus will be devoted lo paving allocations to local bodies for road improvements in Lhe forest districts, and to the formation of additional plantation .. "It will thus he seen.” added (be sp-.-al-.er, "that forestry in this country is again aide to pay its way and produce a hands.line dividend. A VIOLENT RANSKNGF.iI. CHRISTCHURCH. April 22. James Morton, r.. seaman, was charged before Captain R. Hatch well. J.R., and Mu F. Knights. J.R.. at Lyttelton yesterday with wilfully breaking a pane of glass, valueu 12s (id, a oooi lock valu 'd Bs. and a pair of handcuffs valued Bs. of at total value of £1 8s Oil, the property of the Union .Steam Ship Company. Accused pleaded not guilty.

Captain Cameron, master ol the ferry steamer Wahine, gave evidence that at eleven o’clock on Monday night he was informed that a steerage passenger had been threatening to stab anotli r passenger if lie did not give up bis money and gear. AY; men and children bad h-conie frmhlcnod and witness

gave ili-triietions to lock the aecii ed up in the bathroom. Accused broke the first pair of handcuffs against the door of the bathroom, mid a lurtlier pail' 1 1 ad to bo placed in him. Alf red Seott-Cell. f n'C-mibiii sfowj,,d. stated that lie was present most of t.hc time when lhe su-ru-cd was being locked up. Tile accused lougbi desjoriitelv when being placed in lb" l tl-1 bearing Ibe bn-aKin" <• .dass lie went into Ibe lull broom and found tile accus'd in a very excited state. Accused: Hew do you know it was me that broke the winnow ! The areu-ed admitted that lie was (trunk hut did not know anything about demanding money from anybody. The police - lilted that all they knew ;il,out licensed was that he had s.i.< , twenty-one days' imprisonment. «l Wellington previously. The Bench indicted a line of £lO. m default two months' imprisonment. \ further charge of travelling on

the ferry steamer without first paying his fare was withdrawn. ’I be pole e stated that bad tlm accit-vd explained before that lie was travelling mi another man’s ticket the charge, would not have been brought. CAR DROPS EIKTY KEKT. OAMARC, April 22. A car occupied by Phillip Hudson, son <»f Arthur Hudson. Dunedin, and a woman named RuLlierim'd from ( sham, was precipitated over a hltv foot bank near Kurow. The woman was seriously injured. There is m> sign ot 1 Unison. THEET OK A MAI I- PAG. PALMERSTON X.. April 22. The disappearance from Mangooue in March, l!(2t. of a mail hag contents valued at Cl HO. the property of the Government, resulted in tbe appearance of two young men, Douglas. Gordon Hollis and William Robb, on separate charges of theft at the Police Court toclay. The ease against l!oll'«s was takea first. Evidence was .-riven that. on March 8 last year, a mail hag made up at Arepeti for Shannon < ontnined three re-d.stored letters, in one of wlueb was 'remit tame of CBMb A motor lorry driver at Maugaliao received the bag, between I and I,H 0 p.m. that day. lie garaged his lorry at Mangaonc, with the bag still in d- ( Detective Russel gave evidence lluu he saw Hollis at the Central Police Station at Sydney on March 2, hist. The accused made a statement averring that on March 0, 1921, after partaking of supper late that evening, :mnh, E. IVelc. r.ad himself went down to the Power House, where they saw a mail ha"- Robb suggested that they should take the mailbag. Poole (accused) fused to have anything to do with the matter. They returned to their bubs. Later Robb suggested that he and 1m: accused should open the bag. Hmwas done. They bad abstracted bannotes, but not postal notes. The accused pleaded guilty and wacommitted for sentence at the Supreme in the case against Robb, Hollo .give evidence that be and Robb, at Du ratter's instigation, went to the gar ; ;-ge, and took tlie mail bag Flu postal notes and letters were put one. but bank notes were taken. The mcne; I was divided, half and ball. 'J h °, ‘! lowing Saturday, witness lett tor Evil NOW , Frederick Cadmnn, who li«d worker > with Robb at Maugaliao. said tha - some time after March be had met th t accused in Wellington, the latter say s ing that he and Hollis had taxon ; mail bag and bad shared the money. I The police gave evidence that the a< cuscd admitted in a statement shiftin the position of the bag in the garnp and denied taking it. a Accused pleaded not guilty and >is 1 committed to the Supreme Court U trial.