DOMINION ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 June 1925, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS

[by TELEGRAPH—PER PRESS ASSOOi.ATICIN

RAILWAY TIMBER CHARGES. WELEIXGTOX. June 21. Saw-millers are opposed to the increased rates on timber in the revised railway tarilf, and talk of holding a conference to enter a protest. They claim it amounts to 23 per t out, and is to the advantage of imported timber. while the railways will lose

through a less quantity being carried. Or the other hand it is calculated that the average addition to the cost Per house only mentis Cti sterling. LORRY DESTROYED BY FIRE. ELTHAM, June 23. Petrol which was being poured into n tank of a two-ton lorry at Eltham. yesterday, suddenly exploded, and hurst into flames. The owner of the. lorry, Fred Robinson, of Elthain. who was in the cab. was burned severely about the arms ami face before lie could jump from ihe cal>. The lorry was immediately enveloped in flames, and if burned for hours. Robinson being unable to attempt to save the truck, as no water was available. .Mails from the hark country and packages were saved. bit! ihe lurry was practically destroyed. N.Z. UNIVERSITY EDUCATION. WELLINGTON, June 21

The University Commission sits at Wellington tu-morrow. The Chief Justice will lie unable tn attend, hut. he Inis submitted a written statement, w herein he comments dcprcca t iugly on the fact that the Commission is composed of men from outside New Zealand. Eur the past lorl.y-live years the New Zealand system ha- been for-

mulated as the result of the investigations of a special commission. The present lacilities for University education should surely he known to the Ed ilea t ion I lepartlilen t. Sir Robert Stout does not think the present Commissioners can furnish any aid to the betterment of the existing system. Professor AlacAlillan-Brown. now on route to Honolulu, writes lengthily, criticising the proposal to substitute lour separate universities for the present federal system, which provided the surest means of insuring competition without arousing hostility. Without competition there could he no ] regress, a recognition of which fact had led to the appointment of examiners in England. He euuld not see how the present matriculation system eiiulit he superseded with any advantage. N.Z. FLAX. MAY ('< ).M I’ETE WITH COTTON. WELLINGTON. June 21. The question el whether Ni w Zealand llax i- capable ol producing fibre with cotton-like spinning qualities has been for mans years in the minds of Haxmillers ol this country. While it remains to be seen whether siieli a fibre would stand tin to tin* strain imposed in cotton thread goods, some

progress has been made in that an invention has been e.-rteeted for the production of fibre. Airs Hcdbery. of MVllington, is the inventor of a process whereby the l!a\ fibres that are prodmed by the present methods of stripping and am hing are broken up into liner tin.'lids varying according to the quality of the leaf. from, roar-e ml((ills In the I i in’s I silk. The staple is longer than 11 • ■ American or Egyptian. The process |s simple and it the finished iiroducl is found suitable lor many pui po.-es whereto i-oltott is apnlied, one of the must important industries may be established. The cost of raw eolton is now -o high that ihe New Zealand iiax ptodui t should be able to rotunele Sliiirvful iy with this Milieu substitute in the supply ot raw material lor the textile ma mi I art it ring i milts t rv. EOI'XD DEAD. .NAPIER. June 21. A married man named Ross, with lii'n children, a. shepherd, employed at Pal.nvhai uut - found dead. Suicide is suspected. CYRENA WRECK ENQUIRY. A COMPLETE EXONERATION. WAXGAMT. June 21. In connection with the stranding ol the (Arena the ('curt's finding was given this morning, after a prut ranted sitting and very exhaustive enquiry. The finding was a complete exoneration of Captain Patterson and liis officers, and aLo Caiilaiu .Mclntyre (liai'liiiur master) and the harbour nlfieials. The Court held that I lie accident was due to a narrow hank caused by a submerged lug, which was deemed to he an Act of God. The ( oiirt intimated that its derision was unanimous. ('i)sls were allowed to the .Master ol" the Cyicua and pilot. A ROEG 11 TRIP. GISBORNE. June 21. The schooner Elsie Alary reports during 1 I days passage from Auckland she encountered a cyclone of tremendous force. Huge waves swept the vessel and threatened to engulf her but shelter was eventually obtained at East Cape.