DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 September 1925, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

| BY TELEGEiFE —FEU PRESS ASSOCIATION.] MR RONAYNE KILLED. WESTPORT, Sept. 7. Tiuimas Rona.vne. an ex-general manager of the Xev. Zealand Railways, while crossing in a aerial bucket at the Clydcvale mine. Seddonville. this morning. tipped mil and lel 1 fifty teet n> the rocks below, being killed instantly. In eonipan.v with other directors lie was going to inspect the Clydcvale mine. They decided to travel by tln> aerial tramway tubs. When about half way across it. began to rain very heavily, and the deceased attempted to cover his head with a sack. Afr Quinn, the mine manager, called out to him to desist, hut apparently lie was not heard. The sack apparently caught the pin wheel which releases the tub. causing it to tip. and the deceased was thrown out. falling 25 feet, landing on his head and fracturing his skull. He was dead when picked up. An inquest, was held at Seddonville to-night, when (he following verdict was ivturnod : “That the deceased died on the 7th. Sept, at Seddonville. deceased having accidentally released the bucket in which he was riding on the aerial tramway, and had l-eon precipitated to the ground, fracturing his skull. ROSTAR VAX OX LIMITED.

XOT PKAOTK'ARLE. WKRRRXOTOX. September -I. A few days ago an overseas steamer arrived in Auckland with mails for Wellington and the South. Members of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce thought it should have been possible to have attached a postal vail to the “ l.imited” express and so enable the mail to have reached Wellington next morning.

.Mr Rodie, of the railways commercial brunch, pointed out that in the lir-t place the steamer only arrived an hour or so he fore the "Rimited” left, and it was not possible to transfer the mails; secondly, that the "Rimifod ” is real I v limited, and can-

not carry more carriages or vans or more passengers than those provided for in the train schedule. The fastest engines are on the train, hut il the load is increased either in the number of passenger.-, or by the addition ol a postal van or other ear. it will reduce the speed of the train, which will not be aide lo mainlain the required speed, thus dislocating the time-table and inleriering with the general miming. Therefore, to run mails on the "l.imited" was not pt'aci ieahle. BRITISH MOTOR! TRADE. WKRRIXOTOX. Sept. I. The office of 11. M. Trade Commissioner has received advice irom Home regarding the elfoef of the rcimposilion of Hie British import duties upon mo-tor-ears. amounting to 331 per cent., which were removed a year ago. The result lias heen a. general leeling ol buoyancy and conlidem e in the trade. Continental manufacturer-- do not diguise their alarm, with one important exception, in which ease the manufacturer ha-, stated that the principal object of import duties is to raise Home prices, and in those cireuntslmice-. lie hopes slill to find an entry into the I’niled Kingdom market. S'" far from Ibis being the ease, several Rrili'h manufacturers lia'.e already announced red net ions in their home prices, in ant ieipai ion of the duties, w hile arrangemenl s for extended production are being made which '.il! prohahlv eause another general cut in prices oil next season's models.

Tile effect of this increased production will undoubtedly I"- a reduction in the price of British models in New Zealand, and a justification ot Hie principle of protect ion which may lead to a logical extension.

S.S. \YAIRUXA BROKEN DOWN. AUCKLAND. September 7. Advice has been received I hi- evening that the steamer Wnihcnm was alongside the Wniruna. at one o’clock this afternoon, and expects to arrive at dnvbrenk on Wednesday with the Wainimi in tow. S.S. KENT’S CARGO. ACCKRAND, September 7. The discharging of the damaged cargo from the .'learner Kent was continued over Saturday and Sunday. Ol the 17)00 tons of cargo which No 2 hold contained, a large quantity was totally destroyed. The debris is being thrown on to a barge, and the rubbish will he taken to sea. Any cargo which may he saleable is being slacked on the wharf in a shed.

The damaged cargo consists of all kinds of merchandise. Some is so badly burned as to he hardly recognisable. The discharging of the cargo is slow, and it will probably lake all tin's week to omptv No 2 hold.

Tim 10-1 of the salvage work will he very heavy, as the waterside workers’ wanes will run into a goodly sum. They are koine: paid 7s (id per hour for this work from K a.m. to 5 p.m. and 11s ltd per hour from G p.m. 1" I*' P- m - Yesterday being Sunday. they were paid Ins per hour. Hi .lit through for a full week id seven days the wattes of each man will total £ 111 IPs. Whether all the damasred cargo will he discharged at Auckland from Nos. 3. 2 and .3 holds has not yet keen decided. siirxTixc; fxqitry. PAh.MKIiSTOX x.. Sept. 7. \t the Railway Tiepiiry the following evidence was given; Chief Foreman Shinkwiii. tlte Department's representative, called De-teetive-Sergeant Quirke. who des posed

to investigations a- to hes of goods from railways sheds tit various times. The police would have been helpless without the assistance ot the toreman and of Foreman Sweeney particularly. Siunahnon Coo. Newton gave technical evidence, and suggested improvements to the yards. The last witness to-day was John Joseph Osh. Stationmaster. who said the deceased shunter. Carmichael, was above the ordinary in intelligence, and would not have allowed tin- Forem.-i to h:ira--s him without protest. X-’-ne had boon made to witness. Foreman Do P.o'ti. in witness's opinion, was m no way responsible for the fatality. After careful inquiries he was unable to find cvidciii e of any simmer being kil'e.i itt Palmerston North tor twentylive years prior to two recent fatalities. It was incorrect for one previous witness to state that an average of -IP 0 waggon- went through the yard daily. The exact average was 11G3. Witness always gladly received iteeommendations. and had told the men he would adjust local matters, if possible, or otherwise refer them to the District

Manager. He believed the reason for the attitude of the staff at present was their losing the 44-hour week, and extra night rates. At no station, except Wellington, on special occasions, were there three qtialiiied men in a gang. Witness admitted receiving two complaints from the .shunters about the harassing methods of the foreman. An interesting test was made at the railway during the day, when it v.f onml that a rake of waggons with one brake down attained a speed of ],? miles an hour. The test was made as a test- of the statement of Foreman Sweeney that in such eireuinsianees a shunt could not attain more than three miles an hour, and of various other witnesses that 2d miles could he rea i, od. Ihe inquiry was adjourned. CRUELTY TO I |()RSF.s GISBORNE. Sept. 7. Him Raen.ga, manager of a Maori estate, who had left twenty-five native horses tor weeks in a paddock without sufficient food and water, several dying from starvation, was lined the maximum amouni of £2O at the Police Court to-dav.

11 AID OX OIII.XAM AX'st WHISKY DRXKDRX. Sept. 7.

Ihe police to-day raided a Chinese markets gardener's premises at .Milton and took possession of six bottles of wliiskv. !( is understood that a charge will he preferred against the accused at Milton on Kiday. MOTOR CYCLISTS IXJRRKI). Through a collision between a motor cycle and tranieiir on Saturday nigbl. -John Rirko, 2d. and Hugh Oraham. 27, were rendered unconscious and taken to (ho hospital. They were double hanking and failed to negotiate a curve into Princess Street, sinking the ear head on. KXKXOWX MAX . WKRRRXOTOX'. Sept. 7. A man was found in an unconscious condition oil l.aniMon Quay, and was removed lo the [lospiial, where he now lies unidentified. His condition is serious, lie is of medium height, stout, with a full round face, dressed in a grey I weed sail, and wearing a blue trench overcoat, lie wears a medal presented to Private C. Tcary. on his return from the War. hv the residents of Pejnr. SAD MOTOR TRAC K DY. AUCKLAND. Sept. 7. Tragic ci.ruciiislancos surrounded flic death of Raymond Culhlierl I lullLngsliead. aged 22 months, this afternoon. The child was playing in the backyard of his home, when he was run over by a motor-lorry driven by his father. The engine of the lorry had not been running too well, and Mr I lollingsheud, while examining it. hacked the ear out of the. shed in which it stood, he fell a slight hump, and on descending ho found the child had been run over, and its head crushed. ,\i the inquest to-night, a verdict of accidental death was returned, no blame being attachable to anyone. C'RI'ERTY Tib HuRSES. IlAMfl/mX. Sept. 7. A farm manager named Kai'dilier was lined fifty shillings and costs at the Magistrate's Court for cruelty to animals. The evidence showed i lie defendant had entrained eleven horses in nue 11 nek at a. si at ion on t lie Rotorua line, lor transport to Raetilii. \\ hen the horses reached Krankton. one was dead, and two others were down, with lie remainder >t(Hiding on 1 hem. COACH TRAKKK STOPPED. GISBORNE. September A. For weeks past the coaches between (;i-.borne and Tolaga Ray have heen slogging through seas ol mud. and the journey of thirty-six miles has taken close on Twelve hours cadi day. The conditions have now reached a stage when further coaching is impracticable and resort is being had io paekliorses. The coaches have been stuck in Ihe mad for hours at a time, with the horses knocked up and the gear ruined. FOI'XD DIiAD. ACCKRAXD. September (i. George William West, a carpenter residing at Avondale, got out ol bed during the night and his wile lound him dead in the kitchen this morning. Gas was escaping from a tube alongside the body. Tile doctor was ol the opinion Hud West had been dead tor six or seven hour'. DKAD IN CAR. ACCKRAND. September 7,. At an inquest on Roy Morton I'nine's. who was found dead in his ear in the Domain on August 5. evidence was given that deceased had boon accustomed to take strychnine for his nerves, and llial he was a dispenser at a military hospital during the war and was therefore acquainted with the use of the drug. The Coroner said that 11 valence did not justify a verdict of suicide. \ TF.ST CASH. WELLINGTON. Sep. S. The Arbitration Court is hearing a , lain, under t lie Workers’ Compensation Act which is regarded as a test case. Mcßagnn. a Blackball miner, wlm had received compensation for injury. also claimed medical expenses. This was opposed mi the ground that ho was attended by tbe Miners Medical Association doctor, and had not incurred any actual expense. It was admitted that if the « hum succeeded, the money would go lo the Association and M. Rn-an • also that a largo sum was really involved in the decision. Th,, e:t--e is unfinished. POLITICS. AUCKLAND. Kept. 7. Sir .Rum's Parr announced at a moetjnjj- of has supporters vo-night that he would again contest the liden .-eat at tge general election. DRNF.IMX, Sept 7. \ large and enthusiastic meeting of Mr Sidey’s supporters at South que-tod him to again contest the seat. Mr Kidev promised an early reply.