DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 September 1925, Page 2

DOMINION ITEMS.

(BY TEEEUEiPH—PEE PRESS ABBOCIATJON.] IHB EE MONTHS HARD. ASIIBI I!ToN. Sept. 11. Oil a charge ol keeping liquor for sale. James Oliver Scott, was sentenced io tlure months haid labour. MOTOR FATALITY. STRATFORD, September 11. A young man, Arthur George Sang-,-ter, was found dead under a motorcar on the Fast Road this morning. The car had evidently skidded oftdily in a soft place and overturned. WA ITR ESSES ON STRIKE. MICLBOCRNE. September 11. About two thousand waitresses employed at the railway cafes decided to strike as a protest against the- report of the newly appointed supervisor, wherein he stated that they were lazy and inefficient and should be replaced i!] many instances. I lie waitresses are demanding the supervisor’s dismissal?

THE AYAIKATO SEAT. HA.AI TETON. Sept. 11. Air Stewart Reed, the Reform candilate for the AA’aikato seat, opened his ampaign and was well received. He at limited that lie would give general aippori io the Government, tint would •onsider all questions from a National ■ather than from a party aspect. Ho xas accorded a vote of thanks and conidetlee.

A SLANDER ACTION. HAMILTON. Sept. 11. In an action for slander £3oo damages being claimed by an architect. Archibald MacDonald. against Alexander AlaeF.wan. retired farmer. The action arose out of a statement allegedly circulated by AlacEwau to the elft'cl that. AlacDonald. who was architect for defendant's house, which east over £3OOO. had not carried out his duties faithfully and that he had "pinched" certain material. The Jury awarded three hundred damages.

BEER-DRINKING ORGIES. DUNEDIN, Sept. 10,

Tales of beer-Urinkiitg orgies among the young male population of Taliukopa were unfolded in the* Alagisstrate's Court at Owaka yesterday, when Francis Daniel Smith, a bushman. was charged with keeping liquor for sale between June 1 and August 31. Similar charges were made against. Hugh M '(’aim and AYilliain Anderson, but alter the hearing of the first these were adjourned. Evidence showed that large swags of liquor were brought into the town, and 18-gallons kegs were consumed at a sitting, this, according to counsel for the defence, being practically the oi l lv form ot amusement but a weekly phi, ,1-0 show- am! two billiard available. Counsel also doserilietl" Taltaknpa as the last of the frontier towns.

After lengthy evidence the Magistral,. pointed out that tin- onus was on defendant to satisfy the Court that the liquor was not for sale, and lie had succeeded in doing this. All the same the evidence -Imwed a low state of affairs at Taliakona and apparently all that voting men there bad to do for amusement was to get together and drink. The ease would be dismissed. The police were given hove to appeal.

DIRECTOR OF EDBCATTON. AA'ELLINGTON. Sept. Kb A request that the Director of Education. Mr J. Caughloy. should be sent abroad in order to investigate the prolv-li-nis of education was made to Air Coates yesterday by a deputation of members of the Cornu il of Education. They pointed out that the Education cte was In the vicinity of three and a half millions a year. I hey (lid not grudge the money for education, but they' wanted to be assured that they were getting the liesi value for flux money'spent. The only way do * ■ bat was to send the head of the Education Department to other countries to see what was being done there, and ascertain whether improvements could lie effected. j

Mr Coates said it was not a matter lor him 1 deal with, but tor the Minister of Education. There might Wo some difficulty in letting the head ot the Department away. 11 the Minister thoughi le- could not do without the 1 n::• r< l i the Department that would sot tie It. If lie. could arrange for someone else to go, so much the bet-

ter. He took it that Sir James Parr was conversant with the position and he would discuss il with him.

IMPUTATION OF DISCOURTESY BLENHEIM. Seplemlier 11. An imputation ol discourtesy was made against the Prime Minister at a. meeting of the Marlborough County Council. The Chairman. Mr T>. MeCallum. described to the Council tho treatment accorded a recent deputation on the subject of the Public Works grants. Councillor H. J. Staco referred to the attitude adopted by the Premier towards the Railway Deputation. when, he said, considerable indignation had been aroused by Mr Coates’s autocratic hearing.

"It seems.” said Cr Staee, “that we don’t even get common courtesy from him. and surely we are entitled tu that. It secm.s to me that some of hi- .officers are taking their cue from him also, and they treat us in the same inconsiderate manner.” One sneaker said a most desirable thing would he a separate Government for tile Smith Island. The South Island might then receive some consideration.

N.Z. WHEAT SHORTAGE. CHEISTCfH'RCH. Sept. 11. Discussing the price of lho 192.5-20 wheat crop, at a meeting of tin* South Canterbury executive of the Farmers’ Fniou, 10-dav. Mr J. Trotter. Member of the Wheat- Board, expressed the opinion that the growing crop will U“! '■ ii Jd more than three* million bushel-, and that there will he a shortage of at leasl four million bushels. The meeting agreed that the farmers could not he blamed for the shortage in. the area -own, which was due solely B> the continuous wet weather having prevented the farmers getting on the land, and it is -till doing so.

CTRL IMMIGRATION. CHIHSTCHCRCII. Sept. 11. Arrangements have been made f<> extending to girls the benefits ol tin New Zealand Sheep Owners Aeknmv h-dg nf Debt te British Scamei Fund, and to bring out to the Do minim l , a number of girls who are t< lie trained for work on tin* land. Foi the training of girl-, the trunees ol the Fund are purchasing a property near Palmerston North for entiversioi into an establishment like Findilmi-". Control of the scheme will lit undertaken by the Young Women’; Christian Association, which will liavi the trustees of the fund behind it ii financial and advisory capacity. Do finite arrangements to this end went made by the I Inn. Edward Newman Chairman of the Directors of the Fund and Mr T. 11. I.ees. Managing Director during a visit to Christchurch. So fai as i- po--iblc. the girls selected will b< sisters of the bov- already chosen foi training at Flock House. They will he given -ix months’ training in sttcl: tiling- a- domestic work, milking, gardening. beekeeping, poultry, farming and other such as lan/l-girls need t< know. 'Then thev will Ik* placed a‘ M Olliers’ Help- if possible on the farm* and -tat ant- where their brothers arc apprenticed. The idea i- to so train the girl- that when the time come? for tie 1 hoy- to start on their own the girl- can start with them as partners, reeving from the trustees of the fund nssistanee similar to that given to the Levs, or of the grl- who marry. they will I*** efficient turmwives. It i- proposed to -tart the -i-heme by bringing out od girls tier year, at the rate of about 12 every three months.