DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 September 1925, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

,HY TiXEGH CI'II—PER PiSKSH ASSOCIATION*.] WAII'TA COM) AUREAL. Til K (OYYK.TIOXS QUASHED. Cl 11! ISTC'TI riiCTT. Sept . 11. Judgment was given in the Supreme Court by .Mr Justice Heed in the West ( oast, ease in which an appeal .tvs made by Patrick .1. O'Donnell, of Wiiinta. against John Francis "Downey. with a view to (plashing (lie two convictions hy (lie Warden at Grevnioiith recently, when I lie appellant was convicted and lined for two bronchos of the .Mining Acf. Mis Honour found that the Warden had power to imprison without, the option of line, but he should, have warned the Hocused of his statutory right lo a trial by jury. This warning was not given, and the Warden had, therefore no right to impose a penalty. The convictions were quashed. PENNY PORT AC E. AVETJJNCTOX. Sept. 1-1. The 'Postmaster-General, the Hon Sir James Parr made an interesting statement to-day respecting, the recovery of the poelnl revenue since the introduction of penny postage. The present trend of postal revenue is very interesting, he said. The first reduction in the 2d. letter rate had been to ltd. and subsequently it had emne down to ]d. The reduction in rates had been brought about for the public benefit, and ii- had been anticipated that there would he a fall in tile revenue. Ii was now interesting to notice how the revenue, after its sudden fall, was climbing hack again Inwards iho paint from which it dropled. In July last, the revenue failed hr 11111 v about 331300 to reach the amount received in the same moil 111 two years ago. when the letter rate line! been ltd. “1 am pleased to preill t." said Sir .lames, ••and with a great deal of iinilideiiee. (lint within a month or two. the revenue from postage. will have passed the figure at. which it stood when the rate was ltd.’’ GLOOMY WHEAT (M iI.DDK. ( lll!|S'|( lIFIUTI. September I I. Anv hopes ilia! limy have lingered regarding a heavy Miring; sowing of wheat hoiug |ms ihie in order i" overtake the small autumn sown area. have been ill i■-i I \ shattered hy a delogo during the past 1' hours. The prospeets wde gloomy enough when August arrived, as that month is late enough: lint the fiu-i that the tanners Were holding eed on hand, and that a certain aiimiml of eiiltiva tinn had taken place, in addition to which prims were certain In he oil a remunerative basis, encouraged a belief that if a few weeks' line weather s,.| in. ihe risk would he taken. However, the rain has been so consistent - the dry

spells being iif only a few days’ dura-tion—-and quite inadequate to allow the land In become workable- Unit the hopes became fainter as the days wore on. and the nresenl hursts puts the finishing touches mi those optimists who were prenared to take the risk of sowing as laie as nud-3epieuibei-. OAMAI’E. September 11. Heavy rain has been experienced in the count r\ during the last couple ol days, and this | ; as resulted in ilomls. which have cut oil trallie in various direct ions. Slips have occurred in places. and the settlers are having a trying time. ii is still raining heavily, and lurI her damage is expected. The prospects for a spring sowing of wheat are now very gloomy. Al’lMi ENTICER’ ACT. t nitisTcnriH ii. Re],t. ii. “ Employees mill apprentices must realise that they cannot go chopping ami changing round. Hie 1923 Apprentices Act stops all that-. I In-

this ease, the first of iis kind in the Dominion, will tie a public warning. Thus Mr If. V. Widdowson, S.AE. in ihe Magistrate's Court to-day. in inllietiug a line of £5 on a. youth who had left his eniploynienl hcloiv his term of apprenticeship was finished. The case was brought, by the Labour Department (represented by Mr A. E. While) against a boy. fl. I’. Joints, who left the employers he was apprenticed to. (Kiev and Son. Ltd., to join (lie employ of Hay anil Ostmni. Last week, llav and Osborn were lined £5 for employing the. hoy, and Joints paid £5 into Court.

Mr Widdowson said that, apparently rhe employers and the hoy had now (.(,iiie i.o their souses. This was the lirsi rase of the kind brought, in New Zealand. It was brought, under the Apprentices Act of 1923. ft. was as well that the members of the public should know of their obligations rn this respect. MOTOR VICTIMS. WELLINGTON. Sept. IE Those injured in motor accidents in Wellington during the week-end are reported to he doing as well as can he expected. AN INQUEST. CHRISTCHURCH. Sept. LI.

An iii'|ik-st. was livid to-day touching the death of Andrew Oifl'nev. son of Air- AT. Giffney. Orcymouth, who lost Ids life on Sunday when in company with two men named Gunn and Piedriehs. he was examining a Winchester repeating rifle, which was thought to tie unloaded, shooting OilTney dead. The Coroner. Air H. A". AViddowson. said the occurrence was one of those particularly sad ones, wherein people examined rifles without first ascertaining whether they were loaded. One wondered that people did not first see that the weapons they examined were not loaded. It was to he hoped that this would he a warning to people to he more careful. There was no doubt that the whole thing was on accident, and he sympathised with Dieilriehs in the less of his friend. He returned a formal verdict of accidental death.

DU OWNING ACCIDENT. DUNEDIN. Sept. 1-1. At the inquiry held into the disappearance ot Albert Norman 1 humpon, from the trawler Silver Crest, on August in Dunedin I [atbonr. the verdict was accidental drowning hv falling overboard. Deceased hoarded the trawler to go fishing in.the carle morning, and was later missed. It was ver\ dark at 'll.- time. NKI’DY AVAIt VICTIAIs. DUNT.DTN. Sept. 14. At a meeting ot the Otago Patriot te Welfare Association, it was stated that the committee had more to ■!•> now than previously. Aim who had gone to war with the Main Paly, ami of whom the eointnitue had i rcvcmiv heard tinihing. were now making application for relief. They . had broken down in health, and misfortunes had overtaken them through no fault of their own. the condition being due largely to strain and hardship.

S.S. KENT’S CARGO. AUCKLAND, Sept. IE At. the steamer Kent salvage wile, high prices were paid for garbardincs, dress materials, lace curtains, and sheeting, while cookery went cheaply. Three large cases of reels of cotton brought over £ls a case. A motor car in a sorry condition realised £25. PRISONS HOARD. WELLINGTON. Sept. 15. Sir Truby King has been appointed to the Prisons Board, in place of the late Doctor Hav.