DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 September 1925, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by telegraph—per press association.] A COM PAR ISON. AIR COATES .MAKES A STATEMENT. WELLINGTON, September 17. When South Island members raised with the Prime .Minister a number of questions generally affecting the South Island they did not refer to the completion Ot the South Island Alain Trunk, a- recently the matter had Loon the sill ject of representations, lint Al.r Coates, at the end of the deputation to-day, volunteered a statement : •• I want you to remember.'’ fie said. ■' that it is 100 miles more by sea anil train via I’ictnn to Christchurch than by sea to Lyttelton, and il would cost lor a lir'l-class passage without -.looping accommodation 17s Id more, or with sleeping berth L'l 12s Id more, via I’ielon. The.-e are ascertained figures." The .Minister added that he had had the Progress League’s figures investigated, hut the figures he had quoted could not lie denied in regard to passengers. When they came to goods, it ran into about l"2 tier ton. Air Armstrong suggested that the Government had to consider people who had no means of transit on t lie present railway gap. The Minister replied that il one had half a dogeii settlers, say at Kawhia. would they lie justified asking for LTjflO.titK) on a railway to give them an outlet 9 This might he an exaggeration. but it was the point. Air Sidey remarked that the deputation had not raised the question as a previous deputation had done so, lint members were glad that the .Minister was looking into the matter. Air Coates said that the Government was certainly considering the whole question. It was a matter ol great moment when certain lug railway works were finished what should lie gone on with next. They were, getting out the figures in regard to projected works, so that the public could see them and judge ot the relative importance of what remained to he

done. POULTRY INDUSTRY. WELLINGTON. September 17. "Owing to the high price ol wheat for fowls, the poultry industry is threatened with ruin." nllirincd Mr Witty in the Mouse today. " \ cry little wheal lias been sown in the I >nmiuion and poultry lattners had to pa\ Is nor luishe! more lor rubbish than millers have to pay for wheat for gristing, while bran and pollard is ot) nor cent more than it was last year. Yesterday fowl wheat was in request at •Christchurch at is -Id a bushel, whilst milling wheat was selling at Os 8(1, Can lit- .Minister of Agriculture not assist 11:*• poultry industry liv rodueiiin the tirieo or allowing poultry Inrmers to Imy milling wheat lor their fowls at ordinary

The Minister ol Agriculture replied : | believe the hulk of the wheal in the country i- milling wheat held by merchants on li'lnilt of millers, and if tbov dispose of that at milling prices 1 hey are disposing "1 part ol thcii allocation, which is to carrv them through until next harvest. I here is really no poultry wheat in the Dominion. or very little, ami what thete is, is only rubbish. Mnvovvr. 1 am now st inlying the nvitter. Poultry farmers are much in the same position as tlie general public. Last season we had to import a large nuautity "I wheal, and it looks as il next year the bulk of w heat will have to he imported, tint h lor Hour, and toi poultry purposes, and what the price is going to he no one can tell at I lie pres-ut

VITA I. BTATISTK .-. WELLINGTON. September 17. Vital statistics for August, gazetted to-day. show that the total births registered lor urban areas amounted to 987 as against 10.51) in .Inly, a decrease of (>9. Deaths in August were 579. a decrease ot 2t as compared with the previous month, til the total deaths males contributed 3it! and lemales 203. Seventy-four of llio deaths were of children under five years ol age. being 12.78 per cent of the whole number. Kilty-four of these were under one year of age.

TIIORNDON INFANT MURDERED

WELLINGTON. September 19. The infant: found at the Thorndon railway station is believed to have been murdered as it was lound to hate received a blow on the hack of the skull. SCHOONER REFLOATED. GISBORNE. September 10. The schooner War Lord after lying nn Opoutama Reach since oth July ot last year, was successfully teflon ted yesterday afternoon. A BURGLAR. GISBORNE. September 10. The premises of Muirhead. cycle dealer, were burglariously entered and eighty pounds in cash, including Utw lodge funds, were taken. WATERING MILK. ASHBURTON. Sept, Id At the Police Court to-day, Leslie Holland and Cecil Moriarty. Holland’s employee, were charged with selling milk not up to the required standard. One sample showed 21 per cent, of add,,l water, and another ten. Both denied water, hut Holland gave evidence that Moriarlv had told him lm had done so. Moriarty was lined £Di and costs £ 1 19s; and Holland £2O and •osts C! IDs.

STALLION’S DEATH. AUCKLAND. Sept, IS. The stallion Archeston dropped dead at To Rapa to-day. NLIMA’S DISCLAIMER. AUCKLAND. Sept. 18. Nophi. after reading a newspaper ■ ■lipping of the cablegram from London, -hmed the following statement, in the oresoic oof Messrs W. E. Hornig. A. (\ Kittn and E. McKenzie, members of Hie New Zealand Rugby Union: ■ •With reference to the cutting. 1 deny that I have been in communication with the Hull League Club, and 1 hereby state that I have no intention of aiming a League Club or of playing the League code.”

INFANT’S BODY FOUND. TIM ART". Sept. 18. The tidjourned inquest into the death of a male infant, the Indy of which was found in the rubbish tip at Patiti Point on August Bth. was continued to-dav before the District Coroner. Mr E. D. Moseley. Senior-Ser-,reant Falicv conducted the case for the police and Mr L. E. Finch represented Agnes Elizabeth Manson. After hearing the evidence the Coroner returned an open verdict, there being nothing to show how death had t omo nl»out. Acno- ElizaKnh Mnnsnn was then ■ barged that on or about July fiOtli. at Timnru. she disposed of the body ,f a dead male child with intent to conceal the fact that- she was the mother of the child. Accused was remanded until Wert, nesdav next bail being allowed, self in £IOO and one surety of £IOO.