DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 September 1925, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[BY TELEGRAFII —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

INCOME TAX CASE

WELLINGTON, September 2A. ( barges of wilfully furnishing lulsc returns of income were made apainst .John (,)uirk, proprietor of the (Jrotna Hotel, Taihape. Defendant pleaded guilty to negligence, hut denied intent to defraud. It "'as stated that the informations covered the periods HtlO to lO'il. Defendant in 1020

pave his income as 2 0(72, whereas it was ttdiill. The amount paid m tax was Clift instead of 22373. It was alleged that the total returns were 28>373 less than they should have been, ami the deficiency m tax was 2202:1. Defendant had admitted the correctness of the figures. 'Hie deficiency had decreased in latter years. It'was said that defendant was lucky in bell m*', which w;is not inoonn*.

I'm- the defence it was urged that defendant was a man of probity, held i,, hod) esteem. Defendant, now had adopted a proper system ol keeping hihooks, IL‘ had stink a pleat deal ol m, nev that would never rise again. He had not a high standard of education. His payments off a loan made to him for the purchase ol the hotel were incorrectly entered. He had not made anything like the profits alleged. When i i- figures were challenged, detendanl had asked lor the fullest, investigation. so confident was 1 the honesty of Ills position. A public accountant said detendanl had no knowledge ol bookkeeping. The Magistrate: Weren't the acts ol negilgenee in his layout' ' Witness: It is difficult to -ay. No proper hooks were kept. Depreciation ot the property had not been allowed for hy defendant. The .Magistrate reserved his decision, lie said he was unlikely to convict defendant of wilful intent. MOTOR COLLISIONS. WANG AN El. September 2>. In a reserved judgment in a motor collision case. I'erpilson v. Oldfield, ol Marion. Sir Robert Stout made interesting reference to defendant being mi the wrong side ol the road wlam he turned a corner iust hetore the collision took place. Ills Honour went on to state: " 1 have said on previous occasions that 1 think it is a pity the law as tu motor accidents should not he the same as the law in connection with Admiralty accidents, namely, that where two parties are concerned and both are guilty ol negligence the total damages ot both should he added together ami each should pay hall. I hat is the Admiralty rule in the province ol Ontario Canada. That rule has been passed into law so that the Admiralty rule is I,ill,,wed in eases of road accidents in Ontario. I think it a pity that the rule was not adopted in New Zealand. The number of motor-ear accidents, and ,q serious accidents in New Zealand is very great. There i.- hardly a week passes without a serious ami fatal accident through motor driving, and ti would he a good thing to have thatl rule apply, that if belli parties are to blame damap.es should he paid ha 11 hy each.

"A driver has the right to cross a mam road, hut where there is any possibility at all of collision it is the hti-i nv-s of the person on the -id" mad to give way to the person on the main mad." I li- Honor believed that a rule 11" *ll - tinned of Lon! Dunedin in Scottish cases, bail been Inllnwed in some ot the cii ip- of New Zealand, whereby I radii tu the siil" city streets has to give wav to i raHie in the mam street -. TAXI-DRIVER VICTIMISED. WELLINGTON. September 2Y .Mr Orr-Walkcr. S.M.. described as contempt ill le the action of \ onion Linkhnrn and Myrtle Summerville, who I ratidlllcnt ly obtained taxi hire. The male accused, who had a house in the country, in company with the woman, hired a taxi and when lie arrived at his destination, said he had no money, lie pave what purported to he an order to the driver, who, however. was never paid. The Magistrate -aid both accused, who had hoen before i lie Court for various ojl'cnces. the

man for bigamy', laid committed a very mean act. which be intended to punish. The male accused was sentenced to i imprisonment for a month and the le- | male for fourteen days. DIH'N'KEX MUTOIt-mtlVEIt. NEW PI.YMIH Til. Sept. A sequel to a recent motor accident, wbcii n motor-cyclist. was knocked down and injured by a motor-car driven by Ronald Brooklyn Gray, farmer of Oka to, was the ;ippearanre of Gray in four! to-day on a charge ol being drunk while in charge ol a car. Ibe car struck I lie cyclist and then run over the footpath, smashed the brickwork of a butcher's shop and ended its career in the gutter. Gray was lined L'otl and bis motor license was camelled. and tile Magistrate recommended the authorities not to grant a license for live years. Gray was also charged with dangerous driving and obtaining liquor while prohibited. I!m lir>t charge was withdrawn, and lie was convicted and discharged on the second. Rl 10DEri SCI lOTA RSI 11 IS. WELLINGTON. Sept. An announcement trom London states that l lie value of the Rhodes Scholarships is to be increased Iron) £3lO to £-100 a year, to meet vacate'' expenses and the added cost of living. A ITNERAL. WAIIIOA. Sept. 26. Tim funeral of the later Mr h. \. iggnlden. one of the victims ol the I o Ante railway sina-h, look place late yesterday and was the largest ever | seen :il Wail-on. ti-nlying m the high esteem wherein the deceased was held. - - RARANGA ARRIVES. IHNRHIX. Sept. 2* >. The Shaw Kavili lim r Ratanv.i arrived direct from London. There is no participation in the shipping strike, because the men signed articles at Home under the new agreement, some days alter the old one expired.