DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 December 1925, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

BY TII.EGBAPB —PRESS AiSN , OOPYRIdHT BENZINE FATALITY. TK IvUITT, December 31.

The police only yesterday were notified of an accident whereby a .Maori child met her death while two others were burned, one seriously. Three children were playing on the road at Malionenui, thirty miles from To Kiliti, and found a tin containing two inches of benzine. Thinking it water, they placed it on a lire In boil, and a violent explosion occurred. One. aged 10. sustained frightful injuries and died next day. and another was brought into the Te Kuiti hospital yesterday and is in a serious eoudition. The third is making a good recovery.

At the inquest yesterday, the Coroner brought in a verdict of accidental death, adding a rider that motorists should exercise more care in leaving benzine about,.

.MANUKA’S FIRE. DUNEDIN, December .31. Four rams smothered in the Manuka fire were insured for CSflO sterling. They were shipped at Bluff to he transhipped to Wellington for Argentine. The strut-!ionnl damage to the vessel is practically nil. Several hales of Max were soaked by water and cases containing motor chassis charred hut with no damage to the vehicles. The -Manuk:! is expected to sail to-day. Over fifty passengers for .Melbourne hooked ni Wellington were transferred to the Mura run which sailed 11 j imorning. Some l.vtteltoii passengers went bv rail.

A SUICIDE. BLENHEIM. Dec. 31. Allen Lawson, BS, of Wellington, was drowned in Drvden Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound on Tuesday. Deceased went out alone in a diiieliy and the boat was lound drifting with a coat and hat. Letters in the pocket showed an intention to commit suicide. The body was not recovered. "NE YEAR’S GAOL. RIVEN IT EIM, Dee. .31. Harrt Rodgers, a stranger, who walked to Blenheim from Nelson, was a week ago .sentenced to seven days’ gaol for obscene language. Within a lew hours of his release he was again arrested on a more serious charge of wilfully and obscenely lexposing his person in a public place. He was sortfenced to one year’- hard labour. BRITISH FILMS.

ATTACK ON U.S. MONOPOLY. SYDNEY. December 2d. It is expected that the Government will earnestly attack the American film monopoly early in the New Year for the purpose of stimulating the production of British pictures. It is more than likely that the Government will insist on (he compulsory inclusion in all program.mes of If) per rent of British films, with the object of increasing the industry’s development.

It is also expected that the existing voluntary censorship will lie replaced by a compulsory one. which will he an important difference, as the l committee’s original scheme, providing for the compulsory screening of certain British films, was rejected l>v a small majority. Exhibitors will now he asked to submit further proposals.