DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 February 1926, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by TELEGRAPIT —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION I .] TIMBER SHORTAGE. AUCKLAND, Fob. 9. “I believe that within the next 30 years we shall bp fared with a world famine of soft woods,” said Sir Frank Heath to the Auckland Rotary Club yesterday. ‘‘The demand is constantly growing, America is making very slow progress in re-afforestation of her original magnificent forest lands, and Canada is doing no better. Tn 1934, for the first time in history, the United States brought over two shiploads of timber from, the Baltic. New Zealand, 1 am glad to see, is now taking forestry seriously, or, at all events, more seriously than Australia, hut there is no time to he lost. ‘‘The British Government is establishing a laboratory to cost £IOO.OOO at Oxford, which will work in collaboration with the leading forestry lalsoratorics of America and Canada. The collaboration of every part of ihe Empire- is needed if the work is to be entirely successful.”

ELECTION PETITIONS. WELLINGTON. Feb. 10. The hearing of the "Westland election petit ion is to commence at Greymouth on March Btli. It is evidently expected to he brief, as a fixture has been matte for opening the Lyttelton , election petition hearing at Christchurch on March 12th. Mr Justice Ostler will be one of the Judges in both eases. MOUNT; PEOPLE CAUSE THE TROUBLE. AUCKLAND. Feb. 10. .“Now look here,” said Air F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Auckland Magistrate's Court this morning to a youthful offender under the motor regulations. “All these accidents I have had lately concern young men of nineteen and twenty. If you offend again I’ll cancel your licen?»e.” Defendant was Harold Foster Watson (twenty), against whom it was

alleged that he had passed a stationary tramcar at 30 miles an hour on the New North Road on the way to the races. lie wins .also charged with dangerous driving and giving a false name.

“These young people cause all the trouble, I’m quite certain of that,” his Worship observed as ho convicted defendant, whose little hurst of speed cost him in all £5 2s. TAUPO ROBBERIES. THREE ARRESTS. AUCKLAND, February 1L A substantial increase in the amount of the bail allowed by the Justices at Rotorua to three men who were arrested on Tuesday for theft of benzine at the Terraces Hotel at Taupo, was made this evening, when the accused appeared before Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., at t'lie Auckland Police Court.

The men, Thomas Smith, Reginald Phillips and James Moyne, had been remanded to Auckland as other serious charges were pending, hail of £SO being granted in each ease, hut as tuc accused were unable to find sureties, they were brought to Auckland by the Rotorua express and subsequently appeared at the Police Court. They were charged with theft of benzine and were again remanded.

Mr Ward, who appeared lor them, asked for bail, and this was opposed by Chief Detective Cummings, who said two of the men at least were known to have come from Australia recently. The men had gone to Taupo from Hawke’s Ray. via Rotorua by motor, Phillips alleging that the motorcar in.which they had travelled was his property. A theft had been committed while th.e men wore there, and some of the articles believed to have been stolen had keen traced to their possession. They were at ’latino on the night when large sums of money had been stolon from bedrooms in the hotel, and they were found in possesion of a sum in the vicinity of £SO for which they could not satisfactorily account. Among the money stolen was an English banknote and one of the accused had a note of this description in his possession, while one of the men had money concealed in the toe of his hoot. Myno admitted lie had been convicted in Australia, while Smith admitted he had an Australian record. When hail was asked for. the Magistrate said that, in the eirannstames, he thought the hail formerly granted was insufficient. Phillips having been associated with {lie other two. who were known to the police in Australia, lie remarked that if a man stole £3O and were given hail of a like amount, the country would have no hold on him. Me fixed hail at £250. with a surety of £250 in each case.

PRODUCE PRICES. MINISTERIAL AVAR NINO. AUCKLAND, February 11. In a speech at Kaitaia. tin- Hon A. lb Mcl.eod said this morning that New Zealand was the greatest trading country in the world for her size; hut the latest figures showed that £lO3 a year was the trading figure for every woman, man and child, during the calendar year just closed. Primary products comprised about 00 per cent of

the total export. There had been favourable balance in the trading account of about £3,000.000; but considering that we had to find about £5,000,000 a year in London to pay interest on the money borrowed to aid the development of the country, there would have to he a larger margin between the imports and the exports if the country was to be prosperous. There should, at least, bu enough to provide interest on payments in London.

The Minister continued: “T know that from what we are getting at the present for wool and mutton, will show a decrease on one year of not less than £10,000,000. AA'hcre are we going t r make up that sum? The work must devolve upon those interested in dairy farming, and I do not know whether you can do it, despite what you have done in the past. These matters art of grave moment to the Government, as well as to settlers throughout New Zealand, 1 do not want you to think that I am a pessimist hut if people art going to live extravagantly then you will find that the Government will he extravagant too.”

PROROGUED TILL 10th JUNE. AVELLTNGTON, February 11. The “ Gazette ” announces that Parliament has further been prorogued from the 18th of February till Thursday the 10th of June. LICENSING POLL. THE FINAL FIGURES. AVELLINGTON, Feb. 11. The gazetted figures of the November poll in tb> licensed districts are as follows : National Continuance 290,590 State Purchase mid Control 56,037 National Prohibition 319, foO Total electors on roll 754,011. Valid rotes cast 650.077 IX NO-LICENSE AREAS. For the 12 no-liceii'C districts, the totals are: Restoration 47,978 Against Restoration 03,858 Total eV'ctors on roll 127.-109 A’alid votes east 111,836

FORI) ON RAILS. AVELLIKGTON, Fob. 10,

The first of the Ford type of railcar constructed at the J’etone Workshops for use on small branch lines was sent to-day to Grevtown, where it is to run on a small branch line. One of tho great advantages of the rail ear is that it is worked by one mail, who may actually conlrol the vehicle and collect fares as well, as is tho case with the drivers of motor buses in the city. A second rail conveyance of the same type is being constructed at Petine, Lut it lias not yet been decided on what line it is to run. The ear is essentially a branch line vehicle, for use on those lines on which ordinary trains are not paying by reason of the dispi oooruou between revenue and running costs. The Clayton steam waggon, the selfcontained single coach conveyance, which has also keen constructed at thel’ctone AVorkshops, is still undergoing tests.