DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 April 1926, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by ’.TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

MOTOR ISTS’ MHI ACULOUS ESCAPE.

NELSON, April 12

Mr S. Winn and family bad a mir- , aculous escape from most serious injuries while motoring clown the Kohatu side of Spooner’s range yesterday. The brakes suddenly gave way on a steep bend on a steep hillside, and the catshot ahead at a great rate. Mr Winn endeavoured to engage the lower gear, but failed. He negotiated several dangerous bends at high speed, almost at forty miles an hour. He then decided •to ditch the car. This was done successfully, considering the circumstances. The car, which was upset and consul erably smashed, remained on the raid. The ipas.se ngorw were thrown •out, sustaining only flesh wounds. Within ten minutes of thu accident a North Island touring party came along with a first aid outfit which proved most valuable.

REAL ARCHER OX COLONIALS. THE GREATEST SKITEiRS. CHRLSTCHURCII, April 12. Tu a .sermon yesterday, the Rev. A. R. Archer, Mayor of Christchurch, said: “The Colonials are great skilers, anil, in fact, of all the sic iters I’ve come across, the Colonials take the cake. Each city and town skites itself up as being the best. I’m a great believer in Christchurch, of course, especially since I’ve been Mayor. I wau’t your rotes at next election perhaps, but the real test of a city- is not in its parks and streets, hut In the conduct of the people.” MOTOR CYCLE FATALITY. .AUCKLAND, April 12. 'Two motor cyclists collided at Manurinva on .Saturday evening when travelling in opposite directions. George Percy Gordon sustained a fracture of the skull and a compound fracture of the leg and thighs. His leg, was broken in three places and he died in the ! Auckland Hospital. Frederick Bauds, of .Alanurewa. sustained cuts over the eyes' and a broken arm. His condition i.s not serious. OLD MAX’S DEATH. ASHBURTON, April 12. George Liters. aged 86. of Peiularves, died in the hospital as the result >f injuries through falling off a dray in 1 liursdiqv. A. wheel passed over aim. causing a comminuted fracture )f the right thigh. FALSE PRETENCES. PALMERSTON N., April 12. At the Police Court this morning John Samuel Thomas Parsons, aged M, pleaded guilty to theft, of various 11 tides at AA olliligton. the proper)y oT )tdcio Key; also with obtaining from Wilfred Bagrie. of Levin. £.T), faksclv ■(■presented In be paid |,,r a third Imre in a side. .show. On minor charges )e was ordered io come up f„ r Sl ”„_ once if called on within ]0 months, ’’or false pretences he was ordered o he detained for IS months' reformaivo treatment.

SAWMILL DESTROYER. GO RE, April 12. lae sawmill of Jlalliday Bio,, at \A aitane. near .Alataiiru, was destroyed b.v lire yesterday morning. The lands worked hard 'lo save the mill, but the flames had too good a hold when the outbreak was discovered. The owners have decided to rebuild, the mill on modern lines immediately. I'll© insurances total £1550 in the VieInria Office, hut the loss exceeds this figure considerably.

FOUND DEAD. CHRISTCHURCH. April 12. Arthur Kelly, a iarin labourer, was uind dead al Brookside yesterday it-li a gtin alongside. The circumniicos indicate suicide.

THE CABLE FAULT. WELLINGTON, April 12. With, regard to the telegram from Auckland re the fault in the cable, this only applies to one nt the two lines from ,S\-dney to It ellington. J lie |'n ult has developed in one, but the other is in regular working order and there is no interruption in communications.

SUBSTANTIAL FINES. GRF.YMOUTII. April 12

Richard Ronchi, a butcher of Blackwater, was convicted for having possession of sheepskins and hides from which the ears had been removed. Ho was fined £‘2o with costs. -Magistrate Meld rum said the breach was deliberate and had been going on lor the past .'U years.

Thomas Bamien, for a similar i offence, was fined £2 with costs, a. plea of ignorance, being accepted. DRIVERS’ ORGANISER. CHRISTCHURCH, April 12. 1 Hiram Hunter, the ox-worker’s member of the Arbitration Court, ihas been appointed national organiser of the Drivers’ Federation. OVERCOME BY FUMES. ROTORUA, April 12. Andrew Grcv Aluir, a- Public AAoiks engineer, superintending tlie construction of tlie Rotorua Drainage AYorks, I descended a junction pit at the corner of Erura and Fenton Streets, presumably to inspect. Frederick Davies, a • ta.\i motor works proprietor, adjoining the pit. looked down and saw Muir in a state of collapse, lie gave the alarm and Henry Charles Church, a worker, jumped into the pic and seized Muir, holding his body up above the fumes. AVhen assiiance arrived Muir was completely unconscious. Dr Lewis after twenty minutes, restored respiration and Muir was nmImlanccd to the hospital where he lies in a serious condition. The sulphur fumes are particularly bad. the weather conditions prevailing accentuating the danger. A FIRE. ETC ETA H UNA, April 12. At mid-dav yesterday, P. Binding's box factory and machinery was totally destroyed by a lire, which apparentlystarted in the vicinity of the boiler room. A quantity of sawn timber was also last. Insurai res total £llOO. The lass is estimated at £BOO over this amount. MOTORIST FINED. PALMERSTON NORTH, April 12. Gerry Gnmbitsis, a fish monger, pleaded guilty at the Court this morning that being tlie driver of a motorcar. he failed to stop when nil accident occurred. He also pleaded guilty to driving a car without a- license. The Police stated tho accused was driving the car in Cook Street yesterday afternoon, when he knocked down a girl of four years, who sustained a broken leg. After the accident the accused slowed the ear down and looked round, hut went on. A taxi driver who witnessed the occurrence went after the defendant and compelled him to return.

Gnmbitsis was fined £3 for not stopping and £2 for driving without a license.