DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 April 1926, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[ui’ TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

BUS-OWNER FAILS

AUCKLAND, April 28.

A bankrupt motor-bus proprietor, George Peter Olesen, of Onehunga. whose creditors met to-day, attributed bis failure, among other things, to opposition by the City Council buses, heavy traffic license fees and the recent reduction of fares, as a result of competition. ILis schedule showed that there was owing to unsecured creditors, £1472 3s lOd, and to secured creditors £1272 Os 6d .the securities being valued at £2023 3s lOd, while the assets, including a small amount of cash in hand, were £2B Is Id.

In his statement bankrupt said that from 1920 to 1924 he was in business as a motor carrier, and in October, 1921. he commenced as a motor-bus proprietor, running between Auckland (toad and the city. At that time his was the only bus on the route, and there was ample patronage to establish a gooil sound business. His Inis had a charabanc top. a type of vehicle at that time approved by the City Council. By December. 1921. he had three InisCs on the road, hut about July. 192 b. the council pissed regulations governing Inis construction. and two of his vehicles were rendered ineligible, f'p to March of last year the business wa-. paying well, and lie was keeping up his payments on lus vehicle-., but tbc council then entered into competition with him by placing a bus on tbo Buekland Hoad route, .subsequently increasing the. number to live buses. He attributed his present position to a variety of rouses. These were: The council’s requirements as to the type of Inis permitted, determined opposition hv Lite council, the had state of the Buekland Bond, leading to heavy repairs and wear on tyres, the heavy traffic license fees, which had been a very serious obstacle to him. heavy losses due to the breakdown of his buses, and the reduction of fares to Gd and then to Id.

11 ACF.C'OFIISF. BARRED. BLENHEIM, April 28

Albert William Holmes was charged in the Magistrate's Court that, being a person excluded from a racecourse by the regulations, he trespassed oil the Waterlea course during the February meeting of the Marlborough Macing Club. The police gave as the grounds for the exclusion defendant's conviction for an offence committed as a youth of seventeen years. They also alleged that the defendant, a taxi driver, was carrying two reputed bookmakers to and from the course throughout the three days and supplying them with information regarding the results of the races and the dividends. Counsel warmly criticised the police methods of delving into the defendant’s past and parading before the public a trivial offence committed in his youth. Mr T. K. Maunsell. S.M.. in convicting and discharging the defendant, held that the police had failed to prove Elic most substantial allegation. Ghat he was assisting bookmakers. He expressed regret that such an old conviction could he resurrected and suggested that it was a pity some time limit could not be observed. A FATAL SLIP. I)MATH OF HOBBY HK.U'il. AFCKI.A-ND, April 2>. Bobby I.each, the man who went over Niagara Falls in a barrel, died to-day. A month or two ago he slipped on a piece of orange peel in the street, breaking his leg, which subsequently had to be amputated.

BFILDF.RS EMBARRASSED. AECKI.ANI), April 2S,

There is considerable unrest a living many Auckland builders owing to the fact that State Advances moneys due to them have not come to hand. Peoplehave secured loans for liwuse building, and buildviig" nave been instructed by ‘/lie Government to proceed, but have received no progress payments, and many have thus been placed in an awkward position. Representations are being made to Lie Premier, and if these do not result .satisfactorily iL is probable that a deputation of builders will go to ’Wellington.

It is suggested locally that a Board of business men should he set up to assist the Government to deal with these loan moneys, with a view to expediting the business of the Advances Office.

.MISSIONARY WORN. 1H X I'M)IN Aj>Hl 2S. A survey of New Zealand's share in missionarv enterprise \v;is presented by Mr l{. S. (fee Brown ;il (lie Dominion .Missionary ('iinierenee. fTe stated that men who had gone out from New Zealand or were supported hy New Zealand societies numbered 1:3!) and the unmarried women i 73. The total men and women in the lielil. including wives classified as missionaries, numbered 371. These figures were for nineteen missions. The financial figures from twelve societies showed an ineome of €(>7.521 in 192:1, €71,172 in 1924. and €73,118 in 1925, and an estimated budget of €75,2(14 in 192<>. He pointed out that the financial statement was far front complete. Possibly close on €IOO,OOO was raised annually by all the missionary societies in New Zealand, which worked out at 2s yearly per head. The report showed that the iihurch in New Zealand had a very wide view of mission work. AUCKLAND TRAGEDY. AUCKLAND, April 29. Struck hy a motor ear, Miss Catherine May Smith, aged 31 years, received fatal injuries when running to catch a tram ear in Patteson Street, Freeman’s Bay, at 7.30 o’clock to-night. Miss Smyth received terrible head injuries and a compound fracture of the right leg just above the ankle. Death was almost instantaneous. Miss Smyth and her younger sister were running across from Franklin Road to eateli the Herne llav tram, standing in Patteson Street. Miss Annie Sinytli was in the lead, and she cleared the motor, which was coming from the city, and was being driven by Mr ,T. Brady taxi driver, of 34 Wood Street, Freeman’s Bay.. , Miss Catherine Smyth was struck heavily, and was carried a few yards before being thrown clear. Air Brady at once wheeled his car. and returned to the scene of the accident. Miss Smyth was thrown heavily on the concrete road. and. although the St. John’s Ambulance was on the scene within three minutes, she was already past succour.

The body, which was shockingly mutilated. was removed to the Hospital morgue. Miss Smyth had resided with her parents at 8 Colling wood Street, Ponsonby. and had left her home but a few moments before the fatal accident. BUS AND TRAM COLLIDE. AUCKLAND. April 29.

At 8.35 this morning, an Onehunga passenger bus collided with a tram car at Broadway, Newmarket. The bus was full of passengers. Tt was behind one tram, which stopped to allow school children to alight. The driver of the bus, evidently had trouble with his brakes. The bus swerved in behind

tlio first trnm.. and it crashed into another trani. which was obscured from the driver's view. The bus was badly damaged. Three passengers were injured but only one badly, namely. G. 1.. Gunson. who is in the hospital with