DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1926, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

[BY TELEGRAPH —TER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] BIBLE IN SCHOOLS. WELLINGTON, May 20. “That this annual meeting of the New Zealand Educational Institute considers that the introduction of Bible reading ill schools is inadvisable” was a motion submitted to the conference to-day as the basis for a discussion on the general question of biblc study in schools. The motion originated with the Executive, and it was made plain by tho Chairman, Air F. A. Garry, that it was not intended to express in any way tho views of the executive on the subject. There was a long discussion, during which, Air 13. X. F. Blake (Vice-Presi-dent) said that they were dealing with a matter which affected their conscience. He stood against the Bible in schools, although lie would be prepared to accept the Bible as a book if it were possible to remove the warmth of feeling that might' be engendered. if the Conference adopted a motion in favour of the Bible: in .schools, be would take the earliest opportunity of resigning from the position of President, to which lie bad been nominated.

There were some amendments favouring the proposal, '.and one recommending consideration. 1 hese we to defeated or lapsed. The motion was carried by 57 to 19. A JOCKEY’S DIVORCE. ' AUCKLAND, May 20. In the Supremo Court Benjamin Abraham Rosen (Air Allan Alooily) sought a dissolution of bis marriage with Alice Tomimah Rosen on the grounds of misconduct with Henry Ernest Goldfinch. Air A foody said the parties were married on November 14t1i., 1918. The petitioner, who was a jockey, had reasons s carlv this year to suspect that all was not as it should be between bis wife and Goldfinch,- another jockey. U found a letter from Goldfinch to his wife, couched in glowing terms. On Feh. 24th. petitioner went to Palmerston North, and enquiries at an hotel elicited tho information that his wife was staying there, and that Goldfinch was also a guest. AYheu Goldfinch was sought he was not in his room and the petitioner visited bis wife’s room and he found the door locked. An entry being forced, the pair were found there in their night attire. On March 2nd., the petitioner found them together at another hotel.

His Honour granted a decree nisi, to be made absolute in three months, the co-respondent to pay costs on the lowest scale.

WATERSIDE DISPUTE. CHRISTCHURCH, May 20

AY hen tho foreman of the Union S.S. Coy. called up labour for four gangs to discharge coal from the Kahißa at Lyttelton this morning, only sufficient men to make up one gang responded, although there was plenty of coal for discharging and labourers were unemployed. Of the one gang that offered themselves, many were non-union-ists. It was not considered likely this morning that the refusal of the men to work the Kaliika would delay the vessel, as she would be worked by a coal grab. UNEMPLOYED. WELLINGTON, May 21. A deputation representing the unemployed, waited on the City Council last night and asked that something he done to alleviate the position. Speakers declared men and women were walking the city unable to. secure work. A woman speaker fAlrs Gault) said women complained that the situation was made worse by the number of domestics coming from Home. Mr Fraser, ALP., said when men applied to the Hospital Board they were offered one meal daily. A member of the deputation said lie know a ease of a country woman who had to sleep on hare hoards in a friend’s house. The Mayor said the Council sympathised with the needs of the unemployed who could rest assured that what could bo done with the Council’s narrow limit of power would he done. He pointed out that the municipal pay roll was increasing steadily as the winter advances and quoted tho weekly wages paid in a recent six weekly period, rising by £IOO weekly from £671 to £1052. He hoped something would lie possible, especially for unemployed women. Ti AILWAY CARRIAGES. WELLINGTON, May 21. The work of equipping railway carriages with electric light in place of gas i§ to be accelerated, so that its completion should come about at least a year earlier than originally plannad. This is tho result of the finding of the commission which enquired into Opapa disaster. Tho change over is not easy to carry out. as it involves the withdrawal of cars in successive lots for refitting. THE ARRESTED SHIP. AUCKLAND,. May 20. A complete agreement was reached to-day when tho master and crew and the consignees of the .barque Quy C. Goss, recently arrested at Auckland for debt, met at a conference, which was called by the Chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board, Mr H. It. McKenzie. Afterwards it was stated that the vessel would ho berthed and the crew engaged at a contract price of £520 to unload the remainder of the cargo, comprising 800,000 feet of timber. The consignees agreed to pay £lB6 harbour dues to the Board beforeberthing the vessel, and to the -Customs Department, as well as crane and wharfage dues.

CYCLTST BADLY HURT. INVERCARGILL, May 20.

James Burgess, aged 30, was picked up unconscious on the North Road at 5 p.m. this evening, his bicycle lying near him. He was taken to the Hospital, where he was found to be seriously injured. Ilis skull was fractured, and lie had injuries to the shoulder and scalp. The cause of the accident is unknown.

GLEN AFTON SETTLEMENT. AUCKLAND, May 20

Mr E. Kerry, the President of the Glen Afton Coal Miners’ Union, states that the miners are prepared to resume work as a preliminary to negotiations for a settlement of the dispute provided that three non-unionists are discharged, and that three men who are hewing coal out of their turn be sent back to the work that they were doing prior to the dispute. AUCKLAND RAINS CONTINUE. AUCKLAND, May 20.

Rain fell steadily all this morniim News from Mercer and Paeroa state that there is some fear of floods.

Ships arriving report- heavy weather at sea. ■

WATER SUPPLY DAMAGED. AUCKLAND, May 20. It is probable Auckland will be a) short water rations to-morrow, owing to the interference of the storm with its pipe supply lines. The twenty-four inch main from -Nihokapu was broken by a wash-out about half a mile below the dam, 120 ft. of pipe being washed Into the gully below. A temporary supply of about one million gallons a- day was turned into the pipe from a creek. On the other side of the ranges, the Waitakere supply pipe lias also been interrupted, and in the meantime tlie AVestern Springs supply is to be drawn upon. The daily consumption is about eight million gallons a day, and the temporary supplies will give only about a quarter of that. OAR STEALING CHARGE. PALMERSTON NORTH, May 20. George Matiu, alias Matthews, a Maori, pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing a motor car from Palmerston North, tlie property of Uliss George. The accused was committed to the Supreme Court, AA r ellington, for sentence. The police stated the car was taken from Palmerston North and recovered at Petone, after being repainted and re-registered. RESERVING TRAIN SEATS. AVELLTNGTON, May 21. A now regulation enables the Railway Department to reserve seats in railway carnages for any particular period over any district. This right the Department did not legally possess hitherto, as shown in the dispute which occurred recently when a traveller who refused to give up a seat though it had been “ reserved ” for a well known official personage was prosecuted and tho court upheld his claim tjiat the reservation had no force. CENSUS RETURNS, AARELLINGTON, May 21. Additional census returns disclose increases of 2,260 in AVqnganui City which is now 23,691 and 183 in Green Island Borough, now 2,145. Tho increase in tlie Maori population as far as the count is made up is 3,047, the leading district in the latest batch of figures being Bay of Islands 3,494 (2,806 in 1921) and AVbakatane 3,023 (2,403).

A CITY TUNNEL. WELLINGTON, May 21. Northland Tunnel was again mentioned in the City Council last night, when tlie report of a commissioner who inquired into matters covering the tunnel construction was considered in committee. Eventually it was stated it had been decided not to make a report till certain of the Council’s officers concerned with the tunnel had an opportunity of making statements in their defence before the committee.