DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 May 1926, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

[BY TELEGRAPH—PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

QUEEN’S MESSAGE OF THANKS. AVELLINGTON, May 23. His Excellency the Deputy of the Governor-General has received from the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, the following in reply to a message despatched for submission to tile Queen on the occasion of Her Majesty’s birthday. “Her Majesty the Queen, desires me to express her grateful thanks for the message of congratulation and good wishes from you and the Government and people of New Zealand on the occasion of Her Majesty’s birthday. LICENSING ACT FINE. ASHBURTON, May 28. At the Police Court, Robert Alexander Beaton Stevenson, a.taxi driver was fined £lO for assisting a prohibited I person to partake of liquor. Joseph Shipley Roberts, the prohibited person in question was charged with being drunk and a breach of the prohibition order and also a theft of £3O from a residence. He pleaded guilty to all charges and was ordered reformative treatment for three years.

RENT RESTRICTION ACT. AUCKLAND, May 28. That the Rent Restriction Act which expires next July, should be allowed to die as its death was too long delayed, was urged on the Prime Minister by a deputation from the New Zealand real estate institute of land agents association. It was stated there were many enjpty houses 20 to 25 per cent lower rent than twelve months ago. AD- Coates— ‘‘ You contend that the repeal of the act would give freedom of action and that would mean more competition and so bring about cheaper rents. You say that the competitive element does not exist owing to the operation of the Act.” Air AlcTndoe “ That is so.” | Mr Coates said the question of repeal | would have to he considered by Cabinet. He promised their representatives would lie duly considered. A CLOSED HOSPITAL. AVELLINGTON. May 27. A deputation waited on the Hon .7. A. Young to-day as a protest against the closing of the Olaki Hospital. The Minister said that he hoped a satisfactory settlement would be reached. He was conferring with the Palmerston North, Hospital Board on the matter so as to make suitable provision for the reception of urgent surgical and medical cases and to deal with maternity cases for that end of the district. ! A At AN KI LLED. j DUNEDIN, .May 28. Alter the* train for ATosgiel had left j ties evening, John Thomas Barnes, aged .->I, of Green Island, was found l.'iug injured on the station platform, lie was found to be suffering from, a. compound fracture of the left leg, and a cut on the head as well as shock. He aas removed to the hospital, where he died late to-night. --PROFIT ON COLERIDGE. RESULT OF YEAR’S WORKING. AUCKLAND. Alav 27. A! r Coates states that on the year’s'l working Lake Coleridge shows a profit of £2-1.103. 'I here was ait accumulated deficiency fu he wiped off. The returns were most satisfactory, since they meant that £0712 was available to begin paying off the sinking fund sum of £18,509, which had to be refunded to (he Christchurch City Council. If Ho new materials were available' by the end of July indications were that the Department would have tbe work completed in contract time. I

’Pile revenue from Horn Horn last year was approximately £85,000. ’1 lie expenditure, including working expenses, interest, depreciation, and sinkig fund, was about £67,000, leaving a balance in baud of about £IB,OOO. Horn flora was to be incorporated with the capital and expenditure revenue account of Arapuni, and interest, depreciation and sinking fund in connexion with Horn flora would be a debit against Arapuni.

EMPLOYMENT OF FARM LABOUR NAPIER, May 2‘7. At the annual meeting of tlb

Hawke’s Bay branch of the Farmers’ Union to-ila.v it was decided to forward the following remit to the annual Dominion conference: —“That the conference be recommended to urge farmers when employing labour to give iv'eferenee to those farmers who nave been unfortunate enough through adversity and hard times to leave their holdings.” CUSTOMS REVENUE. WELLINGTON, May 2l\ The Dominion Customs receipts for the quarter ended March 31st. wore £2.147,084 compared with £1.970,836 in the similar period of the previous year and for the year ended March 31st. the total was £8,463.536. Excise duties for the quarter totalled £197.307. compared with £203.488 a year ago. and for the whole year to March 31st. the amount was £740,423. ALLEGED FRAUD. MASTERTON, May 28. Robert Stanley Hanna, clerk of the Mastorton County Council, appeared before Mr A. W. Mowlem, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court this afternoon to answer a charge that between April Ist and July 31st, 1925, he received from Elliott Bros, the sum of £72 8s 2d on terms requiring him to account for same to the Mastorton County Council and that he did fraudulently omit to account for the sum to the Mastorton County Council. An application for a remand til! June 4 was granted, and it is probable that a further remand will be applied for. as other charges may ho preferred. Accused was admitted to hail in self £3OO and two sureties of £2OO. DRUNK OR DYING. WELLINGTON, May 28. An instance of a man being mistaken for an inebriate whilst actually under the shadow of death was given at a Coroner’s inquiry held to-day concerning the death of Archibald McNnughton, aged 45, single. The evidence showed that deceased fell down a small embankment while working on Thursday, but be did not complain of injuries until tiie following day. On Saturday deceased was found lying in front of bis house by a Mr_Thomas, who thought he was drunk. Thomas said he was unconscious and appeared terrified. He seemed paralysed in the arms and he carried him home. Later lie was taken to the hospital, where he died of an injury to the spinal column. The medical evidence was to the effect that death occurred from concussion of the spinal cord. MOTOR TRUCK EPISODE. I HAMILTON, May 28. Described by the Magistrate at the ringleader of three young man charged with unlawfully converting a motor truck to their own use, Thomas Andrew McAllister, aged 21, was to-day sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment. The other accused, Henry Le Bas and ihomas Leslie Prior were each admitted to probation for two years. The three accused were arrested by a constable when about to abandon the truck in the early hours of last Sunday* morning.

CLAIM AND COUNTER-CLAIM, y HAAULTON, -nay 28. Reserved judgment by Air Justico 1 Ostler, was to-dav delivered in an I action brought by Air Dynes Fulton, Chairman of the directors of the New I Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company against Alessrs English and Luxford, accountants, of Hamilton, for £IOO damages and breach of contract. Tho ease arose out of an address given at Alatangi by Fulton. This resulted in defendants bringing an action which was settled on conditions the terms of which were kept confidential, but were, it was alleged the defendants had disclosed.

The defendants counter-claimed for £IOOO for an alleged similar breach. Judgment was given or defendants on claim with costs, expenses and disbursements. On the counter claim, defendants were granted £1 damages, defendants to pay tlieir own costs.

1 HANDSOME LEGACY. CHRISTCHURCH, May 28. Bv the will of a relative, Air A. R. I Galbraith, Christchurch City Engineer, ■ is the subject of a legacy, the gross ( amount of which is in the vicinity of 1 £21,000. The testator was his cousin, 1 the late Mr Arthur Galbraith, an architect, in England. ROYAL SHOW. WELLINGTON! May 28. 1 A meeting of the Royal Show Society > discussed proposals for alternate shows , between Palmerston North and Christchurch. It was eventually decided to I leave the location of the 1927 show in - the hands of the Council of the ’ Society. FATAL DROWNING ACCIDENT. WELLINGTON, May 28. A drowning accident occurred at I Evans Bay this morning. Two small hoys named Compton and Carr respectively, wore in a light canvas canoe between Evans Bay bathing sheds and the Yacht Club’s sheds, when the little I vessel capsized. At the latest reports I the boy Compton was in a very serious condition and efforts were being made to revive him, while the body of the lad Carr had not been recovered. It is understood that the parents of the missing boy reside in Bourkc Street. SCHOONER STRIKES ROCK. AUCKLAND, Alay 28. While in wireless communication on Thursday evening with the schooner yacht Kaintilon, at present in New Caledonian waters, the station at Auckland was informed that the vessel had suffered considerable damage to her hull. The vessel will proceed to Sydney for repairs. ! CARS COLLIDE. FOXTON, Alay 29. A collision between two motor cais occupied by Dr Wylfie and H. B.vrant, both of Fox to n, occurred at the intersection of two roads at Iliinatangi last evening. Both cars were overturned and the occupants pinned beneath, but fortunately neither wore seriously hurt. By rant lmd a slight concussion and cuts about the head. Dr AYvllie escaped with little injury. Both cars were badly smashed. A GAAIE OF CHANCE. AUCKLAND, Alay 28. Following upon a visit by a magistrate and several detectives to the premises at 230 Queen Strct, when a demonstration of the roll-down game was given, the proprietor, Ivan Itongo Chamberlain (Air Hall Skelton), was charged with playing a game of chance. Chief Detective Cummings said that in view of the circumstances the defendant had decided to admit that the game could legally he classed as one -containing an element of chance, and to plead guilty.’ Air Hall Skelton said lie could call evidence to show that, with practice, the, hall could he placed in the correct places nine times out of ten However, an authority set it down that a similar game was one of chance, unless it could he practised by players in places other than where the hoard was kept, even although high efficiency might he attained by practice, no matter, where undertake)!. The game was commonly played at H'e Dunedin Exhibition, and was now estab- J lished all over the country. .

The Magistrate: “I understand it is different as played here.” Mr Mall Skelton : “The only difference is that the hoards used at the Exhibition were flat and these balls are larger.” The Chief Detective: “The balls are not true. It is a bushman’s game.”

Mr Hall Skelton: “These men have only just started, and they are going to lose about £300.”

The Chief Detective: “Their shop was one of the.first to open.”

The Magistrate: “Well, at any rate, what, you want,is a light lino; the man has pleaded guilty and has put us to mo trouble. From the appearance of the apparatus this is a game ot chance, and if the others do not stop 1 will impose the full penalty of £SO, in default three months’ imprisonment. The defendant will he fined £2, with costs.”