DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 June 1926, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[BY TELEGRAPH- -PER PRESS ASSOCIATION;] the railways. IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME. WELLINGTON, June 4.

Although no official statement las yet been made, it is considered probable that the allocation of half of ibe London, loan of £6,000,000 to railway additions and improvements indicates the Government’s intention to proceed with the various new works set out in the programme submitted to Parliament in 1924 by the Minister for Railways. Included In the schedule cf these works were the Palmerston North deviation, to cost £390,000, and the Tawa Flat deviation to cost- £950,000. Recently it was announced that the Government intended to electrify the Lyttelton tunnel, the expenditure for which will probably amount to more than £198,000.

Work on the Palmerston North deviation has IK-en started to assist the unemployed, but nothing lias yet been annonuced in regard to the Tawa Flat deviation, which, it is contended, would help materially to relieve the unemployed question in V ellington if started without dea.lv. No doubt the piercing of 'the two tunnels will he done by contract, and some time must elapse ,therefore, before tenders can ho finally dealt with, but ifc is 'understood tliat a certain, amount of preliminary work could lie put in band almost at once. The total cost of the milway improvement- program met is a little’over £8,000,099, and the expenditure is to he spread over a period of eight years.

ON ART UNIONS. BAPTIST UNION’S RESOLUIONS. AUCKLAND. June L “The vigour with which Air Coates has denounced the lottery custom , leaves nothing to be desired and seems j to indicate a reversal eJ the quite (lisaslnuis policy governing lottery pel- j mils,” remarked the Rev. J. J. North at, the annual meeting ot the Auckland Auxiliary of the Baptist Union. Mr North moved the following motion: — “The Auckland Auxiliary of the Bap- ! tist Union of New Zealand expresses pleasure at the vigorous declaration of live Prime Minister against the vicious system of rasing money for public and other purposes by lotteries. The \sseinblv appreciates tbo endorsement by the chief Minister of the State of the contentions of social reformers as to the social and economic dangers of the gambling habit,” _ ' Tn moving the motion Mr North said that on both moral anil economic grounds Mr Coates’s denunciation of | lotteries was entirely satisfactory. 1 ho very serious interruption of business by the big lottery arid the deterioration of habits consequent upon it vns very well known by iutellißCiut observers. The hollow sham ol Hie gold nugget arrangement was, in his opinion,” a breach of both the letter and spirit of 1 lie law. The shutting down of the- now trade would mean a.n all- i round benefit. !

CENSUS RETURNS. WELLINGTON, Juno 7. Further census returns give Eden ( oiinly 17.407, an increase of 6,379. 1 lukianga Country 2,896, increase of 82: Clutlia Coum.v 6,701, decrease of 1. OBITUARY. DUNK DIN, Juno 7. Obituary.—James Wren, aged 70, head of the established firm of Wren and Co., painters. WORK FOUND. DUNEDIN, June 7. Fifty unemployed left to-day to start work on road construction between Baleluta and Greenville. The secretary of the Labourers’ Union states the cooperation of the Public Works Department, Drainage Board and City Council is assisting in relieving distress.

DIPHTHERIA OUTBREAK. THAMES, June 7. An epidemic of diphtheria is threatened by the suspected presence at the central school of a “carrier.” Eighteen children have been sent to the hospital. Parents generally attribute the outbreak to many unhealthy open drains and unsanitary drainage in various parts of the borough.

SCHOONER HELD UP. NEW PLYMOUTH, June 7. No start has yet been made in unloading the American schooner Margaret E. Sterling, which arrived on 23th May. with a cargo of lum,her for this port and Wanganui, though the captain and agents expected at any moment to receive credits from American owners t ( , enable them In pay wages. HOOKIES FINED. CTIEISTCTI I'ROII, Juno 7. As a result of Saturday’s raid on a house in Madras Street. Magistrate \\ iddowson lined .Marius Sheridan and ( buries Frederick Eenron 2.100 each on charges ot keeping a common gaming house. Six other men found in the house were fined 40s. The police said the two accused were bookmakers and their profits since Cup Day wore £920.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS. ; WELLINGTON, June 1. ’ The public accounts for last a niter of the year ended Alarch 31, 1920, 1 appear in the current Gazette. These accounts, the Treasury states, contain ■ nviny adjusting entries layering the whole period of the year, and occasioned by the Government Railways Amendment Act, and the Repayment of Public Debt Act of last- session, but ; call for no remarks in view of the fact that t-he accounts lor the yc,ir were published in last week’s Gazette and fully commented upon. Customs yielded £2,135,923, stamps and death duties £911,097, post ami telegraphs £072.978, income tax £3.-04-,533, beer duty £170,515. ROTORTJ A CONGER NS. ROTORUA, June 7. lion Air Nosworthy received Reputations on Saturday, introduced hv Air Hockley, with respect to a baths campaign, and sites charges for amusement purposes. The Minister was sympathetic. On Sunday morning he left,, via Taupo, for 'Wellington. AVAR- FUNDS. CENTRALISATION OPPOSED. WELLINGTON, June 4. Members of the Dominion Confer-

t-uLL- ui Luc _\ew z,eaianu iteturnea sol- j diers’ Association expressed them- 1 selves against the proposal to centralise accumulated war funds. It was decided, however, that sufficient canteen funds should be set aside for tho establishment of a home for "w.nr derelicts.” A committee recommended that, wh.ile being opposed to compulsory centralisation of patriotic funds, with regard to several societies controlling comparatively small sums, their amalgamation might prove advantageous. Mr AV. K. Leadley (Christchurch) said the committee considered that the ! time was not ripe for the centrnlisa- > tion of war funds. Better orgauisa- J tion would lead to greater efficiency in distribution. j Mr Andrew Duncan (Marlborough) opposed the pooling of war funds. He

said it would bo a distinct breach of trust if a merger were to take place, and alter the administration of the filnds, which were given for a specific purpose. The interests of returned men were being safeguarded as far v as Marlborough was concerned.

Tho committee considered that some uniformity of granting relief should ho arrived at, in order that disabled men who had not yet been accepted as •a charge on the Pensions Department, and ex-soldiers and their dependents in necessitous circumstances, should ioceive assistance whether the circumstances of their case were duo to war service or not. The report was adopted. Y.M.C.A. CONFERENCE. WELLINGTON, Juno 4. At the Dominion Conference of the Y.M.C.A. the following resolution was recorded:—“That tho convention records its ‘appreciation of the services tendered to the National Committee bp Messrs 0. M. Luke, J. C. Port. (}. W. Hughes, A. Varney and J. L. Hay.”

It was decided that greetings be conveyed to young. New Zealanders in training in America. The election of officers for the following two years resulted in Mr H. W. Kersley being unanimously re-elected president. The following wore elected to the. council:—Messrs W. C. Hemcry, AY. 111. Denton, and C. R, Edmond; and the following wore elected to represent, ihe associations Auckland, Alessrs C. J. Tanks and C. S. Falconer; Hamilton, Air AY. Goodfellow; AYanganui, Air H. Christie; Palmerston North, Afr J. Wallace; Gisborne, Air P. Bushnell; Napier, Air C. 11. Bisson; Hastings, Afr R. Harding; Mnsterton, Air G. Morin; ; Richmond, Alessrs W akeheld and A. R. Tull'iiell ; Christchurch, Alessrs A. R. Jordan and S. AYilkiiison ; Timaru, Air Yogoler; Dunedin, Air H. K. Wilkinson and Captain Sundstrum. FILAIS IN CHURCH. AUCKLAND, Juno I. An innovation in Church services will he introduced by the Rev. -Stanley Alonison at Alount Eden Congregational Church, when the plm of screening suitable motion pictures during service will be tried for the first time. The film chosen for Sunday evening’s service will he the picture version of ('banning Pollock’s successful play, "The Pool,” which has boon running continuously lor three years on the New \ork stage. Air Aiorrison will give an address as usual, but as much of the service as possible will bo conducted through the medium ol the screen, upon which both J’i'de readings and the words ot hymns will he thrown.

The aim of the innovation will be to present moral and spiritual truths to tho congregation, not only by means ol the ear, through which the Church has made its appeal almost exclusively in tile past., but also through the eye. The service will he preceded by a community singing session. The music will he provided hv an orchestra from the Majestic and Strand Theatres.