DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 July 1926, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

s [by TELF.aiurn—mm tress association.] ! -RAIN TRUNK COLLISION. 1 * HAMILTON, July 3. A level crossing collision occurred between the south hound Limited Express and a motor ear at Ngaruawaiiia last night. It resulted in the driver of tho cmr, liny Ferguson, fanner, of Tallinn, receiving serious head injuries. Ferguson, who is a married man, need 30. was admitted to the Waikato Hospital. It was reported this morning that I'erguson’s condition was serious. RAILWAY PORTER KILLED. RAWER A, July 3. Falling between the station platform and a moving train at Mokoia yesterday morning, George T. Rollcrson, tablet porter, received fearful injuries resulting in instantaneous death. The accident occurred at dusk, ami was not noticed by anyone. The guard of a special train drawing into the station at the time discovered the deceased’s body between the stntion and the train. His age was forty-three years. He leaves a widow and four children. , A CAAIP EXPLOSION. RAETIHI, July 3. An accident occurred in the Public Wokrs Department camp at Pam para Road this morning. John Louden, an elderly man. was apparently warming some gelignite' by a camp fire, 'and while lie was outside his tent an explosion took place, setting off a quantity of explosives stored nearby. Louden was thrown some thirty feet in the aii'. Tie is now in the Raetihi Hospital in a critical condition. The rest of the party in a nearby tent were thrown out of bed, I'.ut apart from shock, were uninjured. Mhe • explosion was distinctly heard in Raetihi, nine miles distant. !

MOTOR CYCLE FATALITIES. TWO IN AUCKLAND DISTRICT. NKAV PLYMOUTH, July L Two fatal motor accidents marred the week-end in North Taranaki at New Plymouth. Severedn Olaf AA'ilhelni Olsen, Harbour Board laumhman, crashed into a tram ear with a motor cycle. His right leg was broken and lie sustained concussion, dying lour hours later in the hospital without regaining consciousness. The deceased was twenty-nine, lie was a Dane, /nul had no relatives in New Zealand. At Oamii, Henry Coombes, farm labourer. id" Rahotu. aged nineteen years, sustained a broken neck as the result id" a collision of his motor cycle with a bridge situated tit a sharp bend in the road.

AY HE AT POSITION. AY AIM ATE, July 4. A meeting of the AA aimatc wheatgrowers on Saturday afternoon decided to support any workable scheme in connection with the formation of a Wheat Growers’ Association. A MAORI'S DEATH. AUCKLAND, July 3. A Aliori. Sain Ann, and another Alaori youth named Puma, were returning to Mercer in a rowing oat after rabbit shooting. Amo was sitting in the boat with his gun and Puma was loudug. The latter homl a gun explosion and found Amo dead, spot between tho eyes. STEAMER DELAYED. WESTPORT, July 3. Tills Crossbill, which was expected to sail for Narau this afternoon, is held iqi by the crew, who refuse to sail until their quarters are fumigated, as they consider they are insanitary. FLU EPIDEMIC. CHRISTCHURCH. July ‘4 Six of the primary schools in Christchurch and in the suburbs trill not open to-morrow morning, owing to the preva'aiff-c of influenza. There is a probability that decisions will he made to close some of the other schools when poor musters of scholars arrive to-morrow morning. Many Af the schools have been sadly disorganised by the present widespread epidemic which has been specially prevalent among tfi.3 children. The sickness is pot severe, however, and there is no general alarm.

City offices and factories have all been running with depleted staffs, and even the football suffered yesterday because of the influenza casualties. BOWLERS ON TOUR. AUCKLAND, July 3. Twenty representative members of New South Wales Bowling Association are passengers by the Niagara bound for Suva, to take part in the South Seas pennant games and rink tournament. POWER SCHEME POLL. OPOTIKI, July 5. A poll of ratepayers of the Bay of Plenty power district comprising Opotiki Borough, Whakntane County and Opotiki County, was held on Saturday over n proposal to borrow £175,000 for a liydro-electrie scheme, power to be obtained from Arnpuni. The proposal was carried by 437 to 137.

BACK FROAT NORFOLK ISLAND. AUCKLAND, July 5. , The Hinemoa returned yesterday from Norfolk Island with a. number of returned trippers delighted with theii experiences. Thirteen of the party were so pleased with the island’s attractiveness that they are staging over till the llinemon’s next trip. C. H. Turner, who has travelled pretty extensively in Cook and Society .groups says Norfolk Island is the pleasantest spot of them all.

CHURCH UNITY. CHRISTCHURCH, July 5. “ I hope none of you have been disturbed by the vague rumour of a possible secession from the church at Home,” writes Bishop West-Watson in tiie “ Church News.” “The fact is,” lie ads. “that this rumpus seems to be intended,to influence the bishops in session in their decisions on knotty points. They are apt to cancel each other. Aly own impression is that the Church Assembly which brings the leaders of various parties into touch with one another has bound the church in England more closely together than ever and that there is a great and more silent mass of churc-hfolk who are honestly willing and anxious to allow each other reasonable liberty in such matters as are under discussion.”

ESTATE ALLOCATIONS. WELLINGTON. July 5. Allocations made from Lissie Rathhone estate for twelve .months ending on March 31st. 1926, amount to £24,321. Each University College gets £3 000 Waipu Diocesan Trust Board, Napier. £3,500, St, Bede’s College, Christchurch, Boys’ High School. Tunaru St. Hilda’s Collegiate School. Dunedin and Sacred Heart College, Auckland. £SOO each. The rest is m amounts from £2-30 downwards and is mostly distributed among charitable organisations. SCHOOLS CLOSING. CHRISTCHURCH, July 5. Thirteen schools in the Canterbury Education Board District are now closed owing to influenza and more will

be closed shortly. It is estimated that of 28,000 pupils in Canterbury-West-land Health District 8,000 are affected. A VETERAN PASSES. GISBORNE, July 5. Obituary.—Major C. D. Pitt, a wellknown figure in Auckland and Poverty Bay in the early days of the colony, aged eightv-two. His grandfather, in 1847, was Commander of the Forces in New Zealand, his father, Colonel Pitt, assisted in the formation of the First AA'aikato Regiment in 186-1. Deceased served in the AA'aikato campaign and later in the West Coast-Urewera fighting. Ho was promoted in 1870 to inspector of the armed constabulary and later entered farming and commercial pursuits. A FIRE. GISBORNE, July 5. The homestead of J. R. Murphy at Tangiliau station was destroyed by fire early yesterday morning, very little being saved. ATOM AN INJURED. GISBORNE, July 5. ’ Airs Georgina Alclerston was found ( unconscious on the road, at Alahgnpapa j suburb on Saturday night having been | knocked over by a motor-car whose , identity has not been established. The patient was removed to the hospital and is still suffering severely from | shock.

CHARGE OF ABDUCTION. GISBORNE, July o. The police have received advice that a young man lias been arrested at Rotorua on a Gisborne warrant on a charge of abduction of a 13J year-old girl. FOOTBALL FATALITY. WANGANUI. July 3. A Maori youth William Pirata, died in the hospital on Saturday night as a result of injuries sustaintd in a. Rugby match at Upokongaro in the afternoon when he cannoned into another player. LYTTELTON HA RBOU R. CHRISTCHURCH, July A. A recommendation that the Blind should obtain authority for a loan of £300,000 to complete the equipment at the port and provide the berthage and depth of water necessary for the increasing size of vessels, was considered in committee by the Lyttelton Harbour Board to-day.

HOTEL BURNT. CAMBRIDGE, July 7. Following Thursday n ight’s disastrous fire when the Farmers Auctioneering Company’s premises were totally destroyed and portion of the Central Hotel gutted, a further serious outbreak occurred on Rilurday about 9 p.m. when the Central Hotel was discovered in (lames. The Brigade arrived promptly and found great flames bursting through the windows and the upper storey which spread rapidly 'along tlie whole front and the greater part of the upper storey. "With five leads of hose the brigade did magnificent work though handicapped by low pressure. The lire was confined largely to the upper storev which was practically burned out. As a result ol filling debris, together with damage caused bv water, the whole of the building is practically a wreck and will have to he completely demolished. Tho bote! is an old building, oned by James p lami„gj of Tuaknn. Renovations were only completed last week. Insurances on'building £3OOO in United and £3OO in Royde. Stock, £1001) in Guardian, furniture and effects £IOO in Guard-

ian. . B.unfiield’s hairdressing saloon in the lower storey of the hotel was insured for '£3oo stock and fittings. It is believed the outbreak was due to a fire left ;.smouldering in the walls aftei Thursday’s fire.