DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 September 1926, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

(by TELEGRAPH PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] VALUELESS CHEQUES. AUCKLAND, September 20. Norman. Finlayson M’Millau, aged nineteen, pleaded guilty to fourteen charges of leaving obtained ,£SB between July 1 and August 30 by means of valueless cheques, and was remanded for sentence till September. 27th. Accused had travelled over practically the Whole of the North Island and issued valueless cheques at Masterton, Levin, Marion, Wnipu and other places, said the chief-detective. Though .M’.Milieu had never been before the Court before, it was understood that his father had had to make restitution of £93 some time ago. Counsel observed that accused had an account at a Masterton hank. He was a respectable young fellow and it was difficult to understand why he should have got himself into his present trouble. The father was prepared to take him hack. Counsel suggested that some sharp punishment lie indicted to make accused realise his position. BUTTER. MARKET. WELLINGTON, Sept. 20. The New Zealand Dairy Produce Board received the following cable from the -Montreal agent of the Board, dated September 18th, 1920: Blitter—Stocks in U.S.A. 138,000,000 Hi. (last year, 128,000,0001 b). The price in Now York is 46 cents (Is lid) per Ih. Production is 4 per cent, less, and consumption is better than last year. Canadian stocks, 32,000,0001 b. (last year 20,000,0001 h). The price in Montreal is 34 cents (Is 3d) per lb. The make is falling oil. Cheese Montreal, 18 cents (9d) per Ih. Market strong.

The Board advises having received the following cable from its London office, dated September 18th; 15)20: Butter—Now Zealand, salted, 16!,5; exceptional, 160 s; Now Zealand, unsalted, 168 s. Continental supplies are shrinking, but Irish is still fairly plentiful. The quality is variable. Australian, 160 s to 1625; Canadian, 162 s lo lofts; Argentine, lolls to lofts; Dutch, 100 sto 170 s; Eslhonian,-152s to lefts; Latvian, 148 s to 1525; Siberian, 130 s to Lifts; Danish, I Sl* to 186 s. The American market is improving and is now equal to lllsftd ex duty, and dermanv is also improving, but there are still fair quantities of stored (butters of inferior quality. Detail prices are unchanged. Cheese—New Zealand, white Sfts. coloured 81s, market firmer; Canadian, 86s, white and coloured; September e.i.f. is quoted at 85s to 86s. GRANDSTAND BURNT. CiroiSTCH UR Cl I, September,23. The outside stand at Addington Troting ground, a wooden structure, was destroyed by tire this morning. It was insured for £3OOO, including £601) in tbe NjifcioiK.il and £OOO in'the South British, and £IBOO in the Commercial Union. Tho tire had a strong hold when discovered. The absence of wind saved tho other three .stands. FRAUD CHARCK. WELLINGTON, September 18. , A man, stated by Chief-Detective Ward to be well known in Wellington, was charged to-day, before Air W. 0. Riddell. SAL, with having obtained from Andrews and Roberts, with intent to defraud. 0256 5s by falsely reHvsonting ' e was supplying paint to lie Wanganui Education Board, and hat a cheque for C 262 12s signed by !. Eallick was genuine, lte was rananded iill Fridav hail being allowed a £l5O. The Magistrate agreed I • aippross the name in the meanwhile, he charge being an indictable one. STRANGE CAR SMASH. DUNEDIN. September 22. An extraordinary motor i.smash took dare in MArnington on Tuesday night, viiich. fortunately, was not attended i.v Fatal results, ( "arle.s Folly, emdoyce of tne City Corporation, aceonitanied by two of his family, a hoy and t girl, were out for a ride in a Dodge sir. and, when turning from MacNci itroet into Haig Street, the ear failed .o negotiate the corner, and crashed through a low picket fence into R. I. (lossage’s house, quite one half of the vehicle being projected inside a bedroom. which is situated at the south east corner of the dwelling. 'lbe eastrum wall of the house was smashed into kindling wood, and the studs were broken as if they Dad been made ol glass. 'l'lie car was stopped in its progress by a fireplace, but not before it had wrecked the room. A wardrobe was knocked over and badly damaged, and a bed was crumpled nn by the impact. Needless to say the motor ear suffered. One of the front wheels was wrenched off. and the tyre was stripped from, the wheel. It- is said that tho damage to the house will cost in the vicinity of £1(10 to repair, and the cost of repairing the car is estimated at about £2O. Eoh.v escaped serious injury, hut is- suffering Irani, shock. The boy received only a lew scratches and cuts, and the little girl had a had cut on one of her legs, which required surgical attention. Eohy bad only re- j cently purehtissd tho car, and it is understood that Tuesday was the first dav he 'ad been on tbe road with it. It is thought that, when about to negotiate the corner, lie put his ioot on the accelerator instead of on the brake. RAILWAY BUSINESS AGENT. AUCKLAND, Sept 22. Mr I-I. Welsh, the Business Agent in the Commercial Branch of the Railway Department, has tendered his resignation to the Governor, in order to take up a position as salosmaimger for the White Island Products. This is the second noteworthy resignation from tho Department in the last eight months, Mr IT. M. Sterling having resigned from file Railways Board last January to become general manager of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Coy. When asked to make a statement regarding his resignation. Mr Welsh said that the Commercial Branch established by tho Government for the purpose of increasing the business of the Railway Department, was undoubtedly the finest branch in .the service from' the public's point of view. Tor its offiec-rs wero at one and the same time the advocates of the Department to - '■ public, -and of the public to. the Board of Managers. The position had to he faced, however, that the Railway Department conic! not hope to retain men of business acumen iti its Commercial Branch as long as the salaries remained on such a. low standard as compared with the salaries paid by business firms to their commercial representn- | tives. \ lwtwg » rr ..|. mmmmamßmmßmam

OVERSEA SHIPS. WELLINGTON, Sept. 22. At to-night’s meeting, the Harbour Board Chairman, Air M. Cohen, moved. “That in the opinion of this Board, tlio present system of a flat rate of freight from all ports in the Dominion is wrong in principle, 'and is most unjust to the main ports providing safe accommodation and modern facilities for the handling of ships and _cargo; that the flat rate retain overseas ships on this coast for a much longer period than is necessary; that it prevents the quick and regular shipments of our produce, and is generally against the interests of the Dominion.” \ discussion followed in which it was stated that the present system was indefensible, the producer ill the country suffering by sending of steamers to small ports to collect the produce. The motion was carried unanimously. DRUNKEN MAN TN A CAR. PALMERSTON N., Sept. 22. Donald McLean, a labourer, 23 years of ago, was charged at the Court this morning with being intoxicated while driving ,a motor car, and wi;lvh not being in possession of a driver’s license. Counsel entered a pica of guilty. Senior-Sergeant O’Grady said that the case was rather a bad one. Tlio constable who effected the arrest had told him that McLean was careering along at the rate of 40 miles an hour. The ear had zig-zag-ged all over Church Street and the people had to get on. to the footpaths pretty quickly. Counsel stated the defendant had been suffering from pleurisy and an injury to his hack. Ho was dining his ..rother-in-law’s car, hut lie had no right to ha doing so. It had boon ascertained that McLean had only two drinks. After consuming them, lie undoubtedly lost his head. The Senior-Sergeant added that when McLean pulled up outside a house in the street, lie fell over the side of the car, and was discovered to ho helplessly drunk. Tlio Bench fined Mol.ean £lO, or in default two months’ imprisonment cm the charge of intoxication, and couvicLed him on the charge of driving without, a license and also disqualified him from oiitliining a license tor a. period of 12 months. Ail application for the .suppression ol his name was refused. AN AGREEMENT. WELLINGTON, Sept. 22. A dispute between the New Zealand Federated Plumbers’ and.Gasfitters’ Union and the employers carrying oil business in this industry throughout New Zealand with the exception of the Auckland district, was considered by a Council of Arbitration to-day. Commissioner P. Hally presided and duffing tlio conference mi agreement upon Till the points in dispute was arranged, with the exception of wages and one or two minor items. It is Imped that at to-morrow’s meeting a complete agreement will be arranged satisfactorily to all concerned. Commissioner Hally will leave Wellington tor Wanganui to-morrow to heiil* the Municipal Labourers’ dispute in that district.