DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 January 1927, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

BT rELECIIAPn—PRESS ASSN'., corrßiour. N.Z. RACECOURSES. CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 1. After visiting many of the racecourses in other countries, Mr P. Selig. formerly president of the New Zealand Trotting Association, who returned to Christchurch yesterday, is firmly convinced that the New Zealand racecourses are among the best in tho world.

“In England, with the exception, of Ascot and one or two other famous courses, they don’t cater for the public at all,” said Mr Selig to a reporter yesterday. “They cater only for the bookmakers and. the owners and punters, and the public gets no consideration. I. was quite disgusted with the lack of conveniences' for tho public. They can see practically nothing of tho races until they are almost finished.”

Mr Selig added lie was in England dtiring the so-called bookmakers’ strike when the bookmakers declared that they were not going to make bets because of the Government’s intention to introduce a betting tax. It was nmiffing to him, because lie could see the chance there was for introducing the totalisator. The ‘Daily Telegraph” published about a column article den' ing with tho totalisator in New Zoaland and the Julius patent electric Infill isator.

“Tho bookmakers quickly came to their senses again after the question of the totalisator was mentioned,” said Mr Sclig. “They then decided to hot again and the loaders said that it was only the smaller bookmakers who wanted to strike. I was asked to write some articles on the totalisator, but as I was leaving London then I was unable to do so. However, I gave the newspapers as much information as I could about the working of the totalisator.

WALLETS STOLEN. AUCKLAND. Dee. 30. Pickpockets ai-o in evidence. A mate passenger on the Limited express from Wellington one morning this week was relieved of a wallet containing over £2O. He told 71 railway official that he was seated next to a wo7nan who 7?sed a lipstick and powderpuff fi-eely on the 7-7777. .Not- content with that, she had ii 7 her hag a bottle of brandy, which she made frequent resort to.

Another 711017 stated this morning that he had stolen from him in a city shop a wallet containing £6. He re-niembei-ed standing next to a woman whose description tallied with that of the lipstick (lady on the Limited.

SERVICE RESTORED. AUCKLAND, Deo. 30. All trains resumed running on the north tine to-dav, following on the interruption caused by the recent floods. On account of the good work accomplished by the repair gangs, the Wiiune-irei express to Auckland, carrying a large number of passengers, came in on time yesterday. Two expresses were dispatched for Whangarei this morning. The road bridges have also Tioen repaired.

A HANDSOME GIFT. NAPIER, Dee. 30. Mr .1. H. Coleman, one of Napier’s and Hawke’s Bay’s oldest settlers, lias made a magnificent gift of £SOOO to the Hawke’s Ray Hospital Board to commemorate his fiftieth summer of rosidonee in Napier and his sixty-eighth ,in Hawke’s Bay. The purpose of the gilt is to erect a new ward at the Napier Hospital. It carries a Government subsidy of pound for pound.

BANDSMEN COME BACK. AUCKLAND, December 30. Just a year ago the Band of the Ar;vle and Sutherland Highlanders was he talk of most, holidaymakers, and

was proving perhaps the greatest attraction of the Dunedin Exhibition. The kilted players themselves were favourites in the city whose guests they were for over six months, and it was to he expected that there would be invitations to “ come back and lie one ol us.” That so many would accept is a development that might mildly surprise even the bandsmen’s friends in hospitable Dunedin, but which is rattier eloquently shown in passenger lists ol immigrant ships that have recently arrived in Auckland. Already there are five or more of the bandsmen back in New Zealand and others are on their second voyage to the Edinburgh of the South. Most of those who have returned are of the band’s piping division. and peculiar packages that were carried on the vessels as personal luggage suggest that future Caledonian gatherings in the south will not lack tho charms of incidental music. The spare time of tlie new arrivals will be occupied in pursuit of such varied callings as baking, carpentering, farming, photography, and tailoring.

CONCRETE ROADS. AUCKLAND, December 30. The progress in concrete paving in

Auckland ranks as one ol tlie paramount recollections of tlie year just passing, and rapid work in both city and suburbs during 1926 has brought the aggregate mileage of cement concrete surfaces to nearly 50 miles. Programmes already commenced will bring the total to over 60 miles before the New Year is old. Auckland’s concrete roads have cost nearly half a million

pounds, but tlie city’s total of about 16,000 motor vehicles are reaping the benefit in reduced wear and tear and more comfortable riding.

The motor-car owner does not alone enjoy the advantages of the 50 miles of perfect roads. Residents of the suburbs who patronise motor-bus services enjoy the convenience of this means of transport, wliidh would not be available to them in a poorly roaded locality. New cars are being launched on the Auckland reads at tlie rate of 50 a week, and it is obvious that the concrete roading policies of the local authorities will he appreciated a decade from now when motor ownership is within the reach of a still larger proportion of the community.