DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 January 1927, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by telegraph— peb press association.] 1 UNEMPLOYMENT. !

WESTPORT, Jan. 24. During the past few days Air Holland, leader of tho Opposition, lias received communications from Dunedin land other centres stating that the unemployment is acute and asking for l his co-operation in making representations to the Government. Air Hoi- j land has now written to the Acting- 1 Prime Afinistor urging that for the purpose of coping with tho problem a, number of necessary public works in various parts of the Dominion he put in hand at once; also suggesting in view of tho present situation with such large numbers of men unemployed here the Government should reconsider its immigration policy.

Air Holland points out tlfat under present conditions the stream of immigration must of necessity contribute towards the creating of many unemployed. In another communication to the. Acting-Prime Alinister Air Holland has diknvn attention to the fact that there is still more than fifty men unemployed in the town of Westport and that so far nothing lias been done in any way in starting tho public works, which tho Government has long since stated would ho proceeded with seriously. Air Holland poi.nts out that it is more than a month since the Government made a definite promise that tho harbour walis would be commenced immediately. Ho points out that all married men, among local people, could ho absolutely on the harbour works alone, if tho Government promises were adhered to. Tie further urged, that fat, least thirty men could be placed on the Coast Road and two hundred on tho WestportInangahua section of tho Buller Gorge Railway.

INQUEST VERDICT. DUNEDIN, Jan. 23. Regarding the death of Robert BaylisS, a married man. who was electroed, while working on the electric iines in Gladstone road on December 24th, tho Coroner, Air 11. AV. Bundle, held this morning that, death was purely accidental, and that no blame was attachable either to the City C’orpntfation or to the lack of care of anyone on tho job with deceased. AI. C. Henderson, City Electrical Engineer, was present, and, replying to the Coroner. he said that in matters of safety tho Government regulations were, followed, which laid down that goloshes, lubber gloves, etc., must bo provided where necessary., The low tension circuit was looked upon as quite safe if reasonable care was taken. llayliss must have put bis Foot on the neutral wire, and must have touched one of tho others while he put the bridge in. The accident could not Live happened if Bayliss had been wearing rubber gloves or goloshes or insulated instruments.

Tho Coroner said the accident would not havo happened if Hoyliss had had gloves or goloshes on, hut the evidence showed that these were worn only if tho weather was wet. while the Government regulations merely provided that these things should he supplied where necessary. In view of that if, w'.is not necessary to sa\ more. In dangerous occupations familiarity bred contempt of the danger, and that was what hud happened. Ho was quite unable to find that the man considered it necessary to wear gloves. The verdict would he one of accidental elec- j (mention. i

HOAIK-AiADE RADIO SET. AUCKLAND, Jan. 23. The necessity for ohliiining a license to erect a wireless set was emphasised in the Children's Court on Saturday, when a h. iy. aged fifteen, was charged with erecting a set at his home wit.licut a. license. The (.(fence was admitted. It was stated that the hoy had made a. set, himself at, a cost of 7s Gd. His knowledge of wireless was limited, and in order t.o “earth” the set he had carried a large tin of earth to an upslGirs room of his home and placed the wire in it. Li view of the fact that the hoy is shortlv leaving Auck'and to go to a hoarding si bool, tho Alagistrato dismissed the ease on payment of costs. SUDDEN DEATHS. DUNEDIN. Jim. 23. AIY A. S. Johnston, a local sharebroker, was found dead in his hod at Burke’s this morning. The death occurred suddenly at Outrani on fjiturdav of Air Thomas Gray Scouhir. aged fiftv-l:wo years, a member of the firm of Waters, Ritchie end Co. He was on bolid/iy at Outram at the time of his death.

COPPER WIRE CERES PLANT DISEASES. AUCKLAND. .Tan. 21. Recently a Mount Eden resident instilled a radio set, and though dissatisfied with the standard of entertainment broadcasted from Auckland station, he says tha he I vis received his money’s worth in the salvation of a much-prized peach free. This was badly affected with leaf curl, but after instillation of the copper wire aerial overhead it began to improve immensely, and is now f|iiite itself again. Tho man referred to dissented most emphatically from Clio suggestion that perhaps the tree had benefited from TA'A programmes, pinning his faith in tiie efficacy of copper as a cure for parasitical disease of plants. His confidence in this respect is borne out by tho experiences of a resident of Greenlane. who declares that lie lias affected a complete euro in the case of tomato plants badly affected with blight by sticking copper tacks in the stems. “And why not?” he asks. “Is not sulphate of copper used ins a, spray lor plant diseases?”

THE PAXMUPE SENSATION. AUCKLAND. Jail. 21

Leslie George Dunn, aged IG.V years, who was arrested in connection with the Panmnrc sensation, was oNirged this morning with breaking, entering and theft, and with wilfully setting fire to Young’s building in Bright St.. Panmure. Ho was remanded till January 2" COLLISION RESULTS. NAPIER. Jr.ii. 23. An unusual motor accident occurred near Napier yesterday morning, whei a. swarm of bees made for a. ear ownec by ATr Dare, of Wellington, and driver by Mrs Dure. The Sitter applied the brakes and bronglit the ear to a sudden standstill, when another car, driv. on by .Ur Scarrott, close behind the latter vebicle. crashed into the rear of t.ho first car. Doth vehfcles were severtly damaged. A broken windscreen in Scarrot’s car caused facial injuries to Miss Scarrot. who was taken to tlic hospital. Her injuries care not serious. Some timo after the accident occurred, botli vehicles wore still covered with crawling bees.

BOOKIES FINED. AUCKLAND, Jan. 24

As a sequel to a police raid on Saturday, Francis Dtfhsey Orr was fined £75 for keeping a common gaming house in Swanson ,Street and Phillip George Alulligan. was fined £25 for assisting in tho management. Both pleaded guilty. It was stated that both men had been carrying on a bookmaking business since December.

YOUNG BURGLAR. AUCKLAND, Jan. 24. The identity of the burglar who carried out his threat to wreck a shop at Parnell if he found no money on his second visit was revealed at the Police Court when Charles Oetavian Orlando Giorgi, aged 20, pleaded guilty to a variety of charges, including four of breaking and entering shops and stealing goods. A note wa?T found in the Parnell shop stating: “If there is no monev here next tunc I will wieck the shop.” In a statement to the police, the accused said he could not find any money in the shop, hut he found some eggs and bacon, and cooked and ate them, lie also ate some strawberries from the shop. Before leaving he wrote the message containing the threat to wreck the shop. This was done out of bravado as he had no intention of returning. The next night, lie went back, and be took chocolates, fruit and drinks. He ate some cold chops which he found in a gas stove.

The, accused was caught in the Meat Company’s shop at Alount Albert a few days later, the capture being made by the manager about five o'clock in the morning.

Accused was committed to tho Supreme Court for sentence, i I i LODGE SECRETARY’S THEFT. AUCKLAND, Jan. 24. The theft of lodge money totalling £3O IDs Oil was admitted by Ernest Wright, ' He was secretary to the Richmond Lodge, No. 4,428, New Zealand, No--13 Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes said Senior Detective Hammond, the remuneration he received for this work was only nominal, about £3 a quarter. Originally he was a ship’s steward by occupation, and had been in New Zealand only twelve months. Alter misappropriating a portion of the money entrusted to him, AVright went to Wellington, where lie shipped for England. He was arrested the day before the boat sailed. “Stand him down.” said Air Hunt, S.AI. “I want to see the Probation Officer before passing sentence?,”

MAX STRIFES PRIEST. CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 24

Alicia Handford, labourer, employed at the Roman Catholic Presbytery at Rangiora. went on a drinking bout while the priests were away. Rev. Father O’Robert v returned yesterday afternoon, and told Handford that lie would have to leave. Handford thereupon struck the priest in the face with his fist, knocking him down. Handford was fined £3 fur assault at, Rangiora Police Court to-day. and was convicted and discharged on the charge of drunk-

cnncss. j NEW MAR IST SCHOOL. GISBORXE, I'eb. 21. For sonic lime the need of a now Catholic school for teaching the hoy pupils after passing tlie Fourth Standard has been felt in Cishome. That j-ci|uiroiiKOit will lie felt shortly, when a .Marist Bros. School for pupils 1 for Standards Five and Six and lip ti flic .Junior High Schol coursewill be opened When it was decided to erect a new school for St. Mary’s (which is now well under wav), an application was made by the Catholic Church to the -Marist Brothers to establish a school. This request lias now been complet'd!. The new school is to lie conducted in the old St. Mary’s School, and two 'Marist Brothers will take tip their residence here shortly. j AUCKLAND THIEF’S EXPLOITS AUCKLAND, Man. 21. i Two charges of breaking, entering and theft were admitted liy AYilliam Gibson Young, and Leonard David Williams, both young men, in the Police Court to-day, and Young also pleaded guilty 1o six further charges :of a similar nature. The dates of the j offences ranged from July 1925, to January. 1920. I Young, in n statement to the police. 1 said that he went lo the fruit shop of Chang Kee, in llie Great North Road, and, after climbing on to the roof of a shed, he was able to reach through an open window and to take a hag which i contained C3O in. sovereigns and half ; sovereigns, that were wrapped in j

paper. j The accused, further stated tlmt, on ; tl 10 night of December 10th., 1920. ho went to a Chinese laundry in -Tervois Road. entered by a window, and found two Chinese sleeping in an upstairs room. From their clothing hanging on the wall, he abstracted about Cl 3. and then he took some money from a till downstairs. During October, 1925, he had also taken about £l2 from a. pair of trousers hanging behind a door in a Chinaman’s house in Kliyber Pass Road. There was a Chinaman asleep in the room at the time. Young went on to tell how ho went into Xatha Pattil’s fruit shop in Jorvois Pond. Ponsonby. where ho covered his face with a handkerchief, and presented a toy revolver at the Hindu, telling him to put his hands up and to hand over his money. “He handed me a little over £1 in silver,” said

Young. The accused was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.

NELSOX BOARD’S DECISION. NELSON. Jan. 24

The principle of giving preference in the appointment of teachers to single women, was confirmed at the Nelson Education Board’s meeting to-day. The question arose when the appointment of a teacher for a special class for backward children, was under discussion. The Board had sent a list of applicants to the Department, who forwarded two names for selection, a married women being placed first and a single woman second. The Chairman (Mr F. W. 0. Smith! said that, in general principle, he was always opposed to married women being. appointed when they had husband’s to maintain them. It was different if a woman was a widow, or had a sick husband to support. Tn the circumstances, the Board had made exceptions. In answer to a question the Senior J Inspector said that the married appliI (taut had outstanding qualifications. The children, he said, should be considered. Mr Harris said that be believed in tbe principle, but this was a ease where an exception should be made. Mr Seantlebury moved, and it was seconded by Mr Wilkins, that the single woman be appointed. Hon W. IT. Mclntyre, who agreed with tbe Inspector, said that the children should be considered. MMclntyre moved an amendment that tbe married woman be appointed. In seconding tbe amendment, Mr Harkness said he considered that an applicant with outstanding ability, whether married or not, should he appointed.

On a show of hands, the amendment was lost, only the mover .and Mr "Harris supporting it. The Chairman did not rote.