DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 February 1927, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by TKI.EGItAI'H—PER PRESS ASSOCIATION

PUNISHMENT ACTS AT A

DETERRENT

AUCKLAND. Eeh. 9

Albert Wright, found guilty of an indecent act on a male, was m-iiL to gaol for three years by .Mr Justice Herdinan. “In the Auckland province” sa-id His Honour, “these offences are always before the Courts, and it. is my duty to cheek them. Punishment acts as a deterrent. You have been convicted <f \ a rrancy, theft:, and drunkenness. ml for this offence you will go to gaol “or three years, with hard labour.” •H UY fail to agree. PALMERSTON X.. Feb. !). The- jury failed to agree in the ease of John Drummond, charged with negligently driving a ear on the Wnod-ville-l’ahinttia road on November 13th. so as to cause the death of a youth, George Yin ton. A new trial was ordered, to eventuate at (he May session of the Supreme Court. Drummond, who was admitted to bail, is L'l years of age. He is a. well-known residen! ”f D.-mnevirke, and has held many prominent positions in public life.

MOTORIST PLEADS GUILTY. CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 0. In the Supreme Court to-dav, before Mi .Justice Adams. Henry Denham pleaded guilty to two charges of negligently driving a motor ear, and I hereby causing tlie death of Evelyn Blanche Hildebrand and David Forsyth. Accused was remanded until Friday for sentence.

another MOTORIST acquitted. CHRISTCHURCH. Feb. 9. James Matthews (.Mr Thomas) pleaded not guilty to a charge of reckless driving oi a motor vehicle and causing (he death of Ivy Louisa Room Accused’s ear collided with a motor van in which .Afrs Boon was travelling. It was alleged that accused's car failed to negotiate a corner properlv. and that this was due to travelling too fast. YY it nesses for the Crown assessed the speed at 40 to AO miles an hour. Accused. in evidence, denied that he was travelling at an excessive speed. He was certainly not travelling at 40 miles per hour, and at the corner had reduced bis speed to 18 miles. Prisoner was found not guilty, the jury adding that the corner where the accident occurred was highly dangerous.

LABOUR WORLD. GREY.MDUTH. Fc bruarv !). One of the objects of the reiientlviormcil Carpenters’ Union was to secure the operation of the award in the district of Westland. At the present tune it lias < flee t in all other industrial districts of the Dominion. A dispute was developed between the Union ami the employers. The Conciliation t onmiissioner, -Mr Hagg or, has now set a date lor the hearing of the dispute at the, Court House, Grevinoutli on February 21st at 2 p.m. The Arbitration Court will open its Greymouth sittings c'li the same day. so there is every possibility that the whole matter ot the award will be settled at the one tuna, and will become operative by tho end of this month.

DISPUTE ON S.S. KAHIK A DUNEDIN. February 9. I lie steamer Kaliika lias been held up sinc e I uesday night owing to a dispute with the crew over the question ol rating. r lhe men refused to agree to an able seamen being engaged to fill an ordinary seamen’s berth. A man was engaged to-day as ordinary seaman, and the crew were satisfied, with the exception of one fireman, who retuse'd to sail with the new baud. The fireman signed off the articles this periling, and endeavour is now being made to fill the vacancy. There is little likelihood of the Kaliika sailing to-niidit for Napier and Gisborne.

LADY .MOTOR VICTIM AI ASTER TON. Fehruarv 9

An inquest was held to-dav into the death of Miss Mary Cummins, who died at Mastortnn Hospital on Monday as the result of injuries received in a motor accident on Taratahi Road on Saturday last. The accident was caused by a- car skidding in metal and turning on its side, .Miss Cummins being pinned by the rim of the hood, and sustaining a fractured skull and laceration of the brain. The verdict was that deceased died ns a result of injuries received m a motor accident, no negligence being attachable to the driver of the car. the deceased’s sister. LIABILITY SHIP. WELLINGTON. February 9. A reserved judgment important to shipowners and consignees was given to-dav hv Mr Justice Alpers, on an appeal hv the owners of the City of Naples from the decision of the Magistrate in favour of Guilin and Co. Ltd., oil October’ 10th, 1923. Collin and Co imported per the Citv of Naples, eight cases of alarm clocks from New York. Both the ship and the Wellington Harbour Board gave receipt acknowledging that cases in apparent good order and condition. A carrier sent by Guilin and Co., to the Harbour Board sheds, refused to accept deliverv of one case on the grounds that it had been tampered wtili. When the case was opened 34 out of the of) clocks were found to have been taken. Gnllin and Co., thereupon claimed £ls Gs Gd alternatively from lire owners of the ship and the Wellington Harbour Board. The Magistrate was satisfied the case was pillaged on the ship being being unloaded in,to the. Wellington Harbour Board sheds, as the owners of the ship had not attempted to prove the case had not been pillaged while on hoard (the onus being on them in view of their receipt). ’file Magistrate found tor Collin and Co., the amount claimed. The owners of the ( itv ot Naples appealed. " I see no reason to doubt.” saict Judge Alpers. in bis judgment. ” tbyt the Magistrate arrived at a sound conclusion with proper regard for the practical exigencies for the handling and examining of the cargo. Ihe truth of H'e matter is that all eases of short deliver-- turn on inferences of fact, and not on rules of law. 3he .Magistrate has not in so maiiv words given ail express finding that the ease wheg delivered to the Harbour Board was not m fact ‘in apparent good order ’ ’hut such finding is clearly implied in his judgment, and seems to me a reasonable deduction from the evidence taken as a whole. The appeal was dismissed with costs.”

TH E NORTH EMBER 1 .AN D. AUCKLAND. Feb. 9

The Northumberland, which left Gisborne yesterday afternoon, sent a wireless at noon to-day that she was progressing satisfactorily and at the present rate of progress. expected to reach Auckland on Friday morning. BURGLARY. WAIPUKURAU. Feb. 10. The premises of B. Mathieson, -Mercer. in the heart of the town, wore hurirlariouslv raided last night. The stock was scattered about, but there is no evidence of any missing cash. The register was rifled, but contained only a small amount in silver, and a fe" pennies, and several open cheques tor small amounts. AN ACCIDENT. DUNEDIN, Feb. 10. Bert Crawford, a single man was hospitalled with severe head injuries, which necessitated an operation. A bucket of cement fell from a height and hit a plank, which struck Crawford on the head. STOCT DONATIONS. WELLINGTON. Feb. 10.

A little while ago Sir Robert and Lady Stout celebrated their golden wedding, and to commemorate this event Sir Robert donated the sum of 9200 to the Yietoria University College Council so as to make it possible for the annual award of a prize to the best student of the year. It is to be called ‘ The Founder’s Brize.” and the student to whom it is to he awarded will be selected annually hr the Professorial gonrd. Sir Robert desires re-

giilntions governing the award of tho prize to he so framed that no student will be able to win it more than mite. I In.’ first award of “The Founder’s

Prize” will he made this year. Lady Stout alsi donated the sum of £6O to a College Council Scholarship to be awarded annually on lines similar to • j-ise fgovernjin.g the award of the Rhodes Scholarship. Lndv Stout has expressed a wish that the regulations governing tin- award of the .scholarship should he tentatively drawn up by Professor T. A. Hunter. At a meeting of Yictoiiu (ollow Council ia.sl night a motion was passed warmly thanking Sir Robert and Lady Stout for their generosity.

ANOTHER MOTOR COLLISION. UOIORUA. February 111. A head-on collision between a motor Inis owned by Mr Bert Oakoes. driven to ( aiclerwood. and a motor-ear owned and dnyen by Mr Whitfield, of Whit".l s I'fjtorua to CJislionio motor xervice, took place at Fenton Street at ui p.m. vesferdqv. Both engines wore completely wrecked. The chassis a"d bodies were also much shattered. Ibe driver oi Hie bus received minor miuiTes. Ihe driver of the ear. Whitefield. and a passenger, Miss Morrison, wore hospitalled. The former has concussion and the latter cuts and shnek Aneither occupant escaped. The Inis was einotv at Hie time and the car was f r.-i'-rllinjr ai a hudi speed. A PHOENIX NEWSPAPER.

/ _ WELLINGTON. Feb. 10. I lie lire at. the Tailpipe Tillies office turns out not to have been so serious as at first reported. The linotypes and printing nwhines escaped, and the paper is now being publiximd amiin WOOL SALKS START. CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 9.

I lie third wool sale of the Christchurch series commenced, and 9000 bales were sold to-night. The wool generally was in good condition. The wool sold up to the prices of Timarii sac. Tliree-qunrterbred sold a ponnv better than last Christchurch sale, and shade in advance' of Timarii prices. A good deals of three-quarterbred made 133 d to Mid. Crossbred exceeded'l2(l, an liallbred and Corricdnlc 17)d to 18.1 d. There was strong Continental demand.

SYDNEY. Feb. !). At the wool sales tho market was fully equal to the best point of tho week. Comebacks met an exceptionally strong (lem;md. Green merinos sold to 344 d. SYDNEY, Feb. 9. The wholesale price of flour was reduced live shilling to £l2 6s per ton of two thousand pounds to-dav. fatal accident. YVTIANGAEEI. Feb. 10. Wiroimi Peri, aged 29, when working at Wining,-iriirii. on the East Coast yesterday bad his right hand blown off by the explosion of a charge ol dynamite. He succumbed in Wliaii-gui-ci Hospital early this morning. During the journey to YVliangarci the car containing Peri, his wife and other relatives, collided with -another car, both vehicles being badly smashed. Mrs Peri’s right arm was lacerated by the broken glass. The ambulance was sent out to complete the conveyance of the party to YY’hangarei. FATAL BENZINE EXPLOSION. TE A WA.YI FTC. February 10.

An inquest was held to-day touching the death of Charles Edward Honeyfield which occurred yesterday 1110111“ing. The evidence of a motor engineer was that a leaking feed pipe supplying the vacuum tank caused the benzine to escape and ignite, causing ail explosion. The Coroner returned a verdict that the death was caused by being burned with'hits 1110 tor-ear, through an evident benzine cx illusion. KAIUK A SAILS. DUNEDIN. February 10.

1 lie Kaliika. which was held lip. sailed at 10.26 this morning for Auckland via ports.