DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 February 1927, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

[ay TELEGRAPH PEll PRESS ASSOCIATION.] THE UNEMPLOYED. AUCKLAND, February Kb A special meeting of tlie Auckland Unemployed Committee will be held tomorrow to consider the preparing of a statement on unemployment for presentation to Mr Contes in Auckland a": the week-end. ..icmbcrs who discussed the matter yesterday agreed that the position was anything hut pi-omisni'g and that some concerted action in the matter of providing work for the coming winter would have to lie taken. Rev. Jasper (’aider said the committee of the City .Mission regarded the position as -•> serious that lie had been requested to drop all outside interests and confine himself to the work of tlie mission. IN CANTERBURY. CHRISTCHURCH. February LL Usually harvesting at this time ol the year accounts for all surplus labour in the country, hut to-day there is a surplus six- times as great- as tbe demand. There are hundreds seeking work on farms. For four jobs the applicants numbered about: a hundred, while over (ill men applied lor lhr;e jobs at harvesting. There are unemployed sleeping out in the open, and the great majority arc willing worke: :••. The farmers are securing cheap labour at present. M ASTFRTON SHOW. MAST HR TON. February Kb Tbe Mastel'ton Show opened to-day in fine w< nllier. The following championships were awarded: -Lincoln ram William Perry and Son : reserve. \\ il--lin m Perry and Son: ewe. A . Howard Booth : reserve. 1,. R. Wilson. Romney .. arsh ram. William Perry and Son: reserve. William Perry and Son : ewe. 11. IL Johnston ; reserve. 11. R. Johnston. Southdown ram. C. E Vile ; reservo. James Knight; ewe. Hugh Burrell and Son: reserve. Hugh Burrell and Son. Uorriedale ram. J«'hn St ringfellow : reserve. John Stringfellow : owe John Stringfellow; reserve. J. Strmgfellow. Hereford bull. James AlcKcndc : female, G. F. Moore; reserve. G. F. Moore. Polled Angus, female. G. 11. Perry. Ayrshire, bull. W. Moore, reserve. <II. Morgan: female. (. B. Morgan; reserve. W. Moon'. Jei'sc; bell. Mrs !. W. Spiers; reserve. F. G. Thorne : female. D. •!. Cooper; reserve. J. A. Sutherland. I'leLian hull, liloomlield Farm Co.; reserve, O. A. Cadwalladcr ; female. Bloomfield Farm Co.: reserve. (). A. Cadwallador. BOY SWIM MING CHAMPION HURT DUNEDIN. February lb. Leslie Olds. 13 years of age. the New Zealand champion hoy swimmer, fell from a tree this evening, and fractured a leg. He was admitted to the hospital. GROCERS’ FEDERATION. NEW I’LY.MOFTT I. February Id. At. the Grocers’ Federation Conference at to-night’s session all the last year’s officers were elected. Alter some discussion on the fact that the whole of the executive reside in Auckland. it was decided to hold the next conference at Nelson. It was agreed to set up a Parliamentary Committee to further the Federation’s interests.

A SUICIDE. CHRISTCHURCH. February 15

the body of Percy Timms, aged 33, was hmiid in the Waimakariri river bv a fisherman early this morning. The fisherman took the body 1" the bank of H>-. river and informed jbe police, bill heloro the police arrived, the body bad been carried away by tlie rising tide. It was again found at 5 o'clock this afternoon. On Friday. Timms cycled to Kniapoi and bis bicycle ami a letter wore found on the liver bank later. A CLOUDBURST. AUCKLAND. Feb. 15. There was an electrical disturbance in the city'and the suburbs to-night, ft was accompanied by a heavy downpour of rain, the streets being flooded. Something in the nature of a cloudburst was experienced at East Tamaki. It was preceded'by a waterspout which wrecked a small outbuilding of a house and <]id other minor damage. A tram-car was struck by lightning during the height of the thunderstorm at Ep.som to-night. The lightning travelled by flu l overhead wire down the polo of tlie car to the engine. A blinding flash followed. The motorman. AYilliam Tee. reeled from the shock. He said afterwards that it felt as if someone had dealt, liim a heavy blow on. the neck. Tee displayed great promptness stopping the car. in which no passengers wore travelling at the time.

The hair at the hack of Toe’s head was singed, and he whs suffering .somewhat from shock. The car suffered no structural damage but the lights fused, and the engine was partly disabled. I,ATE STB H. BRETT. AUCKLAND. Fob. 15. The executors in the estate of the late Sir Henry Brett announced that he has made the following charitable bequests : Church of England Orphans’ Home, Panatoetoe, £IOOO. Jubilee Institute for the Blind £IOOO. Central Fund. Diocese of Auckland, £SOO. Salvation Army £SOO. Children’s Home. Richmond Road; St. Alary’s Home. Otahulni; Diocesan Pension Board • Widows and Orphans Fund of the Diocese of Auckland; Leslie Presbyterian Orphanage; Methodist Orphanage; and Aft. Albert (Auckland) Cricket Association—C 100 each. Girls' Friendly Sociotv, and Auckland Choral Society—each £250. Order of Good Shepherd: Veterans Home, Ensoul; Society for tlie Protection of Women and Children ; Knox Home for Incurables; Ladies’ Benevolent Society. Auckland ; Plunket Sociotv : St. Peter's Anglican Church. Takapuua; and Auckland Horticultural Society—each £2OO. AlisOons to Seamen. Auckland—£l.so. St. John’s Ambulance: Royal Alale Choir ; Bohemian Orchestra. Auckland : Typograhpbnl Association. Auckland: Sailors’ Home; and Watersiders’ Union Bank Fund—each £IOO.

NEAV DREDGE. DUNEDIN. Feb. 15

At a special meeting of the Harbour Board to-night, the question of procuring a new dredge for Otago harbour was discussed at length, and a report by the Board’s engineer. Afr Wilkie. was adopted. Air Wilkie’s recommendations provide for ti dredge not ex-ceediiig 265 feet in length, with a reasonable width, and a draught of from 16ft to 16ft 6in, such a dredge to have h hopper of a capacity of about 2000 tons, and to be self-propelled. The recommendations also provided for Afr Robertson, the Assistant Engineer, to supervise the building, and to have the assistance of a naval architect for the hull and for the stability trials.

lAIPORTANT CASE.

CHRISTCHURCH. Feb. 15

All interesting case under the Family Protection Act came before Air Justice Adams in The Supreme Court today. The plaintiff, Lily Elizabeth New-

man, made application for provision out of the estate of her first husband Jose Gracia, (firmer, of Waikerikikeri. Sim alleged that Gracia died without making adequate provision for her, and her present husband could earn only £l] a week as a casual labourer. His Honour said that important issues were involved, and lie directed that tbe ease be argued before the Full Bench of (lie Judges.