DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 February 1927, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by TELEGRAPH —PER PREBB ASSOCIATION.] FELL DOWN STAIRS. ■ AUCKLAND, Feb. 17. An accident befel Mr H. Oakley Browne while on his way to a meeting of tho Auckland Unemployment Committee yesterday. Entering the-Short-land Street post office building, where the office of the Labour Department is situated, ho mistakenly opened a door leading by a flight of'concrete steps into the basement. The stair drops suddenly, and Mr Browne was precipitated head first to the bottom, lie sustained abrasions to the head and body which were dressed at the Auckland Hospital. Fortunately tho injuries were not serious. Another member of the committee, Captain Davies, of the Salvation Army, had -a narrow escape from a similar accident only a few minutes earlier.

CARGO HANDLING. WELLINGTON, Feb. 17. New regulations governing the efficiency til the ropes and chains used in the handling of cargo on board ship were introduced recently. Two years ago tho Marino Department. started to push the matter forward and drew up a, special set of tables regarding chain, wire, and fibre rope loads.

Tho Dominion is the first country to adopt this new system in connexion with cargo working. Tho matter was a very controversial one, and for some time the subject of much discussion between the Department and tho representatives of the shipping firms, Harbour Boards,, Waterside Workers’ Union, and rope-makers. Prior to the new tables being drawn up there was no guide in the working of cargo as to what load could be safely placed on any chain, wiro rope, or fibre rope, and oniy after long consideration and numerous conferences was an understanding arrived at -and suitable tables drawn up. The scale lays down what is a saft'e working load for every chain and wiro rope used in cargo working on board ship arid will tend to ensure flio safety of cargo workers on ships and wharves.

The regulations camo into force on February Ist and apply -at present only to chains and wiro ropes. Fibre ropes have liocn exempted in the meantime, the provision in that respect being postponed until April Ist, and it is understood that the question of bring'ing tho fibre ropes under the new regulations may be the subject of further discussion or conference. Tn the meantime practical tests will be eairied out at Canterbury College to ascretain what load may be safely placed on the different sized fibre ropes.

NOTED SWIMMERS ATTEMPT. HAMILTON, Feb. IS. An attempt to break the world’s fresh water swimming record by covering a- distance of approximately thirtyfour miles without leaving tho water was begun at 7 a.m. to-day by C. \ . Davus, Government veterinarian at Hamilton, a notable long distance swimmer. At 11.39 a.m. ho passed Hamilton, swimming easily and. showing no signs of fatigue, after seventeen miles of the journey had boon made.

FIRE AT SHANNON. LEVIN, Feb. 18. ■V Large block of three shops were destroyed by fire in Shannon _ early this morning, one being occupied by Aitcheson and Son, grocers, another by G. C. Young, cycle shop, and the third vacant. The block was owned by H. Hook and building and stocks are a total loss. At one time there seemed '.a danger of the fire spreading and the Levin brigade was telephoned i<H", there being no brigade in Shannon. A detachment from the former went twelve miles to the scene by car and cheeked the spread of flames. Insurances are not available. DISASTROUS FIRE. RANGATAUA, Feb. 18. A disastrous fire swept business premises at Raligataua early this morning destroying even shops and the Town

Hall. The shops were grocery and j drapery occupied by A. Minifie, billiard room, and barber shop by J. j Cunningham and G. Roussell, boot ; shop by J. Scott, confectionery by F. Palmer, bookseller by C. G. Hawken. Also an unoccupied shop. Insurances are unavailable but are believed to be low. GUILTY OF THEFT. ROTORUA, February 18. , F. C. Crawford, a cadet, aged 18, employed in the Tourist Department at Rotorua pleaded guilty this morning to stealing £62 14s lid, the property of the , Department, and was committed for sentence to Auckland Supreme Court. 1

CLAIM FOR DAMAGES. AUCKLAND, February 18. The Supreme Court was occupied hearing an action against- Geo. N. Douglas, a police constable, by a Maori named Maaku Purua, . who claimed £l5O damages for alleged ill-treatment, when the constable arrested Purua at Mercer on a. charge of drunkenness, which counsel stated was dismissed by the magistrate. Dr Begg stated in evidence that Purua’s injuries were such that he would be affected for some time, if not permanently in some respects.

ALLEGED THEFT. AUCKLAND, February 18. William Ernest Carrington, aged 26, charged at the Police Court with foiging tho name of if. McMillan to a Post Office Savings Bank withdrawal slip'for £lO at Dunedin on August 28th, 1926, was remanded to February 26th, the police stating further charges against the accused were pending.

CHANGE TN THE “ REFEREE.” WELLINGTON, February 18. Another change in the newspaper world is announced: After April 30th tho New Zealand Referee, which now forms part of the “ Weekly Press, is to be published as a separate journal in Wellington, instead of in Christchurch. It is understood, a new company has been formed which takes over the Referee,. THREE BROTHERS IN COURT. PALMERSTON X.. Feb. 18. At the Police Court this morning Albert George Windsor, Frederick Joseph Windsor, and Lawrence Egmont Windsor, were charged with breaking and entering Otago Dairy Coy premises and stealing stamps valued at one pound : also Pahiatua railway station and stealing goods valued at £2O; also Levin Station and stealing bank notes to the value of £172; at Palmerston North with assaulting a police constable and also escaping from custody. The police stated this morning that accused assaulted the constable giving them breakfast and escaped from custody. but they were ultimately recaptured. All three were sentenced to twelve months for escaping from custody, Frederick and Lawrence Windsor to two months for assault on a constable. The charge against Albert Windsor was withdrawn. LOSS ON LOTTERY. PALMERSTON N., Feb. 15. << Had we known that the Minister had been so unwise as to grant such a number of big art unions we would never have put ours on the market. We waited for them to finish, but they did not. It is the most extraordinary thing 1 have ever known that the Minister” should grant sueli a laarge number at once; I do not wonder that people are up in arms.” These statements were made by Mr J. H. Perrett, chairman of the Art Union Committe#jjbf the Manawatu A. and P. Association, at to-day’s meeting of the General Committee, when explaining why the art union conducted by the

association had showed a loss ol £167 13s 9d. He said that he was sorry the venture had not paid. As the members could see from the financial statement, the receipts, which totalled £3OOO, were very good considering the competition the association had had to face in the matter. This sum represented 60,000 people, each of whom -had bought a ticket. The sum of £IOOO had lieen spent in advertising, and perhaps this might have been too much. The organiser had done all possible, and had performed his duties well.

Mr M. A. Conway: Those gentlemen who undertook to run this art union - Mr Perrett (rising instantly): T call Mr Conway to a point of order, Mr Chairman. * The conduct of this art union was authorised by the General Committee itself.

Mr Conway (amiably) : To those gentlemen .who undertook to run this art union our thanks are due. We ought now to wipe the thing right out of all our minds. It was a loss and it is done with. The report was adopted without further discussion. Later in the day Mr J. M. Johnston remarked to the meeting: “I was against that art union all along, and I am more against it now. (Laughter.) We could have done much better by spending that £2OO on improvements to the poultry hall. 'No more art unions.*’