DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 March 1927, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

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GISBORNE TEST CASE. GISBORNE, March 11

Before the Compensation Court today was heard a test claim in Gisborne dealing with the municipal ownership of public transport service. Prior to the hearing of evidence. Air Chrisp contended that there was no ■substantial competition between the 1.n.-es and the trams. The business done Jiy each was so slight as not to warrant the term ‘competition.'’ Detailed o.idonee was given l,v a

trainvve c y actor, and by passengers as in t! i•: :nor ol passengers cartjed on the i. ' and the buses.

ills Ho.i-air asked Mr Chrisp if lie contended that where competition was to the benefit of the buses, there could lie no claim for compensation. .Mr Chris;> agreed that was his contention. %

His Honour .said that he could not find that in Hie Act. “No doubt.” lie said, “that is what the Act should say, but it is not the way it reads.” All the Act required to be proved was that substantia! competition existed. Later in the proceedings His Honour stated that it had been proved to the

satisfaction of the Court that the competition was substantial. For that reason, even though the buses had all the benefit ol the competition, the f (jurt could adopt, no other course but to proceed with the hearing of the chi i m.

Evidence was then given on to the value of the plant, which comprised four buses.

His Honour announced that a derision would probably lie delivered the following morning.

BARMAN “ BOOKIE.” WELLINGTON. ALu-eh I!. A hiirman. William Mark Barker, married. 32, was to-day fined CTO, in delimit one month’s imprisonment, by Mr .Salmon. R.M., lor having carried on a bookniaking business in a small

MOTOR COLLISION. HAMILTON. March 3 3

When returning from To Awnmufu last evening, a car driven by Frr.nk Tutidien, of Frankton, containing a party of Hamilton bowlers. collided witli a lorry near Hamilton. All tire occupants of the ear were thrown out. and E. R. Burton, (chemist, of Ernnkton) sustained a fractured skull, the others escaping with a shaking. Burton’s condition is serious, and .was unchanged this morning though he had recovered consciousness l.oih vehicles were hadlv damaged. Tito lorry driver was unhurt.

£2O-3!) GRANTED. GISBORNE March 13. The Compensation Court awarded Lewis John Cohan, luis proprietor, £2039 in his claim against the Borough Council for four buses,

PR IRON K!! S RE NT KNO FT) DUNEDIN, .Mu-eli J 3. Prisoners were sentenced bv Just it Sim.

Gordon Jenkins, breaking, entering, theft and false pretences to reformative detention for five years. William Joluy Walsh, breaking, entering and theft .two years hard and declared an habitual criminal. CTVIL CASE. DUNEDIN. March 33. In a civil case, Bank of Australasia against Lewis Curtis. commission agent, (telegraphed last Tuesduy), Jus. tico Sim gave judgment for plaintiff who claimed £(ilo. the amount of a cheque drawn by defendant on the National Bank and subsequently dishonoured by his direction, he ••alleging it had been obtained by fraud by Sandman, a bank teller, who was convicted of embezzlement.

GLUT. KILLED. HA All L'lO.N, March 13. A sad fatal accident occurred at 9 la.ill. to-day ivheii a young lad.v. Myra Alorris, aged eighteen years, of Frankton Street, stopped o!f a footpath on her way to work and was about In cross London Street when a heavy lorry driven by Edward Rouse turned a corner knocking her down. She was killed 'almost instantly.

BUTTER DISCUSSION. FURTHER DETAILS. WELLINGTON. .March 15. In the course of his .statement regarding the Daily Control Board s difficulties. Mr Grounds referred to the divided counsels ol the London Agency, and the dissension created by the Govern input representative thereon, with his definite opposition to the instruction of the Board, to apply to its policy. This, said Mr Grounds, was gravely accentuated when the Premie:- visiting London, by encouragement laid given the belie! that “something would he done ' bv the Government. The hope of influencing jhe Government invited the intensification of the trade opposition. “On that point” said Mr Grounds "I would ul- - that the full story ol the intrigue in Loudon at. the lime ot the Premier's visit may yet have to be told. When this matter was referred to Mr Coates, he said it could he assumed that Patterson in his capacity as Government representative, foresaw what ho considered a danger .that the Bo’.n-d was likely to he laced with. “1 take it from his own observation concerning the almost complete host ilit> on the part of the trade to any system of price fixing that at the eleventh hour he stated the position as he saw it and asked the Board to reconsider its definite policy before bringing it into actual operation. 'She Board in its judgment decided to proceed with the policy laid down. .Since that time I am not aware that Patterson has done other than use his efforts to assist in the sale of New Zealand dairy produce. Afy notions in London veto aimed wholly at smoothing out the difficulties with the object of bringing about a better feeling and understanding.'’

found dead. WJIAKATANE. March 15. A Maori. Rangi Xikau. was found dead at Runtoki yesterday, shot through the heart. His body was lying near a tree to which a shot gun uas tied and to the trigger was attached a siring which apparently deceased pulled. thus discharging the gun.

DRUIDS CONFER. PALMERSTON X., Mar. 15. The biennial conference of delegates of the Druids Grand Lodge of the North Island opened here yesterday afternoon. Delegates were accorded a civic reception and domestic business only was trausneted. Ihe exocutiic s annual report mentioned the satisfactory state of the funds, increases since last Grand Lodge meeting being, sick and funeral £292.233. special insurance No. 1 £12.092; No. 2 £624 : benevolent £296; management £lOll. The actual balances disclosed by the financial statement were sick and tuneial £310.939. management £638, benevolent £1173. insurance No. 1 £739.923. No. 2 £29.994. The societies assets are £129.026, including C351.50-L invested on mortgage, £5.000 in debentures. £6.892 in war h mis. £4S,?SJ head office building at Wellington. KILLED BY LORRY. WHANGAREI. March 15. Ernest Robbins, of Tali eke, when proceeding to Rawene on a motor cycle with a side-car attached when passing a County Council lorry, got off the road to give a clearance. The bicycle violently tilted over a heap of earth and Robbins was thrown under the lorry wheels and killed instantly. Fie leaves a widow and two young children.