DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 March 1927, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[nr TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] FORGER)' STRATFORD. March 15. AT the PC! ice Court, Archibald Cameron and Edward Joseph Hournc appeared on numerous charges of passing valueless cheques and forgery of cheques. The charges cover alleged offences in Stratford on February 19th and . 20th, in I’atea, Kaiwi and Wanganui on 22nd. Both accused pleaded guilty to all charges and were committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. INTERNATI()XAD PICKPOCKETS. AUCKLAND, March 15. When William Grady (37) and James O’Neil (47), international pickpockets again appeared at Court this morning, the former was convicted and discharged on condition that he left the country by the Aorangi. O’Neil was refused (a passage and was further remanded. EXT:INFERS CONFEREXCE. AUCKLAND. March 15.

The Dominion Conference of New Zealand Engineers was attended by 180 delegates. W. E. Rush presided .and the delegates were formally welcomed by the Mavor, Mr Bnildon.

The report stated the membership was 418 .against 391 the previous year. The financial stateni;ent disclosed asurplus of £3472 compared with £2989 the previous year. A suggestion that the name should be changed to the New Zealand Society of Engineers so as to embrace electrical engineers .and members for the institute of mechanical engineers was referred to the Council for careful and urgent consideration. The question of unification of engineers was discussed at some length and further consideration was deferred for twelve months, copies of (< ilbraith's report meantime to be circulate among members of tlie .Society. Officers elected—President. McKenzie (Wellington) ; Vice-Presidents. De Guerrier (Auckland) ; Henderson (Dunedin); Council: Baker. Ball Crofton, Stave ley; Hon. Treasurer. Marchbanks. PREMIER’S REPLY. WELLINGTON, March 15. The Premier commenting on tho criticism of his statement regarding unemployment and the Government measures to cope therewith, said he deprecated treating the question as a party matter, for political purposes. The country, temporarily was lac ing a real national problem and nothing was to be gained from, the national point of view by Attempting to make, political capital out of such a situation. Government were just as sympathetic as any other political party, ■with the men out of work through no fault of their own and had shown sympathy fn vi practical way by employing large numbers of men in excess ol normal requirements. The national income bad shrunk and in the circumstances the nation must reduce its expenditure. The Government were not responsible for such a situation. The consequences of spending more than was earned tire the same lor the nation as for the individual. Sensible men would strain every nerve to take all steps to rectify tiio balance and lose no opportunity of reducing the expenditure. Other people, however, were merely continuing on in the ordinary way, hoping tljit some miracle will save them. I need not point out the folly of such a course when applied to the Government of a country, and ic is my intention to keep down the iiatiunai expenditure in evt ry leasible direction, and at the same time explore evt r,v possibility of increasing the national levcnue.

J OBITUARY. ll DUNEDIN, -March 14. _ l .Mr Andrew .Jcpn, proprietor of the ij Royal Oak Hotel. Atrowtown, died tl suddenly on Saturday. Few men were t hettfu known in the district, as well . 4’.s by the travelling nubile. .Mr J pn took a large pan in t public affairs, and was a prominent n member of the late Lake County Jccki- ey Club, being a. keen follower of rac:i ing. as well as the owner of racing -, stock. :>f INTERESTING CASE. B GISBORNE, -March 11. :> An interesting action in which Dorot thy Valentine Burtiard proceeded i against Geo. Henry Lysnar and Win. f Douglas Lysnar for the reeovei-y of I .£3.40 1 and interest, alleged to lie due - I under security given by the Lysnars v to plaintiff, was heard at the Supreme f Court to-day before Mr Justice Ostler. - The evidence showed' that O. .1. Bon- - nett, who subsequently transferred his a seeuritils to .Mrs Barnard, held hills E> for 0.-,i nil good given by Geo. i- Lysnar, the larger one being endorsed i by W. D. Lysnar. Writs were issued t for these amounts, but subsequently 1 on security being given by W. D. o Lysnar, the defendant covenanted to a pay '£1,280 by annual instalments of - £100i). RlaintifF then purchased Roni nett’s securities but Lysnar defaulted 3 several times in the interest, but not s until April. 192(1, did Lysnar pay £l7lO _ on account of principal and interest. c But when the principal amounting to a £3401 fell due in January. 1927. no s further payments were made, and it is in this respect thereto that the present action was incurred. • Eor the defence, Geo. Lysnar con- , tossed judgment, hut he made an exI ception of two small interest items but W. D. Lysnar contended that he was not the principal debtor, but throughout had been surety. He only t acted as the guarantor for his brother’s bills in that capacity. He denied association with Geo. Lysnar in business except in this deal, stating that ho acted merely as surety, and that plaintiff had granted him so much grace in connection with monies due under the document that he was released. Decision was reserved. SHIP DELAYED. WESTPORT, March 11. The steamer Cheiiiston finished hunkering yesterday morning and sailed I for Wellington. She was to have sailed/ for Makatea Island, hut owing to a number of the crew walking ashore at the last minute, the vessel has gone to Wellington to obtain nine men. OIL POLLUTION NUISANCE. AUCKLAND, March 11. Recently bathing was rendered practically impossible on several of Auckland’s most popular beaches owing to crude oil polluting the water. To-day . the Harbour Board decided to prose- , cute the masters of the Union Steamship Company’s “ Magara.” and the steamer “ West Tlenshaw,” for allow- ■ ing crude oil to escape from their ves- , sels into the Harbour. , RAILWAY tower afire. 1 AUCKLAND, March 15. 1 The brick tower which surmounted ‘ the main building at the Auckland e Railway Station was completely gutted s by fire this evening. The tower, which was not in use, contained old records dating hack to 1885. and these were destroyed. Raised almut 11 teet above c lee roof of the building, the tower 0 presented a brilliant spectacle with flames shooting through the windows. Copies of the Auckland papers dating 8 back to 1912. which were stored with the files, suffered a similar fate.