DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 March 1927, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[nr TELEGRAPH PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

WHOLESA LG THEFTS. . AUCKLAND, March 17

Three brothers named Diekimui owl another man named AlcDevitt, were charged at the Police Court with nume.ous offences, breaking, entering and theft at Papatoetoe, Mangre, Otahuhu, Ellereslie and the city. Senior Detective Hammond stated lie visited a house fit Freeman's Bay on March !)ih and recovered stolen property of an estimated value of £l7O. At this house six Dickman Bros, resided. Stolen property was also recovered from AlcDevitt’s possession. A red motor ear was used for removal of the goods. 11l nearly every (Use entrance was gained by fanlights or skylights. A statement had been made and signed by all four accused admitting the charges. At the end of the case the accused who pleaded not guilty reserved their defence and were committed for trial at the Supreme Court.

FAMILY ALLOWANCES ACT. TO OPERATE FROAI APRIL 1. AYELLINGTON. Alarch IC. .Machinery for giving effect to the provisions of the Family Allowances Act wihieh operates on April Ist. is now ready, in fact, quite a number of applications for the allowance are already in hand, and in some cases authority for payment will be able to be issued on the day the Act comes into lorcc. The Act provides for u contribution of 12s a week for every child in excess of two up to the age of fifteen years, provided that the average income from ail sources of the family of the applicant, including any allowance payable under the Act. slifill not exceed £l, plus 2s for each child in excess of two.

TTio chief information the, applicant is required to furnish in filling in an application is in regard io income and property, number of children in the family, their dates of birth, income cl applicant and of his wile run! any children under fifteen years ol age. Information as to the country of birth of the applicants, period of residence in New Zealand, etc., and interest that may he derived by any member of the fijinily from, personal property are among Ihe questions that are to ho answered.

Application must hi? made by the father of the family on the prescribed form which is being mn<h- available at Courthouses throughout the Dominion, except io those centres where there are registrars «f pensions, where they will he issued through the pensions offices. WTdows with children are provided for under other pensions legislation. For the purpose of defining certain provisions in the Act regulations will be published in the ‘‘Gazette.■ probably at the end ol this week. One of the principal clauses in the regulations will make it (tear what constitutes “income.”

SERVICE IN PEACE. DUKE'S STIRRING SPEECH. DUNEDIN, Alarch lb. Loyalty and sell-sacrifice wore urged Iby Ibis Royal Highness in an impromptu speech delivered at the ceremony in connection- with the opening of Urn Hall of Memories of the AYaitnki High School to-day. His Royal Highness said:—■ “Air Chairman and boys of the \Vaitalei High School. T want to thank you very much for the welcome you have given me here to-day. I am very glad to have this opportunity of visiting (his school, for I have heard a lot about it from my brother, who, as you know, visited here in 1920. 1 am going to say very little, because a Hall of Alemovies requires very few words. Its associations and all that it stands for call for silence rather than speech. But 1 do ask you not to let those words, Hal! of Memories, become merely an empty mime to you. Remember tbit this room stands for all that was host and noblest in those who gave their lives for the Empire to which you and I belong. Remember, the loyalty and sacrifice of those old boys, and see to it that the generation that conies after you shall also leant the. lesson which they taught, for as they served their country in war so you must serve her in peace. If you cherish those ideals of truth and right for which they fought you will complete the task they began and their lives will not have been given in vain. 1 have now much pleasure in declaring the hall open.”

OUTBREAK OF FIRE. NELSON'. AiVm.Ti 10.

At. about midnight last night a lire was discovered in the wool store department of the Stoke Freezing, Works. Fortunately, the night attendant discovered tho outbreak before it had obtained a very strong hold. The lire hose, which is kept in readiness, w'.is quickly put into use. while assistance was summoned. The damage done was not very groat, the woodwork suiferii'g most. The running of the works will not be hindered by the five. There was no fruit in tho cool store at the time.

KAITANGATA MINE. DUNEDIN, Alarch 17

It is authoritatively stated that an option over the Kaitangata mines, railway line, freehold and leases, plant and machinery has Ixien secured from the English Company by Air John G. Neil, of Dunedin.

The Oropuki Shale Works are not included in the option. Tt is intended at once to float a strongly capitalised Company to .acquire this option, and to re-open the mines almost immccii'altcly.

Arrangements have been made whereby the money for the miners’ hack wages will he available as soon ns fhe proposed Company goes to allotment.

This news is stimulating in more ways than one. : It gives a firm hope of restoring Kaitangata; it means that if the expectations are realised as it may reasonably he supposed they will he, these mines will again assist to on rich the Otago local resources. It is an indication that the old spirit of enterprise, once distinctive of Otago, is still existing in the province.

LAI'XCH TRAGEDY. AUCKLAND. March IT. A thrilling story was told to. .Mr F. K. Hunt (S.M.), to-day, when the adjourned inquest on Leonard Waters, aged ‘l3, master printer, of Devonport, was continued. Waters lost his life In the disaster which befell the launch “Mercia,” on Kaipara Bar on Januunry 22nd. The “ Mercia,” which belongs to Air W. H. Olliver, of Devonport, was on a trip from Mercer round North Cape to Auckland, and. while off Kaipara Heads, on the evening of January 22. engine trouble was experienced. The anchor was dropped seven or eight miles from the bar, the intention being to remedy the engine defect the following morning. During the night a heavy wind sprang up. The anchor was dragged, and the launch was driven into the breakers on the bar, ami a very heavy breaker wrecked the vessel. i’he masts, rigging and deck-house were washed overboard, and Waters, who had been in the deck house, was lost. Olliver. who was in the deck-house when it was washed overboard, said he managed to cling to the door, which had been torn from its hinges, and he was swept ashore, and he collapsed, and evidently lost consciousness, for it was not until about nine o’clock the following morning. with the sun shining brightly, that he awoke and found himself on the lonely beach. He walked up and down, but could find no trace of Waters.

Sergeant Angland said the body was washed up a considerable distance from the scene of the disaster. A verdict of accidental drowning was returned.

OIL NUISANCE. AUCKLAND, March 17

The Auckland Harbour Board this afternoon, at the Police Court prosecuted Captain R. Ringdall, master of the American freighter “West Hensliaw” on a charge that on Alarch loth, he failed to prevent the use of n pump on his vessel in pumping oil from the bilges or tanks into the harbour. Air Gray appeared to prosecute on behak of Captain H. H. Sergeant, the Harbourmaster, while Air West represented Captain Ringdall, who' pleaded guilty. Mr AVest stated the West Henshaw had been at sea 26 days, and reached Auckland on Saturday last. On Alondny the bilges were sounded in the ordinary way. However, against the express instructions of the master, a junior officer started the pumps going. There was no suggestion of evasion or obstruction of the by-law. It was purely an oversight, and counsel suggested that a conviction without a penalty would meet the ease on behalf of the Auckland Harbour Board. Air Gray stated the pumping ceased as soon as the mate’s attention was drawn to the matter. However, the pumps had been, going an hour and a half and quite a large quantity of oil was discharged. The Board did not press for a penalty, hut merely desired that tiie attention of shipmasters should lie drawn to the provisions of the law *n this connection. A new Oil in Territorial Waters Act, which contained highly penal provisions, was to come into force on April Ist. This Act provides for the. infliction of penallies amounting to £OOO for every day ! or part of the day, when oil is discharg-

Defcudiinl was convicted and ordered to pay costs £2 12s. He said he quite appreciated that the discharge of oil was becoming a great nuisance in the harbour.

NELSON OBJECTIONS. WELLINGTON, Alarch 17

A deputation to the (Minister of Health, Air Young, from Nelson today protested against the establishment of a mental institution at Stoke. The Alinisler replied that throe new villas were being erected, and they

were mi the property that had been purchased by the Government specially for the purpose of developing its new scheme. .More of the buildings would bo unsightly, and exactly the same policy was being pursued elsewhere. Nelson had had a menial institution for years, and no protest had been made. There was no intention to make Nelson the dumping ground for inmates from other institutions.