DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 April 1927, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by TELEGRAPH —PER TRESS ASSOCIATION.] ! LIFE IN THE BACKBLOCKS. TWO ENGLISH GIRLS. HAMILTON, April 4. It was stated at a meeting of the Waikato Farmers’Union that two English girls had applied for positions oil farms in the baekblocks of South Auckland. The girls are at present working in the hack country near Hokitika. MOUNT KOLLESTOX. CLIMBED BY A LADY.

ARTHUR’S PASS, April 4

Yesterday .Miss Betty Pet re. of Christchurch, was successful in climbing to the highest peak of Mount Rollexton, being the first lady to accomplish the task. A photograph was taken of Miss Petre signing her name to place in a casket. The climb was cx- <■; i-i i'-nnliy meritorious, owing to being out of season. Over two hundred have uUemptcd to reach the summit, but only sixteen have been successful to date. .Miss Petre was guided by Messrs W. Eraser and Colwell. The party left Arthur’s Pass at 3.45 a.m., returning at 8.30 p.in. covering the lust part of the journey through the (Hint Valley in total darkness. JIGGER STRUCK BY TRAIN. ASHBURTON. April I. X narrow escape from death was the lot of .Mr C. 1 1. Pauling, a railway surfaceman. near Dromore this morning. 41 r Pauling was travelling on a jigger in a dense fog m the direction ol Ashburton about 7.39. when he was startled to see the express goods train almost upon him. Hu had only just time to jump clear of the jigger to the side of the line when the machine was .struck by the engine, which smashed it. beyond repair. Mr Pauling was not injured. The driver of the train stated that his view was equally obscured, and he eiiil not know of the presence ol the jigger on the line until it was a lew feet in front of the engine. 4 lie train was delayed a few minutes. INJURED IN .MOTOR SMASH. AUCKLAND, April -I. A motor car accident involving injuries to five, occupants occurred on Cole's Hill Point, between Ohinowid and Huntly, at about 7.30 last evening. When two miles from Huntly a tyre blew out, and the car struck a telegraph pole. The worst suHerer was Mrs Jury, wife of the driver, Hubert L. Jury, of Kohimarama, Auckland. Her lull arm was fractured, and her taee cut by Hying glass. A liilie-months-old child, who was nursed by the mother, was injured nbouL the head, hut not seriously. Both are in the Hamilton I hospital. A similar accident happened in the same locality a year ago, hut nobody was hurt. MISSING MARK. AUCKLAND. April 4. For some necks past there has been much comment as to the whereabouts of the pacing mare Promenade and the following notice published in the official calendar makes interesting road-

Disqual itien tioii—C. K. Edwards, for life, for wilfully and corruptly supplying false information by reporting the death of the mare. Promenade, and for refusing to give information or to make a written declaration respecting the said mare by Ihe New Zealand Trotting Association. 15-3-27. —B. Norris, secretary. It is well-known that the authorities in Auckland have been making inquiries as to the v. heron,bouts of Promen-

ade, which is a speedy mare with some good perforn:,inces. the best. perhaps, being the time s-hen she beat Great Bingen at Otahuhu at the spring meeting in 1924 in a. mile and a quarler event, going 2mill. 49 1-ssec. a 2qiin. 15!hc('.. gait-. I; ’sides jh.at victory Promenade has sonic fast time to her credit over a miie, the best being 2 min. 11 4-ssee. Promenade has r.-,: competed in New Zealand since Mav oth. 1925. and nainrallv sin-li a long spell for a oarer of her description has created some surprise. BURGLAR>! TX LUCK. AUCKLAND, tnril -I. An empty champagne hoi tie. many biscuit crumbs, and a litter of papers about an office floor were the first indications that, a member of the sine of Messrs 1.. Marks and Co., of Chaiti cry St. had this morning that at sene time during the week-end burglars had paid a surreptitious visit. Tt helped to confirm the opinion that the office

k bad been thoroughly overhauled, the “loot” being Co in cash from the manager’s desk, a bottle of Aloof and ~ Chandon’s ancient vintage, and some I mixed biscuits that the staff expected t 11 avo for morning tea. The burglars made a thorough search of all g drawers and pigeon holes. Apparently ~ the visitors were in search of cash, and the champagne and biscuits were merely a happy discovery. It seemed that s time was not the essence of the contract and they snout some time on j, the premises. The stock consisted of leather goods, and until an investigation is made it will not be known whether the visitors took away with , them a kit bag or a travelling ease ns , a souvenir. ' GOVERNMENT FINANCES. WELLINGTON. April 4. A deputation from the Manawaui- - Oroua River Board waited on Mr - Coates and the Hon K. S. Williams to- ) day and asked for a subsidy to carry out a scheme of protection from the , flooding of Mnnawatu land within the , River Board district. .Mr Coates said that the Government's finances wore not inexhaustible. 1 Before making any contribution he -r would have to be very certain of the - success of the scheme outlined. He I would have full inquiries made. DIVORCES RECORD. WELLINGTON. April 4. Though the number of divorce petitions filed last year lias been previously exceeded, the total, 739, has not been passed for several years, while the number of decrees made absolute, GUI, is, according to the Government Statistician, a record for the Dominion, being two in excess of the figure for the year 1925, and 88 in excess of the previous highest, in tlie year 19-4. There were 335 petitions by husbands and 404 by wives. Analysing the causes for divorce, the Statistician suggests that the mere age of the bride is a much more important factor than disparities between the ages of husband and wife, and further than even a comparatively wide disparity when the husband is the senior I is of less effect than in tlie case when the wife is senior by perhaps only two or three years. Of the divorces in 1926 there were 59 per cent where the wife was under twenty-three years of age, while the number of brides under twenty-three last, year was 3P per cent of the total marriages A ROMANTIC STORY. DUNEDIN, April 4. Some years ago a youthful pair of lovers in Dunedin, finding that the course of their love did not run true (the parents of the lady not approving of the match) decided to surmount all obstacles by running away and getting married. After a time, however, the ' divorce law was invoked, and the pair separated and went their respective ways.

But their love for each other, dimmed for the time being, was not entirely extinguished, and it flamed again so strongly that in Wellington last Thursday they made their second appearance together at the altar, and were reunited.