DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 April 1927, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

[BY TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] A BURGLARY. GISBORNE, April 7. The police are advised that a burglary bearing a.ll indications of participation by experienced thieves was committed last night on the premises ot Common Shelton Company, the burglars escaping with mercery valued at more than £BO. Entrance was gained by a ruse that could be known only to someone acquainted with the building, lour doors being forced. 'The intruders carried out the raid with close attention to detail, taking goods ot only certain sizes. GISBORNE, April 7. The first draft of unemployed numbering 22 left town this morning for road works at llangaroa. ALLEGED GAMING HOUSE. PALMERSTON NORTH. April 7. Frank Dean and Joseph Daniel Carthy were arrested to-day on a charge of using their premises as a common gaming house, and remanded until Monday next. Bail was allowed. THE 'TELEGRAPH. AX INVENTOR’S PREDICTION. AUCKLAND, April C. Wonderful progress in facilities for telegraphic communication within the next 25 years is prophesied by Mr Donald .Murray, the inventor of the Murray Multiplex telegraphic machine, who is at present visiting Auckland. Mr .Murray, alter being absent Iront New Zealand for 35years, has with Airs .Murray ,iust completed a two months’ holiday tour ot the Dominion.

The .Murray Multiplex machine has been installed in most purls ol the world, stated Mr Murray. The time was coming when large'linns would be able to correspond direct with other linn iu other towns, merely by the manipulation of a special typewriter. Post Offices: wottfil he equipped with automatic devices for these direct connexions. A girl in one office would be able in type a message and it would be printed simultaneously on a machine in the office to which the message was sent. Then a reply could he sent immediately.

Mr Murray contends that this system will be more accurate, more convenient, and much more economic than the present telephone system. “Telegraphic; communication in America is already developing along those lines,” Air Alurray stated. “The tendency is to cut out telegraph operators and telegraph offices, and these are being supplanted by automatic equipment.” Another interesting prediction ol Mr .Murray’s is that in a few years telephonic communication will be established between New Zealand and Australia. “Telephonic communication lias already been established between London and New York, ’ he said. ‘‘Think how much easier this would he between the Dominion and Australia. The distance is less than half, aiul there is not nearly the same telegraphic or wireless traffic across the Tasman Sea. Yes, you will he able to call -Melbourne or Sydney and will be able to hear quite plainly.” Air Murray says he is greatly surprised with the efficiency of New Zealand Rost Offices. He has inspected tbe Post Offices of Wellington. Christchurch Dunedin, and Auckland. The buildings were clean and businesslike, while the organisation scented to be splendid—till factors which pointed to efficiency. He was more favourably impressed with ntir I’osl Office* system than with any other he had seen. One important reason for this efficiency seemed to he the system of promotion by competitive examination. The telegraphic service was very cheap and it seemed to be much in demand.

BIG ART UNIONS. LATER RAFFLES XOT SO PROFITABLE. AUCKLAND. April 0. Big art unions, which have been part and parcel of Ihe national life for the past eighteen months, have gone hack into the void from whence they came. The most sticeesslttl ot all the art unions so far held in Xew Zealand was the Grand National, which produced a net profit of £22.0011 tor tlie (lain ant Racing and Trotting Clubs. This art union, together with others that were held earlier are stated to havo exceeded all the expectations ol those who sponsored them. The same cannot be said ot those launched dining “the tail end ’ ot the art union season. The Golden Climax made loss than £IOO for its backers, and the last of the big raffles, the “Now or .Never.” which Wits drawn on Monday evening is expected to bring only roughly, £SOO for the Tauranga Regatta Club.

These people, however, may he considered fortunate for in recent weeks some of the smaller art unions have fared badly, some of them even failing to pay the expenses ol organisation. One sports body in the province is actually reported to he £3GO() out of pocket. It is clearly evident that the bottom has been knocked out ol the big art union market. Apart from tlie result of the Government’s prohibition, which possibly had a psychological effect on the public, it is obvious that the prevailing financial stringency has left is mark more plainly on the art union than on any other lorm "I investment. AI.YNY HCnGLART.EE. AUCKLAND, April 0. Burglary continues rife in Auckland and to-day six more eases were reported . A lost of the burglaries are occurring in the suburbs, and while the individual losses are not assessed, as a rule, above £SO. the losses in the aggregate are quite considerable. Discussing the epidemic <>i ' rime. Superintendent AAohlmanu said: “Crime against property goes hand in glove with times of financial stress. It comes in waves, and when there is an increase in theft there is a decrease in drunkenness and offences attributable to insobriety.” Superintendent AVohlinann remarked that extensive unemployment always drove the weaker members of the community to seek comfort or luxury by a life of crime. Prosperity was heralded by more drinking and attendant violence. while burglary decreased. Burglary, such as was now prevalent in Auckland, was generally the work, of “birds of passage’’ who “worked a city until vigilance threatened them. At the end of last year there had been an epidemic of burglary in Auckland. said Superintendent Wohlmann. It had died out after a few weeks and recurred in Wellington and Clnistchureh in turn. Arrests had been made in the south, and there was again a lull in the activities of the thieves. The crime wave had now returned to Auckland.

A BAD REPUTATION. DUNEDIN, April 6. “We have the reputation of killing more persons by motors in proportion to our population than any other country in the world,” said Sir Thomas Mackenzie, at the Clutha County Council functions at Bnlelutha last evening. “Motorists dash through crowds without any thought of the consequences. and I can assure you it is more dangerous to cross a street in Dunedin than it is in any of the chief highways of London.” MOTOR. CAR HITS TRAM. AUCKLAND. April G. Smashed to match-wood, a motorcar belonging to Sydney Ernest Chappell was completely wrecked in Valleyroad early this afternoon,-when it was lifted away from the front of a tram car that was hound for the city. The accident had occurred through Chappel failing to notice the tramcar. Tt was raining heavily at the lime, and his windscreen was blurred. The car was struck broadside on l>v the tram and Joseph Chappel. vvlm was with the driver had one of his hands hndlv lacerated.

NEW ZEALAND APPLES. LONDON. April 5. Covont Garden marketers are wondering wliy Now Zealand’s first fruit arrivals are ten clays ahead of Australia's, which is unprecedented. it is stated that this is due not only to the lateness of the Australian season, hut to the fact that the New Zealand Fruit Board arranged for the first consignment to lve sent by a mail boat, affording the growers a definite date for picking and speedy shipment. Dealers are marvelling at the phenomenal price of New Zealand Coxes at private sales. West End dealers doubt whether the prices of 40s to 00s per case will again he realised. These prices were due to the eagerness of wealthy people to obtain fresh apples, they being tired of stale American apples from storage. IN R I'D INTER ED WIR BLESS. FEILDJNCL April 7. For being in possession of an unregistered wireless set, Donald Styles (Kimbolton) was to-day fined £3 with £2 12s costs. ATTEMPT TO STEAL CHEQUE. WELLINGTON, April 7. Herbert Cecil Loveday, 32. music teacher, winner of the recent North Island shooting championship. " as ro ~ mntided till to-morrow for sentence at the Magistrate's Court, for attempting to steal a cheque for £45 Os 2d. lie picked it up in a letter dropped by a inosson.iior. DOCTOR'S DISQUALIFICATION SOUGHT. WELLINGTON. April 7. An action is proceeding in the Supreme Court, before Air .Justice Reed, in which the ATedical Council seeks to have Dr Jacobson, of "Wellington, struck off the register of medical practitioners. on the grounds of infamous conduct. The allegation is made that Jacobson gave a chikl-benring woman the name and address of Afrs Nevill, and represented that she was prepared to procure abortion. HOTELKEEPER'S LIABILITY. AVELLTNGTON, April 7. Dismissing charges against Thomas Weatherburn. licensee of the Dominion Hotel, of selling liquor after hours, A7r Page. S.AL. to-day, expressed the opinion that if the barman never had been requested, or permitted, to sell liquor to boarders or anybody else after hours, then the employer was not liable to he punished for the action ot a servant.