DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 April 1927, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

BY TKLEGRAI’D —PER TURKS ASSOCIATION] soli'citor in trouble. i i A L'CK r.A XI). April 27. ' Charles Wooley, 27. a former Auckaml solicitor, arrested in New South ,Vales, pleaded not guilty to a charge if .stealing £l3O belonging to Mary PGoruiau and £IOO the property of lohn Dennett. He reserved his deence and was committed for trial. MR SYKES, M.P. I’A 11IATUA, April 27. , Mr Sykes, member for Masterton, inuring Akitio backblocks for the past few days, returned to Pahiatua tolav and unveiled a war memorial at Pongaroa.,There was a record atten- . dance for the district. He also sub- i se(|iiently attended a large assemblage ; of children gathered from dilferent j schools in the country and intends I endeavouring to get the Minister of Public Works to visit the backblocks before the session. A FLASH PARASITE. AUCKLAND. April 27. At the Police Court, Harry Marks. 38, described as a. silver bettor, was lined £lO for carrying on business a.s a bookmaker. Robert William Gunter, 35. admitted theft of one pound from two women and a stethescope valued at five shillings; also to being idle and disorderly. Chief Detective Cummings said accused arrived by the lonic from London on February Bth and had been staying at the best hotels at Auckland having a good time, and neglecting to pay his board. He stayed at hotels in Rotorua and Hamilton and loft without paying. He later lived in Grafton Road under the name of Dr Gunter, of tI.M.S. Philomel, lie removed to Symonds Street boarding bouse where he engaged a double room with two single beds stating tin -econd bed was for another doctor v. ho was going to stay with him. He prescribed for n boarder who was ill. TJe borrowed money from genuine medical men and visited Dr Faii-burn, of S.S. Flimaroa on the ship where he stole the stethescope. (Pinter mixed with the best people in Auckland, lie was, said Detective Cummings, the greatest parasite New Zealand had over known. He was washing dislics in the galley of the lonic coining out. and that was his status. Mr Hunt. S.M.. sentenced accused to three months gaol on each of ike three charges to he cumulative

WIRELESS RECORD. GTSHO'RXE, April 27. Wliat is claimed to be a record wireless communication on a twenty metro wave, was established by O'Meara an amateur with New York on .Monday, the distance traversed by signals being estimated at 16,000 to 17,030 miles. The font was periormed mder daylight conditions who h tact .nakes it certain in the minds of wireloss experts that the signals travelled not the direct route front New York but via Africa and Atlantic Ocean. ARRRENTICKS ACT. AUCBUS.YD. April 27. The policy of the Arbitration Court toward the Apprenticeship Act was outlined by Justice Erazor this morning. He said the (piestion ot district proportion had caused a good deal ol heartburning, but it should be remembered tit”t the Act required the Court in all cases to fix the district proportions. The Court must he reasonable and take a view that the conclusions of the apprenticeship committees are correct. On the general subject of appeals. it was difficult for an appeal t i succeed, for it would probably be against the decision o! the distinct registrar, who had refused to register an the ground that the district proportion was full. The appeal could only bo successful if it were shown there was a mistake in iiis figures. Wliat the Court had tric-d to do was to arrange the district proportion in each trade, to allow a sufficient number of hoys to (nine on; also to allow for a reasonable expansion of trade and to make provision for wastages or removals from the district. In addition the Court endeavoured to provide for a small surplus of journeymen, and tried to prevent hoys being deviated into trades where there was not plenty of work. The Act had been subject to a great deal of thought by the .Minister of J.ahour. Jiis Honour felt quite sure if any part of the Act were found unworkable it would receive his fullest attention.

OIL DRILL REPORT. NEW PLYMOUTH, April 27. Taranaki Oilfields report Wniapu No 2 well drilled out the cement at .1018 feet and is now testing the shut off. Taranaki Xo3 drilled to 09 feet in soft sediment, then 2 feet of gravel and 12 feet of shale, and ran a stove pipe easing to 77 feet. The concreted cellar is ready to drill for loin casing. At Gisborne well, the erection of equipment is in progress. PR INO ESS ELIZABETH. MESSAGE FROM MAORIS. WELLINGTON, April 26.' The following is a copy of a telegram from the Chief Judge of the Native Land Court, Napier, forwarded through the Governor-General, to his If ova I Highness the Duke of York at Melbourne

"The representatives of the various Maori tribes assembled at the sitting of the Native Land Court at Napier desire to offer to -their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York their respectful felicitations on the first anniversary of the birthday of their daughter, and to voice the hope that Princess Elizabeth may one day visit New Zealand to receive in person the expression of unbated goodwill and loyalty of the Maori people.” A telegram was received from his 1 Royal Highness the Duke of York to his Excellency tlfe Governor-General, dated April 24th, 1927. as follows: "Please convey to the representatives of the Maori tribes the grateful thanks of the Duchess and myself for the kind message of good wishes on the birthday of our little daughter, which has profoundly touched us. \Ve shall never forget the welcome extended to us by the (Maori people, which we hope she will one day be able to receive herself.—-(Signed) Albert.”

POSTAL DEPARTMENT. PALMERSTON N.. April 26. The Hon 4V. Nosworthv announced at Marton to-night that the Postal Department had just concluded the best year since its inception. Total receipts were £3.220,066. payments £2.346,270, surplus £874,393. During the past two years the revenue had increased bv £320,000 and the expenditure decreased by £70,000. DEFAULTING HUSBANDS. April 26. "I can’t do it. Tt is impossible,” said a man at the Police Court this morning, just after Air F. K. Hunt had made an order against him for maintenace of his wife and family.” ‘‘Well, you will have to pay it, that’s all, or else go to gaol.” “Why, last week T had five women to see me to get me to sign warrants for the arrest of their husbands. The five of them left home during Easter. It is getting pretty hot,” observed the

Magistrate after the defaulting husband had left the Court. MYTHICAL MILLIONS. AUCKLAND, April 26. Doubts regarding the existence of any fortune for the seventh generation of the Webber family, which frequent reports in the last four years have assessed at £100,000,000, said to have accumulated under the eccentric will made by a Dutch merchant.in the early part of the 18th. century, are expressed in a letter written to the “Herald"’ by an Auckland resident, who says he is a member of one branch of the Webber family. The news that nine Auckland children were the latest claimants led this gentleman, who signs himself “Fudge” but submits his name and address, to supply “information that will enlighten the many descendants in New Zealand and elsewhere, and save them further worry and trouble over their ! expected share.” I The writer states that his father, ap--1 pronehod by a member of the Webber I family to sift the origin of the story, j made a lengthy search of the parish I registers, while on a visit to Devonshire. He constructed a family tree which showed that whatever the truth of the claim, there would he so many claimants throughout the world that after legal expenses there would ho hardly £IOO each. Tt was found that the only evidence of the existence of a fortune was a very doubtful story in a very old hook, in one of the libraries in New York. The hook gave no clue • to the suggestion that the property in Broadway, supposed to have l>eon part of the Webber F.statc, ever belonged to the Webber family

LABOUR. LEADER. NEW PLYMOUTH, April 27. Mr IT. Holland (Labour loader) last night addressed a large meeting which waited patiently till nine o'clock, bis irain being delayed. Ilis address was on the same lines as at l’nhiatun with special attention to dairy control. He blamed the Government for its failure and advocated an arrangement between the Board ami British Co-opera-tive Distributing Urgnisations. He received an attentive hearing and vote of thanks. AUCKLAND EAST, April 27. A wrestling ‘match between Anderson of Palmerston North (present champion) and J. Dufty. of Hamilton, for the New Zealand heavyweight eliamponship last night resulted in a draw, each man getting one fall. Dul'ty scored in the third round and Anderson in the fifth. The match was strenuous. As the last, gong went Anderson had Dufty underneath and it appeared that lie would push the advantngi home, hut Dufty wriggled dear after four minutes. THEFT OF SHEEP. CHRISTCHURCH. April 20. John Charles Giltrap. farmer of Rolleston. aged 00. was eharged at the Magistrate’s Court to-day with tliolt of four sheep, the property of Ernest Ackerman Smith, farmer, of Rolleston. It was stated in evidence that the two farmers were adjoining, that Smith bad lambs running in a paddock not quite securely fenced, and that sheep and lambs did stray on to Giltrap’s land. Smith, it was stated, saw some of his lambs in a lot ready to be offered at the saleyards on behalf of Giltrap. Several witnesses expressed the opinion that Smith’s brand had been pulled or clipped off. and Giltrap’s brand imposed. The sheep were inspected by .Magistrate I.a wry. who held there was no doubt wool had liven clipped to ioiikivc brands. His Worship said he would take into consideration accused's age. He would he lined £7 lOs , and costs £3. The sheep the Magistrate ordered to be returned to the owner.

LIBEL ACTION. CHRISTCHURCH. April 27. Engineers from different parts of New Zealand give l evidence to-day in a claim for .£100(1 sterling by Cyrus Williams (engineer to Lytt.etlon Harbour Hoard) against Christchurch Press ’ ’Company for allege! libel. John Blair .Mason (formerly engineer to Otago Harbour Board) said he could net suggest any improvement on .Mr Williams’ methods at Lyttelton. He did not tliink the present rubble wall affected the range.

, SAVINGS RANK' DONATIONS. ) AITCK LA ND E A ST, April 27. , Auckland Savings Rank trustees I have donated £12.600 to Auckland war . memorial, making their total donations thereto fifty thousand; also threo thousand to Auckland Sailors’ Home and two thousand to Auckland Plunket Society. , ' N.Z. WHEAT PRICES. ■ CHRISTCHURCH. April 27. The North Canterbury Farmers’ Union to-day decided not to ratify the agreement arrived at in the Conference by the millers and wheat growers a few days ago. by which the millers agreed to pay the growers certain ■ prices for wheat according to the ruling : prices for flour. The reason, as stated at the meeting to-day, for the farmers withholding their consent to the agreement was that it seemed to them that the millers were placing a different interpretation on the agreement from that understood by the growers’ representatives that the price of wheat should he 6 per cent on the present price of flour; hut it appeared the millers were basing the price to be paid on a lower value of flour and were making the price of wheat correspondingly lower. Tt was considered by the Farmers’ Union that the matter was therefore still under negotiation. GAOL FOR JOY-RIDER. AUCKLAND, April 26. "Three months' hard labour.” James Reginald Purdy, a young seaman of 24,,c0u1d scarcely believe his ears this morning, when Mr F. K. Hunt S.M.. pronounced the words that were to deprive him of his liberty until next July. He was charged with unlawfully converting a motor-car to his own use. Purdy’s counsel (Mr Singer) pleaded hard for leniency. It was not an ordinary ease of joy-riding he said. The accused was a member of the crew of a scow, and the owner of. the ear was the captain of another. The matter arose out of a joke. The accused had been dared to drive the car by some friends in a hotel. He jumped into the car. drove a few yards and was in the act of putting it into reverse to come back, when Constable Hollis arrived on tho scene and arrested him.

"He ought to be prohibited when lie comes out, too,” was -Mr Hunt’s comment as he imposed sentence. FIRE IN BUNKER COAL. WELLINGTON. April 26. The bunker coal of the Port Caroline was discovered to be smouldering on Saturday morning, and it was found necessary to discharge a quantity of coal into a hulk alongside the vessel. The structure of the ship did hot suffer damage, however, and she is to sail from Wellington at daybreak on Thursday for London via Monte Video. A FATALITY. THAMES, April 27. William Henry Gilbert Cryer, aged 55, a farmer of Wharepoa, Thames Valley, while obtaining gravel from an old quarry was crushed by a fall of earth and stones, being buried to the waist. His two sons extricated him, hut owing to the severity of his wounds it was evident he died quickly after. The Coroner’s verdict was accidental death.