DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 May 1927, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[nv TELEGRAPH —PEB TRESS ASSOCIATION ] HIfEAC.II OF PROMISE. DUNEDIN, May 2d. Still wearing the engagement ring given to her in 1921 by Jack Stanaway. a shepherd, of Oainnru, Miss Lilian Aland Williams, of Kaitangata, claimed £5Ol damages from him in the Supreme Court to-day for breach ot promise of marriage. This was the first action of the kind heard in Dunedin for some years.

Mr Bretnuei' who appeared for the plaintiff, said that the defence admitted the promise of marriage, but allopeil that defendant was exonerated and discharged from the promise in the winter of 1925. Therefore, the questions at issue were whether plaintiff did or did not discharge defendant from his promise on that or any other date, and also that of damages.

• After hearing addresses by counsel. Id-, Honour decided in lavoiir ot the plaintiff Tie said it was not a case for heavy damages The sum of £l9O would be awarded, with costs.

MILE SUGAR FACTORY. IN YF.RCADOILL, May 2d. A movement of some considerable importance has just lieott launched in .Matuura in the form ot a milk sugar company. The idea was mooted some time ago. hut those concerned in it decided that it would he a good policy to “hasten slowly.” They felt that the matter required the most careful study from all angles before the general public was asked to invest in the concern. In their consideration of the matter, therefore, they made all their calculations on the most comprehensive basis. Tn tlie reckoning of costs they allowed a wide margin of safety, realising that it was much better to have a return above their estimate of profit than below. 'the following is a. list of flic provisional directors: Mr David S. MacKenzie. of Gore (chairman): Mr Robert Raeburn, Edondale; Dr J. H. Baird. Wyndhnm; Mr Andrew Martin, (lore : Mr Thomas McDonald. Matuura; and Mr I). M. McDonald. Matuura. A copy of tlie prospectus has been tiled with the Registrar of Companies. Invercargill, and the directors are empowered to allot shares on a minimum of I 2,099. As the milk sugar factory is to be built adjacent to the dairy factory, the c aivevatiee of whey is altogether a

negligible quantity. (URLS OFT OF CONTROL, AUCKLAND. May 23. Two girls who had been concerned in thefts from clothing at the Shelley Beach swimming baths were dealt with in the Children’s Court. Sergeant Cal well said that these two girls, aged 13 nml 1 1. were completely out of control and they had been leading an bile life. They bad reieiitly entered an empty house and broken several windows. They were also concerned in an iin ident as the result of which two boys were being charged with using oUrer.r language in Western Bark, ■mil might, themselves have been cluirg-.-1 yitli ihe (.Ifence. 9 lie Magistrate. Mr Cut ten, committed one to the care .(• the Child Welfare Department and -he other was admitted to probation for two years.

MOTOR TRAGEDY. WELLINGTON. May 24. A tragedy occurred on toe tlntt Road this alteritoon, when two young men, Henry Stueev and Ernest George Reitl. careered along the road in a stolen Essex car, and crashed into r service car coining to Wellington from Mustortoii. They were admitted to the Public Hospital with minor iniuriex, but, before this, were (barged with unlawfully converting the Essex car to their own use. H. K Kenny, of .lohnsonville, the driver of the service car. was killed outright. liis head being smashed to pulp. Those injured are: Miss Alndge Williams, nurse girl, suffering from head injuries. Airs lan Mcßae and infant, of Oruri ■station. Wairainpa , abrasions and shock. A young girl (mime unknown), who joined the ear at Fcatherston, abrasions and shock. Sydney Waters, journalist. Wellington. late of Christchurch, cut under the right eye, necessitating two stitches. dislocated finger, abrasions and shock. Henry Stacey. AVellington. injuries to face and hands. Ernest George Reid AVellington. injuries to head and chest. Both cars were badly smashed. The collision occurred about a mile 'ill the city side of the I’etotie crossing. The time was about 1.15 p.m.

AT'CTCLAND KKSRNTMKJJT. AFCKLAXD, May ‘-’I

A storm of protest Ims boon aroused by Police Commissioner Aftllveney’s statement regarding Auckland being overrun with criminals, wliile at the same time the policemen, at Auckland were as numerous as telegraph posts. “Yes, I have heard this remarlcable statement.” said the veteran .Magistrate. Mr J. \V. Poynton. ‘‘lt is utter rubbish and I am surpjrised at a man in the. Commissioner’s position making such remarks. The police in Auckland are in no way to blame. The whole position amounts to this—Tn the past some Judges have extended probation, and also some very light sentences, to persons found guilty of housebreaking and other serious crimes. When the deterrent punishment is relaxed below a certain standard, then up goes crime immediately. Housebreaking is .a veiy profitable ocupation ior some men. who no doubt consider that to steal property valued at hundreds of pounds, and then only get 1- or 18 months imprisonment, is well worth the risk, fn Auckland we have some of the devest detectives and policemen in the Dominion, and I cannot see any sense in the remarks made by Commissioner Mcllvcnoy. Usually Cabinet Ministers and others in authority cnm..pion the men that work under them, and they administer a reproof when the circumstances warrant it ; hut Commissioner MiTlveney had for sonic reason seen fit to make a new departure in this respect,” concluded Air Poynton. Air F. X. lln nt. S.AF. who only on Saturday last congratulated Chiot Detective Cummings on the work he and his staff were doing, said he preferred not t!i say anything about the matter. “I am silent, hut I think a lot.” lie said. Numerous business men and barristers also expressed disapproval of the Commissioner’s statement. BURGLARIES COXTIXUK. AUCKLAND, A fin- 24.

The burglaries in Auckland continue. A house in Epsom was broken into last night, when three of the family were in another room of the house. They were playing music. The burglar broke two safety chains that had been placed on the window of the house because of previous attempts having been made to burgle it. The burglar dashed away with a purse containing ten pounds in banknotes, which had been left lying on a bed. ’ AUCKLAND, May 24. Another burglary has occurred in the wash-house at the house of Air Bradley, a contractor, at Mount Itoskill. It was broken into on Sunday night and three pounds of gelignite, used in drainage work, was stolen_

SUICIDE. AUCKLAND. .May 21. Richard Trovena, aged *l2, a labourer, was found dead in bed at a boardinghouse. in Vincent Street this after-' noon. A gas tube was found lying near him, with the gas turned full on. Deceased had Ireeu staying at the house for over three years. CATTLE THEFT CHARGE. FETLDTNG, AI ay 21. At the Court to-day, Kenneth Humphries was committed for trial on a charge of stealing six head of cattle valued at '£34.

TARANAKI OIL PROSPECTS. WELLINGTON, Jlwp 23. Air P. (J. Morgan, director of tlie New Zealand Geological Survey reports that on the whole, the prospects ol pcLr ileum existing in Taranaki in dimmer rial quantity are good. 'J he favourable data outweigh the unfavourable.

NTGI 1(1 ENT DRIVING ALLEGED. AVELLINGTON, .May 23. The case in the Supreme Court today, before his Honor Af.r Justice Algol's when David Simpson, of Lower 11ntt. machinist, and his wife, Mabel Simpson, claimed /damages totalling Cl Of*.) 12s fid, in respect of the hitter’s injuries, due to alleged negligence ol the driver of a motor vehicle, owned by .Magnus Motors, Ltd., (the detendants). was adjourned to to-morrow, when the case for the defendants will conclude. Plaintiffs statement was that .Mabel Simpson was riding oil a bicycle on the lfutt Road on November 2S, when a car driven by Frank Dickinson, an employee of Alangus .Motors, collided with her. She received severe injuries in i hiding permanent loss of the sense of smell. In regard to tlie count of negligence. the plaintiffs claimed that the driver of the defendant company's motor vehicle was travelling at an excessive speed and did nut try and avoid plaintiff, although there was plenty <>l room, while the motor vehicle was not under proper control. I hough the plaintiff's bicycle was close lo the edge of tlie bitumen, being only about one foot away Irom it, she was struck b\ the motor vehicle, despite the fuel that here was plenty of room lor the driver to avoid an accident.

The defence was an ab.soliie denial of plaintiffs allegations of negligence tlie m i iilent itseli however being a(l----mitted.