DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 June 1927, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

WILFUL DAMAGE. LEVIN, June 11

On two charges of wilfully breaking electric light globes to the value of 31s 6d at the front of shops in Oxford Street, John Gill, Clarence Walls, and James Wob'b appeared before M J. H. Salmon, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, and each pleaded guilty. Constable Bagrie, on behalf of tire police, stated that during Easter the globes disappeared, and were found later in a pit near the railway station. Altogether 45 lamps were missing from 33 different shops, but the police had had only two informations, hoping, that theso would cover all the offences. He asked that the Court adjourn the ease for a month to enable the defendants to make good the damage. The Magistrate pointed out that - •such order could relate- only to the two charges.

Constable Bagrie replied that the defendants should be compelled to make good the whole of the damage, amounting to £l2 IGs 3d. The police could prefer the full 33 charges. The case was adjourned until July 14th.

A CAR MISSING. DUNEDIN, Juno 12. A single-seater Ford car, owned hv R. Williams, orchard instructor, was left outside a garage in Palmerston on June 6th., with instructions to have it housed until his return from Wellington some time afterwards. A man entered the garage and stated that ho. was the owner of the car, took possession of the machine and drove away. It transpires that the man had no right to the car, and the police arc now searching for him.

HEAVY SNOWSTORM. TIMAR.U, June 13. Heavy falls of snow in the country beyond Ptikahi have temporarily cut oft' the Mount Cook Hermitage from the rest of the world since Saturday morning. Communication by road from Tirnaru has been severed, mails have been held up and a number of visitors liavo not lieen able to get through. The Mount Cook Motor Company, however, are confident that they will have established normal running by to-inor-row.

JUDGMENT IN HOTEL DEAL. WELLINGTON, June 13. Judgment in a case in which the number of stories in the Trocadero Hotel was in dispute was given today by Mr Justice Alpers. Tn reviewing the evidence, His Honour mentioned that the case was an extraordinary one, defendant having gone in for a contract involving £40,000 without inspecting the buildings, even though he had resided at a hotel next door to the Trocadoro for four or five days some little time before. He thought, the item in the agents’ memorandum was innocent misrepresentation, and that if defendant did not succeed on those grounds lie would on the grounds of common mistake. It was quite true that the purchaser had largely himself to thank for the present litigation, and while.the way he entered into the deal was a piece, of folly on his part, that did not prevent him from going to Court. He thought plaintiffs must fail in their prayer for a decree for specific performance. Costs were allowed on the highest scale, with two extra days at 15 guineas.

A ROWDY CROWD. UNEMPLOYED DEPUTATION. WELLINGTON, June 14. A large deputation of unemployed waited on the Prime .Minister and the Minister of Labour to-day. It was certainly not on its best behaviour. Although only two members of the deputation were appointed to speak, the efforts of Mr It. McKeen, M.P., and Mr P. Fraser, M.P ~ were unable to control'the men or to prevent numbers of them interjecting when the Minister of Labour and the Prime Min* ster were speaking to them. They were indignant that the wages of single men on the relief work would not be more than 9s a day, and they maintained that they could not possibly live on that sum. The men refused to allow the Prime Minister to explain the position so far as it affected the Public Works Department, and bis remark that already the Department was employing between four and five thousand more men than were required was received with derision. They crowded round the Prime Minister, and when be opened bis cigarette case in answer to a request for a cigarette, they forced forward, breaking the table at which the Prime Minister and the Minister of Labour had been sitting. They forced the Prime Minister against the wall, and knocked over a typist, fortunately without hurting her. The Prime Minister made it plain that the Government would not now deviate from the policy already set out, and he advised the single men to organise and work in gangs.

This suggestion was not favourably received.

THEFT FROM BAKERY. WHANG-AREA, June 13. During Sunday evening the sum of £6 8s was taken from Sharp’s bakery. The burglary was a. sequel to a fire at I Oneralii on Saturday morning, when Charp’s bach and motor-car were destroyed together with the keys, of the bakery, which was accordingly- left unlocked by the employees when they finished work on Saturday afternoon. The sum of £3O was overlooked by the thieves. DETECTIVE FIRED AT. AUCKLAND, June 14. A sensational affair took place about mid-day to-day in a bouse in GreatSouth Road, Ellerstie. Detective Nalder and Acting-Detective Power had occasion to interview a man named Atholl George Beamish White. It is understood that when both officers went into the room White picked up a gun and shot at Acting-Detective Power, the bullet narrowly missing him. Detective Nalder immediately seized White, and took him to the City Police Station, where lie was charged with attempting to murder Orme Snow W ilson Power. White, who is 25 years of age, nppenred before Mr J. W. Poynton, SM at the Police Court tins afternoon! Chief Detective Gumming asked for a remand until to-morrow, which was granted. White then said:—“l thought he was trying to put me hack in the asylum. That’s why I tried to murder him. That is as good as -murdering me to put me hack iu the asylum. The Magistrate asked the accused to repeat this statement, and advised the Clerk of the Court and the Chief Detective to take a note of what White said. White did so, and all that lie said was transferred to paper.