DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 June 1927, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

AN" •TNTAMFI) BEAST." WELLINGTON. June 13

A .story ot' persistent cruelty was told By Ellen Veronica Ross, a young married woman, when her husband, Clarence. Frank .Ross, aged 28, was charged with having assaulted her on Saturday evening. Ross was also charged with having assaulted ids landlord. Clarence Bred in Smith. “You might ho described as an untamed beast of the domestic variety, said Mr Salmon. S.AL. in convicting Ross on both charges.

Accused was sentenced to two months’ gaol on the first charge, and one month on the second, the terms to be concurrent.

SUFFOCATED under car. TAIN ARE, June 13. 1.00. A ['Sweeney and John Roy Mills were returning home in a motor-car when it rail off the road at a bend, turning a. somersault and pinning both occupants to the ground M' Sweeney extricated himself but being unable to free Mills, wont for assistance live miles away. On returning he founds Mills suffocated with the weight of the car on his hack. Mills was twenty-seven years of age and was married only a lew weeks ago. The inquest was adjourned on the application of the police. to obtain further evidence. DAIRY CONTROL. WELLINGTON', June Id.

In a lengthy letter to Mr Grounds, chairman of the Dairy Produce Control Hoard. Messrs Morison. Smith, and Morisot), solicitors for Mr Stroltach Paterson, the late Government representative on the Hoard s London Agency, call attention to the tact that Mr Paterson had noted various New Zealand newspapers, including the Dairy Produce Exporter id March I’Gtli lasi, giving wluit purported to he Mr Ground’s version ol Mr Patersons actions in the capacity of Government Representative. Mr Paterson was unable to reply at once, by reason ol his distance from New 'Zealand and to do so now would he 1 utile. Ihereiore he did not consider it desirable at this stage to enter into a discussion on the merits or demerits of the price fixation of dairy prodeec. in London—tin issue which he says has ahead' - been settled at the expense of the New Zealand farmers —hut Mr Paterson desires t > repudiate what he regards as a gross misrepresentation by Mr Grounds ol his (Paterson’s) action.-, as Government Representative on the London Agency. Therefore lie would welcome on opportunity to have his actions hilly inve-ti-gatcci before a Royal Commission, or any other appropriate tribunal. Mr Paterson says ho further •■.insiders that Mr Grounds, in his attacks on him (Paterson), reftrred to omversatio.is which Mr Pater-on understood were confidential, and turther that Mr Grounds’* attack contained complete misstatements of fact, distorting the general aim and effect <>( his (Paterson's) work. Mr Paterson expects to return to New Zealand m October, when he would be ready to participate in a public investigation into his own actions, and what he terms the Board’s disastrous policy.

R ABB ITER ACCIDENTALLY SHOT APOK LAND. June U-

\ voting man. George- Mard. "as admitted “to the Auckland Husptta yesterday afternoon with a guiishn wound in his left hand. Ward was out rabbit-shooting yesterday, and while ho was climbing through a tenee his gun went off hv accident. To shiehl his face, Ward instinctively put bis hand over his eyes and the shut entered it. His hand was so badly hurt as to necessitate one finger being taken off. Ward, who is a single man, 2years old, is a tin-smith iii ing at KingSlarnl.

HINT AT TAXATION RH'T

AUCKLAND. June

The possibility of an increase, rather than a decrease, in taxation in New Zealand, was mentioned in a letter from the Alinister of .Finance, lion W. Downie Stewart, which was received jit a. meeting of the Council of ' Chamber of Commerce to-day. Ihe Minister wrote acknowledging receipt of the Chamber's protest against the Government’s failure to reduce taxation. in view of its Budget surplus. The Alinister stated he had tried to make it clear, in his speech at 1-ctld-ing. how the, surplus had come about, and that it. could not possibly be a basis on which to justify reduced taxation, more especially in view ol the outlook, which might quite possibly call for increased taxation if the finances of the country were to be kept on a proper basis. However, on th question of any increase in taxation, this should not he regarded as a considered opinion.

The Chairman, Air A. G. Lunn, remarked that they had asked for a reduction, and the Minister talked o! increase. A difficulty was that they did not know whether the surplus was a real one or "was merely a paper one.

AFr IL Hudson said he had brought the matter to tho attention of the Taxpayers’ Federation, which had better facilities (for tho investigation of the Government’s accounts than any other body.

The matter was referred to Hie Executive for consideration.

STATE SUBSIDIES. WELLINGTON, June 14. Hon G. J. Anderson (.Minster of Labour) to-day outlined further directions in which the Government were prepared to move to relieve the unemployment. The Government, he said, have' decided to subsidise £ for £ moneys borrowed for the sole purpose of the relief of unemployment provided the works have not been included in any schedule of works for which a loan has been raised by the local authority. The same subsidy will also be paid for voluntary subscriptions by private persons provided these have been handed over to local bodies to be expended upon approved relief works. Where Counties, Hoad Boards, or other local bodies in rural districts, raise a loan for relief of unemployment, the Government will consider each application on its merits and where these are approved, will grant £1 for £1 upon the total cost of the work. Parliament will be asked to extend the operation of the Act passed last year to enable local bodies to raise loans for the relief of unemployment. No work will bo subsidised in a city, borough or town district unless 60 per cent of the estimated cost is to be paid for labour on the actual work done, and the Government will subsidise such approved works up to fifty per cent of the cost of the labour, based on 12s a day for married men, and 9s a day for single

TIMA TUT SMASH FINDING. WELLINGTON, June 14. The Prime Minister to-dav made public the findings of the Departmental Enquiry Board into the derailment of the Christchurch-Invercargill express near Timaru on June. 4th. No evidence was found of any defect in the engine or track, which might have contributed to the derailment. The speed of the train was not excessive. On examination a crushed stone was found on the head of both rails, where the leading wheels of the engine first mounted the rail and fragments of freshly broken stones were found lying on the ballast nearby.

The Prime Minister feels justified in accepting as the only possible conclusion, tho Board’s opinion that the derailment was due to .stones having been placed on the rails. He pointed out other cases of stones being placed on the line near to where the accidentoccurred. ' SURVEYORS DISPUTE. WELLINGTON, June 13. The following message was received by the Dominion Surveyor-General Ironi the Surveyor-General at Perth:— [ understand the Institute of Surveyors here is endeavouring through the New Zealand Institute, to prevent New Zealand surveyors accepting appointments in Western Australia Survey Department. Their statements published here are absolutely untrue. They desire to create a monopoly by preventing the Department employing staff men. New Zealand surveyors engaged by you can he assured that their interests will lie fully protected, with opportunity of promotion to positions with it maximum classification of £575 and C7OS, as increased by the Appeal Board. There is a large programme of work here.”

TROUT FISHING. TAUAIARANUI. June II

A deputation from the Tanmaranui Rod and Gun Club waited on the lion Mr Bollard. Minister for Internal Affairs. hist evening requesting that the present practice of allowing spoon fishing in the Tokaanu rivers lie adlu r il to. If lly fishing alone were allowed in these rivers in future, then licenses would decrease from this end of the district. Air Bollard said that Tattoo fishing was not for any particular fisherman, hut for all. Certain rivers wore setaside for fly fishermen, but this class could not have all the rights. He assured the deputation that spoon fishermen would be looked after in the now regulation to he issued shortly;

MAYOR OF NAPIER. NAPIER, June 11. The position of the Mayor of Napier is at present in doubt in view of the passing for payment by the Council of an account to a company in which the Mayor (.Mr .T. Vigor Brown) is a shareholder. The Council's debt was incurred prior to the closing of nominations for tho last election, hut the account was passed at a meeting after the election, at which Mr Brown presided. The Mayor lias since disposed of his shares in the company concerned, aie' paid them tho amount of the Council’s account, and the company, in turn hits made a refund to the Council. A- it is not clear whether the refund and the disposal of the shares will hare the effect of making the Mayor’s position legal, Mr Brown vacated the chair at thi- week’s meeting of the Council, pending advice from counsel. The 'borough solicitors are to he asked for an opinion, and Air Brown is also consulting his advisors.

ZANE GREY’S YACHT. .NEAR YORK. June r>

Air Zane Grey's yacht stranded on Saturday at Ranjirn Island. In'A was relloateil off the reef. She is not badly damaged.

HIRE PURCHASE SYSTEM. AUCKLAND. June U. The opiimn that the extension of the hire-purchase system to articles <\~ luxury was a menace to the prosperity of the Dominion was expressed by Air A. G. Limn at a meeting of the Council of the Chamber of Commerce. Air Lillin said that while the .system had at first been applied to articles usecl ia production, things which could only ho regarded as luxuries "ere now being purchased under it. He mentioned that the growth of the system was causing alarm in Britain and America. Air 11. P. Caiighey said the schedule of articles regarding which hirepurchase agreements could he registered under the Chattels Transfer Acthad been on tended far beyond the limits originally set Ho suggested that it was time the position w-as reviewed and the Act amended in ac- j cordanee with the intentions of its [ framers. Originally the schedule or.-n- ; mined only articles used in produe- i tion, such as ploughs and sewing 1 machines. The matter was referred In the exoendive for consideration.

STRIKE AT ARAPUNI. [ TRIAD AL Sf’Al INVOLVED. j lIAAiri.TOX. June 14. ! Ihe whole slim involved in the Arnpuiii strike is Is 9d and Hie dispute arose over a most unusual and trivial point, and that may never arise again. H was over an emergency call to a man to attend to the pumps at night. I he men, according to a high official of the company, adopted a most unusual, certainly an ill-considered, procedure. Instead of negotiating, they deserted tho pumps, which lmd to nc manned by the engineering staff.

The men, according to their agreement, bad no right to strike without instructions from the headquarters of the union in Wellington. Wellington, however, knew nothing of the matter. Air TTnndman, agent for Armstrong, Whitworth and Co states that the company are prepared to negotiate immediately the men return to work. To the company, however, the matter is one of principle as they feel they must have some assurance that these important works, which are of national importance, should not be seriously impeded by trivial grievances such ns this. Mr Williams, District Organiser for the General Labourers’ Union, arrives at Arnpuni this morning. It is rumoured that about 75 per cent of the men I are anxious to return to work and that the strike, which is not at all popular/ has been engineered largely by one) man of the agitator type. I HAMILTON, June 15. . A meeting of the engineers was hold I at Arnpuni to-day and it is stated that they are in sympathy with the strikers. The situation has remained unchanged. £10.900 THEFT CHARGE. WELLINGTON, June 14. Alleged to Imvo stolen a mailbag containing £IO.OOO in Treasury notes from the CardifF-I.ondon express on 2nd February, Joseph Foster, aged 44. who was arrested on a provisional | warrant at Claudelands, Hamilton, re- j cently, appeared before the Magis- | trnte’s Court to-day. j

Foster, who is described as a traveller, was also charged with having received the bag, which was the property of the British Government, knowing it to have been dishonestly obtained. On application of Chief Detective Ward, he was remanded to appear next Wednesday.

HHfcWTDENCE AT LONDON* June 14. Magistrates, sitting privately here, are bearing twenty witnesses for the prosecution of .Joseph Foster, at present at Hamilton, New Zealand. The evidence will be forwarded to New Zealand, after which it is hoped that there will be sufficient grounds to extradite Foster to England.