DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 July 1927, Page 1

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—l’er Press Association.) MR DARCY HAGGILT. DUNEDIN, July 2. The senior lawyer in New Zealand, and as far as is known, the senior of the profession in Australia or New Zealand, Air Darev Ilaggitt, died this morning. He was horn at Hobart in October, 18-12, and was admitted as a barrister there m 1801. Arriving in Dunedin in the same year, he entered into partnership with B. C. Ilaggitt and Spencer Brent in 1871. He retired in 1904 and was later librarian to the Otago Law Soviet v.

KAURI GUM BOARD. AUCKLAND. July 2. In furtherance of the policy of limited control. file Kauri Gum Board yesterday met merchants regarding the sale of Government stocks and other matters connected with theindustry. It is reported that a. strong desire was evinced to work together for the industry's good. Certain recommendations will ho made to the A! inister of Lands regarding future

operations. The chairman. Air AT 11. Wynyard, slates that the hoard intends to work along commercial lines and deal only with saleable i asses of gam. It had power to raise capital hv debentures, nod had made arrangements for hank aeeummndatinli. Such funds would he supplemented by the procods of the levy now imposed on all mini exported. The Department of Scientific ami Industrial Research was about to undertake experiments in the utilisation of waste timber in kauri basins. Mr Wynyard understood that- a commercial concern proposed to treat swamp timber lor oil and other residual products.

HAWKE'S BAY FLOODS. NAPIER. July 4. Two tine davs have allowed the Hood waters around Napier and Hastings to rapidly subside, and in a short tittle they should all he gone. Two roads l>eiwcen Napier and Hastings are now open tor traffic, hut the two main roads an* still not negotiable on account. <>t the low stretches being under water. The position at the Boys' High School is viewed optimistically, and it. is hoped to reopen it next I uesduy. Northwards from Napier the slips have been cleared and the road to Wairoa is again open.

A temporary bridge at Kissingtou 120 feet long was washed ait a> by the river, and crossing is being elicited by a cable and cage. The siips on side roads in the V aihori rilling are numerous.

DAIRY CONTROL LIBEL ACTIONWELLINGTON, July 4. ■| he. Chief Justice gave judgment in Mr Timpatty’s action against the New Zealand Dairy Produce Newspaper Company, the libel being alleged on two claims, one relating to an article Entitled “How Southland Was Misled.” and the other in relation to a continent on the alleged breach of eoiilidei.ee in givng to the press in Invercargill, e,-intents of telegrams from th I .Minister and Air Strouach UatteisuU. The sttm claimed was £2909. Plaint iff in regard to the lirsi claim contended that he nits charged with making false statements of fact, for the pnrp .se of deceiving the public.

Sir ('. Skerrett held that reading the report as a whole it did hear ilte meaning attached to it by plaintiff, hr awarded £2O damages.

In regard to the second claim, Sir f, Skerrett found that the patter’s comment was fair comment in all the circumstances oi the case, and Inund lor defendant.

I NI I,AIMED LEGACY. CHRISTf IH RI H. July 2. Since the announcement of the world-wide search for relatives of the late Alary Bridget Afaddeu, who left an estate valued at £.'{0.090. and who was known to have resided in ( aiiterbury in 1897. the .Mayor (the Rev. .J. K. Archer) has received numerous claims from alleged relatives in all parts of the Dominion. “It was surprised to find that there were so many people named Madden.'' said the Mayor to-day, ‘‘and so many relatives or alleged relatives of the Madden in whom the New York attorney is interested. When lie wrote to me he gave me the impression, by his letter, that he could not get trace of any Madden even claiming relationship. aTwl yet we have received dozens of letters and personal applications from the North Cape to the Bluff. They are all convinced flint they arc the people, and many of them have pretty good records to substantiate their claims. They are all absolutely convinced that they are the missing relatives, ft is not my function to make any investigation as to tlio validity of their claims, or even to correspond with the New York attorney: Inn I have advised the people to g“t into touch with him direct.”

.MOTORIST '-ÜBPKNDED. GISBORNE, July 4. On a charge of negligent driving, a motorist. Janies Golding, had his license suspended for six months by Magistrate Levvoy. Evidence was given that a train conveying theatre patrons homeward stopped while r. number of passengers alighted. The ear was following, and it stopped in accordance with the by-law. Golding, who was following it, crashed into the preceding ear, considerably damaging the rear portion.

THEFT CASES. WELLINGTON. July 4

A quantity of ship's stores being found in the bags of Hugh Dribble. 47. James Hughes. 35). chief and second cook respectively, of the Kauri, when they were accosted on the wharf on Saturday, they were charged with theft to-dav.

Counsel said that they were taking the stores ashore to friends living in straightened circumstances. The Afngistrate imposed a fine of £5, in default 14 days’ imprisonment.

LAST of the s.s. wan aka. AUCKLAND. July 2. With the New Zealand Ensign lashed halfmnst to her fore rigging, and the house flag of her former owners flying from her main, the old Union Company steamer, Wanaka. which recently passed through the hands of the shipbreakers. took her last plunge outside the Great Barrier. Her masts and tall funnels were still standing, and she made a fine picture as she dived amid a swirl of the waters.

FAR-REACHING* DKCISION. AUCKLAND. July -!, Tlio decision of the court in an interpretation asked for under the Painters’ Award has come to hand, and has caused great satisfaction in union circles. Briefly, the facts are: A firm of wholesale grocers whose premises had been burnt, employed a niati and two youths at painting work on its premises ttiul paid the workers less than the award rate of Wages. Under previous decisions of the court, any persons, not regularly engaged in the trade under consideration. could employ labour at any rate, to do the work on the ground that he was not in the trade for pecuniary gain. 'litis has always acted detrimentally to the different trades or callings. Iff this decision, His Honour says: “A direct pecuniary gain is contemplated when a business man undertakes to perform any work for a customer. A person in business as a master painter, who employs workers in the course of that business employs them for the purpose of making direct pecuniary gain from the work that he does, through them, for his customers. An indirect pecuniary gain is contemplated when an employer. not in business as a master painter. employs painters in connection with work on the premises used by him for bis own business.” Thus Judge Frazer, after a lapse of years, reversed a decision of Judge Stringer, which has been a. thorn in the side of many unions besides the Painters Union.

.MOTORIST ESCAPES INJURY

OTOTIKT, July 1

Mr S. Simpler, a plumber, of Wliakafane. had a narrow escape from serious injury on Wednesday night. He was about to drive a car on to the Waioeka Bridge when the lights failed and Lite car crashed into an electric light pole, smashing the pole and bringing down tlio wires. On alighting from the ear. Mr simpler stepped oil to a live electric wire, but although there was a terrific flash, '-he again escaped injury. The ear was badly damaged through striking the post.

IMPOSTOR SENT TO GAOI

CAAIBRIDGE. July 1

t. rank Hector Amundsen (22), a stranger to the town, was sentenced to one month's hard labour this morning on a charge of Iheing a rogue and vagabond and obtaining motley by fraud.

Amundsen arrived in Cambridge on Wednesday and immediately <'ommenccd operating in various parts of the town, his practice being to represent that lie was collecting money for destitute families.

NEW ZEALAND AIR FORCE

WELLINGTON. July 1

The Navy League deputation which met the Prime Minister urged that more attention should he paid to the seaplane defences of the Dominion. Sir Douglas Maclean said the league at its recent Dominion conference had considered provision should be nun for equipping the vessels oi the New Zealand Naval Squadron with catapults for launching aeroplanes train the decks. The league urged that an air force, to work with the Navy, should 1)0 rlVJltetl.

Mr Coates said the Air Board had had little opportunity recently ■ f making any recommendations for the extension of the air forces because the Government had always to consider U* resources of the Dominion. He had discussed with the Minister of Defence the question of providing more aeroplanes and seaplanes for the s

vices, and the necessity for moving ahead in that direction. Rater on Hte Government would lie able to nit iiouttee what it could do. A lot preliminary work in the way of acquit' ing sites for aerodromes and air .stations had been done, tod the actual machines had not been purchased. The Minister of Defence informed the deputation that the cruisers on the New Zealand station could lie lilted 1 discharge aeroplanes from their (leek by means of catapults, hut as this system was only emerging from the ex peritnental stage it was thought advisable to wait a little before taking any definite action.

STARTLING SEQUEL TO STORM HAMILTON, July 1. A milk vendor. Air Emerson Rett<l a 11. had a narrow escape from electrocution this morning. He was proceeding on an early round about (5 o'clock, before daybreak, when suddenly, as he reached the intersection, of Firth and Wellington Streets, the horse dropped dead in the- shafts, and lie was throw violently from the earl. The dead house was emitting crackling sparks, and Air Kendall discovered that it was in eon tact- with a live wire which forms part of the borough electrical reticulation. It had been blown down during the storm last night.

Air Kendall, who received a great fright, communicated with the police and the electrical engineer, and the current was immediately switched off while the line was repaired. The line was merely sagging, and tlio animal came in contact with it fairly high up Had the horse nii-sed it. Air Renda.il almost surely would have touched It. It was very fortunate that the fallen line was discovered early and in such a manner, as anyone proceeding on foot or by car along the thoroughfare probably would have received serious injury, or death