DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 July 1927, Page 3

DOMINION NEWS.

(H.v Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

AGRICULTI:R A L COLLEGE. WELLINGTON, July 21

As the result of a meeting last week at Hastings, Air E. 11. Williams waited as a deputation on the Premier and Agriculture Minister tu-day, supported by local AT.P.'s, asking for the recognition ot Hawke’s Bay’s claims in respect to the establishment of an Agricultural College, and lor legislation providing for the setting tip of an Advisory Board to assist lhe Government in carrying out the Howard Bestqnest Trust. Air Williams stressed that the feeling was very high that Hawke’s Bay should receive proper consideration, as It was ei'ear that the teslatoi had intended that the college should be established on his own property i| the estate continued to he worked as a training farm for hoys, and il portion of the funds was diverted for the use of Palmerston people, ho thought tlio agitation would oiuf. Hon. Mr Han ken said the settingup of n Board would simplify matters. Mr Coates agreed. He asked Mr Ha when to prepare legislation. Tie promised to indicate in due course if, a hill would bo introduced. EXT’LOS!YE COAL. CHRISTCHURCH. July 21. Since the recent explosions in coat' in house fires in Wellington and Auckland, the ( liristeliureh railway officials have been keeping a lookout for explosives in the coal handled in the railway yards. This week a workman found an unoxplodcd detonator in a truck of coal from the West Coast, which was being unloaded for use by the Department.

MORE IMMIGRANTS. WELLINGTON. July 21. The Riinutnkn, which arrived at Wellingt on this morning from London and Southampton, brought only 53 assisted immigrants, and of that number only II were men, The iiew arrivals had the following destinations:-- Auckland 29. Napier 9, Wellington 10. Westport 9, Oantaru 1 : total' 58.

.MOTOR AI KNACK. lIAWKRA. Julv 21

Dealing with two police eases of negligent motoring at the Court, the .tiagistrate, Air Barton, in addition to imposing lines on defendants, ordered the convictions to he endorsed on their licenses. Four persons we re concerned. Sergl. Henry remarked that the time was coming when it would he necessary to ask for higher penalties in eases of negligence. At the conclusion of the hearing of the eases, theMagistrate intimated he was adopting a policy of higher penalties for eases of negligent driving and cutting corners, remarked that he had already in other centres cancelled two licenses this week for these particular i.-lfenees.

AltG RUHR’S ESTATE JUDGMENT "WELLINGTON, July 21.

The Appeal Court to-day notified that their judgment in the case oi MoGruer v. Gresham, had been prepared. but as ii tvas a very lengthy one. they would not read it. but make a copy available for counsel as soon as possible.

The Court was asked to determine the amount of the estate of the late John Duncan Alc ( truer, valueil at about £95,1100. and after payment of duties and legacies, that is to be given to charitable institutions in accordance with the will. The testator provided for the distribution of any surplus income among charitable institutions in New Zealand, the Salvation Army to receive a larger proportion than any other.

DAIRY PRODUCE AWARDS. AUCKLAND. July 21. The Auckland Winter Exhibition was opened (o-tltty by Sir Thomas MarKenzie. Tile Silver Cup for the highest, aggregate in butter classes was won h.v the Golden Bay Dairy Company. The points prize in the cheese section was won by tlio Lowgarth Dairy Company, Taranaki.

UN EM PLOYMENT R ELI EE. WELLINGTON, July 22

The Mayor's for the unemployment which was started with the objective of* £4.009 hits reached over £0.500. hilt not withstanding the fact that hundreds of men are given work the number alleged to be unemployed is greater than ever. Yesterday 170 more names wore given in and the inference is that outsiders are flocking into Wellington in the hope of sharing in the fund, or that men on casual jobs are throwing them up, to procure more permanent billets on the relief works.

STATE ADVANCES!, WELLINGTON, .July 21

In the House, Mr Doivnife Stewart said the Treasury was on the point of issuing a prospectus ill respect lif a bond issue under the Rural Advances 1 scheme. If tile bonds were found to 1 lie a successful means of raising money for farmers, there would he far more . money available for housing. The suggestion had been made that the rate of interest on Government debentures should be raised in order to draw money in to Government investments. He did not. however, favour this until it could be seen whether tlie issue of bonds under the rural 1 credits scheme was a success. 11l view ol the proposed issue of bonds, he had not felt justified in informing applicants for loans for housing that there 1 was no hope of their applications be- ' ing considered for an indefinite term. SOLICITOR CHARGED. ! GISBORNE, July 22. ! John Noden Bullard, a solicitor, was ' charged before Mr Levvy, S.M., at tiie Police Court this morning with fraudulently omitting to account tor sums aggregating £I3OB. The alleged oflenees are spread over three years. Accused conducted his own ease and stated he intended to plead guilty. Detective McLeod stated accused has been in practice at Gisborne under tlie name of Mann and Billiard. The amounts on the charges were in respect to rents collected l>,v accused for clients and for which he had tailed to account. The March 1926 audit disclosed a deficiency. From his statement the accused had endeavored to pay olf tlu‘ amounts but realising the impossibility gave himself up to ttie poi'iee in June of this year. He admitted that £6OOO was owing to various firms or private creditors. Since giving himself up. he had assisted the police in framing the charges. Evidence was given by various clients and others who had paid money to accused's office. William Hamilton Irvine, 1 ail accountant, deposed.in March 1926 he reported for the Law Society. In tlie defendants trust account there was » shortage on March 31st of £676-1, and • this was reported at January 31. 1927. A further audit disclosed a deficiency J of only £1256. In auditing the trust ' ledger he found dealings impossible to i understand, without an explanation ■ from the defendant and this was not! i forthcoming. Tlie cash book was not , kept as it should he. and was not i reconciled with the bank. ' “I simply wish to affirm the statement handed in in writing. I plead . guilty to all charges,” said Bullard, ; who was committed to the Supreme ) Court for sentence on ten charges of theft by misappropriation. Prisoner

in a signed statement to the Inspectorof Police stated he had paid up the demands on the firm after the death of his late partner, although in many of these eases lie had no personal liabilit.v for the shortages. For this purpose he borrowed money from relatives and temporarily used clients monies. The borrowed monies were used in a hopeless attempt to save an impossible situation.

LAND LEAGUE’S REGRET. AUCKLAND, Julv 22

At tlic-ir annual meeting the New Zealand Land Settlement League passed a resolution expressing deep regret that the Government had taken no steps to ascertain the cause of the stagnation -in the Dominion’s agriculture and land settlement. It urged the Board of Enquiry to enquire into the question of immigration and ns relation to land settlement.

SUSPICIOUS EIRE. NEW PLYMOUTH. Julv 22. An eight roomed house near Inglewood, owned and occupied by Joseph Diggins, /was destroyed hv fire last night. The occupants were absent all day and returned to find the house in tl nmes. Tlio cause isi unexplained. The house was insured for £BOO and furniture J'or £l5O in the State Office. HERD TESTING.' PALMERSTON X., July 23. A statement issued 'bv the Manawatu Herd Testing Association claim the second butter fat production of (lie Dominion belongs to a member of the Association. AY. .J. Shailer, of Ornundowns. u*ho with a herd of twenty-six cows averaged 100.53 pounds of tat in two "hundred and eightyfive days. Oilier herds in the Association average 300 puoiids and over.

COUNCIL OF EDUCATION. NAPIER. Julv 22

Hawkes Bay Education .Board this morning decided to support a suggestion that the Council of Education be done away with. Air J. A. Kirk, a member of the Council, urged that, that body had done good work.

NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR LA ON NEW PLYMOUTH, July 22.

Information lias been received that New Plymouth Harbour Board's loan of £190.000 offered in London at 51 per cent at par. lias been subscribed three fold.

INSURANCE TEST CASE. CHRISTCHURCH. Julv 22

Arising out of keen competition in insurance business at the present time, a test case to obtain the decision of the Supreme Court on the interpretation of a clause in an insurance policy, was ,hoard before Air Justice Shit t l*is imoniing. The case is of particular iin threat tt<i all insurance companies owing to the questions involved. The plaintiff firm was LamWalker Rudkin, Ltd.. (.Mr Donnelly) and tlio defendant firm was the Yorkshire Insurance Coy., Ltd.. (Mr Thomas). The statement of claim set out that plaintilf claimed the sum of £O9 3s id, being balance of refund duo and payable by the defendant to plaintilf. in respect of policies taken out with the defendant company and afterwards cancelled, pursuant to a clause in the ixtlieics.

Air Donnelly said that it was a test case brought against the defendant company to decide a very narrow question, of construction of a clause in an Insurance policy. All the facts were admitted. Under the clause the plaintiff was entitled to cancel his insurance policy in which case lie was entitled to a certain refund of the premium, according to rate ruling. The whole controversy was that at the time the policy was issued the rate was a certain amount, hut just before the cancellation it -was altered by the Company. The question for t’iie Court to decide was whether the plaintilf was entitled to the rate ruling at the time (lie policy was issued, or the rate ruling at the date of the cancellation. ills Honour reserved his decision. JJDUOR CHARGE. ASHBURTON. July 23. At the Polite Court, Gideon Scott was (I’targed with having sold liquor in a no-license area ; also with having kept liquor for sale. He was convicted and .sentenced to three months for keeping liquor, the police withdrawing the first charge. There were eight piwlous A SKA.MAN OVERBOARD: AUCKLAND, July ‘22.

Richard Jessup, quartermaster on the Admiralty tanker Xueuln, was drowned at sea on July 11th. He suffered from haemorrhage of the lungs and was told by a doctor at Papeete that his i’ungs were in a serious condition. He seemed much distressed on his return to the ship and shortly after the tanker left Papeete Jessup was seen to disappear over tile ship's side. Lifebuoys were thrown and boats launched, but a three hours* seitrcfi was fruitless.

SUDDEN DEATH, GISBORNE. Jtilv 22

George Bolton, a retired schoolmaster, collapsed on the threshold of a chemist shop to-day and succumbed.