DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 August 1927, Page 3

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph -Per Press Association.] MONEY EXPORTS. figures SHOW BIG increase. WELLINGTON. Aug. 10. Money exports for the .season just closed are MO per cent, below the total for I'd-’d. Figures released by the Department of Horticulture reveal that to the end of May this year (i'JOM cases of honey were shipped abroad against 951 1 I'a-es last year. A feature of tin* season is that On* South Island production lia.s exceeded that of the North Island. Detailed figures of shipment are as follows :—Auckland, l-lo!) eases; New Plymouth. 229: Wellington. 820; Lyttelton. 801; Greymnith. 850: Timnrii 1025: Dunedin, 5.85; Bluff, 128. Although lust year saw a good sea-

son in the country, and particularly in South ('imtei bury, states llic Department. and tiie actual production showed an increase, less honey was offered for export, because growers chose to send supplies to the local markets. Prices within the Dominion have been well maintained and with a profitable field close at hand, growers have not telt inclined to send their produce overseas. At the same time prices in London have hcon on a pur with previous years, showing Unit New Zealand honey is .still holding its own against all competitors, and although American honey lias shown a marked tendency to fluctuate, tiie price of Dominion honey lias remained at almost the ■sane* level.

Tt is honed jiiat as a result of the visit oi Mr .1. Rentoiil, chairman of the Honey Control Board, to London, I lie honey business will ho placed on a much I rotter footing and the way he cleared for better returns to beekeepers since tile Department is anxious to foster I lie export trade. At tiie same time although tin* local markets have been good and Now Zealand people have eaten a great deal of lirniev in this year, it is believed that proper advertising ol (he product within tho Dominion would result in the stimulation of that market to a marked degree. This ini lease would quicken the development ot honey production ami would encourage mere people to mi into tin* business.

DEATH FROM STARVATION'. GREYMOt Til. Aug. 11. A report from Murchison states that the skeleton of a man was found by Air John Knight near Maud Creek in the Aiurchison district. Constable Robertson, accompanied by Mr Knight, proceeded through' six miles of rough country to the spot where the skeleton was found lying on a hod of hark overgrown with mots and moss. The skeleton appeared to lie that of a man about •lit llin in height and to all appearances imd been iliere for about ten years. Only a sniai'l part of the knee of a pair of riding breeches with brass eyelets was found, which showed that lie had been wearing riding breeches at tiie time of death. There was no trace of any other clothing or blankets. Several old tins and a Irving pan also were found, hut there was nothing to lead to identification. I iie earth in tlu* vicinity was dug up without anything being found. It is surmised that the man died of starvation. ■Mr Knight informed Constable Robertson that about March. 1917. lie was camped at tin.* foot of Maud Creek when a prospector called at his camp, hut did not give liis name. Me was a man between -15 and ."ill years of age

and was wearing ordinary miner’s clothes and riding breeches. Afr Knight is of the opinion that the skeleton found L of this man. From information received it is believed tiie skeleton is that of Duncan Staller. of Blenheim, who lias been missing since 1917. Relatives of this man slili reside in Blenheim. With the exception of fillings in the teeth there is nothing to help identification. The remains were removed about six or seven miles and buried in a shallow grave in the more open country in tiie meantime.

MAMARL AT HAH FA BLANCA. NO DAMAGE TO CARGO. WELLINGTON, Aug. 11. The Shaw. Savill and Albion Company have received cable news that their damaged steamer, Afamari, escorted by the Matakaua, arrived at Bahia Blanca, Argentine, on Wednesday. The message adds that there is no damage to the cargo of the Mamari as the result of the collision with the iceberg. She will he detained about three weeks. The Afatakana. having been ilelaved three days by accompanying the Afamari, is now expected to arrive at London on September 3-

YOUTH’S SUICIDE'. CHRISTCHURCH. Aug. 12.

An inquest was held to-day into the death of Raymond Leslie Duncan, aged 21, who was admitted to the hospital on Thursday morning, with a bullet wound in the chest. Duncan, who had never been in robust health, had. according to his mother’s evidence, no worries, except indifferent health. On Wednesday night he went to the pictures, and returned home, had supper, conversed cheerfully with his mother, and then went out to the garage. His mother heard him moaning at the back door. She opened the door and Duncan staggered in, saying, “Afother, 1 ve shot myself. Get a doctor.” He said something else about “not being any

good,” ami made a rambling statement, but gave no reason for the act. AM- Aloslev. S.AL. returned a verdict that Duncan died from a bullet wound, self-inflicted while in a state of mental depression.

JOY RIDERS. AUCKLAND. Aug. 12. A motor ear, stolen by joy-ridei s. was found burned on Thursday evenii,,r. Tb c . car, a seven-seater Chamber, urns' owned by A. G. Durwin. taxi driver, and was valued at £776. The owner had left it on a street owing to a tyre having blown out and when he returned in a quarter of an hour it had vanished. It was later found completely destroyed on Penrose Pnnmure Road. This is the third stolen car found hunted in three weeks. SOUTH AFRICAN TARIFF. WELLINGTON. Aug. 12. The Minister for Customs. Hon. Downie Stewart, said in the House today that although vorresixuideiice had passed between the New Zealand Government and South Africa, with n view to a modification of the existing trade agreement between the t"° countries, no finality bad yet been reached. Air Howard: AVhat goods hare they that we want. Tiie Minister: Afaize. ami a few other things. LICENSEE’S OFFENCE. WELLINGTON, Aug. I*2. John Berryman, licensee of the Pier Hotel, was fined £2.6 for having used a whisky liottle of a recognised brand to bottle draft whisky, without destroying the original label.