DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 August 1927, Page 4

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

man jumps into river. HAMILTON, Aug. 22,

A man who was a stranger to Huntly was being pursued with cries of “Stop Thiel'” on Saturday evening, when he jumped into the Waikato River. After struggling for some time in the darkness he was apparently drowned. The man went into a tea shop and asked for a iiot pie. The lady attendant left the shop to get the pie, and during her absence the stranger went behind the counter, opened the till and seized a handful of silver. The attendant returned and surprised him. Two men started in iiot pursuit, and had almost overtaken their jruarry when he escaped by leaping into tlio Waikato River. He was fully clothed and wearing an overcoat.

From the sounds hoard it appeared that tlie man swam well out into the river and was carried rapidly downstream. He called for help, and several ] ample heard him splashing for some time. Then the splashing ceased, and it is supposed that lie sank.

The police, were informed, but. nothing further has been ascertained. ROWTNCJ. WELLINGTON, Aug. 22. The Council of the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association to-night formally accepted the invitation of the Melbourne Regatta. Association (Australian Henley) to send a New Zealand Club crew and sculler to compete in the races for the Stewards’ Challenge Cup (won last year by the Otago Rowing Club), and the Yana Challenge Cup. to .lie held on October 22nd. The Waitemata Club’s senior four and W. A. Stevenson, of the Wniteinnta Club, were selected to make the trip.

AUCK LA NO HOAX 10 f). AUCKLAND. Aug. 19. A remarkable hoax was perpetrated to-dav. Some person unknown telephoned to Mount. Eden Gaol, stating that two prisoners liad been killed and four injured in an explosion on Rangifcoto Island, where there is a prison camp. The nows quickly spread, and l>efore long a crowd of same hundrods hod assembled at the launch steps to witness the arrival of the dead and injured. jjTheir curiosity had something to'9ped on when two ambulances and a mortuary van drove up. and waited in .readiness to receive their human cargo. Meanwhile the. evening papers had done their best with the meagre details available, and spread t-lie “news” still further. Reporters engaged fast launches, and braved the rough, wintry sou to proceed to the scene of the tragedy, hut when they arrived at Ra.ii.gi to to they Found that they had lieen hoaxed, for neither at the prison camp nor at the two quarries had there been any accident. All the reporters got for their pains was a good bout of seasickness.

Hundreds of persons were still waiting on the three hours Inter, when the first reporter returned, but on his report they quickly dispersed. The mortuary van and ambulances also drove away empty. FIREBLIGHT IN NELSON DISTRICT NELSON, Aug. 22. From time to time, during the last six years, cuttings from apples and pear trees suspected of being affected with firchlight. have been sent to the Cawtliroii Institute by Nelson orehardists and have been examined by Dr Curtis.

In every case they have been found to bo free from the disease, stated the Director of the Cnwthron Institute (Professor Faster field) to-day. Attention was recently drawn to the suspicious appearance of a diseased branch cut from a pear tree in the neighbourhood of Nelson. The branch exhibited all tlie symptoms of typical fireblight, and the culture of the organism isolated from the branch conforms in all structural, and in the majority of cultural characteristics with those of the organism responsible for firchlight. It is therefore highly probable that this is an actual case of firchlight. Samples of the culture arc being sent to the Directors of Horticulture for comparison with the standard firchlight cultures, maintained in "Wellington by the Department of Agriculture. Such cultures have not boon kept at the Cavthron Institute, as the Director of the Institute lias always refused to have any fireblight material brought from the North Island, in view of the possibility of the introduction, of the disease in this manner into the Nelson district. Orchard ists are asked to most thoroughly examine all pear, apple and quince trees. But especially pear trees, it is obvious lhat all hawthorn hedges should he petrolled, and that as far as possible they should he. prevented from flowering, concluded the Director.