DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 August 1927, Page 4

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) VALUELESS CHEQUES. COMMUNITY MUST BE PROTECTED. ■WELLINGTON, Aug. 29. “Ho is a habitual valueless cheque mail and has already worked his way right through the South Island,” said Detective-Sergeant Holmes when William Roberts, alias Robertson, a butcher, aged forty-seven, appeared before Mr Salmond, S.M., and admitted live charges of having obtained goods and money to a total value of £25 by means of valueless cheques. Tire detective-sergeant said that accused had twenty-seven previous convictions for false, pretences and one for theft, and was at present serving a j sentence of six months’ imprisonment. ! Counsel pointed out that the five j charges to which Roberts had pleaded i guilty belonged to a series of six, on I one of which he was. at present serving j a sentence. Counsel added that acj eused’s outbursts were spasmodic and j he asked that any sentence imposed I should he concurrent with the present | one. i The Magistrate said that this series of frauds was perpetrated over an area I extending from Huntervillo to Levin I and then to Wellington. There was | only one thing to do. The business community must be protected, j Accused was ordered to be detained for reformative treatment for a period not* exceeding two years.

COPYRIGHT LAW’S. WELLINGTON. Aug. 29 Air S. G. Raymond, K.C.. formerly of ChriaL-hurclL and Timaru, and now of London, has been selected by the Government to represent New Zealand at the International Copyright Conferent'o to !h? hold at Rome In October. Ho will also attend a meeting of the Imperial delegates to the conference immediately prior to the conference at Rome. Sir Harrison Moore will probably represent Australia. Tho question of revising the law which enables the Australasian Performing Rights Association, Ltd., to demand payment in respect of public performances of all or any British copyright music published in Now Zealand will also be discussed. The question of copyright is both an TmI'ori.al and international one. After the conference at Romo has concluded the New Zealand Government will consider the question of legislating in the direction of regulating fees that mav ho charged in respect of the performance of copyright works.

A CCIDENTS. CHRISTCHURCH, Aug. 30. H. Edwards. 212. Woodham Road, was taken to tho hospital yesterday, suffering from injuries to his right hand, cut h.v a circular saw. S. Sheenmn. of Templeton, while wheeling a bicycle along tho toad last night, was injured by a motor-car that ran into him. Ho was taken to the Hospital hut m not badly injured. A young man named E. Forbes, 297. Opawa Road, when cycling yesterday, collided with a motor-cyclist. He was taken to the hospital suffering from shook.

; FRIENDLY SOCIETIES. WELLINGTON, Aug. 29. The membership of friendlv societies, according to the annual report- of the Registrar of Friendly Societies (Air R. I W T i tho ford), increased during the past j year from 91,353 to 94,-167, a gain of ! 3114, equal to 3.-11 per cent. This inI crease, although slightly less than in I each of the threo preceding years indicates the continued popularity of the. Friendly Society movement in Now Zealand. Tho total accumulated funds of tho societies increased by £201,446, ; from £3.136,237 to £3.337,683, the i average capital per member now l>e- ; ing £35 (is Bd, as compared with £34 i6s 7d for tho year 1925. The total net interest earnings of the sick and j funeral funds during the year was I £159.103. This represents a rate equal | to 5.81 per cent, as against 5.75 per I cent for the previous year. The averi ago contributions and interest per member icrcdited to the sick and funeral funds increased from £3 10s 3d to £3 11s 4d, and tho costs of sickness and funeral benefits per member ■ at risk from £1 9s 8d to £1 12s Od, tho total increase in these representing I a net gain of £1 19s 4d per member. The mortality rate increased from 7.22 to 8 02 per thousand members at risk. J

AUCKLAND STORM. AUCKLAND, Aug. 30. A severe storm was experienced in Auckland early to-night. One vivid flash of lightning struck it vacant section in Ellerton Road, Mount Eden, and a window in a nearby house was shattered. Other houses in. the neighbourhood were shaken, and iff one case a large amount of crockery was broken . Electric light and telephones wore interfered with. Low-lying areas in the suburbs were flooded as the result of torrential rain.

BOY KILLED. CHRISTCHURCH, Aug. 30. This afternoon Master Yal Armstrong, aged 16 years, youngest son of Mr H. T. Armstrong, M.P., was accidentally strangled. It is stated ho was mending a bicycle banging in the wash-house at his parents’ residence, when he slipped off the box on which ho was standing. His head was caught in the rope, auil lie died helcre his plight was discovered. RAGLAN ERECTION HAMILTON, Aug 30. A definite promise lias been given, in response to strong representations of members of tho Reform Party, by Air Walter Seavill, farmer, of AVaingaro, to contest the Raglan seat at tho coming bye-election created by tho death of the Hon R. F. Bollard. ELECTORAL SEATS. AVFJLHINGTON, Aug. 30.

Air A. Al. Samuel, AI.P., for Ohinemuri, one of the electorates, which disappear as the result of tho Electoral boundary revison, has definitely decided to contest the new Hauraki seat at the general election next year. In an interview, Air Samuel explained that, as his old electorate had boon merged into t-wo neighbouring constituonees, Thames and Waikato, which at present were represented by Government members, lie would not contest either of those seats. However much lie desired to keep in touch witli the people who had returned him to office in 1925, the nearest approach to that desire lay in standing for Hauraki, and that was the seat be proposed to contest. Approached as to his intentions next year, the Postmaster-General (Hon W. Nosworthy) whose electorate —Ashburton—has also last its political identity. stated that ho had nothing to communicate for publication.