DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 September 1927, Page 1

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) PH OCR ESS STRIKES BAR. HAMILTON, Sept. 26. The coastal .steamer Progress struck the bar at Port Waikato, but was llnnted off again with five feet of water in tli<- bold. Tlie cargo was discharged and temporary repairs probably will lie made at Port AVaiknto.

THEFT OF CARS. A\ ELLINGTON. Sept. 26. Car stealing continues. Dr Lynch, bacteriologist at the Wellington Hospital. loft his car in Courtenay Place a few nights ago. It was taken, arid is still missing. INJURIES TO HEAD. WELLINGTON, Sept. 26. Nancy M'Goughey, a little Parcmata girl, as knocked down by a motorcycle at Porirua last evening, and was brought to the hospital with head injuries. SCARLET FEVER. AUCKLAND, Sept. 26.

A second-class passenger by the Niagara-. which arrived at Auckland from Sydney this morning, was landed on a stretcher and taken to the hospital. The patient, A. Rvan, who was booked to Auckland, was suffering from warlet fever. MIGRANTS ARRIVE. AUCKLAND, Sept. 26. A total of 283 immigrants from the United Kingdom who have come to settle in New Zealand arrived at Auckland by the ALitarna from London today. Alost of the newcomers will live in Auckland and Wellington Provinces. A large proportion of the younger men have work to go to in the country, and others seek rural occupations. Twenty-four domestics arc also aboard.

REMAPKABLE ESCAPE. Bb.ENHETAI, Sept. 26. A remarkable motor accident occurred yesterday afternoon on the Freezing AVorks bill at Pieton. Air Burt, foreman butcher at the works, accompanied b,v a friend, was driving to Pieton when lie encountered on a sharp corner at the highest portion of the hill, a car driven by Mr F. Dix, of Blenheim. In swinging to the left to avoid Air Dix’s car, the vehicle driven by Mr Burt loft the’road and hurtled over the almost perpendicular hank,

turning two complete somersaults, beioro being brought to a standstill by a stout bush growing about twenty feet below the level of the road. Seamen from the s.s. Alexander, who witnessed the accident from the wharf, rushed to (lie rescue, and Afr Dix’s party lost no time in making their wav down the hank, fearing a dreadful tragedy They arrived in time to see Air Burt, with his pipe still in his teeth, climb out of the wreck, while his companion was also quite uninjured. Under ihe directions of the chief engineer. mate and boatswain of tho Alexander, men inun the freezing works rigged a block and tackle and "it bin half an hour of the '.smash, Afr Hurt's car was back on the ground. Ibe bond was wreeked and the windscreen was in splinters, but otherwise the car as practically undamaged, and Afr Burt was able to drive if away under its own power.

MAINTENANCE CAM

AUCKLAND. Sept. 27. John AVillinm Hope’s maintenance ease was re-opened in the Police Court. He was charged with being BIGO in arrears under a maintenance order made in Favour of Annie Hope, of Sheffield, England.

Tlit- accused. in evidence. denied that lie lind over boon in Sheffield in his life, and said that he had never married ;any other woman lint his prevnt wife, whose name was Edith Alice Thames, and whom lie married in England in .Tidy 1923, coming out to New Zealand with her the following month. Ho stated that after his release from prison he and his wife intended going back to England to straighten out their trouble. When working at the Manchester Dry Dock, he met a mail whose name was also John William Hope, and who resembled him in appearance. In 191(5, when he was supposed to he at Sheffield, he was at sea.

.Depositions made by Annie Hope, of Sheffield, stated that she had married John William Hope in August, 191(5. In July. 1921, she obtained a maintenance order against her husband. In June, 1922, he obtained variation of the orcter from 30s to 25 s a week. The payments ceased in August. 1923. She received a letter from Annie Barnes, of Farmworth, Lancashire, a. 'sister of Edith Alice Barnes, stating that Hope married her sister at Bolton in July. 1923. and that they had gone out. to (New Zealand.

Evidence was given by expert photographers concerning the photographs of the husband of Annie Hope and those of the accused. Three witnesses were not prepared to swear the accused was the man photographed at the side of Annie Hope and one said the accused was not the man.

Mr Sullivan, for the accused, said that his client realised that, it his story were false, he would he liable to arrest on perjury and bigamy charges. The case was adjourned until tomorrow.

NOTED JOCKEY ARRESTED. AUCKLAND, Sept. 27. The jockey, W. S. Bagby. aged 20. was arrested to-day on a chaigc of manslaughter in connection with the death on Monday evening of Mrs Elizabeth Short, after being knocked down by a motor car.

Bagby was released on bail, which was fixed at £I,OOO, in his own recognisanee, and two sureties of £SOO each. Mrs Short was the wife of Mr M Short, formerly Under-Secretary of Public Works.

MOTOR SMASH. CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 27. Two motor ears collided at T'rebbioton. ten miles from Christchurch this evening. The occupants of one car— F. X. Robson, aged 53 (married); and John W. Hartnell 23 (single)—were injured. Hartnell received injuries to the head and to the left shoulder and suffered concussion. His condition is

reported to be fairly serious. Robson lias a fractured right- arm, head injuries, concussion and lie suffers severely from shock. His condition is very serious. Dobson was driving his own car with Hartnell as a passenger. How the accident happened, who drove the other car. or how the occupants fared, cannot bo ascertained. BIBLE TN SCHOOLS. AMELT/INGTON, Sept. 27. Tho Education Committee commenced sittings to-day to hear the e\ ideuce for and against the Religious Exercises in Schools Bill, introduced into the House by (Afr U. Holland (Christchurch North). A number of witnesses have signified their intention of giving evidence in regard to a number of petitions which have been presented to the House, and it is likely that the proceedings will take some days.

Air Hudson (Afot-ueka) presided. Other members of the Committee present were: Hon R. A. Wright, H. Holland (Christchurch North). T. Armstrong. I). .Tones, Abirsclen and Forsyth. The Chairman made it clear that the Bill was not before the Committee. and the proceedings did not necessarily affect the progress of the Bill through the House. It was open to tho Premier to bring down the Bill whenever he thought iit.

Evidence was given by Air Fowlds and Prof. Hunter. both advancing various grounds of opposition to tho Bill Air F. L. Combs. President of the Educational Institute), and Prof. Gould were also hard. The Committee adjourned till to-

rn or row. EX-SOLDIERS’ FARMS. AVELLTNGTON. Sept. 27. Hon. D. A. McLeod, has replied to remits of the Farmers’ Union, declining the proposal to have two Crown tenants on Laud Boards, instead of one, stating that efforts were being made to find tenants for soldiers vacated farms, that soldiers who had thrown up holdings had the same opportunities as other settlors to take up fresh allotments, and in some eases were being so re-established. Ihe Government could not assume liability for rates it was not legally responsible for. nor could all ballots be bold in October. All leases for more than 20 years gave lessees full protection for unexhausted value improvements at the end of that term.

Tho Alinistor intimated that the Department. had already taken action in I lie direction of granting remissions and postponements of rent and interest in addition to reducing capital values to such a figure as would onsuic a profitable occupation of a discharged soldier’s holding and that it was Imped nil discharged soldiers were now in a position to make a living from their farms, without recourse to public charity.