DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 September 1927, Page 3

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) MATERNAL DEATH-RATE MUST BE REDUCED. PALMERSTON N., September 27. The Minister for Health (the Hon Mr Young) laid the foundation stone of a maternity hospital here yesterday. He commented on the need for more such institutions throughout the Dominion, stating that the Gevemment was encouraging Hospital Boards to establish maternity wards, especially in country districts.

Mr Young added: “As Minister for Health, I shall not be satisfied until tho maternal death-rate, in New Zealand is below three per 1000 births.” The Ministef- said that lie was pleased to note the great spirit of co-op-eration amongst the Boards to bring about that very desirable result. He congratulated the Palmerston North Board on having fixed a scale ol charges which would bring the home within the reach of the wage-earner. Many maternity wards in other hospitals were empty because people could not afford the fees charged.

TRAINER SUICIDES. AUCKLAND. Sept. 29. A well-known horse trainer, Charles Hodder, aged 44, residing with his wife at Greenlane, committed suicide by cutting his throat with n razor at Auckland Hospital this morning. He had been suffering from nervous depression. He served witlt the Ne\\ Zealand Expeditionary Forces, and was gassed while on active service. He was on the steamer Wiminera, when .she was blown up by a mine off Three Kings while on a voyage to Sydney, and he never seemed to be the same man afterwards. Several weeks ago he had a severe attack of influenza. GISBORNE FLOODS. GISBORNE, Sept. 27. Slips on the railway lino between Gisborne and Motnkara 'are being cleared to-day, the train connecting at each side of the obstruction. The rivers yesterday reached a high level, overflowing several small low-lying areas, but comparatively little damage was done.

U.S. INTENTIONS. WELLINGTON, Sept. 29. The following Navy Press Service news item was received on Tuesday by a wireless amateur: Washington D.C. United States Navy will not ask for an appropriation to carry on for an American entry on tho Schneider Cup race of next year, ns a result of the English victory to-day, said the Secretary of the Navy, Air Wilbur. It is pointed out that Britain did not enter for the race last year, but concentrated all their efforts during the past two years for this race to-day.

ASSAULT CHARGE. CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 29. Henry Herbert Pearce, for assaulting Clarence Raymond Hancock, whilst the latter was escorting a young lady along a street last evening, was fined £5, in default one month, to-day. The police evidence showed the accused was under the influence of liquor. He threatened to kiss the woman and sho took refuge in a gateway.

COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. AUCKLAND, Sept. 29. Alfred Louis Hasted, charged with negligently driving a motor ear on August 12th, thereby causing the death of George Andrew Benjamin Norton, was committed to the Supreme Court for trial, bail being allowed at LI 50.

BOATING CREW LEAVE. AUCKLAND, Sept. 29. The Waitemnta Boating Club’s senior fours to represent New Zealand at Melbourne Henley on October 22nd leave by the Mnlieno to-morrow:—Cox, A. Makay, E. -Manager, T. A. Johnston, L. E. Hooker, N. Doubleday, D. M. Smith.

FLOODS ABATING. WAIROA, Sept. 29. The rain ceased late yesterday and during the night the flood waters receded. A strong southerly is springing up and quickly drying up the flats. The damage is not so great as feared, although boats, punts, and launches were knocked about. two small jetties were carried away. Trees were uprooted and gardens were damaged and caused a general mess. There are sevoral slips on the roads. Wairoa-Gisborne main highway is blocked at Tuliara, but it is expected to he cleared to-day. Much loss of stock is feared. The river hank is strewn with huge quantities of firewood and fencing material, etc.

BIGAMY CHARGE. GISBORNE, Sept. 29. Roland Henry Whippey, who left his wife in England and went through a form of marriage with a young woman at Gisborne early this year, was before the Court on charges of bigamy and making a false return to the Registrar of Marriages. He pleaded guilty and was committed for sentence. Whippey, is at present serving a sentence for false pretences and theft. When he married in 1918 tho prisoner was a lieutenant in the Royal Indian Marines. Four years later he went on a survey of the West Coast of Africa, subsequently to Mesopotamia, Persia and Singapore, his wife being maintained by her parents and her husband’s parents. The accused, in a statement admitting his guilt, said lie was under the belief his wife had divorced him. The young Gisborne woman concerned stated the accused

had represented himself as a bachelor and never indicated ho had been married.

FALSE PRETENCES. BLENHEIM. Sept. 29. At the Magistrate’s Court, Thomas Rrosiinhan, alias Mason, and George Garner with a string of aliases, on several charges of obtaining money !>y false pretences by selling country settlers cloth which they said a Blenheim tailor would make up for £2 10s. This was untrue. Both men had erim.i’inl careers. In each of three charges accused w'ere sentenced to twelve months hard labour concurrent on their three charges, with six months hard labour cumulative.

DRUNKEN DRIVER. BLENHEIM, Sept. 29. “One of the worst cases of its kind to come before me,” was the remark of Mr (T. E. Maunsell, S.M-, at the Magistrate's Court, in dealing with a series of offences brought against a youthful taxi driver,’ named Stanley David Wells, who was charged with drunkenness while in charge of a motor car, breach of a prohibition order and the theft of a razor and strop valued at 15s. All the offences cccanlecj on hhe (Blenheim- Avondale , road on September sth. Accused pleaded guilty to drunkenness and failing to observe the terms of his prohibition order but. said he remembered nothing of the theft of the razor and strop as h© was under the influence of liquor. His Worship was treating this ns a plea of not guilty on the theft charge, when Senior-Sergeant Clarkson, who represented the police, produced a signed statement, in which accused admitted att the offences.

Accused was sentenced to ono month’s imprisonment for being drunk in charge of a car and his license was suspended and he was disqualified from applying for a license for four years. On the charge of theft he was ordered to he detained in a. Borstal Institute not exceeding two years, and on the charge ol breaking tho prohibition order he was convicted and discharged.

WATERED BUTTER. BLENHEIM. Sept. 29. The Waitohi Dairy Factory was charged with selling to Connolly and Co butter containing a greater portion of added water than permitted milder .the regulations was fined 1 W and costs 21s Gd. C'onnollv was charged with selling the butter to a department inspector and was ordered to pay costs 10s. The Magistrate remarked the offence was nob a. serious one, no attempt being made to evade, the regulations.

A BOGUE. AUCKLAND, Sept. 29. An Australian criminal. Edward Charles Townsend, aged 32, was before the police court on three charges of false pretences, involving £SO, and stealing of an attache ease and contents valued at £8 11s Gd. He pleaded guilty to ail charges. Tho police stated that accused had lived at first-class hotels with a newly-married bride, and paid his way with valueless cheques. He then went to Wellington and repeated the offence, being sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment on September 14th. He had deserted his wife at Rotorua. Townsend send he committed the offences to uphold his prestige. He was now sentenced to six months’ imprisonment on each of two charges, to he followed by two years’ reformative detention, the sentences to he accumulative, hut concurrent with the sentence accused is already serving.

DRUNKEN DRIVER. PALMERSTON N.. Sept. 29. Tho cancellation of the license for six months and £5 fine wore penalties imposed hv Justices at the Police Court this morning on William A\ ntson, a traveller, of Wellington, who last evening drove a motor ear through a hedge on the Square gardens, circled the hand rotunda and then drove out towards the post office. Defendant was charged with intoxication while in charge of a vehicle and having driven in a negligent manner. A witness gave evidence that the car missed him by a foot on the footpath, while a police sergeant stated defendant sobered up after the accident probably through taking -a. pick-me-up. A doctor giving evidence for defendant stated that when was seen at the police station two Lours Inter lie was in a fit condition to drive a car and able to look after himself. Cross-examined witness admitted that defendant could have been drunk two hours .previously. The Bench convicted defendant and imposed the penalties stateck^^^^^^^^