DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 October 1927, Page 1

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association. lady brunton in hospital. AUCKLAND, Oct. 10. When tho Aorangi tied up at Prince’s Wharf this morning, Lady Brunton, wife of Sir Wiliam Brunton, ono-time Lord Mayor of Melbourne, was rushed to the Mater Misericordiao Hospital, in a bad state of health. It is not yet known whether an operation will be necessary. Sir William and Lady Brunton have been on a holiday. They came from Vancouver by the Aorangi and they proposed to spend a holiday in Xew Zealand.

PROBABLE CAUSE OF A TASS A CRE. WELLINGTON, Oct. 10. A private letter received in Welling, ton lately from Miilnitu (Solomon Is. lands) prior to the massacre of All Bell and several natives deals as follows with reference to what- was probably the direct cause of the massacre: "The men Ivegin paying the Government tax. os per annum to-morrow, •lime oth. 1927. About .1.500 pay on this island, so Air Bell’s temper will not. he up to much in I lie end. It's a lot for one man to do alone, though he had ;l cadet with him to help with t lie correspondence. “All in this district (North Alula) go down to his headquarters and he goes about in his schooner collecting from further afield districts. It is an iniquitous affair—Mr Bell says so helping to pay for the Solomon Islands Government steamer, which is in Fiji nine months of tho year.”

TFfR CLARK .MILLIONS. NO HOPE FOR CLAIMANTS. AUCKLAND, Oct. 10. Any Now Zealand claimants for the £110,000,000 of the late Senator AVilliam Andrews Clark might just as well give up hope. They have not a possible chance of obtaining them, according to Mr C. Rowland Clark, jof Newcastle, New South Wales, who was sent to the United States by a syndicate to investigate the claims of tho Australian claimants. Mr Clark arrived in Auckland to-day by the Aorangi. The late Senator Clark left a will, “a remarkably good will, too,” says Air Clark, “and his two sons are among the principal beneficiaries, so

there is nothing for anyone else.” Alore “bosh” had been written about the late Senator’s millions, than anything lie bad read for some time. Sir Hugh Denison, Australian Commissioner in the United States, assisted Air Clark in satisfactorily clearing up the matter.

X.Z.’S FIRE LOSSES. INSURANCE AIAX T ACER’S VIEWS. AUCKLAND, Oct. 10. “Losses by lire in New Zealand have grown until to-day we are faced with an appalling annual national loss.'? This was the statement made to-da.t to Auckland Rotarians by Air IT. AT. Didsbury, manager of the New Zealand Insurance Company. Mr Didsbury proceeded to ask bow much of this loss was really accidental and how much was due to negligence and rank carelessness?

“It. must be obvious to everyone,’ bo continued, “that most of our fire waste is preventable, because during the latter war years and up to 1921, ulien values were constantly rising, the tire waste was comparatively low. •Since 1921, when times commenced to be bard, when failures and disapjiointments crowded in, the lire waste grew. I have no doubt whatever that much of tile loss can be prevented, but it. wants the co-operation of the whole public to do it.”

McCarthy trust. AUCKLAND. Oct. 11. On the ground that a proportion ol the profits of the McCarthy Trust is made from breweries and licensed houses, the Auckland Presbytery tonight decided to ask the. Presbyterian Assembly not to apply for any further grants from the Trust. There was also a proposal that the grants already made should bo refunded. The motion to refund the grants received up to the present was. however, defeated. TIN HARES. AUCKLAND. Oct. 11. Tho Auckland Presbytery to-night passed a resolution’ opposing the introduction of tin hare racing into New Zealand. PRIME MINISTER'S STATEMENT. WELLINGTON. Oct. 11. Mr Coates ridicules the suggestion that H.M.S. Dunedin’s recall from Akaroa to her base has anything more than a re-arrangement necessary as a result of the Admiralty’s movement of another ship.

N.Z. COUNCIL’S DECISION. WELLINGTON, Oct. 11. The New Zealand Cricket Council has notified the local Association that it intends to adhere to the decision to play Rowley, Badcock, Newman and Eastman against New Zealand, on the ground that it was their duty to provide the best entertainment possible for the public and ensure a good gate. ROSE IN WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, Oet. 11. Rose, tlie well-known athlete, has taken up his residence in Wellington, but owing to an injured ankle he is doing iio training at present. He hopes to get quite fit by the time the big championship meetings come round in December, when he will ttieet Hyde, the Victorian distance runner. CHINESE FACTIONS. WELLINGTON. Oct. 11. There was a Chinese sports meeting at Athletic Park yesterday, it was marred by a disagreement over the question of the flag to be flown. The meeting was to commemorate the foundation of tho Chinese Republic and though the preparations had proceeded amicably for some tiihe, a

few supporters of the Nationalist faction in the present- upheaval in China developed a strong feeling against the Republican flag. The Consul communicated with Peking and was instructed that the Revolutionary flag of the Nationalists must not be permitted. Finally, on Sunday ilight. the Sports Committee dissolved. The Republicans then carried out the meeting on Athletic Park, the Nationalist, or KiibnSiiitang Party, holding another meeting at Hutt Park.

HOLIDAY .TAUNT CUT SHORT. CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 11. AVhen setting out for a holiday on stolen money, with a young woman companion, David Percival Langford, aged 24, was arrested at Lyttelton, as lie was hoarding the ferry steamer to-day. He pleaded guilty in the Police Court to the theft of thirtyeight pounds, the property of Alfred Bruce. The accused was engaged as barman-porter in a hotel. Bruce handed him two twenty-pound notes with instructions to he given to the landlady. This was not done. The accused was able to account for only £2O. the rest of the money having been spent, ten pounds of it going on taxi hire. He was remanded till Thursday for sentence.

N.Z. FOREST PLANTS. WELLINGTON, Oct. 11. Nine thousand onc-vear-okl seedlings have been brought from the New Zealand State Forest Service by the Ballarat Water Commision in Victoria, which conducts extensive pine plantations at the water reserves in Australia, for planting out in the nursery at ibo Moorabool Reservoir,

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS. STB. ROBERT STOUT. WELLINGTON, Oct. 11. 'The Bihle-in-Sehools Bill has an opponent in Sir Roliert Stout, who gave evidence boore the Committee that he had always been of the opinion that tho State should not have anything to do with religion. State interference always ended in trouble and injustice. Ho was opjKised to a plebiscite, which meant the fixing up of religion by a majority. He denied tlie right of tlie majority to fix religion for tlie minority. It was not a question of majority, but of rights. Tie saw no objection to school buildings being used outside school hours for religious purposes.

bbitish engineer procured CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 12. Sir Alexander Gibb, a well-known British Engineer has been engaged by the AVaimakariri River Trust to report on schemes to prevent the river’s encroachments.

CHURCH FUNDS. CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 12. “There is much discussion as to the methods of raising church funds, and I think there is a legitimate sc po for difference of opinion” said Bislicv Watson, in his address to the Christchurch Diocesan Synod yesterday. “T cannot agree with my friends who rule out entertainments and bazaars etc. altogether, (applause); but if once they become the mainstay, instead of the auxiliary, then they become a hindrance and not a help. “I have been seriously disturbed by reports which have reached me during the year of other methods, which I must think not only inadvisable, but almost demoralising. The whole idea of church finance needs to lie lifted lo a higher level.”

PROTESTANT MISSIONS. WELLINGTON, Oct. 11. According to the International Missionary Council, which is to hold its meetings in Jerusalem in April, 1928, tlie total annual budget of all the Protestant Missionary Societies of tho world averages £11,154,938. Included in this huge total are the following: The United States and Canada, which act as a unit in foreign missionary work, contribute on an average of £7,084,419. Next- comes Great Britain, with £2,385,418. Other countries supporting such won; contribute as follows; Australia, £240,130; Denmark, £122,081; Finland (three societies), £23,739 ; Franco, £12,985; Germany, £148,444; Netherlands, £92,250; Norway, £170,634; Sweden, £215,145; Switzerland, £59,076. New Zealand’s contribution for the last four years has averaged £92.018 per annum.

HEADMASTER'S OPINION. PATiMERSTON N.. Oct. 11. “ That large school classes were the principal cause of retardation,” was the opinion expressed by Mr IV. A. Swinhonrn, headmaster of the College Street School, in an address to Committeemen to-night. -<fte urged that a national protest should he made by the authorities, and the Committee decided to do all in its power to get tlie si.te of classes reduced to 35 as a maximum. ALL BLACKS MANAGER. CHRISTCHURCH, Oct, 12. Canterbury Rugby} .Union resolved yesterday to recommend that an opportunity for selection of manager of the All Black team to four South .Africa should he given to all Rugby officials and should not be confined within the ranks of the Management Committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union. SCR ATCHTNGS. DUNEDIN, Oct. 12. Assurance and Master Clarence are scratched for all engagements at tomorrow’s races. D.I.C. DIVIDEND. DUNEDIN, Oct. 12. The Directors of the Drapery 'General Importing Coy., recommend dividend of 6 per cent on preference shares and 10 per cent on ordinal-;,.