DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 December 1927, Page 4

DOMINION NEWS.

(Ry Telegraph—Per Press Association.) (ELECTRICAL WORK. QUESTION OF RESPONSIBILITY. NAPIER, Dee. 14. A decision of interest to all local bodies concerned with electrical installations was delivered by Air A. M. Mowlem. S.M., at the Hastings Magistrate's Court to-day. The gist of it is that local bodies’ electrical engineers. provided they take reasonable care, are not responsible for consequences that may follow upon reconnecting in their wrung sequence power transmission wires. The Havelock North Town Boa'-d was defendant in a. suit in which Bernard Chambers sought to recover £’s(s, cost of replacing a refrigerating machine made to run in reverse by wrong connection of broken tramnission wires.

The evidence of the Hastings borough electrical engineer was most emphatic, insisting that it was almost entirely a matter of luck to get the right sequence and that ill the circumstances of the present case the odds were greatly against making a proper connection. He also said it was impossible to discover in what direction the electrical current would flow when it was set in motion in such circumstances.

The magistrate found that there was no negligence on the part of iho hoard and pointed out that plaintiff himself failed to take care and to . avoid known risks. He knew that die guarantee of the makers of refrigerating machinery did not cover running in reverse, yet failed to provide against an emergency which could have been provided against by a simple contrivance. Security for appeal was fixed at fifteen guineas. NEW OIL COMPANY. TO OPERATE TX NEW ZEALAND. WELLINGTON'. Dec. 14. The Atlantic I’ninn Oil Company has been registered in New Zealand to take over and expand the interests of the Cnion Oil Company ol California and the Atlantic Refining Company ol Philadelphia, whose combined resources are said to he £ifl.000,000. A site was acquired lasi week in Kaiwarra Valley for terminal and tanks .and work has commenced 011 the Auckland site at Freeman’s Ray. The company’s interests in New Zealand will he supervised by Mr E. G. Martin, director of the company.

.WATER MAIN BURSTS. ’NAPIER. Dec. 14. A violent explosion about / .45) tonight. startled everybody within a radius of thro-' hundred or four hundred yards of the Hastings Municipal Buildings. The noise had been caused by the bursting of a huge water main in Hastings Street, near the corner of Hcretaunga Street. Repairs at present arc* being carried out in that locality and the road had been opened up for the purpose. The pipe that hurst was a new cue and had been tested to 200 pounds pressure and found in good condition However it hurst, and with such violence that buildings in the vicinity were shaken and six panes < f glass were cracked in a shop on the opposite side of Hcretaunga Street.

FIRE 9 IN WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON. Dee. 14

Two small oiitlneaks of fire occurred in Wellington to-day. At 3.44 p.lll. an outbreak occurred on the premises ol ■T. Tlott. Ltd., advortisng agents, Jervois Quay. The supposed cause is a spark from an incinerator on the ground floor igniting some paper refuse. iThe office and contents were damaged. The second fire occurred at 8 p.m. in Broadway Buildings, Courtenay place. The lire originated in the premises of Horace Burton Rose, who rrenpied portion of the first floor. The contents, including a quantity of polish, were badly damaged and are not. insured. V bile endeavouring to save stock Rose was struck by falling glass, receiving several painlul cuts on the forehead and forearms. He was removed to the hospital. His condition is not serious.

MISHAP TO PICNIC PARTY. NAPIER, Dec. 14. One girl bad a- linger torn off. an other sustained a. fractured arm, a third injuries to ail arm, and a hoy suffered a fractured elbow, and they are now all in hospital, as a result df a Government motor bus grazing along the edge of a motor lorry in which a number of pupils and teachers of the Napier Technical School wore returning from a picnic this evening. The lorry was not off a narrow bridge when the bus. travelling in an opposite direction. attempted to pass, hut the bridge was too narrow and the latter bus scraped along the seat rail of the lorry with flic result already stated.

dairy produce board. WELLINGTON. Dec. I I. The principal business discussed hy the New Zealand Dairy Produce Control Board at its meeting to-day was the question of export shipping licen-

The chairman of the Board, Mr NY. Grounds, stated that the representations of the New Zealand Dairy Company and other exporters, contesting the validity of the export license conditions which had come before the Board at its meeting in November, has been fully considered. The Board’s legal advisers reported that they had carefully reviewed all the representations made, and they saw no reason to depart from their previously expressed opinion regarding the validity of the Board’s action. “In consequence of this,” said Mr Grounds, “the motion of Mr •). B. Hine, that Clauses (i arid 8 of the Export License Conditions bo rescinded, was negatived by the Board at to-day’s meeting. The clauses relate to the declaration required to bo made by exporters regarding f.o.b. prices fourteen days after shipment, and to the Board’s power to arrange for audits on be,naif of factories.”

NATIVE FLORA. WELLINGTON. Dec. 14. The Prime Minister has received the silver challenge cup given hy Mr G. Loder, president of the Arboriculture.! Society of Great Britain, for the encouragement of the native flora of the Dominion. A* committee comprising Dr A. H. Cockayne?, Director of the- Fields Division, Messrs ,T. A. Campbell, Director of the Horticultural Division; B. C. Aston, of the Institute of Horticulture; O. M . Wright, cf Auckland; A. Hunt, of the Forestry League, and R. F. Callaghan, of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (secretary), has been set up to determine what shall be the rules of the competition. li is intended that the competition shall be between the four chief centres, and the questions confronting the committee are how the judging shall bo done, arid how the expenses attaching to the competition shall be met.