DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 January 1928, Page 4

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Pross Association.) BODY IDENTIFIED WELLINGTON, Dec. 31. The hotly of the man drowned at Pe:one early yesterday morning lias been identified as Jack Hoft, of Fenthenston. He called on Thursday afternoon at the residence of a relative at Petone, where lie had a meal, hut as no arrangements were made as to his returning, no anxiety was felt. It was not till a relatve read a description of the laxly found, that he realised who had hecn drowned. The mother of deceased identified the body this morning. An inquest is to he held. CHILD DROWNED. NELSON Dec, 31. Charles Brooks, the 4J son of Charles Brooks, of Blenheim, was accidentally drowned at Tasman yesterday. AN INTERESTING FILM.

VALUABLE HELP GIVEN BY NATIVES. WELLINGTON. Dec. 30. The goodfellowship and natural sense of humour of the Maori was well exemplified during the recent screening of old time life and customs at Rotorua by the Government Publicity Office cameramen. No work proved too arduous for the natives, who performed all maimer of “ stunts ” with the utmost goodwill. AYlien some of the ancient craftsmanship had to he carefully staged much care was necessary, and the performers themselves attended to all the elaborate details, frequently travelling considerable distances in order to secure the right settings. They wore quick to seize the humour of every situation, as instanced in tin case of Guide Susan, who. when being urged to approach to the very brink of the AA'nikito geyser, convulsed the party by solemnly inquiring whether she was wanted to commit " susanside.” In one of the settings, on the approach of a war party being announced, the women and children had to make a hurried dive for shelter. One woman found the entrance to a whare not sufficiently commodious, and willing helpers rushed to her assistance, while the whare itself rocked like a miniature ea rthq ua ke. Paul.” who possesses a ready wit. was one of the star performers, and His furious charge straight at one of the cameras was a sight to he remembered. and one which later will he reproduced on the screen. | To watch the actual scenes of the film unfold as they were staged amid the old-time settings anil in brilliant sunshine was, in the opinion of the official party, to live the past over again, 'flic warm brown skins of the performers, set off by the bright colours of their mats and pin pios, the animated laces of the children, and the richly carved lacings of the ancient dwellings provided the basis for a picture full of the liveliest interest. FIRST TO AVELCOMK NEAV YEAR. WELLINGTON. Dee. 31.

An interesting feature of the l sum-mer-time is that New Zealand begins the New Year ahead of any other

people in the globe. She gets a good start. Hitherto Fiji Islands have been the first fully inhabited spot to welcome Ihe New Year, hut due to Mr Sidoy. New Zealand will he half-an-liour ahead of Fiji on this occasion, instead of half-an-hour late. RACING ACCIDENT. AUCKLAND, Her. 31. While galloping on No. 1 track tills morning Master Boon's gear slippt.l and he lost his rider. The saddle went underneath and the horse ; >iemen:ed to hue!; ai d then bolted several rounds on the sai' l. Speclalnrs endeavoured to stop him and Master Dunn collided with the rails, sulleriiig injury that u ill prevent him racing again for a long time.

TO Id OK THE MOTOR. AFCKI. VXD. Dec. 30. M )inr vehicle accident.-, in Auckland during act minted for twenty-one deaths, a decrease of nearly .10 per cant. 011 the toll taken last year. In the rv an inci ease might have been expected ,-iiu a the mean number of vehicles in regular use in the city and suburbs was about 12099 above the aggregate for 1929. It is difficult to find a reason for the improvement. There lon been no suggestion of n national iotniovement in the standard of driving, and it is too soon to say whether the attempts to regulate the pedestrian !’• ! •■■ruo fruit. However, there is the fact that accidents in which no death was involved have actually increased during 1927. The bald fa.it that there acre 22 deaths in 1929, *ll in 1929. and only 21 in 1927 remains without convincing explanation. Although traffic is considerably lighter at night, ten of the deaths resulted after dusk, so that it could hardly be said that the hazards were evenly divided. Of the twenty-one victims, thirteen were pedestrians. A sad feature of the deaths involving pedestrians wifs that three children were killed while playing in the street. This directs attention to the suggestion that instruction in street dangers should he given in schools. In addition to the twenty-one motor fatalities there were six other traffic deaths in Auckland during the year. Two of the victims were tram conductors who fell from platforms. Two women and a man were killed at railway crossings, and one man was fatally injured hy a truck on a railway siding.

£!750.090 DEAL. AUCKLAND. Dec. 30. Important l’acific trailing intersts change hands with the sale to an English syndicate of the bid established business of I. K. Nelson Ltd. of .Samoa. Hard on the heels of recent political developments, the transaction suggests a sensational sequel to the an* liouneement of Mr 0. F. Nelson’s deportation from Samoa, but the fact is that negotiations for sale bad been in Progress for the past year or two. It is believed that the price paid for the business was floO.OOt). and that Lever Urns, the millionaire English soap manufacturers are interested in the purchase. The Nelson business lias a paid-up capital of CloO.OflO. which is all in the family, it was founded toward the end of last century by Mr O. F. Nelson’s father, a Swede, who married a Samoan. The concern prospered and its intersts covered all commodities handled in the islands. Trading stations were established on an extensive scale throughout the group, and at these depots, copra and cocoa were purchased from planters. Retwcen-islands shipping services have lreen maintained by the company, which owns its own plantations and wharves, and bad several small craft built in Auckland. Nelson’s Ltd. has offices in Auckland. Sydney and San Francisco, and London agents. Mr 0. F. Nelson is reputed to be a very wealthy man.

NINE MO A SKELETONS. INVERCARGILL, Dec. 30. The discoverv is reported of the skeletons of nine moas. At Limehills, near Wirton, a party of three descended into a cave and enme across the hones sor»«" thirty feet below tha-SHfc-

face. They also discovered the hones of small birds which are considered to be those of wekas. The find is a valuable one for museum purposes and is unmistakeahle evidence of the previous exist on co of the moa in largo numbers in Southland. • A RECORD TRIP. RI'AHINE’S PERFORMANCE. WELLINGTON, Dec. 30. A record run from Britain to AAcllington was made by the B unhino, which arrived here this morning. She left Southampton on November 25th. and the long voyajn? to AYellington was completd in 33 days 21 hours, or, allowing for summer time 33 days 20 hours. This time includes stops at Panama Canal and Pitcairn Island, and establishes a new record time for the trip. Fine weather was experienced thoughout. i COURT NEAA'S.

m tan .n . itec. ,51. Mary Jane Clark, charged with committing an unlawful act. and thereby causing the death of a young woman and also with having used an instrument on a female lor an unlawful purpose, was remanded to Gama i n. Edward John Maekay for theft of a violin was sentenced to six months imprisonment. The Chief Detective said the accused was a ship's steward, lie came to the Dominion in September in 1920 and spent all his time in New Zealand in gaol. CHRISTCHURCH. Dee. 3. A collision between tramcar and motor bus at the intersection of Stanmore Road and Hereford Street yesterday morning resulted in two ol the lilts passengers being injured. They were D. P. Walker, of Invercargill, and his wile. Both received cuts and suffered shock. They were hospitnlled, lint their condition is not serious. WEL 1.1 NGTON W HATH EH . WELLINGTON, Jan. 3. New Year’s Fve passed quietly in Wellington and beyond the usual blowing of whistles by steamers, sounding of motor horns and cheers by a crowd assent hied in the Post Office square, there was little demonstration when 1928 was ushered in. The first of January was one of the most perfect days for many years, but yesterday turned out windy and unpleasant, though in no way interfering with the designs of large holiday crowds. OBITUARY. WELLINGTON, Jan. 3. Obituary—M. J. Brookes, manager of the Bristol Piano Coy., well known in musical circles, aged 03 years.