DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 January 1928, Page 3

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association. CASHING OF CHEQUES. AfA GISTR ATE’S COAIM ENT. AUCKLAND. Jan. 12. The manner in which business firms accept cheques was severely criticised by Air F. K. Hunt, iC.AI., in the .Magistrate’s Court this morning, when two youths, Frederick Robert Fox. aged 1!>, and Arthur Henry Ern :rs Fox. aged 18. appeared before bill fir sentence on three charges of obtyii.iu: goods and money by means of valuoless chrqiics.

The Afagistrate said lie felt very much ' inclined not to make an order for restitution. The hoys had bought a mandolin and tendered a cheque for £ls in payment, and it had been accepted. When such a thing was possible it was putting temptation in the way of hoys. The indiscriminate easting of cheques encouraged thefts of this kind. Atr W. J. Campbell. Probation Officer. said that lie considered it a shocking thing that a boy could tender a cheque for £ls in payment for goods to the value of Us. Chief-Detective Hammond said that people did not want to turn away business.

The two accused were placed nu probation for two years, and ordered to make restitution, the amount being dose on £lO.

BfGAAIY ADAIITTED. HAMILTON, Jan. 12. Francis William Swcetninn pleaded guilty this morning in the Atagistrate’s Court to a charge of bigamy, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Tt is alleged that lie deserted his wife and three children at Waikato Heads and “married” a girl at Hastings.

DOMESTIC HELP. AUCKLAND. Jan. 12. A party of five Eurasian girls who reached Auckland to-day by the Sussex are in charge of Aliss J. E. Earl, and are to fake up domestic work in the Dominion. Parties of Eurasian girls have been coining to this country at intervals for the past three or four years and have given every satisfaction. Last year eleven came and the year before about, eleven. All told, about thirty-six have taken up their homes in New Zealand since the war. The work is a fine attempt to deal with a delicate question in our great Indian Empire, for all these girls are the daughters of either English. Irish, or Scottish fathers and Indian mothers, and in many cases would be neglected if they were not taken in hand and given a chance, in life. RAIL COM BINE. WELLINGTON. Jan. 12. An endeavour to obtain Continental quotations for a supply of rails and fishplates needed by the Wellington City Council in'August last has resulted in the discovery of an international rail coin hi ue—“Erma.” The European Rail Afanufacturers’ Association includes four countries, and possesses a central allotment committee which makes its afloeation oil the basis ol 1,000,000 tons of steel rails each year. These allotments are divided in the proportions of 12 per cent to (•real Britain. 22 per cent to Germany. 1!) per cent to France, and 17 per cent to the Customs Union of Belgium and Luxemburg. It is stated, also, that there is an understanding between the various countries which results in a refusal to quote against Great 'Britain where a supply to her Dominions is Mimomcd. lu any rase. I lie cablegrams io the Continent from New Zealand remain unanswered.

DAIRY PRODUCE. DECEAIBEIt GR A DINGS. WELLINGTON. .Tan. 12. During December the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture graded 11.997 tons of salted and 618 tons of unsalted butter, compared with 11,012 tons of salted and 017 tons of unsalted in December. 1920, an increase of 8.4 per cent. For the five months ended December 39,230 tons of salted and 2258 tons of unsalted butter were graded, compared with 34.557 and 1058 tons respectively in the corresponding period a year

Cheese graded in the month just ended totalled 8201 tons white and 4271 tons coloured, a decrease of 2.0 per cent, on December, 1920, when the quantities were 8551 and 4324 tons. The quantities lor the five months just, past wore 22,888 tons white, 12.221 tons coloured, against 22.010 and 11.223 tons respectively in 1926. Converting these figures into butterfat equivalent, there is an increase of 12.0 per cent in production for the five months compared with the 1926-2 1

season. Stocks held in the various grading ports at December 31st, were: Butter 7255 tons, cheese 9008 tons, compared with 10,747 tons of butter and 10.045 tons of cheese on December 31st, 1926.

daylight saving. effect on PICTURE attendances. DUNEDIN, Jan. 12. Now that the Summer Time Act has been in operation over two months some indication of the effect it has had upon picture and theatrical attendances was gleaned this morning by a “Star” reporter. One picture theatre manager stated that the attendances had been fairly maintained, though over a considerable portion of the time the weather had been unfavourable for outdoor amusements, thus allowing ol no proper comparison. Another theatrical manager’s comment was terse, hut to the point. “ It has been telt oy my business.” he stated, “ the theatre patronage having suffered considerably.” Another point he made was that many many people were to he found' wandering into the theatre when the entertainment was practically half

WALL COLLAPSES. CHRISTCHURCH. Jan. 13. Two men were fatally injured when a brick wall collapsed at the timber yards of C. E. Otley and Co. Their names are: AY. Clark. 103 George St.. New Brighton; C. Nixon (address so far unknown). The third man, A. Johansen, 91 Nursery Road, is in hospital with liis right leg liadly crushed and other injuries. The rescue work took some time. Clark was the last to he reached, after over two hours’ work by sixty men.