DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 March 1928, Page 4

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association. WHOLESALE THEFTS. Palmerston north, March'2o The Police Court- this morning resembled a jumble sale when .Leonard George Coley, labourer, 31.; Henry Coley, chcesemakcr, 27, were jointly charged with breaking and entering tile premises of Leslie Ernest Collier, furrier, of Palmerston North. and stealing therefrom fur coats valued at £233; also breaking and entering the store of William George Bcnning, at Ohuu, and stealing goods valued at £25; also breaking and entering the Ashurst railway station ami stealing £1 os (>d. Accused pleaded guilty and wore committed to the Supreme. Court for sentence. It was stated that accused removed a car from a parking ' place at Palmerston North, which was used in connection with the robberies. On a charge of breaking and entering the -premises of Arthur Thomas Sommar at Hamilton, Leonard George Colev pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months' concurrent to one month already being served. MOTOR-TRUCK OVERTURNS. ' AUCKLAND, March 1!). A party of holiday-makers bad a miraculous escape at Riba on the West ■ Coast yesterday afternoon, when tlie motor-truck in which they were riding got out of control, careered down a steep bill, and overturned. Only one passenger. Mrs Galbraith, of Grey 1 Lynn, was hurl, and it is not expected that her injuries will prove serious. ’ The bill on which tile vehicle was ' travelling has a gradient of one in ' four - in places, and it was at one of 1 the steepest, parts that it became out of control. Fortunately the driver kept his bead, and managed to steer past a huge rock at the side of I be roadway. The truck careered, onwards and overturned in soft ground, throwing the occupants into a swamp. A St. .John’s Ambulaiicc made the trip of 23 miles from Auckland and 1 conveyed Airs Galbraith to hospital. She is progressing satisfactorily, no bones having been broken. id IE NEXT ELECTIONS. AUCKLAND, March 111. To a deputation of women representing all portions of the Roskill electorate, Miss Ellen .Melville to-day gave an undertaking to stand in the Reform interests for the seat. M.r V. M. Rotter, the present member for Roskill. will stand for the new Eden electorate. EIRE ON LAUNCH. MAX NEARLY DROWNED. .MASTER lON, March 19. Lake Ferry, fifty miles from Masterton, was the scene of two sensations yesterday. First a launch caught fire, and later otic of the occupants had a narrow escape from drowning, being rescued just ill time. It appears that two brothers named Bush had purchased a big launch. They had put ashore Mrs Bush and two children, ami were later trawling in the lake. When Bill yards Iroin the shore the launch caught fire. The two occupants tried to put the tire out with water, but Vailed. There was thou no alternative but to save themselves, and t ho two brothels dived overboard. One brother, the weaker .swimmer, took a lilebuoy, and managed tu get ashore. I he other brother got into dillieullies. 'I wo boats, one a Hat-bottomed vessel, occupied by Olaf Torwiek, of Masterton. and the oilier :i motor-boat, containing Harold Raafe. ('. Parsons and C. W. Dagg, of Kkotalmna, went to the rescuel. When llit! motor-boat was about twenty yards from Bush, tie 1 latter was going down for tlie third time. The engine of the motor-boat then stalled, but Raafe, fully clothed and having on hobnailed hoots, dived overboard, and held Bush up till Torwiek readied them witli his boat. AY itli difficulty. Bush was hauled into the Hat-bottomed hunt, and taken to the beach, where after half an hour’s strenuous work, the man was brought round. The gallantry of Raafe was of a particularly conspicuous nature in view ol the fact that lie was fully clothed. HEALTH IN TONGA. GOOD MEDICAL SYSTEM. AUCKLAND, March lit. The health of the native population of Tonga lias never been better, according to Dr. C. .Ruben, who has been Assistant Medical Officer for Health at Nukualofa for the past three years. Dr. Ruben arrived at Auckland liv the Tofua on a holiday visit to the Dominion. The death rate lasi year. II per thousand of the population, was the lowest on tecord, stated Dr. RuTien. The rate of infant mortality was 40 per thousand. During the next two or three years, it was hoped to organise child welfare work in Tonga, something along the lines of that already adopted in New Zealand. Speaking of the medical system, Dr. Ruben said there was a very good hospital at Nukualofa with an Australian nurse in charge, two native probationers, and six porters and general assistants. There was a smaller bospital at Haapai, and three dispensing stations. Good work was being done in the prevention of hookworm and yaws. The problem of tuberculosis was being tackled, although there nos still a high percentage of new eases, the number last year being between 200 and 300. Fortunately the disease attacked natives in a light form, and they claimed they could completely cure a case in from two to three years with constant treatment. AN INQUEST. WELLINGTON, March 20. An impiest was hold to-day on Archibald .Tames Amundsen, aged 2G, railway porter, who received injuries from which he died, when his hut caught fire at Pukerau Bay in the early hours of Inst Friday morning. Evidence was given, by Thomas Garby, railway porter, that he knew the deceased .used candles and smoked in Ikxl. The Coroner (AD Salmon) said there was no direct evidence how the hut caught fire, but he could assume it was accidental, and would give a verdict accordingly. HABEAS CORPUS AVRIT. AUCKLAND, March 20. At the Supreme Court this afternoon, Air Justice Blair issued a writ of habeas corpus in favour of three Chinamen, who alleged illegal detention oh the s.s. Yoserie, berthed at Auckland, was the subject of the application for such. The writ alleged that the three Chinamen were illegally detained on the ship, and that they had gone aboard at Shanghai, having in part paid for a passage to America. They had not signed any articles, but one had been put to work as a fireman, and the others as deck-hands, and they had not been taken to America. They desired therefore to he immediately released and allowed to land at Auckland with a view to returning to China. His Honour said that if the three Chinese had signed on, it seemed they would have been bound to the articles bv the mere fact that they were per-

suaded to accept employment. The evidence was confined to that of the. Captain, who said they were signed on, and the Chief Officer would be able to identny the crew as he was handling them, and would have some idea as to whether the three Chinese were substituted. If the Captain or First Officer had been able to say that- there had been any changes in the crew, coupled with the fact that the crew had been on the vessel, his Honour would have been justified in disregarding the evidence of the Chinese.' The men were going to a lot of trouble to avoid being members of the. crew. I here "as a possibility that there was truth in the story told by the Chinese, that they were induced by some nefarious means to join the vessel. The Captain and officers bad dealt with the matter in a fair and judicial way. No order was made lor costs against the Alaster. as he had rightfully defended the ease for the shin. OCTOGENA RIAN’S SU LCIDE-. CHRISTCHURCH. Alarcli 20. .John Ashby, aged 85, was found dead at bis home in Addington at II o'clock this morning. His daughter loft home at 10 o’clock and when she returned, found the old man with a coat over his head in a. room filled with gas, and a- gas pipe in his mouth. The old man had been in bad health for sonic time. He left a note, saying he could not go on with it. At. an inquest to-night, a verdict of suicide was returned.