DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 April 1928, Page 4

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association. A GENEROUS DONOR. WELLINGTON, April 2. Mrs Macarthy Reid has given £IOOO towards the educating of Marist Priests who require financial assistance. The Marist Order have decided to send the following delegates to the General Chapter of the- Order to be held at Rome in July next. Father O’Reilly, Provincial, Father McCarthy, Supervisor of Home Missions, Father Hurley. Rector of St. Patrick s

College, Sydney, and Father Venning of the Maori Mission stall. DEATH OF OAMARU’S MAYOR. OAMARI', April 2. Obituary. —William Nicolson, (Mayor of Hampden) in his 83rd year. For long years he had been a con-

spicuous figure in public affairs, a member of the Wnitaki County Council, Otago Education Board, Waitaki High School Board. Hospital Board. ' Committee of the A. and P. Association ; in fact every local hotly. He was born in Shetland Islands and came to New Zealand since 1805 and took no farming and since 188*2 luid been so engaged at Hampden. PUBLISHING OFFENDERS NAMES. | AUCKLAND, April 2. Asked to suppress the name in cases at the Police Court in which drivers of motor cars were charged with driving while in a state of intoxication, Mr Cut ten S.M., reiuseu the applications, saying the reasons were not sufficient. Ihe Magistrate justified a different action ill the ease of a doctor similarly charged last week. Counsel for Kinder said his client, was not a drunkard nor a teetotaller. He field a good position and his mother was ill. Sullivan said Osborne was a respectable working man and citizen and had never been convicted <>i any offence. The Magistrate fined each uot'endant £5. Referring to criticism of his action

on Monday, the Magistrate skid the young man had made one slip and the publication of his name might have I led to the ruination of his whole career. He thought in that case suppression was justified. In the presenttwo cases he thought the chief consideration in the application was the feelings of the two defendants. He could not imagine, when the facts were published'showing such a mild ease, that it would lead to a motor eiigi- , neer losing his position. I

A WELLINGTON COMEDY. WELLINGTON. March 31. A household on one of the main sat.urban routes endured some hours of nervous anxiety last night. The small boy of the family reported at. seven o’clock that a man loitering <oi lilt l road had asked for a drink of water. The mother, keeping watch from a front window, saw dimly in the dark a figure leaning against a neigliliolie’s fence, and occasionally wanih’i-

ing aimlessly up and don n the roadwax'. striking matches, quietly whirl -. ling the latest popular tunes and now and again conversing with passers-by. Still more mv-terioiis. whenever a tram passed, Ihe loiterer strolled into the middle of i.]ie road and then as calmly walked hack again to lean over the I'enc. cr sit on the roadside. The mother’s nerves were by this time so much an edge that she dared not turn on the lights. Her husband came home at eleven o’clock and prepared for lied. At last, infected with hit, wife's ’ fears, he donned a dressing-gown over his pyjamas and roused iho next-door neighbour, a telephone subscriber. The number of the nearest police station was looked up, hut. after all. perhaps there was not sufficient provocation for the limb of the law to he called. They would lookfoolish if they brought a constable oil a wild goose chase, so father stiode out to face the lurking danger and inquire the loiterer’s business. He returned about a minute Intel, almost soeechless with laughter. The tramway loop points had been under repair that day, and were still defective. The stranger was the linesman with the lonely all night duty of watching them.

THEFT OF STORES. WELLINGTON, March 31

Tlie privileges of seamen with regard to the use of ship’s stores were defined bv Mr Pago in the Magistrate's Court to-day. when John Joseph McMahon,. a fireman in the Manuka, was charged with the tlielt of a tin of condensed milk, and' a tin of tea valued at os Gd, the property of the Union Steam Ship Company. A constable stated that he accosted accused and another fireman. John Patrick Kelly, on the waterfront last evening. McMahon was carrying the milk and tea, and said that they were surplus stores, which he was giving to Kelly, who was in the Port Hunter, and who could not get any milk or tea on the ship. Suh-Tnspeetor Lander said that it was laid down that ship’s stores, although not consumed, were still the property of the ship. “This constitutes theft,” said the Magistrate to defendant, who had pleaded not guilty. “The stores are issued for your consumption, and are not to be taken away. This is little different from a ease of pillaging and I propose to fine you £2 in default seven days’ imprisonment.” The sub-inspector asked for the withdrawal of the charge against Kelly of receiving the property, knowing it to have been stolen, as the Port Hunter had that morning sailed for England and Kelly had been placed on board. The application was granted. A LICENSE ABANDONED. WELLINGTON, March 31. The ultimate fate of the license of the Jollie’s Pass Hotel. Hanmer. which was burned down some time ago, lias been settled. Tlie license will disappear. The Government has compensated the lessee for the balance of his lease and improvements. The Lands and the State Forest Service were interested in the matter. and the decision appears to have come about through force ol circumstances rather than any question of reducing license's.

The Hon. O. J. Hawken, Commissioner of State Forests, states that there is no intention to apply for a renewal of the license, because the old site, two miles from Hanmer, is too far away for an hotel. More accommodation is needed in the district, but the Licensing Act will only permit of the removal of a license a distance not exceeding one mile, and there is no suitable site within that limit. ARBITRATION COURT. WELLINGTON, April 1. The retirement of Air M. Scott from the position of employers’ representative on the Arbitration Court was made the occasion yesterday morning of many eulogistic refeiences to his services, members of the Rar and others whose duties connect them with Arbitration proceedings assembling to bid him farewell. HIGHWAYS BOARD. WELLINGTON, April 2. jhp members of the Mein Highways.

Board will leave after Easter on a tour of inspection in the northern portion of the South Island. The itinerary will he as follows: Friday, April 13, leave Wellington for Christchurch ; Saturday, April 14, Christchurch to Hokitika ; -Monday, April l(i, Waiho to Greymouth; Tuesday, April 17, Greylnoutli to Westport; Wednesday, April 18. Westport to Karnmea and back; Thursday, April 19, Westport to Nelson; Friday. April 20, Nelson to lalcnka and hack; Saturday, April 21, Nelson to Blenheim; Monday, April 23. Blenheim to Waikari, via Culverden ; Tuesday, April 24, Waikari to Christchurch.

SEAPLANE BASE FOR AUCKLAND. CHRISTCHURCH, April 2. The preparatory work of laying out a new seaplane base at Hobsonville, near Auckland, is to be commenced after Easter, said Major Wilkes, Director of Aviation, to-day.

PETROL FIRE. AUCKLAND, April 2. The lire at Winstoiie’s Oil Store still continues, with its fury only slightly abated. All hope of putting it out by lire fighting lias been abandoned. It is considered there is little likelihood of the fire burning itself out for another 24 or 36 hours. Larco crowds visited the scene throughout the day and night. FIREMAN DIES. Following severe burns sustained through contact with the blazing petrol during the height- of the fire on Sunday. Ronald Beutli, engine driver, at the Central Fire Brigade Station, died in the Auckland Hospital to-night. With two other firemen he was endeavouring to bring a hose to hear on a wall on the building when they were enveloped liy debris and flaming oil. Beutli who joined the Brigade in October. 19*26. was single, aged 22 years. He had an excellent record and was very popular with his fellow brigadesmen. Another firenin, Robert Walker, who was admitted to the hospital suffering from painful burns to the face is reported to bo comfortable. The early estimates of the damage done bv the lire have not been modi- .. , ~' i ,i . .1 i.„:.... ......

fil'd, the value of the petrol being over £50,009. A good deal ol the petrol in the .store was subject to a petrol tax of four-pence a gallon, which had Icon paid. The importers concerned eon•ider the Government should allow a refund, or. alternatively, allow petrol for replacement of the stock to he landed duty free.

MUNICIPAL MARKET. CHRISTCHURCH. April 2. The Municipal Market, which ha? !won in operation in Christchurch in temporary quarters since Deeeml: IPih. shows a profit for the period of £SO, according to the return presented io the City Council to-night. This profit makes no provision for depreciation on the temporary buildings, but it allows for interest being paid on the section at the rate of £533 per annum, or about £5 I Js per cent, on the value. Fourteen stalls are let daily, the rent amounting to £4 15s.

! CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL •j CHRISTCHURCH. April 2. The City Council’s financial year, which clos"d on Saturday, was the first year in which the finances of the city have been controlled, and in an interview Councillor I). G. Sullivan, M.P.. chairman of the Finance Committee, expressed satisfaction with the results. Councillor Sullivan recalled that when the estimates were being prepared the council was faced with heavy comm' incuts. He proposed then that £SOOO should lie transferred to the district fund account out of a credit balance of approximately £7OOO in the Halswell Quarry account, and that £BOOO should he transferred from the Municipal ! Electricity Department's account. | “While it is not possible for me to , make an authoritative statement, I can i say quite definitely that there will he I no necessity to take the £BOOO from the j Municipal Elecrieity Department’s aei count,” said Councillor Sullivan. I “AVith regard to the quarries account. £SOOO was recently transferred to the ■ j district fund account. Of that £SOO. . ! it will be necessary to use at the most , ! from £IOOO to £ISOO so that the surplus o carry into the next year should j be from £3500 to £4000.”