DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 May 1928, Page 4

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—r°r Press Association.) DRAINAGE BOARD’S DECISION. PALMERSTON X., May 23. Tlie Manawatu Drainage Board decided to make application to the local Government Loans Board for permission to borrow C 2.000 to provide work for unemployed and to carry out certain improvements.

CAR. THIEVES SENTENCED. PALMERSTON X.. May 23. Win. Gardiner Mooch and Colin Charles MeAsoy, both aged 20. were charged ■before Mr Sout. S.M., lor unlawfully converting to their use, a motor car. They pleaded guilty. The police stated the car was taken from tho Square and later recovered at Hawera.

Each were sentenced to three months hard labour. The Magistrate remarked this class of offence was on the increase and seven months urns the maximum punishment, and apparently it was unable to stop it.

.FARMERS AND POLITICS. HAMILTON, May 23. . The Waikato Farmers’ Union prophatioally rejected a remit opposing the entry of the Union into politics. DAIRY CONTROL SQUABBLE. WELLINGTON, May 23. Air W. Goodfcllow, objecting to MiW. Grounds’s review in the last “ Dairy Exporter,” and because Mr Grounds has refused to submit his future reviews to the Publication (oiumittee for approval, to-day resigned his position on the Dairy Produce Control Board.

FIRE AT OAM ARU. OAM ART I . .May 23. A six-roomed residence in Isis Street, owned and occupied by Allan McKenzie, was completely gutted by fire at 10. To this evening. The house was unoccupied at the time of the outbreak, the owner being absent from town. The Fire Brigade effected a good save of an adjoining dwelling, the flames having a strong hold before their arrival. The insurances arc not available.

NEW TARANAKI OIL COY. NEW PLYMOUTH, May 23.

Following upon mi encouraging flow of oil from tho “Blenheim” oil bore at New Plymouth during the last week or two. which, according to a statement issued by the Chairman of Directors, has averaged between fourteen and twenty barrels a day, the Blenheim Oil Well Reclamation Co. Ltd., with a capital of C6OOO in £ I shares, of which 5,118 shares arc subscribed, lias been listed on the Stock Exchange.

SUDDEN DEATH. DUNEDIN, May 23. .John Thomson, residing at Ravensbourne, died suddenly at bis work at McLead’s Soap Works this morning. Deceased, who was a married man, on years of age. had been receiving treatment for heart trouble for some time.

KAURI TIMBER COY. AUCKLAND, May 23. The Auckland office of the Kauri Timber Company has received the following cable message from tbc head office at Melbourne:—The directors regret to have to report that, ill consequence of continued depression in the trade precluding full time working at the mills, the profits for the six months ended February 29tli. barely covered expenses, and under these circumstances they do not feel warranted in paying interim dividends.

FARMERS’ TRADING COY. AUCKLAND, May 23. The annual report of the Farmers’ Trading Company, limited, states that the net profit for the year is £12.561. The directors recommended dividends of six per cent, on A. and B. preference shares and eight per cent, on ordinary shares.

AN INSURANCE POINT. NEW PLYMOUTH, May 23. Insurance agents from rival companies, some of them taking notes, were present in numbers in the Supreme Court to-day when Agnes O. B. Hicks, wife of Robt. Hicks, of Hawera, succeeded in her claim against, the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Co. for the return of a premium of £ll3 Gs 8d paid for a “probate” policy on her life. The agents Tor the Society, F. E. Degongh and H. J. Harnish, were submitted to a searching cross-examination, both b,v counsel and IT is Honour. The case for plaintiff was heard last week, and on the suggestion of Mr Justice Reed that Mrs Hicks had misunderstood the position, counsel was granted an adjournment to ascertain whether the company would agree to cancel the proposal. No solution on this basis was reached, however, and the hearing of the defence was proceeded with today. It had been suggested by Mrs Hicks that the agents had wrongly told her that the- amount payable on the policy would cover death and succession duties on the estate of her husband, who was 72 years of age, thus protecting her children’s interests. When the document arrived it contained no clauses to this effect.

The defence was a complete, denial of the allegations. After the evidence for the defence had been heard, Air Justice Reed expressed the opinion that the parties could not bo said to he bound by the policy until they had seen and agreed to the conditions on the policy. There was no contract till the plaintiff liad seen the policy, read it and decided she would accept the conditions. He suggested that the proposal and policy might ibe construed as ail offer and an acceptance respectively. The terms were not known to the person concerned until the policy was actually delivered.

MOTOR LICENSES. ONLY GOOD FOR A YEAR. INVERCARGILL, May 23. The Magistrate.( Mr G. Cruickshnnk, in his reserved decision today. upheld the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act where they are applied for the renewal of licenses, and he entered a conviction against- offending motorists. The defence, raised was that the license lasted indefinitely and did not require a renewal. The Magistrate said that up OH December, 192", the law was definite that all licenses expired on March 31 each year. To make a change over to M a y 31, the words about ending in March were repealed. The whole scheme of the Act and the Regulations in many places showed that an annual renewal was required. It rested with the defendant to show that by the amending Act the period of the license which he held had been extended until now. In support of this the defendant said that the words “shall remain in force till March next,” wove repealed. To say that a license which was lawfully issued for the year ending on March was now indefinitely extended because the words saying that all licenses shall end in March, were now struck out ot the Act. was, to the Magistrate s mind, an unsound proposition. To so extend such license, it required very definite words in the Statute.