DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 June 1928, Page 4

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association,

COLONIAL INSTITUTE

JUBILEE CONORATULATJONS

WELLINGTON, June 25

On the occasion of the Royal Colonial Institute’s (British Empire Society) Diamond Jubilee, which will be celebrated in London to-morrow, the Prime Minister has dispatched the following message:—“New Zealand extends its hearty congratulations on the celebration of the Institute’s Jubjlee. We keenly appreciate the influence of tire Institute in promoting the close association of the peoples of the Empire, and most cordially wish it continued success in the future.”

MR J. HI SLOP RETIRES. PRESENTATION FROM PUBLIC SERVICE, WELLINGTON, June 25.Tlie old Cabinet room in Government Buildings was not large enough to accommodate the large gathering ol officers of all branches of the Department of Internal Affairs taking part in the presentation to-day to .Mr J. ILslop, C.V.O. 0.8. E., and Mrs Hislop. The popularity of the retiring bead of the Department was further attested by tlie presence of the Prime Minister (Air Coates)', the Loader of the Legislative Council (Sir Francis Bell), the Acting-Minister for Internal Affairs (Sir Alnui’ Poinare), and the Public Service Commissioner (Air P. Verscliaffelt). Mr G. P. Newton, who succeeds, Air Hislop, presided. The Prime Alinister, in presenting Mr Hislop on behalf of the staff with a six-valve wireless receiving set with equipment complete, and a gold wristlet watch to Airs Hislop, was warmly applauded. He spoke highly of Air Hislop’s services in his position as private secretary to one of liis (Mr Coates’s) predecessors in office, and as permanent head of the Department of Internal Affairs. Air Hislop had long ago risen from the position of a telegraph messenger in the Postal Department, and by applied ability, perseverance, and loyalty, had graduated to the administrative position of an important Department.

Sir Francis Bell and Sir Alaui Pomare added tributes before AllHislop feelingly replied.

ELECTOR AL OFFICER. AIR G. G. HODGKINS APPOINTED. WELLINGTON, June 25. With the retirement of Mr J. Hislop from the dual position of Under-Secre-tarv of the Department of Internal Affairs and Chief Electoral Officer, it has been decided to separate the offices. The appointment of AL- 0. P. Newton as Under-Secretnrv lias already been announced, and the Public Service Commissioner advises that Mr G. 0. Hodgkins, who for some years has held the position of Deputy-Chief Electoral Officer, will become the Chief Electoral Officer ns from Sunday next Mr Hodgkins lias held various posts in the Department since 11)02, and in 1910 the Government sent him to Tasmania to investigate there the working of proportional representation and the operation in the Commonwealth of the compulsory registration of electors. The New Zealand system of compulsory registration is the result of his recommendation, as is the system of postal voting to apply this year.

THE PUBLIC SERVICE. O TRIBUTE BY PRIME MINISTER. WELLINGTON, June 25. A high tribute to the calibre of the officers of the Public Service was paid by the Prime Minister during the course of his' remarks at a farewell gathering to-day in honour of Mr .T. Hislop, retiring head of the Department of Internal Affairs. “I have no doubt,” said Mr Coates, ‘‘that we have in New Zealand a very loyal Public Service. Since occupying office as a member of the Government. I have had very plain evidence of the sound work of the officers generally, of their loyalty to the public and the Government of the day, and of their desire to give of their best. (Applause.) We have men in the State service of proved mettle. Their work for the public, is their first concern,'and the loyalty they show in' the performance of it must be applauded. There are men in the service of great' calibre, who place their work above everything. They are the type who help in upholding the prestige of our Dominion.” (Applause.)

SOLICITOR’S APPLICATION. WELLINGTON, June 25. The Court 6f Appeal this afternoon heard the application of Richard Westley Bothamley, a Wellington solicitor, for admission as a barrister of the Supreme Court. The Wellington Law Society, not being satisfied that applicant had had during the past five years sufficient practice as a solicitor to entitle liim to admission had refused to give a complete certificate that the applicant was a proper person for admission.

The application, which was not opposed by 'the Law Society, was adjourned pending the filing of a'further affidavit by applicant!

TAXI WAR. AUCKLAND, June 25. A war is oiV Ibetwefcn some of the taxicab companies in Auckland. Citizens became aware of this fact towards the end of the lunch hour today when some fifty or sixty taxis formed a procession through the principal parts of the city. It would seem that the company which runs tho Black and White taxis notified a reduction in fares to Is 6d for the first half! mile, and Is for each subsequent mile. Previously their secondary charge was Gd' for each' third of a mile, Whereas now it is 6d for each half mile. Coming like a bolt from the' blue, so members of opposition firms' state, this decision caused the firms responsible for the Checker, tlie Blues and the White taxis to combine, not only for a demonstration through the city, but also for a reduction in their fares.

“The Black and Whites have introduced a !30 per cent reduction,” said one of them, “and we are replying with a 33 1-3 per cent reduction.” The war is on. Checkers, the Blues, and" the Whites have'reduced their charge to Is 6d as far as the first flagpole, thereafter Is per mile. It was from these lines that the cars came to-day for the. demonstration through the' t-ity.

DAIRY PRODUCE. AUCKLAND, June 25. An increase 'of' Id • a pound in the local prices of factory butter as from this morning is announced by the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company 'and the ‘Auckland butter factories local marketing association. The new retail prices are: First grade, Is 9d : second grade, Is 8d ; wholesale lid lets in each case. The' increase' is in sympathy with current London values. The last chah ge made '-was 'on "June ‘lB, when second grado ro&'frbm'ls 6d to Is 7d.

GAR STRUCK BY TRAIN. • " M AUCKLAND,‘ June 25

A miraculous escape' was experienced by two King’s College 1 1 pupils at the Miuigero railway crossing shortly before six o’clock on Saturday evening when a small two-seater motorear which they" edeupied* wns struck by the north-bound train; Although the car was overturned and thrown some distance, neither occupant received more tiiali a’ shaking. The two youths, aged seventeen and sixteen respectively," had played for King’s College in 'the. football match ‘against Auckland;' Grammar School iii the afternoon (won’' by King’s H-o). They are both boarders. and were returning to King’s College when’ the accident occurred. The school gates open on to the road only a few" yards from the railway line. The car was almost over the lino when the engine struck it; The back portion received the force of tlie impact, which hurled tile small car aside and overturned it. Neither youth was injured, and the car was at once placed upon its wheels. The, damage was not very, great and tlie motor-car was driven on to the school under its own power.

LABOUR LEADER. HASTINGS, June 26. Mr IT. E. Holland, ALP., Leader of the -Opposition, concluded his tour'Here to-niglit, when ho addressed a large audience at the Assembly Hall. Mr Holland devoted practically the whole of his speech to land questions. He criticised the Reform Party’s pol-

I-Ie stated that there were fortythree million five hundred thousand acres of rural land in the Dominion in eighty-six thousand holdings. Of the holders of tlie rural land, less than seven thousand persons held thirty million acres, thus leaving only thirteen million acres among the remaining seventy-eight thousand hold-

Refcrring to the large holdings, AL Holland said that the Government diminished only one of these last year. During the Reform regime, the registered mortgages had increased by two hundred and forty per cent; while the capital value of the areas involved had increased by only ninety-two per cent. 1

The large percentage of mortgage:that were under one thousand pounds sterling showed that the farmers were carrying the heavy end of the interest bill. The Official Year Book showed that since the present Government had come into power, the amounts borrowed at a low rate has been reduced, while the amounts borrowed at a high rate had been substantially increased. The interest on those mortgages was something for the farmer to- think about, as the total interest amounted to nineteen million sterling, fifty-five per cent of which was on rural lands, thus showing that the farmers paid about ten million sterling. Dealing with the evils of land transfers Air Holland stated that during Reform’s regime there had been 4SL--000 transfers, - which 'meant an average of three for every holder in tie Dominion. The costs to transfer these from one set of owners to another amounted nearly to twenty-six million sterling.

AL- Holland briefly dealt with the matter of a Stale Bank and with agricultural banking on the lines of his previous speeches. At the conclusion AL- Holland was accorded a vote of thanks. Air Holland also addressed the Afnoris at Omnhu this afternoon.

avoAiax CHARGED. WITH. ATTKAIRTIXC AtURDKR. 'WELLINGTON,' June 26. Early this afternoon. Detective Sergeants Holmes and Thompson arrested a middle-aged woman named Airs Alardon Kocrhiu onAa charge of attempting to murder her husband by poisoning him. Airs Koerbin will appear before the court to-morrow morning.