DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 July 1928, Page 1

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association

AIOTOR DRIVER FINED,

AUCKLAND, July 1G

A line of ten -pounds for being intoxicated while in charge of it motor car was imposed on Charles Harold Davies, aged 36 years, in the Police Court. The circumstances were that on a stormy niglit the accused struck another car parked at the roadside. Counsel said the accused went to tho police station to report the accident, and was arrested by a constable who considered that, while not drunk, the accused was in a state of intoxication. The accused had suffered from a protracted illness, and, being in a state of physical debility, two whiskies he had before leaving home affected liim. TOMATO VENDOR FINED-. CHRISTCHURCH, July 10. ATr Lnwry, S.A!., gave bis reserved judgment' to-day in a, case in which Rob.ert Young was charged with offering tomatoes for sale at Invercargill packed in a manner contrary to the regulations. The alleged offence was that the top layers were good and of a fair size, with small fruit at- the bottom of the case. For the defence, it was contended that' the regulations were ultra vires, but the Alagistrr.te held that the regulations were clearly within tho scope of the Act. Tho (defendant was fined 20s and costs. ‘ l

Rl-SPTOTOIT.S FOIES. CHRISTCHURCH, July 16. The police arc ill vesti gating two suspicious ilres at New Brighton over the week-end. Both of the outbreak's, one in a three-roomed house, and one in a four-roomed house, were in unoccupied residences and incendiarism is strongly suspected. The four-roomed house has on three previous occasions been on fire, and the Brigade- lias been called to it. The house is not insured. The owner lives in Wanganui. There have been several fires in unoccupied houses in recent months in the New Brighton district.

A RATING QUESTION. FEILDING. July 10

The Commission comprising Messrs R. M. Watson, G. M. Strand, (Mayor of Hutt), and W. Nash (of Wellington), appointed to inquire into the question of the rating of rural lands in boroughs, opened to-day, Feilding being taken ns a typical, ease. Various local ratepayers owning farming areas appeared to give evidence. The Municipal Association was represented .by Mr Rogers (Mayor of Wanganui) its President, and Mr Treilwell (solicitor) . The principal statement made today was by Mr Thos. Brook, \aluerGeneral, who referred generally to boroughs containing rural lands. There was a great deal of ’dissatisfaction. lie said, in cases where farm lands had been excluded from boroughs. The ratepayers were not satisfied. as they were unrelieved from special rates struck for loans by the boroughs concerned. Mr Brook sakl that the present system was unjust, and the problem was to find a remedy. His opinion was that, where areas did not receive the benefits of those services for which loans were obtained, they should not be required to pay the special rates levied. Differentiation was necessary if justice was to be done. In some boroughs farmers who were not receiving the benefits of the essential services wore the biggest ratepayers. There should be a basis of classification. He recommended the assessors to classify all the properties according to their practical uses for rating purposes. The Commission resumes to-morrow.

FELL DOWN STAIRS. DUNEDIN, July 15. Louis M’Donald, single, aged twentyseven, was admitted to the hospital at eleVeh o’clock last night with a frac-

tured right leg, caused by falling down the stairs of the Princess Theatre.

RACE TRAGEDY. WELLINGTON, July 1,2. A tragedy associated itself with Fairy Herald in the Winter Oats at Trentliam on Saturday afternoon for P. Carmody, grocer, of Michelltown, who had two tickets on the horse dropped dead, as Fairy Herald reached the winning post. The deceased, as til© horse on which he had his money, shot out to the front, flung up liis arms and cried excitedly: “Fairy Herald ! ” He then suddenly collapsed, the excitement- evidently proving too much for his heart to stand.

RUGBY LEAGUE DISSENSION. CHRISTCHURCH, July 17. Following a discussion in committee at a meeting of the Canterbury RugbyLeague last evening, tlie selectors J. K. Worrall, W. J. Mitchell, and F. Sheahan were asked to resign. Subsequently, after several ballots, Worrall, H. W. Lawrence and H. Panhells were appointed.

THE GENEROUS DONOR. AUCKLAND, July 17. Gifford Sherman Reade, who has provided for the erection of the new naval school at Holbrook. Suffolk, by a gift to the nation of his ancestral estate, is 83 years of age, and at present is resident at Auckland. He came t

New Zealand thirteen years ago, primarily for deep-sea.fishing. Having no family, and finding the climate suited him, lib has lived in the Dominion ever since making Auckland his headquarters and travelling extensively-.in both Islands. He still enjoys deep-sea sport although badly shaken by a fall from a jetty two years ago. He spent 35 years of his life in India, where he amassed a large fortune. He had extensive tea estates in Assam and acquired interests in many other industries. notably- jute and coal. The estate of 850 acres, which Mr Reade has presented to the nation is on the southern boundary of Suffolk, in the vicinity- ofTliarwieli and Shotley, both of which have developed as training centres in recent years. When the Great War broke out, Mr Reade placed his estate and the manor house on it at the disposal of the Government and throughout the war unostentatiously made munificent gifts to the allied cause. Besides large sums of money he presented huge consignments of tea for distribution on the allied front. Mr Reade has made a straight-out gift of his estate to the Admiralty and further endowed it with a very large sum of money which has justified the Admiralty in proceeding with erection of the naval college. Mr Reade states the school will accommodate probably 1600 boys. He has made a further offer of £IOO,OOO to accumulate until the prin- ' cipal sum is large enough to provide

an income which will support the establishment, entirely.

SETTLERS PROTEST.

GISBORNE, July 17.

A representative meeting of settlers in Matawai district resolved to make a public protest against the adverse comments made regarding Tewera estate, recently- purchased by the Government, affirming Matawai District is well known for the quality of its flocks and Tewera as one of the best properties in that dsitrict.

COMPENSATION GRANTED. WELLINGTON, July 17. Herman William John Potter, a labourer, of Lower Ilutt, claimed compensation before the Arbitration Court from Hutt Talley Power Board, for injuries to his -scalp while in the employ of the Board. Plaintiff was awarded compensation of 22s per week for 141 weeks, from twelve months lienee. This, his Honour explained, was full compensation. That was 53 per cent, of plaintiff’s average weekly earnings from the date of accident to twelve months hence. -