DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 August 1928, Page 2

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

AIR AVILFORD RETURNS

HIS DAUGHTER’S STAGE SUCCESS.

WELLINGTON, August 2,

Mr T. At. Wilford, M.P., returned by the Maunganui to-night after a world tour. A serious illness occurred to Mr Wilford’s soil when in London. The son was convalescent after a serious major operation, when the motorcar in which he was riding collided with a motor-lorry, and the son had his head badly cut and his shoulder broken. Mrs Wilford remained in London to nurse the son.

“The best part of the trip,” declared Mr AVilford, “was to-night, as I have just received a cable from my daughter Isobel that she has been given a star part in lan Hay’s new play opening in London oil August 14th.

THEFT AND FORGERY

AUCKLAND, August 2,

Three young men, AA 7 alter Frank Goodall (29). W T illiam Henry Colcord (19), and his brother, John Charles Colcord (19), pleaded guilty at the Police Court this morning to breaking and entering a number of shops, seven in all, and stealing goods worth £35 8s 4d. They were further charged with breaking open a Post Office letter box at Henderson and further with unlawfully converting three motor-cars, valued at £215, £l5O, and £6O, to their own use.

Goodall alone was also charged with obtaining credit amounting to 10s by fraud, forgery of a cheque, false pretences, theft of a pair of shoes, and the unlawful conversion of two motorears.

Air C. 0. Mahoney, who appeared for Goodall, said accused had embarked on a “ short, sharp hurst ” with the Colcord brothers.

“Goodall got hold of an old cheque, nearly 100 years old,” said the ChiefDetective, “ and after forging the signature cashed it. The cheque bears the name ‘Wyalong, New South Wales.’ an is dated ‘ 1800 and something,’ so the storekeeper who cashed, it must have been stupid.” The accused pleaded guilty to all the charges and were committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. AN EDUCATION BOARD ELECTION. BIBLE IN SCHOOLS THE ISSUE, AVANGANUI, August 2. Keen interest was taken locally in the Wanganui Education Board election for the Town seat. Air AY. 11. Collins, chairman of the board, as a protest against the methods adopted by advocates of Bible in schools locally, left his own ward, which was an s assured seat, and contested the seat against the Rev. J. Patterson, the nominee of Bible in schools supporteis. He beat Air Patterson by 41 to 24. There were two informal votes.

NKAY ZEALAND BIRTHRATE. WELLINGTON, Aug. 3

According to the- annual report of the Director General of Health, presented to Parliament to-day. the lowest birth' rate yet recorded in New Zealand was that of the year ended 31st March last.

The actual birth rate was 20.29 per 1000 of the population. This was regarded as unsatisfactory. The Director said that it was a matter for grave concern, and he had no sympathy with the advocates of birthcontrol, who appeared to he overjoyed l, y tho fact that fewer children were being born in a country that is so favoured as New Zealand.

The report adds that the new-born infant was New Zealand’s best immigrant. The increase of deaths from puerperal septicaemia was a, somewhat disturbing table in the report, which shows that New Zealand stands fourteenth among the countries of the world in so far ns deaths from puerperal causes are concerned. The lowest in the world was Denmark, with 2.20 New Zealand’s rate was still relatively high. Infant deaths have been reduced to 1080 in the first year of life, and of these 510 occurred in the first week of life. The actual number of deaths of mothers in association with childbirth was 136.

LOANS AUTHORISED. WELLINGTON, Aug. 3. At a meeting of the Local Government Loans Board, thirty applications for loans, totalling £345,090, were dealt with, including four loans totalling £13,934, which had previously been referred back. Loans for £246,171 were sanctioned, the balance of £99,919 being either declined or referred back to the local authority concerned for further consideration. S.S. WAITOMO'S MISHAP. AUCKLAND, Aug. 3. The collier Kaitoke reached port tonight with the collier Waitomo in .tow. The Waitomo which was bound from Newcastle to Bluff with eight thousand tons of coal, broke her tailsliaft in a severe storm, when 400 miles away from Westport. She tossed helplessly in a raging sea for two and threequarter days, until the Kaitoke, which had been despatched from Westport, came to her assistance. TTie towline was then made fast, and a tow of 850 miles to Auckland was accomplished in nine days. The vessel will be docked at Auckland for repairs. WOMAN KILLED. WELLINGTON, Ai#g. 3. Miss May Eyres, a middle-aged woman, residing at 22 Queen St. Petone, was run over by a heavily laden motor lorry on. the Hutt Road to-night, and she died as a result of her injuries. Riding lier bicycle out of the Wellington Woollen Mills grounds, near Petone, she collided with the front wheel of the lorry which was coming slowly from Wellington. She was thrown on to the road and the hack wheel of the lorry passed over her. The vehicle was driven bv Francis Patrick Kelly who was employed by the Geange Kelly Carrier Company, Upper Hutt. Deceased was employed as a wool spinner. Life was extinct on the arrival of the ambulance. An inquest will be held. man injured. WELLINGTON, Aug. 3. A broken ankle, shock, bruises and cuts on the head and legs were suffered by J. O. Cowlishaw, of Wadestown, when he collided with a motor bus near Petone railway crossing last night. He had a miraculous escape from death. MOTOR CYCLIST’S DEATH. CHRISTCHURCH, Aug. 3. The body found on the Kaikoura road yesterday beside a damaged motor cycle has been definitely identified, as that of Herbert Smart, aged 37, a single farm labourer of Wliaranui, Marlborough. He had been spending a holiday with friends at Oxford, and was returning to his work. -At the inquest to-day the verdict was that death was caused through the motor cycle going over the bank, but there was no evidence to show liow the accident happened.