DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 August 1928, Page 3

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) TARANAKI IRON. NEW PLYMOUTH, August 16. A new scheme to smelt Taranaki ironsand is developing in England. Sir Edward Zolirah, of London, lias written to the New Plymouth Harbour Board, inquiring as to the availability of the sands, the terms of lease, the labour conditions, and a site for works, etc. He stated that it was proposed to float a company with considerable capital, which had been arranged for. me previous difficulty with the ironsand. he said, had been the presence of titanium, but this difficulty had been entirely removed. It was proposed to use densified peat charcoal fuel, produced from peat bogs, which, it was understood, existed extensively in the north of New Zealand. Special furnaces had been devised. The Harbour Board lias agreed to facilitate the negotiations. ft was stated the leases would have to he .submitted to auction, but it was unlikely that there would lie competition. URBAN VITAL STATISTICS. WELLINGTON, Aug. 16. The Gazette notice to-night shows the total live births in July registered for the urban areas amounted to 1073, as against 9SO in June, an increase of 93. The deaths in July were (371. nil i urease of 139 as compared with the previous month. Of the total deaths, males contributed 347 and females 324. Eighty of the- deaths were children under five years of age,' being 11.92 per cent of the whole mini her. Sixty-one of these were under one year of age.

YOUNG MAN SUICIDES. BLENHEIM, Aug. IT. Louis Gordon Sowman. aged 22. residing with his parents in Arthur Street, Blenheim, rose at six this morning and committed suicide, shooting himself with a shotgun, in his bedroom, which also was occupied by his young brother. The deceased had been in ill health for some months and was the victim of the prevailing influenza epidemic. He was suffering from depression. BOXING CONTRACT. DUNEDIN. Aug. 17. The Secretary of the Otago Boxing. Association has received a communication from the Sydney Stadiums offering Johnny Leckie a contract for three fights. He will probably accept. RETURNING TO PORT. AUCKLAND. Aug. 17. The Japanese steamer Waipari Mnru, which left port on Tuesday morning for Newcastle to load coal for Manila is returning to port, and should be in the harbour at 2 p.m. The cause of her return is unknown. INQUEST VERDICT. CHRISTCHURCH. August 17. A verdict that the deceased committed suicide by hanging, while in a state of unsound mind, was return»il at an inquest this morning on the deatli of A. F. Drayton, aged 60, a well known city business man. A doctor gave evidence that Drayton had been suffering from the after-effects of influenza, and had been melancholy, though his business affairs were all sound. ASSAULT ON WIFE. PALMERSTON N., Aug. 17. William Edward Astin, 40, an agent, on Wednesday was bound over to keep the peace for assaulting his wife. He appeared at Court this morning on a similar charge, the police stating accused had got drunk on Wednesday. He went homo at 5.30 and gave Tils wife a stinging smack on the face. Saying it was necessary to teiieh the accused a severe lesson, the .Magistrate sent him. to gaol lor one month. MOTOR UNION CONFERENCE. CARTERTON, Aug. 17.

The annual meeting of the North Ishyid Alotor Union opened at Carterton to-day, delegates being present from Auckland, Wanganui, AVellington, Napier, and Wellington Automobile Club, Taranaki and South Taranaki. Delegates were .welcomed by the Deputy Alayor (Air J. Hughan) after which business commenced. A. .J. Toogood (President) in his address covered the ground of recent regulations, deploring the fact that the Government had not acceded to motorists request that it lie compulsory for all vehicles to carry a red rear light, pie regretted the petrol tax was fixed at foilrpcnee instead of twopence as suggested. The Union considered the new motor regulations should override all p rev ions bye-laws specially regarding speed. He thought local bodies pursued motorists with umiccessai \ vigilance, so many trivial actions being taken against them. Pic thought fines so collected should not go to local bodies, hut less expenses, to the Alain Highways Board for expenditure on road.