DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 August 1928, Page 4

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—P?r Press Association.) MENTAL DEFECTIVES BILL. AUCKLAND, Aug. 30. Strong criticism of the Mental Defectives Bill was voiced at to-day’s annual meeting of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute. It was unanimously decided that the Government he urged to postpone the Bill for a year. While admitting the need of provisions the mover declared they should be drastically revised, after a conference of representatives of the teaching profession, psychologists and social workers.

FACTORY OUTPUT. A HUGE DECREASE. WELLINGTON, Aug. 29. A curious position has arisen in connection with the manufacturing industries of the Dominion, for in the face of substantial increases in tho number of factories and employees and wages paid there has been a deel ine of £1,152,863 in the total value of products. An analysis of a table, published in-the annual report of the Department of Industries and Commerce reveals this fact. No comment is made in the report, and singularly enough the short paragraph which introduces tho table is most misleading, in that it asserts that the manufacturing industries of New Zealand continue to expand, and that the table indicates general growth.

The figures disclose increases in all items save materials used and the total products. Establishments leaped fijom 4791 to 5088; factory employees increased by 204, bringing the total up to 81,90-1; their wages jumped up by £170,812; there was an increase of horse power employed and the value added to goods by manufacture was £33,417,516, an increase of £952.080 on the previous year. The value of land, plant and buildings soared by £3,054,124, their total value now being £62,723,125. Taking all these considerable increases into account it is astonishing, that productivity should have faller fi‘(Om £84,792,434 to £83,639,571, a decrease of £1;152,803 and that the value of materials used should have dropped by £2,104.943.

LUCKY ESCAPE FROM ELECTROCUTION. PALMERSTON N. t Aug. 27. In the Magistrate’s Court this mornTalmertsnii North, aged 38 years pleaded guilty Ijo a charge of being in a state of intoxication while in charge of a motor-car.

Senior-Sergeant Whitehoiise informed Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., that at about 1.30 p.m. 'nn Saturday defendant borrowed a friend's ear, and in company with another person went to Longhurn. He lmd admitted to the police having had 13 drinks between the hours of 1.30 and 4.30, and on the return journey to Palmerston North he collided with an electric light pole in College Street, the damage of which affected the power supply at Longhurn. He had been verv frank about the platter and the senior-sergeant pointed'out that doubtless he would have to pay for the damage done both to the car and to the electric pole. Defendant and hi* companion had had a rather lucky escape, as the electric light wires were alirhst broken when the car hit the pole, and had they come down both would have been electrocuted.

The Magistrate pointed out that the offence was a serious one; drunken drivers were a menace to people on the road, and he would have to inflict a substantial fine. Defendant was fined £lO, costs amounting to 3s.

BOY’S TWO LEGS BROKEN. WELLINGTON, Aug. 30. Walter Drydcii, aged 12, was admitted to the Hospital shortly after 1 p.m. to-day with his two legs broken. He was sliding down one of the hills at Miramar when his sledge toppled over on him. CLERK Pi SKFT.I. FRACTURED. WELLINGTON, Aug. 30. •T. H. Ford, clerk, of 1! Mowbray ,Street., fell off his chair wlii'e at work and sustained a fracture of the base of the skull.

SALE OF BACKHOUSE. AUCKLAND. Aug. 30. The price for which the racehorse Perception, owned* in Auckland, lias been .sold in Sydney to a patron of J, Mnrsdon’s sable, was two thousand pounds and a contingency. BOY LOSES EYE. CHRISTCHURCH, Aug. 30. While playing on the .sandhills at South Brighton, John Glasson, a Iwv aged 13 years, was wounded in the eye by an arrow, shot from a how by a playmate. The unfortunate lad was attended to at the Christchurch Hospial, where it was found that the inquiry was serious enough to necessitate the removal of the eye. The arrow .-.•as pointed with an inch nail. COLLAPSE UNDER ANAESTHETIC. CREYTOWN,, Aug. 27. L. J. C. Herrick, aged 52, died under anaesthetic at the Greytown Hospital on Saturday. At the inquest it was stated that deceased had entered the institution to undergo an operation. to bo performed by Dr G. Anderson, of Wellington. On Saturday morning deceased was examined and declared to be in a fit state to undergo an operation. The anaesthetic was administered by Dr Webb, of Martinborough. in the presence of Dr Burney (superintendent) and Sister Peterson. Deceased collapsed under the anaesthetic prior to the operation. A verdict was returned that death occurred fijoin heart failure while un- J dor anaesthetic, no blame being attachable to anyone. i