DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 September 1928, Page 3

DOMINION NEWS.

VALUABLE ANIMALS DESTROYED. (l)y Telegraph—Per Press Association. WHANGARKI, Sept. 13. , As the result of reports that a mystcrous disease has broken out among dairy cows in the north, and in consequence of questions asked in the House, Mr J Lyons, Director of tho Live Stock Division of tho Department of Agriculture, and Mr W. T. Collins, District 'Superintendent at Auckland, arc paying an official visit to the. district.

They are thoroughly investigating every case in which cows have been destroyed and emphatically declared that there is no mystery about tho disease, which is only milk fever. They state that tho cows would have recovered if the usual treatment for milk lover had been used and persisted in.

■lt is understood that several valuable,cows wore shot when they became delirious which is only a passing phase in milk fever.

VITAL STATISTICS. WELLINGTON, Sept. 13. Tbo Gazette to-night publishes the following vital statistics The total live births registered for urban areas amounted to 1078 as against 1073 in July, an increase of 5. Deaths in August iYere 702, an increase of 31 as conipared with the previous month. Of tbo total deaths, males contributed 358 and females 344. Sixty-five of the .deaths were of children under five years of ago, being 9.26 per cent of the whole number. Fifty-two of these were under one year of age. CHEAPER PETROL. AUCKLAND, September 13. Tlie committee appointed by the Auckland Automobile Association to evolve a scheme whereby cheaper petrol .may bo obtained by members reported at last night’s meeting that tentative arrangements bad been made with an oil importing company, and advice was being awaited about shipment before any announcement would be .made. For some time past the Canterbury and Wanganui Automobile Associations bad supplied petrol to members at about 2d per gallon below the rates ruling at retail service stations.

FREIGHT WAR, AUCKLAND, Sept. 13. Discussing tbo freight war in the service between Canada and New Zealand and the- fact that four steamers are now on route to the Dominion from Montreal, all packed with merchandise, an Auckland merchant said: “This does not mean that New Zealand consumers are going to receive the benefit. It is far more likely that importers are taking the opportunity of bringing in goods at cheap rates for storage until freight charges go back to normal. It is the importers with capital enough to do this who will profit from the position.’’ He added that the freight war was unfortunate, for it was bound to do harm to British trade. The fact was that goods arriving at cheap freight rates were not necessarily British goods made in Canada. American manufacturers in the big industrial area extending from Chicago to Montreal were sending goods' to Montreal for shipment at the cheap rate rather than to New York. Both New York shipping and industry in tho British Isles were suffering.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE MONEY. • WELLINGTON, September 12. In the annual report of the State Advances Department, there are details of business transacted by tho new branch for rural advances. The total loans authorised last year were £1,146,770. distributed as follows—

Auckland 405,885 .Taranaki 128’720 Hawke’s Bay 57,730 Wellington 159,270 Marlborough 19,450 Nelson 12,250 Westland 1,200 Canterbury 170,640 Otago 46,410 Southland 145,715 Advances paid over include fifty-six on leasehold security, involving £105,930.

UNITED PARTY CONFERENCE. WELLINGTON, Septembed 14. Fifty-one candidates of the United Party, in additon to the Nationalist sitting members, attended the Party’s conference to-day. Air Masters, ex-Member for Stratford, presided. He delivered and address, to which Messrs Forbes, Veiteli, Taverner (Mayor of Dunedin), and J. B. Donald (Auckland) reponded. The Conference at once went into icommittee.

It is antcipatcd that the proceedings will last over several days.

MANSLAUGHTER. OHAR.GE. NELSON, September 14. At the Court to-da.v, Albert Edward Walker, appeared on a charge of manslaughter, in that he did by omission to perform a public duty .cause the death of Alexander Jots. The ’evidence showed that Joss was found dead on the side of the road, evidently having been run down by a motor vehicle, while riding a ibicyole at night with a hurricane lamp. The case is proceeding.

ELECTORAL LAW BREACH. WELLINGTON, September 14. It is regarded as a serious offence for anyone to sign an electoral form for another person, or to witness a signature without seeing it made by the pei son to whom it belongs. Alexander Houston, was prosecuted for the first offence to-day, and Woolf Phillips for the second. Houston was at his brother John’s place and made out two applications for registration, one for John, and the. other for John’s wife. Next day he took both forms to Phillips, and he witnessed them. Tlie prosecution admitted that there was no "fraudulent intent, hut the parties had simply gone the wrong way about the matter. Such offences were serious, however, particularly now, in view of the forthcoming elections. A fine of ten shillings was imposed,

DAMAGES AWARDED. NEW PLYMOUTH, September 14. Run down by a delivery van at a street corner some time ago, George Herbert Way, window cleaner, had his leg broken and his hack injured. A 1 the Supreme- Court to-day he claimed C3BB from IT. W. Kerr, driver of Hr van, alleging negligent driving. Court awarded the, full amount claimed. It was proved that the van’s brakes were practically useless.

WIREMEN’S REGULATIONS. WELLINGTON. September 14. In the Magistrate’s Court to-day, William Neil Deakin was charged with having failed to produce Ins certificate of registration as an electric wireman, w . was demanded by the inspector, ft was the first case of its kind in New Zealand, and there was no suggestion that, defendant was not registered or qunlifiod. The sole purpose of the prosecution was to emphasise that a registered electrical wireman must bo able to produce his certificate. In view ol il, e fact that no penalty was asked, the Magistrate convicted and disebargpd Hid defendant,