DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 October 1928, Page 6

DOMINION ITEMS.

FALSE PRETENCES. (By Telegraph—Press Association). NEW Oct. 10. At the Magistrates Courtj Douglas Thomas Rodgers, was sentenced to three months*hard, on seven charges of false pretences and issusing valueless cheques. ■ Thomas'- -Joseph. Spalding to two months for obtaining goods under false pretences ;at Okato and Palmerston North. ' O, BAPTIST CONFERENCE. CHRISTCHURCH, October 10. One hundred -and sixty delegates were present at the annual conference olf the Baptist Union of New Zealand which was opened .to-day. Samuel Barry (Auckland) vice President of the Union presided. New churches at New Lynn and Pukekohe were received into the Union Reference was jnade to the visit of a distinguished visitor, Rev. W. T. Whitley, a noted baptist scholar, author and • leader. ‘ .

CONCILIATION COUNCIL. CHRISTCHURCH, October 10. Owing to a deadlock .between parties the conciliation council to-day referred the disputes brquglit by the New Zealand Federate, Association against the Federated Iron Masters, to the. 'Arbitration -Court . - HT©H PRICE OF POTATOES. AUCKLAND, October 10. -Lower prices ruled for southern potatoes at .the , city markets yesterday, supplies being j moderate and fairly hard to dispose of at the rates ruling, which' are still high.. . Good supplies of new .potatoes are expected next week or possibly by the end of this week, N.Z. FRUIT SUBSIDY. TO CONTINUE ON EXPORTS. WELLINGTON, Oct. 10. The Minister of Agriculture to-day announced the ’.Government’s decision to renew for the' 1929 ~season the guarantee on the- export of fruit on the same basis -as that of last season, viz: 11s per case -gross on- extra-fa i\cy grade apples and. .pears and 7s per - case on good grade apples. The guarantee will apply to only certain varieties of fruit shipped under conditions approved.

“COMP” DIES AT HIS POST. CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 10. Mr John <3rawford, aged 74, linotype operator at the “Press” office fell from his chair'while'-at his machine to-night, and died half an hour later. Dr Orawshaw attended the dying man, but attempts to* restore him failed. Mr Crawford Joined the -service of the Press in 1878, and he would have completed fifty years of night work if he had lived till February next. BOYS TO BE THRASHED. i CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 9. Two boys who admitted systematically stealing bicycles, spare parts, and accessories, were committed to the supervision of-the Child Welfare Officer for two years, and ordered to receive a thrashing. There were eight charges against the boys, covering the period between March and September of this year.

Olief-D&t-ective Carrol said that the jboys worked together. Tliey had committed the-thef4& at bight, when returning from night school. Oil the stolen property had been recovered except one valued at £5. The boys came from good homes, and had very respectable parents. The Magistrate (Mr H. P. Lawry) said had feature of the case was that the thefts had been systematic. ...If they , had been old they would have gone .into an institution. He thought the ibest thing for them would be “a good hiding.” The' boys' parents said that they were agreeable to the boys getting a tb re,shrew. and an order was made accordingly. Mr Lawry also said the boys must -pay the value of the bicycle not recovered and in addition be under the supervision of the child welfare officer for two years.

THE EfiT) RAIN. AN ANALYSIS OF SEDIMENT. NELSON, Oct. 10. A sample of Tain, water collected in the neighbourhood of Rotokohu, near the "West Coast, during the westerly storm on Monday morning was submitted to the Cawthron Institute to-day for an opinion. On miscroscopic examination of the suspended material responsible for the reddish brown colour of the water, it was found to consist of minute particles of dust and sand, the rounded form of which indicated a desert area, rather than a volcano, as the probable place of the origin of the material.

DAIRY REFERENDUM. WAIKATO DECISIONS. HAMILTON, October 10. The suppliers of the New Zealand Co-op Dairy, by a referendum, rejected a proposal to purchase the fen-til i-, ser works of the Challenge Company. The voting was: 387,469 agaihst, and 304,730 for the proposal. The suppliers have also rejected, by 290;083 to 136,145 a proposal to reimburse three guarantors of the Bacon Coy. who lost a. total of £25,000 when the Company failed,