DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 August 1929, Page 5

DOMINION ITEMS.

MAYOR’S RESIDENCE BURNT. : (By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) PAHIATUA, August 23. A seven-roomed residence, owned and occupied by. J. D. Wilson, Mayor of Pahiatua, with its contents, was destroyed by fire at ten o’clock last night. The insurances are £750 on the house and £230 on the furniture in the State Office.

Wilson lost many valuable belong-, ings and is a heavy loser. The occupants were absent at the time. The place was soon enveloped in flames. The fire appeared to have originated m the kitchen. Nothing was saved. There was poor water pressure. A crowd of spectators included many in ballroom attire. GAOL FOR THEFT. CHRISTCHURCH, August 23. “If it were not for men like yoii, who specialised in the dissembling of bicycles .and the selling of parts, there would not be so much incentive for bicycle stealing,” said Mr Levvy, S.M., in sentencing .William Arthur Uren Johnson, 41, a labourer, who appeared on charges of theift- relating, to three bicycles valued at £2l, to three months hard labour.

FERTILISER COMPANY. DUNEDIN, Aug. 23. A company, td be known as the Dominion Fertiliser Coy., has secured from the harbour board an area of 8$ acres at Ravenbourne, and lias let a contract for £212,200 to Fletcher Construction Company to erect a fertiliser building plant for the manufacture of super-phosphate, with a, total capacity of 75,000 tons per annum. The company has secured from the Harbour Board aii undertaking to dredge a channel and erect .wharves accommodating ' deep sea vessels, alongside the plant. ■ " ’’ " »;-. ’• . : The directors are: R. G. Hudson (Dunedin), Peter McSkimming (Berthar), James Fletcher (Auckland, L. J. Stevens (Auckland), A. C. Leary (Evans Flat)* E.. Bowman (Gore) and a Canterbury farmer. yet, to he• appointed. •• ’ .

CL ATM FOR DAMAGES. CHRISTCHURCH, Aug. 23. A claim for £2,138 by Edmund Albert Boldero, a gardener, of Aucklatid, against Mrs Isabella Mabel Stanley, was set down for hearing in the Supreme Court to-day, but. was settled out of Court. The claim arose out of a motor accident in Christchurch, some months ago when. Mrs Stanley while driving a .car, ran into Boldero another man. . ■ FIREMAN DROPS DEAD. NAPIER, August 23. When the Union Company steamer Waimea was en route to Napier from Gisborne early, this morning, a fireman, E. Holmes, aged 45 ‘years, married, a resident of Wellington, dropped dead suddenly while on duty in the stokehold. THEFT CHARGE. PAHIATUA, August 22. > A young man, Horace James Gray Fletcher, employed as a barman at a Dannevirke Hotel, was convicted of the theft of' £8 taken from a drawer of a dressing table at a wedding party at on August 21st. Twelve months probation was imposed. A request for the supprssion of his name was refused.

KIMUTAKA HILL BLOCKED. CARTERTON, August : 23 The damage on the R-imutnka hill road is greater than at first anticipated. A considerable Quantity of overhanging soil and rock is vet to be dislodged before the slip can be shifted. The roadway on the Featherston side of the first concrete bridge was undermined by the rvier. It is verv dangerously cracked, necessitating the fence line be shifted back for a new track to be out. The foreman in charge Of the Public Works gang states it is impossible for the road to be open to traffic before Monday and if then no traffic whatever will be allowed on the hills.

REVOLVER FOUND. CHRISTCHURCH. Aug. 23. \ A revolver was found bv the rolUe in the Avon river ,near Hereford St. bridge last evening. It is believed to be the same as that used by the burglar who shot Fdwnrd Hammond in the back early last month.