DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 October 1929, Page 5

DOMINION ITEMS.

WESTPORT TRAGEDY. MINER KILLED. B Telegraph—Press Assn., Copyright. WESTPORT, October 24. David Auld, aged 50,' v $ married mail, was killed By alfall of coal in the Millerton" mine this. morning. i'}-., ,!-/ - ■;!,. -P# ' PRESIDENT-AND PARLIAMENT. WELLINGTON, October 24. A very full discussion' in .cq'mmittee took place at yesterday’s meeting of the Dominion- Executive of the Farmers’ Union whether*or not any Dominion President of the Union should be a member of Parliament. Members were almost unanimous in stating that 'afiy, President as a private citizen woulcf be interfered with if such a proposal became part of the Union’s constitution and that the needs, of the union Would be better ' served if.; President, whoever he might he, were also elected a member of Parliament Eventually a resolution that no President of the Farmers’ Union should be a Member of parliament was withdrawn and a resolution expressing continued confidence in the present President, Mr W. JV Poison* was carried unanimously. • :

PLANE DAMAGED IN GALE. GISBORNE, October 24. One of the three of the Auckland Transport Cofnnany ’planes visiting Gisborne for Show, week was torn from its mooring in* the; hejght of the gale early this morning arid extensively damaged, it being blown all over the landing field. The other ’planes, which were securely moored, escaped injury. PRIME MINISTER’S • HEALTH. WELLINGTON, October 22. It is apparently not anticipated that the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, will be fit to resume his place in the House of Representatives this week. Four days’ leave of absence was grant-, ed to him yesterday oh account of illness. ,

WELLINGTON HOSPITAL. GIFT OF ELECTRIC KNIFE, WELLINGTON, October 22. Mr Tom Dwan has offered to present to the Wellington Hospital one of the latest electric knives for bloodless operations. The hospital., authorities have accepted the offer and are now having enquiries made in England for the i latest-and most up-to-date surgical instrument of the type. The only other instrument of its kind in New Zealand is in the Christchurch Hospital, . UNDUE STRAIN. CRANE COLLAPSES. DUNEDJN, October 22. A remarkable accident which, fortunately, was not attended by injury to any of the workmen occurred this afternoon on the site of the new Dunedin Post Office, when the big crahe and pile-driving plant suddenly crashed to the ground with a great roar. The steam driven plant was hoisting a huge wooden staging weighing anything up to four or five tons when, without any warning, the main wooden stem (12in by 12in) broke away from its base and toppled over on to a stack of pointed piles. Some idea of the strain which the plant w r as intended to bear can be gained from the fact that the big main stem was completely broken across. The whole plant was badly damaged, and it will be some days before it can be restored to its full working capacity.

CANVASSER SENT TO GAOL. NAPIER, Octoher 22. Michael Lipinski, alias Lepinski, alias I.evenski, a canvasser on commission for the Auckland Art Union, was sentenced by Mr A. M. Mowlem, S.M., this morning to one month’s imprisonment on a charge of assaulting a little girl. Accused invited two girls aged 12, into the Botanical. Gardens, persuaded them to sit down on the grass, and put his arms around them. Accused asked the girls to meet hint again bn a future occasion, and said he would have brought fruit and lollies had he known he would meet them. Accused’s counsel pleaded that it was merely a technical offence,' but the Magistrate, remarking that accused had a number of previous convictions, mostly for theft, thought the present case bore a sinister aspect.

FIRE INSURANCES. . PALMERSTON N„ Oct. 24. Tnsnran™': on Levuka Nursing Home • On the building £2409, furniture £1875. RAILWAY BRIDGE REPAIRED. PALMERSTON N.. O t, 24. After great difficulty the damaged spans of I.ongburn railway bridge Avere repaired and trains resumed at 6 o’clock this morning The gale struck the exposed bridge with great fnree rendering the task first of fire fighting and then of repairing one of nreat difficulty and danger. The northbound limited got away at 1 a.m. and the south limited from Linton at midnight.