DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 May 1930, Page 5

DOMINION ITEMS.

A MASQUERADER

By Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, May 13

Phillip Henry Peter Ross, aged 37, a South African, pleaded guilty to assuming the designation of a policeman and stealing cocaine valued at 4s. The police said Ross was found with handcuffs and a police whistle, and had been mnsqupradingflhs a detective sergeant. He was fined £lO and sentenced to one month’s gaol for theft. The Magistrate said accused should be deported.

MAYOR’S CAR DAMAGED

AUCKLAND, May 10,

The Mayor of Auckland (Mr G. Baildon) was involved in a motor accident this morning and was fortunate to escape injury. Mr Buldon. was being driven to the Town Hall in the official car by the city chauffeur. The big car was travelling up Queen St., and opposite the Town Hall turned acioss the road to pull up outside the Mayor’s office, when a service car, running up behind, came into collision with Mr Baildon’s car, which was damaged. The right running hoard and the front mudguard were crumpled, but no mechanical damage resulted,

INQUEST VERDICT.

HASTINGS, May 13,

At the inquest on Mrs Margaret Hannah Kennedy, who died in the police station on Sunday night following on a motor drive, a verdict was returned in accordance with the medical evidence which was to the effect that deceased had a damaged heart and a sudden death was likely to occur at any time that she exceeded the low reserve power of the heart.

RAILWAY SERVANTS. CHRISTCHURCH, May. 13,

' It is reported here that senior railway officers throughout the Dominion are showing" some anxiety, as to the future, in, view of persistent rumouis of reorganisation that are in circulation in the service. Nothing very definite is known to the great majority, but fears : exist that an. effort will be made to reduce costs by eliminating some of. the ’ senior positions. At the present moment three important positions are vacant or are soon likely to He vacant in the South Island. These are the positions of outdoor assistant 'traffic managers at Christchurch, stationmaster at Dunedin and stationmaster at Christchurch.

WEATHER FORECAST. WELLINGTON, May 13

Mr Ji V. Hudson has been examing Wragge’s forecast of the weather this year” which has been so remarkably borne out. He states, it • was based principally on (1) sunspots, ..(2) vaiiation in, the moon’s swing in declinat-

ion. . , , ;; ! v , Mr Hudson explains that. Wragge held that certain prognostics indicated fine winters and bad summers and other prognostics the reverse, but he does not know what they were, and how they were applied to forecasting. Wragge, however, succeeded and Hudson’s principal point is that a preponderance- of. general weather conditions may be expected for some two or three years more, while the moon’s declination is near the maximum.

CLAIM REFUSED. WELLINGTON, May 13,

C M. Gubrielson claimed £730 damages for a leg broken while assisting in loading the; Anchor Coy’s Nikau. He had already received £ll3 from the Coy and now sued the firm owning the lorry from which a sack of manure was thrown on to him. The jury however, found he Had no claim.

A STATEMENT REFUSED. WELLINGTON, May 13

When a Christchurch telegram re the railways was referred to him, MiSterling declined to make any statement beyond declaring there was no foundation for such a canard no decision, "had been arrived at. Tie rumour had probably arisen as a result of the general outline given bv Mr Sterling in bis report to Parliament last session of the means bt which he thinks division control could foe further developed, and his statement that concrete proposals m connection with reorganisation changes would he worked out dining the coining year. It is understood those proposals have not yet been advanced to the stage of a definite decision being reached and that they me still under consideration.