DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 January 1931, Page 2

DOMINION ITEMS.

UNEMPLOYED DEPUTATION. (By Telegraph—Per Press Association.! PALMERSTON N., January 16. Local unemployed, numbering abouL GO, made a demonstration this morning and later interviewed Mr Nash M.P., who is also chairman of the Unemployed Committee, requesting a greater measure of relief. The chairman of the deputation said tho meeting was the outcome of a reply received from the Minister of Labour, in which the latter had stated that the latest returns disclosed there were not three hundred unemployed registered locally. It was asserted the actual number exceeds that figure. Mr Nash agreed with the latter statement and also to call a special meeting of the Unemployment Committee. He added that lie had already telegraphed to the Acting-Prime Minister, that between three and lour hundred were out of work and requesting provision for relief work.

SHEEP POISONED. HASTINGS, November 16. Joseph Gillies, a sheep farmer, lost 32 wethers out of 140 placed in a stock paddock, and others are in a precarious condition. The animals ate from garden weed rubbish containing larkspur, which is supposed to have caused poisoning. CALL FOR EARLY SESSION. OAMARU, January 16. A representative mass meeting of farmers and business people, convened by the North Otago Branch of the New Zealand Farmers’, Union, was hold this afternoon to consider tho very serious economic position of New Zealand at the present time. The attendance was about 300, representing every branch s of the community. The following resolution was unanimously carried:—

“That this mass meeting representative of the farmers and commercial interests of Oamaru and North Otago, in view of the very serious economic position-' of New Zealand at the present time, respect'ully requests Cabinet to call Parliament together on the return of the Prime Minister with a' view of formulating a policy to relieve the present economic stress by the necessary legislation and adminis-; tration.”

BAD TEMPERED MAORI. WAIPUKURATJ, Jan. 16. Before Justices, a . sullen-looking Maori, aged 24, Taikura Hanita, charged with brutally assaulting his aged mother at South Makaretu, pleaded guilty. Evidence was given by Gon= stable Phillips (Taknpau) to the effect that accused was Subject tt* fits of violent frenzied temper, He once cut off a cow’s tail in rage, and killed another, besides iltyreating a horse. Accused attacked his mother because she remonstrated with him for damaging the bath, in a fit of temper, while washing. Accused literally flew at his mother, striking her across the face and head, and he also smacked his sister’s face twice. Eventually he was overpowered and locked up. The family and the residents were frightened. The Bench entered a conviction and ordered him to . come up for sentence within six montns. ■ He was committed to the care of relatives, and is to be mediacally examined, and was bound over to keep off his mother’s property.

BOY ELECTROCUTED.

STRATFORD, January 16

Roy Paul, aged sixteen, was electrocuted on his father’s farm at York Road to-day. Paul, senr., was engaged in erecting a hay stacker with the help of his son and some neighbours, when one guy rope came in contact- with- a high tension electric wire. Roy Paul was killed instantly, and William Phelps, a farm assistant, received a severe shock and was badly burned.

MOTOR TRAGEDY.’

WELLINGTON, January 16,

Investigations into the deaths of Ivy Adeline Byron and Chandos Richmond Batkin, who ■ were killed on the morning of 22nd December, as the result of falling off a motor car on Hutt Road, were continued to-day by Coroner Barton, S.M, The principal witness, John Glenn, was in the box over two hours, and was subjected to a searching cross-examination by Mr Barton and Mr W. E. Leicester, who appeared for the relatives of Byroji. Glenn admitted that the deceased had both drunk neat whisky when the oar stopped at Lower Hutt, and also that he and Chandos Batkin had several drinks on the afternoon of the accident. The Coroner reserved his verdict until Mondav.

FIGURES FOR LAST YEAR. WELLINGTON, Jan. 15. Radio licenses at the end of 19S0 totalled 61,948. Of this number Wellington has “the highest quota with 25,227 receiving licenses. The return also shows that' this province possesses more radio dealers than any other, and all the experimentalists in the Dominion. Transmitting is also more popular in Wellington than, elsewhere. Wellington enthusiasts having taken out 112 licenses out of the. total of 296. The radio license year does not expire until March 31st, and it is expected that the grand total will be considerably augmented 'before April Ist., when the new licenses fall due.