DOMINION NEWS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLIV, Issue 10132, 9 June 1924, Page 8

DOMINION NEWS

AMAZING DEAL.

LUCK AND' ILL-LUCK.

(Per Press Association.) 1 AUCKLAND, June 7. Charles Percy Hansen, a sheep-farm-er, at a meeting of his creditors, stated that in 1912, he had only 30s and.a pair of blankets, when the owner signed over to him a sheep station of 84 square miles, and trusted him to pay £25,000 for it. In one big coup, within a week, he was able to clear the station, and have in hand a number of sheep, as well as £SOOO in cash. . ! In a number of farm transactions later he lost everything. He had been adjudged) a bankrupt in Wellington, with liabilities of £llO. He had no assets, but he still had the pair of blankets on an island in the Hauraki Gulf- : * " • , rr + A creditor said he knew Hansen to be an honourable man. He got into difficulties ten years ago, and when he got money later he paid all his creditors with interest. . The meeting passed a resolution sympathising with bankrupt and requested the Assignee to facilitate his discharge. There were two dissentients.

TOO MANY FIRES. MASTERTON ALARMED. MASTERTON, June 7. Masterton has been suffering from an epidemic of burglaries and fires which are enshrouded in mystery and which are baffling all efforts by the police to unravel them. As far as the fires are concerned, they have occurred in one block near the" post office. Some shops have also been entered by burglars, as well as suffer in o- from visitation by fire. The burglaries and the incendiarism are so wrapped up in mystery that the public never know who will he the next victim. ~, , ~ , It is generally assumed that the tires are the work of an incendiary. They have been occurring during the past twelve months or more, but have become more pronounced since Christmas. The burglaries total over a dozen. A burglary and another fire this I week have added to the uneasiness.

BACKED A WINNER. AUCKLAND, June 7. Thomas Fox, bankrupt, when being questioned as to his assets, denied that he owned a motor-car. t It was, he said, the property of his wife. "And where did she get the money from to buy it?" asked a creditor. "Off our horse when it won and paid £3B for £l," replied bankrupt. _ "How much did your wife win.' queried Mr Fisher. "I was always winning. I bought nearly all my furniture from winnings,"' declared the lucky speculator, who was in attendance. Further inquiries showed that the price of the car was £450, which was paid in instalments. . # Bankrupt was further questioned to substantiate the value, £3OO, he put on the horse, a trotter named Peter Scott. A solicitor suggested that the animal was not worth more than £2O. Bankrupt declared that it was well worth his own estimate. He had paid £lB9 for it two years ago. Since then Peter Scott had won one race and finished third in another. In reply to another question, bankrupt admitted that the car had been insured in bankrupt's name. -»•"., . It was decided that the Official Assignee should, seize the car, %nd realise in due course. m Bankrupt's solicitor (Mr Ray) notified that lie would lodge a claim.

SEX INSTRUCTEON.

HEADMASTERS' OBJECTIONS

AUCKLAND. June 7. Strong opposition to the proposed instruction in sex hygiene was voiced by several speakers at the annual dinner of the Auckland Headmasters' Association last evening. Mr A. Burns, a member of the Education Board, said that if instruction was given it would overcrowd that ♦already overcrowdied' syllabus, and, moreover, would do harm. Mr Carrick Robertson, president of the local branch of the British Medical Association, said that he had noticed in the newspapers a campaign for the teaching of sex hygiene in the schools. He hoped that the arguments would never convince the Minister that the subject should be taught in primary schools. (Applause.) Those in favour of instruction wished to burden the teachers with further work. Nothing, in his opinion, could be fraught with greater danger. Mr J. Drummond, headmaster of the Auckland Grammar School, said thai he was glad to hear so eminent an authority as Mr Robertson express an opinion so strongly on the subject. They should teach the boys to fear God and honour the King, by which he meant to revere what was good and beautiful. They should teach a boy to treat women as he would like other boys to treat his own mother and sisters. _____« ,