NEWS In BRIEF

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 169, 20 July 1939, Page 4

NEWS In BRIEF

Alsatian Dog Bill. —The Alsatian Dog Bill was introduced in the Legislative Council yesterday by the Hon. C. J. Carrington (Auckland) and read a first time. —P.A. ♦ ♦ ♦ * Gift for Gardens. —-"Lady Norwood has offered £200 as a gift to the City | Council to improve the begonia house | in the Botanical Gardens,"' said the | Mayor, Mr. T. C. Hislop. at a meeting of the Wellington City Council. Mr. Hislop added that lie had written to Lady Norwood accepting her gift and saying that he would have an investigation made to see how best the improvements could be made. The council passed a motion expressing appreciation of Lady Norwood's generosity. +♦♦ ' ♦ Driver for Trial. —After a hearing lasting '>!s hours in the Hastings Police Court yesterday, before Mr. I'.. L. Walton, S.M.. Mark Xepia. a Maori, aged 4!), was committed for trial on a charge of negligent driving, causing the death of Iris Annie Berry, and two '-barges of failing to stop after an accident to see if any person was injured. Accused pleaded not guilty. The magistrate reserved judgment oil charges of driving while intoxicated and driving without a license.—P. A. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Motoric's Collapse. — The death occurred suddenly yesterday of Mr. Fern ley Wingate, a well-known Opotiki district farmer. Mr. Wingate went to Opotiki and when returning to his home at Otara East in his motor car, accompanied by his wife, he collated at the wheel and died almost immediately. ♦ ♦ + + Lorry Down Bank.—A heavily laden lorry skidded on the wet surface on Conduit Road, Papatawa, left the road and overturned down a 1 ft bank. The driver, Mr. E. Stevens, of Paliiatua, escaped with minor injuries. The vehicle was extensively damaged and considering that the cab roof was j crushed the driver had a fortunate j escape from serious injury. ♦ ♦ + ' ♦ | Rent Restriction.—ln view of the expected influx of visitors to Wellington in connection with the Centennial, it is felt that iL will be impossible for people I to get reasonable accommodation anywhere unless the Rent Restriction Act is put into force for all houses, said Mr. I F. D. Corn well, secretary of the National Council of the Federation of Labour. It is suggested that the Act should embrace all houses and that its operation should i»e made retrospective to a certain date in the case of new houses which at present it does not afiVrf..—P.A.

Profr.s from Petrol—ln the Legislative Council yesterday the Hon. J. A. McCullouirh (Canterbury) asked the Leader of the Council, the Hon. D. Wilson. whether the Government's attention had been drawn to the report of the Associated Motorists Petrol Company that preference shareholders had been paid 10 per cent and ordinary shareholders 150 per cent, and if the* Government would take steps to deal with unreasonable profits. Mr. Wilson said, the Government was aware of the position. It had fixed prices of petrol and was anxious to see that petrol was available to the public at the loweat possible price.—P.A.