EXPRESS TRAIN DERAILED.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2112, 1 April 1914, Page 7

EXPRESS TRAIN DERAILED.

DRIVER'S PROMPT ACTION.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

• Tlmaru, Marcii 31. An accident delayed the second express this afternoon. A rain fair was Leilig hold at the Smithnold show grounds, and the- shunting of sheep .trucks had been'going on, when , tho express approached the looplino. Driver Harrington noticed the points at' "halfctick," and. put on tko emergency brake, abd checked the, pace. The- engine and 'tender pnssejt the points, but .the ; first carriage turned off and pulled the eligiho and. tender off tho rails. Beforo stopping,' tho three derailed vehicles ploughed up. tho permanent way. Fiteman 0. W. Bcauinont jumped from tho engine and struck tho lever of the points, severely, injuring his kneo and leg. The promptness of tho driver in applying tho brakes doubtless saved greater damage. Tho tram was' delayed somo hours, while temporary rails were being laid. It is' unknown at present what time the train'will get away, but it is hoped that it' will be before :10 p.m. Tho passengers 'felt no great ,shock,'apart:from caused by the brake.- : . .■-■■..-.

, . .'■.■.'■■ Chrlstohurch, March 31. :.The second express is not expected to arrive nt Christchurch till 12.30-v The ferry steamer to Wellington is&eld back 'or the arrival of tho train. '

Chinese protest

THE ERiVACY OF THE HOME.

\.The, following; petition,, bearing 43 . has -been, forwarded to. the 'Minister of Justice (the, Hou. A. L. Herdnian), through".Messrs.. O'Regan and DicksM, Solicitors:—■ . " ■ • '..- "We, the undersigned Chinese -residents of Wellington, beg to bring under your notice the improper manner in whitih we are being treated by the- ■.' police., We are mostly residents of Haining Street,. and .tho great majority ■'". of us have lived, in.that locality for a ■number-of 'years!, . As it is difficult for ■'• Js 'to find- any other quarters in the city. Qur houses are now being contin'"ually. invaded by the police, who exer- ■ cisd'their power of entering' our - prem- .-' ises' .whenever- they eo desire. -In. the, '■: great-.majority of cases they have, no ■' .warrants,'and they inform U3. that they are exercising this power of entry with- •'" put\varrant3 by virtue of-the authority ■ given' them under tho Opium Act. We would point out that, some of your. peti- ; tionere;, are.naturalised British subjects, ' . and we .think it most unjust and unfair that our. homes should be invaded in such a manlier by >the police. Wo would a,iso point out that • as far as serious iciime;is concerned, the Chinese compare .'favourably with any other nationality'in ' New Zealand: ,We quite recognise that •'. the police are entitled-. to enter our ,;'■ premises 1 under warrant,, but ,wo submit that the pb\yer of entry without warrant ~ ehould be exercised by' the police only when' they have good grounds for be- .. lieving. that some : crime or. offence lias . beep,.or is "being, committed. We,therefore,, ask that'instructions should ! the power shotild.b.e exercised, with the greatest caution, and not . indiscriminately or without, just cause. ; Although we are Cliinese,, wo are ,in a ,"' British country, and we ask that the /inviolate rights' which a Britisher has to the'privacy of his own home should . ;l)'e' extended to us." ' •".;'• .■• -..