BRIEF ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 297, 14 September 1927, Page 11

BRIEF ITEMS

FROM FAR AND NEAR Newspaper Employees Resume.— The employees at the “West Australian** newspaper office who held a stop-work meeting resumed work unconditionallv after sixteen hours.—Press Assn. Priest's Illegal Imports.—A Catholic priest, Martin Scheslitl, who had landod at Plymouth from New York, was fined treble the duty an d £25 for illegally importing an automatic pistol and a hundred rounds of ammunition end concealing tobacco and cigars in a specially constructed cushion in the bottom of a handbag of clothing.— AP. A. and "Sun."

Boulder Strikes Car on Hutt Road.— A 'Wanganui resident had a lucky escape while motoring along the Hutt Road on Sunday, when a slip occurred on the road, making one way traffic only, possible. The Wanganui car, our Wanganui correspondent states, was given the signal to advance when a large boulder came hurtling down the slip and struck the right front wheel, splintering the wood and smashing the hub cap.

Big Transformers Arrive.— Seven big transformers for the Waikaremoana hydro-electrie power service were included in the cargo of the liner Somerset, which has just reached Wellington. Each transformer weighs 24 tons, stands 15 feet high, and has a capacity of 2240 gallons of oil. Their purpose is to step up the voltage for transmission to Napier. The transformers, which are seven single-phase units, each of 6666 K.V.A., are to be stored at Wellington prior to shipment to Waikokopu. whence they will be taken inland to Waikaremoana.

Youths Arrested for Converting Motor Cars.— Two more youths were arrested a*. Auckland on Monday, in consequence ol the disappearance of motor-cars from city streets recently. They were Walter Robert Dear, aged 19, a brother of the youth who was before the Court on Monday, and Cecil George Robertson, aged 17. When they appeared before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., the police stated that several charges were pending. A request by counsel for licensed for suppression of the names was refused by the Magistrate, who granted the police application for an adjournment. Bail was fixed at £2OO in each case.—Special Sei vice.

Lure of ’’The Islands.”—Over 90 applications have been received for position of chief police inspector and instructor to the Royal Guards of Tonga, states a Special Service message from Auckland, this most interesting vacancy was advertised a few days ago, and the response was immediate. Most of the applicants are men of naval or military experience, and one of them holds the D.S.O

Fatal Hotel Fire. — A fire at Rowena, New South Wales, destroyed the Rowena Hotel. Two men, George King and Stephen Francis, who were staying the night at the hotel, were awakened by the fire. Francis ran from the hotel, but, finding King still inside, returned in a futile endeavour to rescue him. Ho was badly burned and died in hospital. King's remains were later found in the rums of the building.—press Assn.

British Broadcasting Experiments—lf the British Broadcasting Company's experiments are successful there is a chance that English listeners, if they prefer cricket to bed, may hear broadcast descriptions of the Test matches in Australia in 1928-29. The corporation is confident that it has mastered the transmitting difficulties. Hie next experiments will be to America with the object of perfecting reception. Then, perhaps. early next year the corporation will try Empire broadcasts. —Dress Assn.

Disobedient Fireman Sent to John Farley, a fireman, aged 30, was charged in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday with having been guilty of wilful disobedience to the sixth engineer of the Tort Hunter on the hign seas, and was sentenced to twenty-one days imprisonment with hard labour, the Magistrate (Mr. E. Page, S.M.) making an order that he was to be placed on board the vessel when it sails on Tuesday nex •

Mr. Marcuse's Broadcast Tests.—Mr. Marcuse reports that he has repairer his apparatus, and is determined to achieve success. He is instating wit. - out delay duplicates of essential parts, enabling him, in the event ot trouble, to switch over immediately and proceed with the programme. He is asking the Post Office to regard the concert as simply postponed, with resumption at an early date.—Sydney “Sun” Cable.

New Cruiser London.—The new 10,000ton cruiser, H.M.S. London, winch was laid down at Portsmouth in lebruarv, 1926, is to be launched from the building slip at the dockyard there on Wednesday. The London is one of the four Countv class of cruisers authorised m the 1925 programme, her sister ships beilif the Devonshire, Shropshire, and Sussex.—British Official Wireless.

The Canadian Crops.—The Canadian Government Bureau of Statistics estimates that Canada will be harvesting this year the second largest crop m her history, 458,711,000 bushels, compared with 474 millions in 1923. Wheat is estimated at 432,000,000, against 383,000,000 in 1926, and 452,000,000 in 1923. The estimate is contingent on good weather continuing.—Press Assn.

Raglan Bv-Election.—The selection of Mr. C. A. Magner, of Tekowhai, as its official candidate for the Raglan byelection, was confirmed by a conference of the central executive of the Country Party at Hamilton yesterday. Several other names were considered—Press Assn.

More Sunspots.—Two groups of sunspots of the active whirling typo frequently associated with auroras aud magnetic disturbances are reported by Mr? G. V. Hudson, of Karon, to have developed with unusual rapidity during the past few days. The groups both of the vorticose type,. were first observed by -Mr. Hudson on bunday last and were then quite small, but have since increased very considerably in size. They are due to pass the central meridian of the sun about Friday next.

Help for Unemployed.—Presbyterian congregations in and around Wellington have contributed within a few shillings of £lOO towards the Mayor* Unemployment Fund, according to a statement- made at last night’s meeting ot the Wellington Presbytery by the clerk, Rev. R. Inglis. In addition there were several small sums that had been given to suburban unemployment funds bv congregations at Petone and Lower Hutt Mr. Inglis said that the need of further help still existed.

Bus Losses.—ln reply to representations for better bus services. Mr. H. U Bennett, speaking at A ogletown on Mon dav night, said that the City Council would have to be very cautious in its police of further extending tramways and bus services. The bus services at the present time were losing money at a rate in excess of £lOOO a month, and as this was apparently increasing with each ex tension of the bus service, it followed that there was a danger of the tramway department as a whole being compelled to drastically change its policy. Whatever happened the council dio not want to b.e compelled to change the present od. universal fare on the trams. Borough Dismisses Engineer.—The Mount Albert Borough Council at a special meeting last night decided to dispense with the services ot its en oineer! Mr. W. 11. Cook, on the general ground that the administration of his nn ad appVal Coot sup! rorted bv f the Islw Zealand Society of Civil Engineers, and the chairman qf tile Ratepayers’ Association, the declined Vo make any specific complsmt, against the engineer. There were dissentients.—Press Assn.