DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 May 1934, Page 2

DOMINION ITEMS

[per press association.] ESCAPEE SENTENCED. PALMERSTON NORTH, May 12. William Wallace Clifford, aged 25, who escaped from the lock-up on March 17, while on remand on charges of theft, and was arrested at flawera on Thursday, was sentenced on the escape charges to three months’ imprisonment. with hard labour. LAUNCH ON FIRE AUCKLAND, May 12. A twenty-eight-foot launch, the Ramona, was burned to the watei s edge in St.’ Holier’s Bay this morning. The owner, W. R. Craig, had barely time to leap overboard. He suffered minor burns, and swam ashore. He was try-1 ing to start the engine when it back-j fired and the petrol supply caught i tiro. The'flames spread rapidly, and he could do nothing but jump and swim ashore. HOTEL AFFRAY WELLINGTON, May 14. For offences committed three months ago, assaulting a constable, being found on licensed premises after hours, and refusing to leave at the licensee’s request, Eric Lobb, 27, hawker, was fined £■>, in default one month’s imprisonment V ll the first charge, £2 on the second, and £1 on the third charges. This is a further sequel to the hotel affray on Bebruaiy •) % THEFT OF PETROL. AUCKLAND, May 12. Caught in the act of syphoning petrol from the tank of a motor-car in a street last, night, two men ran away, but one, George Alfred Maberly, aged 22 was arrested, and was to-day lined £lO. The prosecutor said that numerous cases of thefts of petrol from parked cars were reported to the police. The offence was difficult to detect. The Magistrate said that only accused's youth saved him from being sent to gaol. INTEREST RATES WELLINGTON, May 13.

Having regard to the fact that gilt edged securities are now selling at prices returning to the buyer interest at from 31 to 4 per cent., the Bonds Board considered the rates of interest for loans, or for new works should be reduced, and at its meeting yesterday, in view of the present trend on the stock exchange, decided that in future the rate to be sanctioned loans to be raised by major local authorities will be 33 per cent., with an intermediate rate of 3 7-8, and a maximum of four per cent, for local authorities of smaller, classes. W AIR ARAP A LAKE MASTERTON, May 13. Hopes that a flood in the Lower Wairarapa had been averted by the opening of a lake outlet to the sea on Friday were disappointed on Saturday, when the floodgates in a small bank on the east of Lake Wairarapa. at the northern end, gave way under the pressure of the banked-up lake. A number of farms have been flooded. It is anticipated that the water will take several weeks to drain away, if the level of the lakes continue to fall. Crops and milking sheds, as well as pasture, are inundated. The damage will’ be more or less serious. Though all of the stock may be taken to safety, it takes thirty-six hours for the opening of the outlet appreciably to affect, lhe level of the upper lake. GARAGE HOLD-UP GORE, May 12. In connection with the alleged holdup at the Edendale service station last evening, Constable Doah arrested a man about 26 years of age near Clinton to-day, after a chase of over 14 miles by car and a mile on foot. The arrested man was in the car that was reported to be missing from Invercargill. The accused will appear lit foie the Invercargill Court. INVERCARGILL, May 14. As a sequel to the Edendale hold-up, George William Wheeler, native of Glasgow, 26, and Garnet Edward Cranston, 19, were charged at the Police Court with stealing a motor car on Friday evening. The police obtained a remand till May 21. It was stated that other and more serious charges would be preferred. Wheeler was captured near Clinton on Saturday after an exciting chase, and Cranston at Invercargill this morning.