DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 February 1937, Page 2

DOMINION ITEMS

[PKB PRESS ASSOCIATION.! ’

’w .BRUTAL 1 ASSAULT-'D HAMILTON, February 23. Stating that the accused’s trouble was dueltcCdrink,: Mr; Paterson,- S;Mo sentenced Frank McCallum, at the Hamilton Police' Court,"-Ct’d two -yearsprobation, and ordered him to take out and maintain, a prohibition order. •••-■ The Magistrate described the assault as brutal. “Drink-'makes you-wOrse than a beast,” he said. “You went to this unfoTtuiTateT-man’s- room- and made a bestial- suggestion to hiim and when he..refused you—brutally-assault-ed him. Accused was ordered to_ pay the medical and prosecution- costs and £24 as damages.

INSURANCE PREMIUMS.

_AUCKLAN'D; LEobfuary 22; Because they claim that many classes of workers’ .cpmpensation"ih’Sdiffinc'd business' have been made l unprofitable through- the-exti’sv liabilities’ -imposed? by tlie'"Workers Compensation Amendment Act of last session, insui ance companiies ' have -beeinf engaged '■■ in negotiation's ’ with thg; which' sb' faFliavejproved, unsuccessful to bring-abdut an increase in in-

suranceTpremiunis. As an outcome of the refusal of the Prime Minister (Mr Savage) to authorise an increase in. pnemiunm by the State Insurance- Department, '.some of the smnllm' CQinp.aiiies..have-decid-ed to act independently? of- the State offihe-d'nd ;; have- circularised clients intimating increases- in subsequent pre-miums-of 15' per cent. - -

GIRL’S' COMPENSATION

CHRISTCHURCH, February 22.

A claim for £1069/1/6 . as-damages for injuries Deceived in an -accident in Riccarton road lm 1.935. was brought on behalf of Marie Weldon Hall, 11-1 year-old daughter qf Dr.-Robinson E. ; Hall, against Peter "Daysh Davey, mechanic, in;the'Supreme Court to-day. The damages .-.were; Made up of £69 1/6 special and £lOOO general, and the injuries^for which, they were claimed were to the face and nose. The defend ant- liability for the .special: damages, and the .only question for the jury was the amount of general damages which should be awarded.

After a retirement of 20 minutes, the jury awarded- the plaintiff £5OO and' judgment was accordingly entered for that' amount and the special damages.

METHODIST RECORDS. AUCKLAND, February. 23

The .conference of the .'Methodist Chqrch of New Zealand decided to take steps to . acquire copies of early records .relating to. Methodism in the Dominion. It was stated that the Brjtish Methodist Missionary Society felt the records constituted part' of the heirloom of the Missionary Society, and had been reluctant to allow the documents to leave England. However, it. had- decided to lend available documents and papers on certain' conditions . relating .to safe custody.It”was stated that the.Rev.,F. Deaville Walker (England) had unto taken to go through the Society’s files from 1822 to 1855, and obtain any references to New Zealand Methodism. It was also stated that documents would be photographed on arrival in New Zealand, so as to be available to future historians.

MEMBER AND MINISTER. INVERCARGILL, February 22.

“There is only one further point which, in fairness to myself, I would like to refer to,” said the- leader of the Opposition, -Hon. Adam Hamilton, to-night, in commenting on Hon. R. Semple’s remarks at Queenstown. “Mr. Semple said that he had advised me on January 19, that he was visiting Southland. This advice was by telegram. He also said he advised me on February 5-that he had decided to change "his itinerary, but-he did not say that this advice was by letter. Had this advice to me been by telegram, which is the usual Ministerial method of advising a member, especially when there is urgency, I would have received this advice two days before I left for Wellington. I could then have arranged his itinerary before I left Invercargill. Although he wrote the letter on February 5, 1 did not receive it until I reached Wellington. This was his fault, not mine, and I, too, was put to some unnecessary trouble by the Minister’s neglect to wire me immediately he decided to change his plans. I, however, am not complaining. It is Mr. Semple who is complaining.”