DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 August 1942, Page 2

DOMINION ITEMS

SOLDIET. KILLED AUCKLAND, August 12. A soldier, Colin Ernest Graham, aged 20, was killed by an accidental discharge of a rifle at a battle station near Auckland this afternoon. _ His home address was Church Street, Onchunga. AUCKLAND ~TUNNEL

AUCKLAND, August 12.

Tunnellers early this afternoon fired the. shot which finally pierced the tunnel, 200 feet long, under Albert Park, extending from Victoria Street to’ Constitution Hill. The Mayor (Mr J. A. C. Allum) and the City Engineer (Mr J. Tyler) shook hands through the final opening. The tunnel, and side tunnels, will provide air raja accommodation for 20,000 people in the heart of the city.

FARM TRAGEDY WHANGAREI, August 13.

A week ago, Edward Hawken, a farmer, of Maungatapere, disappeared. An intense search was maue every day by settlers and Home Guards till yesterday, when the body was found alongside a stone wall on deceased’s farm, with a wound in the throat. A butcher’s knife was found alongside. Both feet were tied to a tree. Hawken had been in ill-health for some time.

SCHOOLBOY’S DEATH. DUNEDIN, August 12.

At an inquest this morning, into the death of Robert Thomas Dow, a schoolboy, the evidence disclosed that he and several other boys were endeavouring to descend an 800 feet cliff at Smaill’s Beach, near the city, and that they were only a short distance over the edge when deceased slipped. The Coroner and the police paid tributes to the courage of Sapper McFarlane, who risked his life to recover the body from the depths below. He was lowered over the cliff by police and military, and when 750 feet of rope had been paid out a further length of rope had to be joined.

HOME GUARD PARADES CHRISTCHURCH, August 12. The compulsory attendance of the Home Guard at parades on Sundays was deplored by members of the Christchurch Presbytery, at a meeting to-day. Members complained that church workers are unable to carry out their Christian duties because ol these parades, and that the parades are seriously interfering with Christian work in the community. Rev. L. M. Rogers said: “Sunday parades in other services, such as the Air Training Corps, arc also likeiy to become compulsory, and such a step would smash our Bible Class work, and undermine Christian work as a whole.”

The Presbytery decided to refer the matter to its Public Questions Committee.

Mr A. J. McEldowney opposed the resolution, saying: “There is no more evil in attending Sunday parades than in taking part in operations overseas on Sundays.”