DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 July 1943, Page 2

DOMINION ITEMS

CAMP EXPLOSION. BLENHEIM, July 22. Severe injuries, necessitating the amputation of a foot were sustained, by Lance Corporal C. W. McMillan, as the result of an explosion at a military camp last night. McMillan, whose condition is serious was on picket duty, when injured by the explosion of a plug of gelignite. A military inquiry is being held. McMillan belongs to Collingwood. His next-of-kin is a sister, Mrs. Herbert Mayo, Strathmore, near Stratford.

CHILD DELINQUENCY. DUNEDIN, July 21. The Otago Education Board, while not prepared to associate itself unreservedly with Auckland on the problem of child delinquency, resolved this morning that it believed the problem may begin in irregular school attendance, which has increased since 1936. In that year 6.2 children were absent every day, and last year 11.5 were absent, representing a daily absenteeism of 1966. The Board was prepared to appoint a part-time attendance officer to make early investigation of such cases and to prevent children drifting to delinquency.

FOUND SHOT. WANGANUI, July 21. Found lying on a bush track at Rangataua, five miles south of Ohakune late on Tuesday afternoon, with a bullet wound in his head, Douglas Gould, an overseer employed on a native land scheme, died in the Raetihi Hospital this morning. Gould, married, aged 56, was supervising the cutting of fencing posts in an area of bush about six miles up the mountain side from Rangataua. He entered the bush at 10.30 a.m. carrying a .22 rifle, and was not seen again till a workman found him lying unconscious with *«h rifle nearby. Tt is believed that while walking down the track, Gould endeavoured to avoid a muddy hole; but tripped when one trouser leg caught in a protruding stick. It is presumed that when he fell, the rifle was accidentally discharged. GOODS TRAIN MISHAP. PALMERSTON N., July 21. A partial derailment of an express goods train at Makerua station disorganised the rail service between Wellington and Palmerston North this afternoon. Five trucks left the line, two of them containing a consignment of about 1.6 draught horses, one of which was "killed, while the others were more or less badly injured. An inspection of the track showed that one truck had been dragged for some distance. The climax came when it reached the points in the station yard. The horses were in two waggons. One came to rest with its wheels in the air, and the horses were tipped out, one being killed. The other waggon was upright, but was leaning, and railway men had to knock out one end and a partition to get the horses out. The line will not be clear before morning. Meanwhile passengers on express trains to Auckland are being transhipped. WELLINGTON, July 22. Nine trucks left the line in the Shannon derailment. Among those that went over the bank were two containing 24 draught horses, three of which were killed. Many were severely injured and one had to be shot. The line was clear shortly after noon to-day.