DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 May 1944, Page 2

DOMINION ITEMS

AIRMAN KILLED WELLINGTON, May 16. Flying Officer Walter Robert de Maus, of the Roya] New Zealand Air Force, lost his life in an aircraft accident on the landing field of a North Island air station to-day. De Maus s next-of-kin is his mother, Mrs ■C. de Maus, of Auckland. RAILWAY COAL STOCKS.' WELLINGTON, May 16. Inquiries made to-day show that the coal stocks of the Railways Department are barely holding their own. It is officially stated that stocks vesterday were as follows: North Island w;395 tons; South Island. 6191 tons; total, 16,586 tons, which is only sufficient to operate the railways on a restricted service for about nine days. It is explained that unless the department has coal reserves sufficient for three weeks’ operation, it would be impossible to consider resuming normal services. Although the restrictions had been eased somewhat by permitting people to travel on secondary trains without permits, it was still necessary w urge the public not to travel on express trains unless. there was an urgent reason. Permission to travel on secondary trains had helped to relieve the congestion. on express trains, and at the same time naa provided for the maximum use of the seating accommodation available on secondary trains.

INVERCARGILL HOTELS. INVERCARGILL, May 16. A motion opposing the establishment by the Invercargill . Licensing Trust of hotels and kiosks m the suburbs was carried unanimously at a meeting held this afternoon under, the auspices of the Citizens and Rate payers’ Association. A central committee was set up to co-operate with persons or district committees who v/ished to lodge objections to tne Trust’s proposal. It was agreed that the first duty of the committee should be to get in touch with the Trust, ana ascertain definitely what its proposals were. . rtr . The sites for temporary premises to be operated by the Trust have now been selected, and official notice ol intention to take over the sites will be issued in a day or so. . This has been done to meet the requirements of the law and give an opportunity for objections to be lodged.

MANY CHARGES. WELLINGTON, May 17. Three years’ hard labour, to be followed by four years’, reformative detention, was imposed by rhe Chief Justice, at the Supreme Court, on Alfred Taylor, 29, wharf labourer, on two charges of breaking, entering and theft involving the use of explosives, to which he had pleaded guilty. On each of 59 other charges lie was sentenced to one year’s hard labour, concurrent with the main sentence. The Judge said that the prisoner seemed to have been uncontrollable in Australia as a child, and if he.conlinued his present course he would be uncontrollable in New Zealand. Over a period of five months he was guilty of 61 offences. If he had any common sense, he would make ftp his mind during his imprisonment to live a decent life. If he came before the Court again he would in all probability be declared habitual.

LIBEL DAMAGES. WHANGAREI, May 17. William Hoey was, yesterday, ordered to Day £7O as damages to Robert Allan, for libel contained in a circular issued some time ago. The circular which was anonymous was sent to 16 citizens in leading positions at Whangarei. It made uncomplimentary references to each in his official capacity, but when referring to Allan, the writer used the word blackmail. The circular was traced to Hoey, who is an old resident, whose public statements and writings to the Press have caused comments. Hoey did not express regret when interviewed, but in Court, yesterday, raid the reference to blackmail was intended as a joke, as it was not founded on fact. The Magistrate said that Hoey s circular, though restricted in circulation, .was nevertheless a libellous document which merited substantial damages. FAULTY TUNNELS. NELSON, May 16. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Holland) to-day sent the following telegram to the Minister bi Works (Mi. Semple):— “In view of the seriousness of the allegations against both engineers and workmen employed in the construction of the Turakina and Foretell tunnels, plus the impressions gained when I inspected the failure myself, together with the revelations in the reports you made available to me, I very strongly urge that any inquiry should be open to the public, who will have to find”the hundreds of thousands of pounds required to rectify the faulty design and workmanship. In common fairness, those charged with the responsibility for this colossal waste of public money should have every opportunity of publicly defending or clearing themselves, and the public has the right to demand that the responsibility for what has happened should be sheeted right home. In view of your vigorous and proper denunciation of those who are responsible, I hope you will not _ provide them with the shelter of a private inquiry behind closed doors.”