DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 December 1945, Page 6

DOMINION ITEMS

DESERTION CHARGE AUCKLAND, December 3. Charged with desertion from the Army, Private Maurice Joseph Herk, aged 27, of the Third Battalion, Auckland Regiment, appeared before a district court martial in Auckland. The charge stated that he absented himself from Glenbervie Camp, North Auckland, on December 27, 1942, and was arrested in civilian clothes in Auckland, on November 23, 1945. Accused pleaded guilty. Sentence will be promulgated later. DESERTER SENTENCED. WELLINGTON, December 4. A deserter, Private Spencer Patterson Black, who was arrested in Lyttelton Street, Christchurch, after a struggle with three members of the Provost Corps and a police constable, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment by a district courtmartial at Trentham. When arrested he had £531 in his possession. Black deserted from No. 4 training battalion at Trentham in February. 1942, and was arrested on November 9, 1945. His excuse was that he left camp because he suffered from a nervous condition; his defending counsel described it to the court as a sort of phobia. NAVAL VISIT. WELLINGTON, December 4. _ After the aircraft-carrier Indefatigable and the destroyers Wizard and Urchin left Wellington for Queen Charlotte Sound, the sixteen aircraft which are to make a goodwill tour of New Zealand air stations flew oyer the city at lunch time, before making their first call at Woodbourne. Parcels of leaflets bearing a farewell message from Admiral Vian which were released in the air made a brilliant show as they fluttered down and were eagerly scrambled for. In the leaflet, Admiral Vian, on behalf of the officers and the ship’s companies, thanked the people of Wellington for their kindness'and hospitality. Yesterday, a party of 500 men from the ships was entertained by Maoris at Otaki. During yesterday parties of men who had been away on excursions to the Taranaki and Hawke’s Bay districts, continued to return to their ships. All had enjoyed themselves thoroughly and spoke enthusiastically about the hospitality thei r had received.

HOSPITAL RATING. WHANGAREI, December 4. Speaking as president of the Bay of Islands sub-provincial council of the Union, iVIr. C. B. Michie commented upon the clause in the Statutes Amendment Bill dealing with hospital rating. “The Farmers’ Union has not stood up to 4he derating issue as we anticipated,” he said. “Two years ago a remit from this district, supported by the executive of the Auckland Provincial Council, that the union should stand firm for hospital derating was passed. This remit has not been implemented by our headquarters. The New Zealand President (Mr. Mulholland) recently went so far as to say that the union would not take direct action to support farmers’ claims. I feel our leaders have let us down.” It appeared, added Mr. Michie, that the Government was taking advantage of a rift among farmers themselves, and-it remained to be seen whether the union’s leaders would put the farmers first, instead of their ov/n parochial feelings.