DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 December 1945, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS

TRAIN CHARGE. CHRISTCHURCH, December G. Lewis Hamilton Tuck, of Nelson Creek, was charged with assaulting James Wallis on the Rakaia-Christ-church train on September 18, and with being in possession of liquor on the train. The case was adjourned to December 20. BOOKMAKERS SENTENCED. NEW PLYMOUTH, December 0. Three men. were convicted of gaming offences by Mr. W. H. Woodward,. S.M., in the Stratford Court to-day,’ for keeping a common gaming house. William Henry Lash, who had previous convictions, was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment. Walter Hugh Simons was fined £5O. William Mullally was fined £75. ONEHUNGA FIRE. AUCKLAND, December G. Damage amounting to more than £2OOO resulted from a fire this afternoon at a factory occupied by Universal Wood Products, Ltd., in Princess Street, Onehunga. The building, which is a two-storey concrete structure, with an iron roof, was completely destroyed. No one was injured, but some members of The staff had narrow escapes. COLLIER IN GALE. WELLINGTON, December 6. The Union Steam Ship Company’s 2378-ton collier, AVingatui, had a tough battle with the strong gale coming in the heads yesterday morning. She i-eached the harbour entrance about 2 a.m. and did not berth at the railway whaVf until 12.10 p.m.—a 10-hour journey up the harbour. The Wingatui was carrying coal from Westport, and it was her first trip back since she came off the floating dock a few weeks ago, having undergone overhaul. It was the Wingatui which got into difficulties with a strong gale off the West Coast a few months ago and was blown right round the North Island before reaching Wellington. CANTERBURY" STORM. CHRISTCHURCH, December G. An electrical storm, which brought heavy rain and hail, broke over a wide area of Canterbury this afternoon. In most districts the rain was welcomed by farmers, although it interrupted shearing and haymaking; but the hail left a trail of damage in North Canterbury. Apple orchards at Loburn suffered severely, and crops were flattened over a wide area. In Christchurch the storm broke shortly before 3 p.m. Dark clouds banked up threateningly, and then the thunder and lightning began Heavy rain soon followed, and there were more vivid flashes of lightning during the afternoon. The rain continued steadily until early in the evening, when it began to slacken off. A change in the weather actually began early in the morning, when a frost of .6 degrees was registered at the Magnetic Observatory, and 4.2 [degrees was registered at the R.N..Z.A.F. station at Wigram.