DOMINION NEWS JUDGE CONCERNED AT CRIME INCREASE

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 May 1946, Page 4

DOMINION NEWS JUDGE CONCERNED AT CRIME INCREASE

Concern at the incidence of burglary and similar crimes was expressed in the Supreme Court at Auckland yesterday by Mr Justice Callan, who said that nearly all these offences were committed by young men. A great many thoughtful citizens were very disturbed and were looking to the police and the Courts to protect society, he said. The ’circumstances cast upon the Court a duty to see that sentences might possibly operate as some deterrent to check these crimes. When admitting two youths to probation, his Honor said that he was not convinced that it was his duty to send them to a Borstal institution, although he took a great deal of convincing.—(P.A.)

Waiting List for ’Phones There is a waiting list of 1,695 applicants for telephones in the city of Dunedin. It was stated by the Acting Chief Postmaster there that there is no immediate prospect of these telephones becoming available —(PA.)

Parliament to Meet on June 26. In line with the recent announcement by the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) an extraordinary Gazette was published last night calling together members of the Legislative Council and the House of Representatives for the dispatch of business on Wednesday, June 26.—(P.J\.) Loans for Furniture.

An increase in the rehabilitation grant for furniture is desired by the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association which, at its annual conference yesterday, passed a remit that the maximum loan for furniture should'be increased to £2OO, free of interest, and that the loan should be repaid at the same weekly rate that applied for the existing maximum loan of £IOO.—(P.A.)

Maternity Accommodation. After the disclosures of a serious lack of accommodation in Auckland maternity hospitals, the Minister of Health (Mr. Nordmeyer) visited the Cornwall Hospital yesterday morning with a view to the possibility of its being used to relieve the position.,The Minister said he was unable to comment on the position generally at this stage, but he recognised the seriousness of the position and was taking steps to see what could be done to ease it.—(P.A.) Coal Mining Record. A record for work exceeded by none and equalled by comparatively few in New Zealand is held by miners of the Mount Somers and Blackburn coalmines, in the Ashburton district, who will be responding to the appeal by the Mining Controller (Mr. C. H. Benney) to work the mines on back Saturdays and the King’s Birthday holiday on Monday. The mines are staffed by 18 men who have worked every Saturday/(full day) as well as many holidays for the last five or six years. There has never been a strike in that area nor a stoppage of work for any cause whatsoever. New Coal Mine Opens.

Work began yesterday on the new open-cast coal mine at Retaruke, 12 miles from National Park. Coal seams have been located on a hillside over a large area. The Mines’ Department report shows that the coal is of good quality and sub-bituminous, comparing favourably with other coal on the market. The firm operating the mine has acquired modern machinery, and the manager expects a small output of coal during the next few weeks and that operations on a large scale will begin soon. Homes for employees will be built near the mine.— (P.A.)

Aircraftman in Trouble. Arrested in Auckland early yesterday morning, after the motor-car he had been driving at more than 60 miles an hour had outpaced the police patrol car, Andrew James Fullerton, aged 24, aircraftman, pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court to being intoxicated in charge of a motor-car and guilty to unlawfully converting to his own use a motor-car belonging to the Air Department. A fine of £2O was imposed on the first charge and the accused was disqualified from .holding a driver’s licence for 12 months. On the second count, he was admitted to probation for 18 months. — (P.A.)

Knife Wound Inflicted As a sequel to an affray in a house last month, a 17-year-old youth came before Mr Justice Cornish, in the Supreme Court at Auckland yesterday, for sentence on a charge of having wounded a man with intent to do grievous bodily harm. Counsel for the defence said that the youth had used a knife on a man who had later died in a hospital from heart failure, his death having no relation to the knife wounds. The attack had been made under great provocation after the boy had tried to get a girl away from a drinking party. The prisoner was admitted to probation for two years.— (P.A.)

Motor l-'egistration. Th’ee sets of regulations revoking war-tune emergency provisions concerning the annual licensing of motorvehicles. and providing for a return to peace-time licensing conditions wcie contained in the Gazette issued last evening. An outline of the Government’s intention to revert to prewar licensing requirements had been announced previously, but one interesting point contained in the regulations is that in future vehicles owned by the three armed services will be required to carry number plates.— (P.A.)

American War Dead. A tribute was paid to the memory of United States servicemen buried in Auckland at the annual memorial service held in the American forces’ section of the Waikumete cemetery yesterday morning. The service was attended by representatives of the consular corps, the clergy, the United States and New Zealand armed forces, and other civic and military organisations. Many New Zealand friends of the buried servicemen were present, and some laid flowers and wreaths against the small white crosses which mark the graves.— (P.A.)

Naval Casualties. The following naval casualties were officially announced last night:—Previously reported missing, now presumed dead: Alexander, Temporary-Lieutenant (A) James Douglas, of Wellington. Previously reported missing, now reported dead: Graham, Temporary Sub-LieUtenant (A) David Neil, of Christchurch; Churchill, Temporary Lieutenant (A) Adrian Hugh, of Rongotea; Bridge, Ordinary Seaman Wilfred, of Wellington; Tate, Able Seaman Charles Roydon, of Auckland; Wicks, Ordinary Seaman Colin Henry, of Christchurch; , Marks, Assistant Cook

Thomas Leslie, of Wellington; Hanbury, Ordinary Seaman Alfred William, of Auckland.—(P.A.) Warning to Wives. A warning to women who left their homes and refused to return to consider the possible consequences, especially as they affected the custody of any children of the marriage, was given by his Honor, Mr. Justice Fair in the Supreme Court at Christchurch yesterday. Women refusing to comply with orders for restitution'of conjugal rights should consider what view the Court would take if divorce proceedings followed, about maintenance and about the future custody of the children, he said. If maintenance were not to be granted it might not be very important to some such wives, but the future care of children had also to be decided, the Court working always on the principle that the welfare of the children came first. A woman who sought to evade her responsibilities to her husband by living an independent life and refusing to return to her home could expose herself to the risk of being separated from her children, whose custody might be given to their father. His Honor was commenting on a case in which it was alleged a wife had left home and simply refused to come back to it. She at present had custody of the two daughters of the marriage, and the one son of the marriage was living with the husband -(P.A.)