DOMINION NEWS

Grey River Argus, 21 March 1945, Page 2

DOMINION NEWS

BOY REMANDED ON MURDER CHARGE. P.A. MASTERTON, March 20. On a murder charge, Noel Ingram Brooks, 13 years, was remanded to Greytown on April 18, when he appeared before Mr. La-wry, S.M., in the Masterton Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The charge followed the Matarawa shooting on Sunday, when accused’s mother and his ten-year-old brother were fatally shot and a 16-year-old sister was wounded in the arm. ARM AMPUTATED BY BELT. P.A. GORE, March 19. An employee of the Mat aura Freezing- Works, Norman J. Shore, aged 24 years, only son of J. Shore, Jacobstown, was admitted to the Gore Hospital, this morning, after having his right arm amputated. He was endeavouring to clear a skin mangle when his arm was caught in the belt and amputated above the elbow. . His condition was reported to be serious. BOOKMAKERS FINED'. P.A. OFOTIKI, March 19. In the Opotiki Magistrate’s Court on Saturday, before Justices of tfie Peace, Horace Clark, a bookmaker, and Timothy John Hickey, a hairdresser, were each charged with carrying on the business of a bookmaker. Both defendants had been previously convicted and each was fined £5O. BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS. CHRISTCHURCH, March 17. The South Island women’s junior baseball championship tournament opened to-day in perfect weather. The West Coast team was unable to travel and Canterbury B team substituted for them. Results: First Series —Canterbury A 36, Canterbury B 16; Otago 6, Southland 3. Second Series ; —Southland 31, Canterbury B 1; / Otago 17, Canterbury A 8. Third Round—Otago 21, Canterbury 2, Canterbury A 12, Southland 8; Otago won the title. RURAL HOUSING PROGRAMME AUCKLAND, March 20. _ Statejnents by the Minister of Agriculture that the dela> z in the rural housing programme was due to the disinclination of builders to take country contracts, were strongly refuted by Mr. A. Stephen, president of the Master Builders’ Association, in a j statement this morning. Mr Stephen said the Officer-in-Charge of the State Housing Department, Auckland, got into touch with the secretary of the Master Builders Association, regarding rural housing in December last. The officer outlined a scheme the Department was contemplating, and stated he proposed to supply a chart to the master builders’ office at frequent intervals, setting out the units required in order of priority, so that the executive of the association could organise the builders available for the work. . “This was promised in December, 1944,’’ said Mr Stephen, “and so far we’ve received no further information from the State Housing Department. We were amazed, therefore, to read the statement that builders would not co-operate, as we consider members of the Master Builders’ As-, sociation have proved during the defence period they are willing to assist in any urgent work when called upon.” There seemed to be a tendency in I some Government Departments, said I Mr Stephen, to keep master builders 'in the dark concerning housing

sehqmes until tenders were called, and then they expected builders to drop work in hand and help them out. If there was any lack of cooperation, as stated in the Press reports, it was not on the part of the Master Builders Association, but on the Government Departments. When this was realised by the officials concerned, some progress might be made.