DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 October 1927, Page 2

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association

TAYO CARS COLLIDE.

BLENHEIM, Oct. 28. A motor accident occurred on the main highway at Grovetown last night. Two cars met with such a violent impact, that one of them was badly wrecked and the other momentarily out of control, left the road grazed a telegraph pole and crashed into a stump where it was pulled up quite undamaged. Fred Dodson, of Spring Creek, was driving the car home from Blenheim when be encountered a car driven by Hugh Murray, of Grovetown, who was driving in the opposite direction. Murray’s car struck the rear wheel of Dodson’s car with such force that the wheel was smashed right off and was sent spinning over a fence where it was found some thirty feet from the scone of the collision. The whole rear axle assembly of the car was wrenched out of place and the mudguard, running board and petrol tank crumpled up. but the car name to a dead stop immediately after the smash and Dodson was quite unhurt and Mr Heide who accompanied him was unhuif. Murray’s car was practically undamaged and the occupants unhurt.

BA.IL ESTREATED. AUCKLAND. Oct, 28. AA’illiam Charles Courtney and Leonard Courtney were ordered by Judge Reed this morning to forfeit sureties of £SO each, because of the failure of their cousin, AA’illiam Jns. Courtney to appear for trial lor the fhe r t of ail overcoat valued at £3 3s from tho Albert Hotel. The opinion was expressed that when accused’s name was called earlier in the week that be bad gone to Australia.

CHAMBERS OE COMMERCE. CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 28

The annual conference opened to-day of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand. Mr AV. Machin presided and 40 delegates were present. In an address, Air Machin said: “AVe have spent a great deal of money in making comfort and luxury easier to get. and this in turn had made necessities harder to obtain and dearer. AVe have sought to stimulate secondary industries by tariffs. AA’e have tried control legislation for some ot our primary exports, but the recent untortunate experiment of compulsory control and price fixing in the case ot butter, now abandoned, lias shaken the faith of the public, and control and compulsion in business are becoming discredited in favour of more freedom and elasticity. AVe need to learn that short cuts to prosperity are often illusory. AA hat is needed is more production, less expenses and more savings. 'lbis sounds like plain fare instead of the banquet we all desire.

ARBITRATION COURT DISCUSSED CHRISTCHURCH. Oct. 28.

The constitution of the Arbitration Court was discussed by the Associated Chambers of Commerce. Some speakers urged that the Court’s awards were responsible for the curtailment of output ; that preference to unionists should be abolished and that payment should be by results. At the close oi the discussion, a committee of five, including the President was appointed to bring down a report on Monday on the following motion :—“ That the conference does not support the abolition of the Court; at the same time it considers ail amendment is called for and in particular the question demands consideration whether a c-ourt of three independent members one of whom should be an economist of note, is not likely to give more satisfactory results than tlie existing constitution of the Court.”

STRIKING AVORK. AVELLTNGTOX, Oct. 28

All through the winter it has been suspected that a certain proportion of the alleged unemployed was composed of men who did not really want work and would not take it if offered, and this was confirmed by the recent experience by the Welfare Committee. Fourteen men were nominated for relief works at Nelson, and provided with hoots and blankets, hut only eight turned up at the steamer, and of them -but half reported for work. Some of the applicants sold the equipment issued to them. The committee struck the defaulters off the list and marked them as not to receive assistance again under any circumstances. The matter was placed in the hands of the police for further action.

DRIVER FINED

CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 28.

“This is a very serious ease. The defendant was driving a petrol tank. There was a tramcar coining in an opposite direction, the motorman clanged his bell and had practically stopped when the defendant collided with the ear.” Senior-Sergeant Fitzpatrick made these remarks at the Magistrate’s Court in regard to Eduard Charles Eskett, who pleaded guilty to a charge of negligent driving along Riccarton Road. The Magistrate imposed a £lO fine and cancelled his license till March, 1928.

LOCAL BODIES’ LOAN. WELLINGTON, Oct. 20. A meeting of the Local Government Ijoans Board was held on Tuesday, Mill E Haves, Secretary of the Treasury, presiding. Nine applications, totalling £307,680. were dealt with, sanction being given for £298,320 new loans and £2700 for a renewed loan The other applications were dcleirec or declined. Among the applications wore throe from the Wellington City Council, amounting to £290 8.0. AI « considering the objections the Boaid sanctioned these loans subject to a Sinking Fund adjustment, and provision for a poll of ratepayers.

LAND SETTLEMENT. AUCKLAND, Oct. 27. A strong inquiry for land during the last three months is mentioned by Mi O N. Campbell, Commissioner of Crown Lands of the North Auckland District. “ \ new note of optimism is apparent,” he said. “Of course, inquiries are very guarded as to valuations, but during the last three months the board has disposed of quite a number of sections, some of them abandoned holdings, and some virgin country. In regard to abandoned holdings, the policy of the Department is to cut prices and get the land into occupation again rather than to allow prices to cut themselves by deterioration.” It is Mr Campbell’", opinion that a new wave of land settlement is developing, and that great development will take place in the north. “A new spirit of confidence is in the. air.” lie added.

LEG AMPUTATED. AUCKLAND, Oct. 27. R. Stack, a member of the Newton Rugby League senior team, who met wit’ll injuries in the Roope Rooster match against Richmond, and has l«?en an inmate of the Auckland Hospital since October Ist. yesterday had a leg amputated.

MAIN HIGHWAYS FUNDS. WELLINGTON. Oct. 27. The. monthly meeting of the Alain Highways poarej was held at Welling-

ton last week. Air J. AA r . Furkert presided. A financial statement prepared for the half year ending September 30th. shows the total expenditure out of revenue fund at £IBO,OOO and out of construction fund £288,000. The corresponding figures for last year were £167,000 and £213,000 respectively.

HOMESTEAD ABLAZE. MASTER-TON, Oct. 28. A fire of unknown origin totally destroyed an 11-roomed homestead at Longridge Station, twelve miles from Alasterton. It was owned by AA'. Howard Booth of Carterton. The manager, Air C. AroLean and his wife and three children ; also two men sleeping on the premises escaped in their night attire. The building was insured for £7OO. It is not known if the manager’s furniture and effects were covered. BLAZE AT RAPANUI. CHRTSTCWOICH, Oct.' 28 Over two thousand pounds worth of damage was done by fire early this morning, when the machine shop in the mill of Imperial Timbers Ltd. near the Papanui Railway Station, was reduced to a heap of ruins. The brigade arrived promptly, but the fire was burning strongly. Tho task was hopeless. Fortunately there was an absence of wind, or the sawmill and timlier stacks of J. J. Hall’s Timber Company, adjoining, would have been in grave danger. Three stacks of timber caught tire, but the flames .were extinguished, otherwise threequarters of a million feet of timber would have been lost. The building and plant wore insured in the Royal Insurance Office for £llOO.

X.Z. INCOME TAX. CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 28. The Associated v numbers of Commerce. at their conference to-dav, carried the following remit: “This conference expresses its great disappointment in the failure of the Government to give relief to income tax payers in its recent legislation. It notes that certain anomalies in the graduation have been adjusted, which, the Government has stated, were necessary before a general reduction could be made. This adjustment having been effected, the conference urges, and confidently expects, substantial relief on the next Financial Bill.”

The conference also passed a' remit disapproving the suggested increase in the salaries or members of Parliament, “ as being most inopportune owing to the present financial stringency.”

LAND TAX. CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 28. The following remit, relating to tho Chambers of Commerce Conference to- X day: “That this conference is of tho opinion that, should the Government not accept at ouc-e the recommendations of tho Royal Commission of 1921 on the subject of the land tax, the Government should immediately give favourable consideration to the following proposals: (a) That the present system of graduated land tax on urban properties should he abolished; (b) that the assessing of the land tax against lessees and occupiers, as distinct from the owners, being unjust, should he abolished. The mover was Air IT. P. Caughey ( Auckland), who said the present burden prevented the normal growth / and extension of enterprise in urban areas. The remit was passed after discussion.

ASSAULT CHARGES. WELLINGTON, Oct. 28. Thomas Duke, a seaman, aged 36, charged with assaulting Chin Lam, causing him actual bodily harm, and robbing him of £1 15s, pleaded guilty and was remanded for sentence. A case was commenced in the Supreme Court to-day when a young Italian named Severino Stedile, was J charged with assaulting a one-armed newspaper seller, Henry Alexander .J Miller, so as to cause him actual bodily J harm, and of committing common assault. It is alleged that Stedile broke Miller’s leg in kicking him. The defence is that Aliller commenced tho trouble, and the leg was broken by Aliller tripping and falling.

SUNDAY LIQUOR TRADING. WELLINGTON, Oet. 28. Joseph Quinn, licensee of the Cricketer’s Arms Hotel, was fined £2 10s to-day for Sunday trading.

IMPORTERS AND THE TARIFF. CHRISTCHURCH, Oet. 28. V The Chambers of Commerce Conference overwhelmingly rejected the following remit: " That this conference considers that the increased preference that lias been given to British countries under the new tariff is prejudicial to the interest of this Dominion, and that the previous tariff covered all the preference that should he required from New Zealand.” IMAIIGRATION OUESTION. WELLINGTON, Oct. 29. The Immigration Department is indignant at the aspersions east on it over a ease of undesirable immigrants which occupied the attention of the Hospital Board Committee this week. It says it was not approached in any way and gave no “shuffling reply” as reported by one member. The department knew of the ease and every precaution was taken to prevent them landing as soon as it was known the family was returning Telegrams were sent to Auckland requesting immediate action hut apparently as they had paid their own fares, the law as it stood was insufficient to keep them out. DREDGER SAFE. GISBONRE, Oct. 29.

The dredger John Townley, which was stranded yesterday was hauled off - the beach this morning undamaged. EAIPI.OYAIENT AFTER HOURS. WELLINGTON, Oct. 28. Frederick Carr, manager of the Ritz restaurant, was fined £2 for employing women after 10.30. Three women, who worked after that hour, were ordered to pay costs.