DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 August 1928, Page 3

DOMINION NEWS.

HOSPITAL LEVIES. MINISTER TO CALL A CONFERENCE. (By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 9. Answering criticism of a general nature regarding levies for hospital and charitable aid purposes the Minister of Health (the Hon. J. A. Young) in the House to-day forecasted a conference of the contributing authorities for the purpose of discussing a change in tho method of assessment. In his opinion-most complaints related to the amounts levied. Tho cost of the Dominion’s hospitals was two millions annually, and if they were made free, as some members advocated, it would mean another million and would cub off voluntary contributions, which totalled about £25,000. A suggestion had been made that hospital levies on local bodies should he based on a combination of ratable value and population, and he hoped to bring about a conference between municipal and rural interests to ascertain if they would agree on any revision of the basis of assessment. It would only relate to the method of finding the money, which had to bo collected from local bodies in any ease, because the Government would not change the general sytsem of hospital administration. It was prepared to facilitate a fairer adjustment jas Between .town and country districts. LEGALLY BINDING. WELLINGTON, Aug. 9. The Magistrate, Mr Page, to-day held as legally binding an agreement entered ‘into by a co-respondent in a divorce action to pay the petitioner £SO on condition that certain evidence was not offered. Samuel Husking Lake, engineer, Porirun. was plaintiff and Henry FL Edwards, of the Porirua Mental Hospital staff. was defendant.

In June Lake petitioned for divorce from his wife on the grounds of adultery, drunkenness and neglect of domestic duties. Two persons were joined as co-respondents, one being defendant. An agreement was entered into between petitioner, respondent and two co-respondents by which it was agreed, inter alia, first that petitioner would offer no evidence in support of the charges of adultery, and second that respondent would withdraw her defence to the eharges of drunkenness and neglect of domestic duties, and that the husband’s petition on those charges would go unclefended and as part of the agreement co-respondents each undertook to pay a sum of money, defendant’s amount being £SO and the other £75. The claim was resisted, the ground being that it was contrary to public policy. Mr Pago held that the amounts were in tho nature of costs and differentiated between this case and one of stopping a petition.

HEAD MASTER’S COMPLAINT. AUCKLAND, Aug. 9.

Mr R. E. Rudnian, principal of the Kowlmi Junior High School, writes to the Press as follows:—“Tho New Zealand Rugby Football League has complained to the Education Board ‘that pupils of the .Kowhai School have been informed that there will he picture matinees at which they will be free to attend. This, of course, would prevent the pupils from attending the football match.

“Many of the pupils of my school are attending out of school hours - the finest display of educational pictures ever shown in New Zealand. What business it is of the New Zealand Rugby Football League I do not know. If the principal, chairman of the committee, and parents have no objection. why should these Longue officials interfere with the children's pleasure and education? Personally, after hearing about the quality of last Saturday’s football and the sporting tone of the League leaders’ at Saturday’s dinner, I cannot see that the code has much to recommend itself to schoolboys. The Kowliai boys provide five Rugby trams, throe Soccer teams and two hockey tea ms every week in the intersolionl competitions, so the school cannot be accused of slackness in sport, and I don’t think this unwarrantable ‘butting in’ petty as it is, will help League football among the schoolboys.” JUVENILE TRAGEDIES. INVERCARGILL, Aug. IQ. While at school on Thursday morning, Edna Hartle, aged six years, a pupil at the South School, was seized with an epileptic fit and collapsed. She was removed to her home, where she died some hours later. Her death was reported to the Coroner, but it is understood that an inquest will not be necessary. It is stated that the child had previously been receiving medical treatment at Balclutlia, where slie showed symptoms of epileptic- trouble. A distressing accident resulting in the death of an infant occurred at Glen ham on Thursday, when Johan Sheila McDonald, aged 12 months, the daughter of Charles McDonald, Glenham, fell from her pram and was accidentally strangled. Mrs McDonald found the child half out of the pram, caught by her dress, which was wound so tightly around the child’s neck that, although it was at once removed, the child was already dead. AIT. EDEN ESCAPEE. TAUMARUNUI, Aug. 10. Further charges against John Leslie Buckley of breaking, entering and theft from the premises of the Tauniarunui Sash and Door Factory and Farmers’ Auctioneering Coy., in July, wore heard this afternoon at the Police Court. The former charge against accused was dismissed, while on the charges relating to the Auctioneering Cov., Buckley was committed for trial at Hamilton on August 28th. A further charge was made against the accused of stealing and converting to his own use a Packard car from Reniuera, Auckland, which eventually was found abandoned near Taumarunui. Accused pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to three months, to be concurrent with his present sentence.

USE OF PARK. CHRISTCHURCH, August 10. The N.Z. Rugby league has lieen refused the use of Lancaster Park for the test match with England on 2oth August. The Park Control Board has replied that the Rugby Union requires the Park on the date in question. The League test will be played at English Park.

TRAIN WAGONS DERAILED. DUNEDIN, August 11. At midday yesterday, nine loaded waggons on a mixed train from Dunedin to Oamaru were derailed two miles south of Knrtigi. The line was cleared in time to allow the passage of the Christchurch express.

THE DETONATOR- CASE. AUCKLAND, Aug. 10.

In the ease in which Arthur Frederick Rose, aged 18, claimed £IOOO damages against Grinter Bros., contractors, for the loss of fingors through the explosion of a detonator, the juiy at the Supreme Court to-day, after twelve minutes retirement returned a

verdict for the defendants, who, out of consideration for the plaintiff’s father, did not ask for costs. It was alleged on behalf of the plaintiff, that the detonators had been negligently handled and stored, hut witnesses for the defence denied this, and contended that the detonators may have been stolen by’ someone. COLLIDES WITH WHARF. AUCKLAND, Aug. 10. When moving to her berth at the central wharf at noon to-day the lamb steamer “Ihumata,” which had just arrived from Newcastle, collided with the western corner of the King’s Wharf. Her stem was badly buckled about ten feet above the water line, and the adjacent plate deeply dented. The vessel’s course took her close to the end of the King’s Wharf. The tide was running in strong, and, apparently, an eddy caught the stern of the vessel and swung her off her course. For a moment she was unmanageable, and she headed straight on to the corner of the wharf. The weight of the vessel, which is fully loaded with coal and hardwood, bent the stem where it struck the edge of the wharf, about a. foot out of the straight. As the damage is well above the water line, there will bo no need to dock the vessel. Her seaworthiness is not affected and it is expected that the only repairs necessary will be the tightening of the rivets which have been started by tho bending of the plates.