DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 July 1930, Page 2

DOMINION ITEMS.

TAXI LOTTERY

(By Telegraph—Pre» Association)' AUCKLAND, July 11. The Taxi Coy’s scheme to obtain extra business led ‘to. the prosecution of three men to-day for what the Magistrate termed ii trivial offence, the men charged commencing a lottery by which free rides in taxis . were ' gained by chance. ' ’ , ■,

The device consisted of arrows painted on the. wheels of the c.gbs arid dots on the mudguards. If when the ride was finished the arrow pointed to a. dot the passenger-was not charged. It was stated a detective had taken two' rides but was charged each time, and both drivers admitted that they had never, been caught. The company admitted the innovation had increased business..

The Magistrate said it was a lottery but was not serious. The defendants must discontinue it - and were ordered to pay costs. t

SWINDLER GAOLED. AUCKLAND, July 11. A deliberate swindle, which has been going on for months, was how Magistrate Hunt described the offences ot William Thomas Watson, 41, jplumber, who pleaded guilty to eight charges of obtaining £9 19g 6d from persons by falsely representing the tickets purported to be issued by the Queensland Golden Casket Art Union, which is conducted by the Queensland Government.

The police said Watson was in Queensland a year ago and evidently became conversant with the Golden Casket lotteries, including dates of the drawing. He induced a printer to print five hundred tickets, which were similar to the genuine tickets, and had printed on them the correct dates "of the drawing. Although Watson . said he had profited only £5, his pal was convinced the profit was much greater. Watson pleaded lie 1 was driven to the offence by poverty, following unemployment. One month’s imprisonment was imposed.

MAN, FOUND DEAD.

DUNEDIN, July 11

Sydney Andrew Mitchell, 31, single, was found dead in his bedroom this morning. The ,-body was lying across the bed with a bullet wound in the right temple. A rifle was found in th© room and nobody in the house heard the shot'fired, The deceased, who was born in London, served during th© war as a Lieutenant Tn the Imperial Forces and spent some time in India. He came to New Zealand about 18 months ngo and had lived her© for the last four months. He was a salesman by occupation. LAWYER DISQUALIFIED. WELLINGTON, July 11. On the motion of Mr H. F. Von Haast, the Court of Appeal to-day made an order striking John Douglas Vernon, of Te Kuiti, 'barrister and solicitor, off the rolls of barristers and solicitors of the Dominion. Charges were brought against Vernon by the Hamilton Law Society. They were that he had misappropriated the funds of his clients, and that he was generally unfitted to be a member of the profession. Mr Hanna, counsel for Vernon, consented to the order, and £ls 15s costs were, allowed the Law Society. A SUGGESTION. NELSON, July 11. In reserving judgment in a case where a motor cyclist was charged with negligently driving a motor cycle, the Magistrate Mr T. E>. Maun sell, said that the time had arrived when there' should be a -law making it necessary for pedestrians to walk on the right hand side of the road. RA CING CONFERENCE. WELLINGTON, July 11. The use of assumed names by owners was discussed by the Racing Crime) ence. The majority of opinion was that it would be a retrograde step to allow owners to use assumed names, and a Canterbury remit favouring the change on being put, was rejected by 28 votes to 1.4. The Racing Conference remit from Wanganui was altered to read: “That a committee be set up to consider and report on a scheme .to improve the racing of apprentices in’ New Zealand,’’ and was then passed.

BAG SNATCHING CASE. CHRISTCHURCH, July 11. • A (bag-snatching case of unusual' audacity, in which an Addington lady was the victim, occurred in Deans Avenue, Riecarton, about 7 o’clock on Wednesday evening. " The lady was cycling at the time, and was carrying her. handbag, containing a few pounds, in her hand, which was resting on the handlebar. The thief rode up from behind and xnade a grab at the handbag. In the struggle for possession that followed, the lady overbalanced and fell, suffering minor bruises. The thief immediately made off with the hag.

WELLINGTON ACCIDENT.

WELLINGTON, July 10.

A faulty landing yesterday by an Aero Club member after a solo flight resulted in damage to a Simmonds’ Spartan ’plane, the axle and the propellor being broken. A new propellor is being obtained from Sydney, and the machine will be out of commission for a fortnight.

SLY GROG SELLING

WELLINGTON, July , ll>.

Substantial penalties were imposed by. Air. E. Page, S.M., .this afternoon on two persons who appeared Magistrate’s Court on charges of slv grog selling as a result of a raid made bv Senior-Sergeant H. H. Butter auu a party of police on a bouse at 252, Willis Street, on Tuesday night. Accused were William Pain, aged 2.1 years,' and' Agnes Price, alias Davis, aged thirty years. The male accused was charged with' selling liquor without a license, and the female accused with being privy to the sale in a house of which she was an occupier. Each was fined £lO and costs.

VITAL STATISTICS

WELLINGTON., July 16.

The vital staistics for the month of June show that the total live births registered for urban areas amounted to 964 a,s against 1078 in May, a decrease of 114.

Deaths in June were 6*lo—an increase of 95 as compared with May, Of the total deaths males contributed 324 and females 2(6, Sixty-four of the death# were of children under five years of age, being 10.67 per cent. "Sf the whole number. Frirty-nine of : these were under one year of age.

NURSES AND MIDWIVES. WELLINGTON. July 10. By a Gazette to-night it is notified that the regulations of 1928 under the Nurses and Midwives Registration Act of 1925 are revoked, and in lieu thereof a new set of regulations are gazetted which come immediately into force. RUN OVER BY DRAY. NELSON, July 11. J. Westbrook, employed on the road restoration work of Fern Flat, Murchison, was killed this morning, by being run over by a dray, when the horse 1 bolted.