DOCTOR'S CAR TAKEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25053, 17 November 1944, Page 4

DOCTOR'S CAR TAKEN

OUTSIDE A HOSPITAL TWO MEN IMPRISONED (0.c.) HAMILTON, Thursday "This is a serious charge of conversion because the car was taken from outside a hospital, regardless of whether it was a doctor's or not," said Mr S. L. Paterson, S.M., in Hamilton today when Allan Clark Little wood, aged 23, miner (Mr-Black) and Sydney Andrew Paget, aged 22, soldier, were charged with converting a motor-car, the property of Dr It. S. A. Graham. Senior-Sergeant McHiigh said the men took the car from outside the Waikato Hospital and drove around Hamilton in it with two girls. They abandoned it next day. Each accused was sentenced to three months' imprisonment. THEFT FROM OARAGE VEHICLE FOUND ABANDONED A motor-car valued at £BOO was stolen from the premises of the Eden Motor Body Company, Limited, 117-119 Albert Street, on Wednesday night. The tank contained about 14 gallons of petrol. The theft was discovered yesterday morning and there was no indication of how the thieves entered the building. The car is owned by the The vehicle was recovered by tins police last night Abandoned in Crummer Road, Grey Lynn. CONVERSION INTO FLATS PARNELL RISE BUILDINGS (0.C.) WELLINGTON,' Thursday Buildings on Parnqll Rise, Auckland, which have provided living accommodation for Air Force personnel have been vacated and instructions issued to the Director of Housing Construction for work to proceed immediately on their conversion into residential fiats, stated the Minister of Works, Mr Semple, this morning. The Minister said that when the buildings were erected they were so designed that when declared surplus to military requirements they would .need only certain fitments and additional subdivision to be suitable for flat purposes. The total number of housing units that would be provided would be 16. Mr Semple added that plans for the Government flats in Symonds Street and Grey's Avenue were in an advanced stage, but it was not possible to say when they would be completed.

MISSING AIRCRAFT NO TRACE OF CORSAIR (P.A.) WELLINGTON. Thursday ■ In spite of a most intensive search by air no trace has been found of the Corsair fighter in which Pilot-Officer B. K. Barstow, of Christchurch, was reported missing between Westport and Harewood on Saturday afternoon during a training flight. The air search meantime is being discontinued, but exhaustive inquiries are being made in an endeavour to locate the place where the aircraft came down. INCOME TAX CASES PROSECUTIONS AT HAMILTON (0.C.) HAMILTON, Thursday Failure to furnish income tax returns was admitted before Mr S. L. Paterson, S.M., in Hamilton today by Charles Given, farmer, of Walton (Mr Tompkins); Cornelius Mitchell Martin, dyer and cleaner, of Thames; Robert Moss Taylor, chemist, of Thames (Mr Tompkins); and Frank Edgar "Southcombe, storekeeper, of Owhanga. Mr Tompkins said that last year Given's house was destroyed by fire and lie lost his records. Counsel said that owing to ill-health Taylor had not been able to keep his accounts in order. Martin stated that he had been in financial difficulties for some time. He was 71 and would retire under the social security scheme if he could extricate himself from his financial commitments. The magistrate said it seemed ironical that the State should prosecute and tax a man when at the same time it was obliged to keep him and would keep him if lie could get out of this difficulty. Southcombe said tlat he also was financially embarrassed and found difficulty in meeting his obligations. The magistrate imposed a fine of £5 on the first charge against Given and £lO on the second. Martin was fined £2 on one count and £2 on a second. Taylor was fined £lO and Southcombe was fined £2 on each of three charges. RAILCARS NOT AVAILABLE (0.C.) ROTORUA, Thursday The Rotorua Chamber of Commerce has been advised by the Minister of Railways, Mr Semple, that a railcar service between Rotorua and Hamilton is not available, as all such cars in the Dominion are in use, and it is not possible to secure others from overseas. THIEF CAUSES FIRE (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday A thief who stole paint brushes and other equipment from the new community centre at Risingholme, Opawa, early this morning, set fire to the workshop and store and caused damage amounting to several hundred pounds. The main building narrowly escaped destruction. • The community centre will be opened on Saturday and painters have been working on it. WALLSEND MINE IDLE (0.C.) OREYMOUTH. Thursday Because of trouble with the fan, the Wallsend mine was idle today. Repairs were effected and the mine will resume