In the Dominion

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20150, 19 May 1928, Page 6

In the Dominion

The annual meeting of the Otago branch of the Educational Institute passed a resolution that in view of the anomalies and increasing discontent with the teachers’ grading scheme the Department be asked to formulate & scheme that will meet with more general approval. A Gisborne message states that while playing on a bridge over the Taruheru River yesterday afternoon, a nine-year-old boy named Douglas Barradell, whose parents reside in Wipere Street, fell into the water aivl was carried away and drowned. The body has not yet been recovered. It is understood that the Canterbury movement in regard to cheap petrol may come to Wellington. Mr Stott, secretary of the Automobile Club, approached on the subject said that the proposal had not yet been submitted to members. He could not commit the club in any way, but if a majority of the members favoured the proposal no doubt it would be taken up. Interest in petroleum operations at New Plymouth has been revived by the renewed activity for the Blenheim bore at Moturoa. For some time operations have been directed towards plugging the bore at about 2000 ft. in order tc test the strata at that depth. Latelj oil has been flowing intermittently yielding about four barrels daily. Since last right the flow has become much stronger and is estimated at 12 barrels daily. Before J* r H. A. Young, S.M., Leslie Albert Urquhart, of Hastings, forest ranger, was convicted at Danncvirke of having been in a state of intoxication ■while in charge of a motor lorry. He was fined £lO and ordered to pay £4 expenses. His license was suspended un--til May 31, 1929. Accused had been given a friendly warning by a constable to get some one to take the lorry to a garage and stay in town for the night, but he did not do so. Subsequently in the middle of the night the lorry capsized when defendant was proceeding to his camp in the Ruahine Ranges. A fine of £lO was inflicted on Thomas Bugler who was charged before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., at the Police Court at Dunedin yesterday with being intoxicated while in charge of a motor vehicle on May 1. The defence was that the accident, out of which the charge arose, was unavoidable, and that any appearances of insobriety were due to shock. The Magistrate, after hearing the evidence, said that he was convinced that defendant was intoxicated, but it was not a flagrant case of its type. In view of the fact that defendant’s livelihood was at stake, he would not prohibit him f*om driving.