TELEGRAMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 March 1920, Page 4

TELEGRAMS.

[per TRESS ASSOCIATION .—COPYRIGHT. ]

SIR J. ALLEN RESIGNS. WELLINGTON, March 25. The resignation of Sir James Alien as a member for Bruce, in the House of Representatives has been gazetted.

THE PRIME MINISTER’S HEALTH. WELLINGTON, March 25. The Prime left the private hospital to-night to go to liis home. He will have to remain quiet for at least another week, probably longer. state forests. WELLINGTON, March 25 Proclamations issued in the “Gazette” to-night declare certain lands have been set apart as provisional State forests. The areas mentioned no portions of Crown Land in Auckland, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Nelson, Ma rlborongh, Westland, and. Southland. The total area is in the neighbourhood of a million and a-half acres. These areas, which are under hush at present, are to be held as forest reserves pending, reports of the Chief Forestry officer, who will recommend measures to he taken by the Forestry Department. 'Some large blocks are included. One Southland block is estimated at 91,000 acres.

The Nelson areas include blocks of 106,000 acres, 66,000 acres and 53,000 acres. The blocks reserved are of all sizes. Some of them are under 100 acres. THE ARMAGH TRAGEDY. WELLINGTON, Marri 25 The circumtsanees of the tragedy on the steamer Armagh on Tuesday night were investigated by the District Coroner to-day when an inquest was held touching the death of Robert McNab, storekeeper on the steamer Waikaia.

In connection with this affair a fireman named Benjamin Henry Bright stands indicted on a charge of murder. Alfred Farmsworth, able seaman said he was talking to Quartermaster Armstrong at the Armagh’s gangway when, the accused, Bright, and a friend came on board. When a man named Collins appeared on the scene in company with McNab, Bright said-, “Collins, come here.” Charley Collins no proached Bright, who hit him on the mouth, knocking hitn down. The deceased, McNab, was leaning against th« ' etrfcihrfco'r,— smoking a cigarette. Bright remarked to" him - - “What did yon hold me for?” McNab made no reply, aiid Bright then struck him on the face. Deceased fell to the decb, and while he was lying there, Brigat kicked him on the body three times. Witness did not see McNab interfere with Bright. Accused did not kick deceased very hard. William John Armstrong, quartermaster of the Armagh, testified to seeing a bit of a tussle between deceased and Bright. His attention had bce-i attracted before this by Collins reclaiming : “Don’t hit me again; 1 m crook.” Witness saw accused ki k >.t McNab about three times. McNab went hack about three yards befor - falling. Doctor Kingston Fyfe, who made a post mortem examination of the body of deceased, stated that lie found a superficial bruise about an inch :.bov« the left eye, and another over Die right eye, and there was a. third bruise below the left knee. There was no fracture of tho skull or ribs. Neither was there any injury to the brain or fracture or dislocation of the neoK. The only cause of death witness tMild give was shock. The stomach was full of food.

To the Coroner: If the man \yas kicked in tlie solar plexus when the stomach was full, that might account for death.

The Coroner’s verdict was that deceased died on tho deck of the Armagh, after being knocked, down and kicked by Benjamin Henry Bright, the cause of death being shock.

OVERCROWDED SCHOOLS. WELLINGTON, March 25

The new Minister of Education Hon. J. Parr, said to-day that he intends to take up, as his first test, the ovorcrowding problems in schools. He has already had something to say about conditions in his own city of Auckland, and he has spent some time in acquiring personal knowledge of the conditions in Wellington, where the state of things is considered to be almost as bad °as in Auckland. Fortunately the worst overcrowding is confined to these two cities. In Christchurch the evil is not very serious, and in Dunedin it exists hardly at all. Mr Parr feels his first important duty is to see that overcrowding is checked by the erection, as speedily as possible, of suitable school buildings. After Easter, by which time Mr Parr should be sworn in as Minister he intends to visit Christchurch and Dunedin to see what are the conditions of- the schools in those cities. “In respect o this evil of overcrowding,” he says, “I consider it should b© m y first duty I -want to see that conditions in every school are-made healthful. It is no use to provide the best system of eductaion for children if at the same time we house, them in schools under crowded conditions and so undo all the good work of physical training we are at pains to provide for them.

INFECTIOUS DISEASES. WELLINGTON, March 25. Anthrax, eresipelas and tetanus have been declared by special order to be infectious diseases within the meaning of the Public Health Act. They require to be reported to authorities, in all cases. RAILWAY APPEAL BOARDS. WELLINGTON, March 25. Mr E. Pago, S.M., has been appointed chairman to the North Island and the ISbuth Island Railway Appeal Boards. hydrolleotrto POWER. WANGANUI, March 25. As a result of a conference with the consulting engineer (Mr S. Irwin Crookes), the Wanganui Borough Council has decided to secure all the necessary data in regard to the early development of the hydro-electric power source on Wangehu river. It has been ascertained that by a dam on the river, six thousand horsepower can be secured. The scheme provides for a submerged power station in the dam which is the first of its kind in tho British Empire.