TELEGRAMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 January 1921, Page 4

TELEGRAMS.

VARIOUS DOMINION ITEMS, j

[by TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION]

INDKCENT PHOTOGRAPHS. j AUCKLAND, Jan. 24. The sale of nine indecent photograph 1 was admitted in the Police Court to- . day by Charles Davies. Chiaf-Detec- ; tive McMahon said it was a very bad case. The accused was a married man with thirteen children and was employed as a billiard marker. He void the photographs to young men who frequented the saloon. Accused said he did not think the photographs were indecent, The Magistrate said different countries had different standards of oecency. On the Continent these photoerrnphs might be considered allowable hut in New Zealand they were rm considered decent. He imposed t hue of £25, in default one. month’s imprisonment. *•

SCHOOL BUILDINGS. . j WELLINGTON, January 24. j \ conference will he held here tomorrow to discus, the vexed question oi school building. It will be opened by tlie Minister (the Hon. C. J. Parr), j,nd attended by the chairman, secretaries, and architects of the various Boards. Addresses will he deliverod b> Spencer, chief officer of the Build-ings-Department, and the new archuect of the Department, Mr J. Main. WELLINGTON CHAMPIONSHIPS. WELLINGTON, January 24. 'll,O Wellington provincial lawn tennis championship tournament was continued at Masterton to-day in glorious weather. The courts were much improved. A large attendance was ure-

sent. The men’s championship doubles vns won by l’eacock' and Swanston ; Wellington) after a hard fought three set match from Dr. Salmond and Salmond » V W ollington). In the men’s handicap singles Frame and E, Reeves will meet in the semifinal and the winner will play Barkham. Mrs T. H. Potter, the provincial ladies’ champion, and Miss Nancy Curtis the New Zealand champion, will tact in the final of the ladies’ singles. 0 F. Williams (Wellington) created n surprise by defeating F. S. Wilding (Christchurch) in the men's singles. The final has yet to he decided. The men’s handicap doubles has rot yet been completed. The tournament will he continued on Tuesday n.o’ning. FALL in BACON PIGS. WELLINGTON, January 21. There has been a rapid fall latolv in the prices offered by curers for bacon pigs. Farmers who formerly sold their baconcrs at lid per lb. are now asked to accept fkl. There appears to be no definite explanation of the sudden change in the market. Farmers in many districts are complaining of tlio position particularly as they state that there has not been a commensurate reduction in the retail price of bacon. The announcement of a fall of 3d per lb. ill baconers was recently made’ There has now been a. further fall in the price to 6d as stated above. Hams i and bacon are .accordingly realising lower wholesale values.

WELLINGTON WOOL SALES. WELLINGTON, January 21

The catalogues for the Wellington wool sales closed this erening. The to t:tl offering will be approximately 15,000 to 15,500 bales. A full bench of buyers is expected including representatives of Bradford, American, and Continental interests.

POTATO GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION

IT MAR C, January 24

The council of the South Inland Po tato Grower*’ Association has appointed the Canterbury Farmer#* Co-operative Association selling and distributing agents for the area from the Waitaki to the Ha agitata. The agency will employ the facilities at all the E.F.C.A. branches in the district. The managing agent, Mr T. Buxton, reported that the enrolment of growers in North and South Canterbury was very satisfactory. He leaves for the South tomorrow going as far as Orepuki. Afterwards he goes to the North Maud to appoint selling agents.

EXTENSIVE FRAUD ALLEGED

AUCKLAND ,Jnn 21

Extensive operations with alleged valueless cheques and an almost empty hank account, resulting in a number of well-known Auckland firms being involved, were described in the Police Court to-day. when Will. O’Dwyer aged 34 had a number of charges preferred against him. Evidence was given that, in a number of instances, the accused described himself ns being in the fish trade, and the. bait he used was evidently swallowed by his victims. The secretary of the Tonson Garlick Ltd., obliged by cashing a £lO cheque; the Traffic Manager of the Devonport ■Steam Ferry Co. was good for £4; David Anderson rose to the tune of £3l and Arthur Cleave was alleged to be mulcted in twee sums of £45 and £ls Bs. No fewer than twenty-live cheques were stated to he dishonoured, their total value being £345 18s fid. A hank clerk from Palmerston North deposed that O’Dwyer opened an account by depositing £3 7s. On Sept. 21st lie added £4 5s 3d, and a week later £5 wa» withdrawn, and the total standing at. the credit of the accused was only £‘2 12s fid. O’Dwyer asked this witness why lie had not been notified that his account was overdrawn.

Chief-Detective McMahon remarked that it would not fie very difficult for the accused to come to this decision himself when lie had cheques out for £345.

Accused: I will prove l otherwise at the Supreme Court. Detective-Sergeant Hammond stated that when he showed accused a list of tie cheques issued at Auckland, and told him he would lie charged with obtaining these amounts by false pretences, O’Dwyer explained that one of them was a gambling debt amounting to £l7 12s. No complaint had been received in respect to that cheque.

Accused pleaded not guilty, and reserved his defence. He was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.