VARIOUS DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 March 1921, Page 4

VARIOUS DOMINION ITEMS.

TELEGRAMS. |

[BY TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION] j PUBLIC TRUSTEE. WELLINGTON, March I. The Cabinet baa decided to appoint < Mr John William Macdonald, at pie- i rent Assistant-Pplilie Trustee, to the position of Public Trustee, rendered vacant by the death of Mr R.-Triggs. Mr Macdonald, who is a New Zealander, was horn at Christchurch in IBSJ. In 1900 he joined the Justice Department, and qualified for the legal t rofession. He joined the Public Trust Office as a clerk, in the Legal Department, rose to solicitor, and in 1917 "as appointed Assistant Public .Trustee. E 1 NT!ER-PRIKT EVIDENCE

THE PONSONBY MURDER CASE. ; WELLINGTON, March 1. The Minister of Justice (the Hon E. p |; c( .) is issuing in pamphlet form to the officers of the Justice and Police Departments an official report ol the trial of Dennis Gunn, mainly as a textbook on finger print evidence. Gunn was tried for the ilitirclei of .Vngustus Braithwaite (the postmaster at Ponsonby), found guilty, and executed. The pamphlet contains a valuable appendix in the form ol illustratrations of linger prints. The illustration of prints found on the revolver and the cash boxes, and of Gunn’s own finger and paint prints, furnish remarkaide evidence AFTERMATH O.E A COURTMARTIAL. THE THOMPSON CASE. WEL 1.1 NOTON. March 1. The necessary papers in connexion with the opening of the Magisterial enquiry into the ease of FI. H. Thompson, .arising out of it court-martial, have been forwarded to the Governor General. Thompson petitioned for compensation for alleged wrongful imprisonment by the military authorities, to have his name and the offence with which he was charged expunged from the military records and to have the fact announced in the “Gazette.'' The oil cnee for which he was ordered 112 days’ confinement was an allegation that the doctor who examined hint was noticeably under the influence of alcoholic liquor. Subsequently the doctor’s wife secured it divorce on the ground that her husband was an habitual drunkard Thompson was released after 9J days' detention. The House of Representatives adopted a recommendation of the Petitions Committee that his petition should receive favourable consideration To enable the finding of the courtmartial to be enquired into it was necessary to amend the Commission of Enquiry Act. Tin's was done, and the outcome is the taking of stops for a Magisterial enquiry.

THE OYSTER SEASON. TNi r F/Rcargill, AUm-h i. The oyster season opened to-day when each of four boats averaged 90 bags for the market. The oysters proved to lie in splendid condition. Advice was received from the Union Company to-day that contrary to the expectations of local merchants, ovsters may ho shipped to Wellington. A consignment will go north to-morrow RULING DESIRED FROM FULL COURT. NEW DIVORCE ACT. INVERCARGILL, March 2. A petition for divorce under Clause 4 of the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Amendment Act, 1920, was before Air Justice Sim at the Supreme Court to-day in the case of Summerville v. Somniervillo, husband’s petition, which was not opposed ,except that the respondent asked for alimony. Counsel for the petitioner (Mr AY. A. Stout) said that the case had been before his Honour previously, the ground of the petition then being desertion. The petition had been discussed, some holding that the desertion had been practically by mutual consent of the parties. Since then the new Act had come into force providing for divorce on the ground of mutual consent. His Honour: Does it?,.

Afr Stout; I submit so. His Honour said there was no affidavit by the petitioner. The petitioner hinged on the grounds of mutual consent, and unless the petitioner was to swear to that the case could not proceed.

Mr Stout said the petitioner had previously sworn that to the best of his recollection, the separation had not lieen bv mutual consent.

His Honour said that, probably the Full Court would have to consider the matter. If the section was read literally it was obvious that the words in question had been thrust in it without much thought. The Full Court would have to decide whether the words “three years” applied to a separation order although not under deed, or whether the words were meaningless, and could not ho given effect to. Ho understood that the words were not in the Bill drafted by the Hon J. MacGregor, but inserted by the Lower House on the motion of a gentleman who had a good deal to do with divorce. He hoped to have the opportunity of discussing the position with the other Judges at the Court of Appeal in April. His Honour ordered that a petition sotting out the facts under Section 4 lie filed, together with a verifying affidavit, when decision would he reserved.

An order for alimony was made

CAUCUS OF LIBERAL PARTY WELLINGTON, AI arch 1

Air G. AV. Forlies. ALP., Senior Whip of the Liberal Party, has sent out a call for a caucus of the party; to be held before next week’s session begins. It is stated that important matters will be discussed, including the attitude of the party in relation to the Prime Minister’s visit to the Old Country, the financial position of the Dominion, taxation, industrial problems, the cost of living and defence.