TELEGRAMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1921, Page 4

TELEGRAMS.

VARIOUS DOMINION ITEMS.

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. COPYBIfIHT

PRICE OF -MEAT

CONSUMERS’ PROTEST.

TIMARU, April 1

There lias been a great deal of discontent recently in South Canterbury regarding the prices of meat, which, are higher than in many other parts ol the country. At the Pleasant Point stock sale to-day the residents of that part of the district were pupzled at the discrepancy between the price of the sto«k sold under the hammer and the | retail price over the counted. The\ i refused to accept the explanation that •hides, skins, and fat were unsaleable. It was also agreed that the increase w ■ wages did not represent a charge ol anything from Ad to Rd per lb. Mr T. D. Burnett, M.P. for Temukn, : who attended the Pleasant Point sale i to-dav, sent the following telegram to I the Hon E. P. Lee, President of the j Board of Trade: “Would draw your at- ! tention, as President of the Board of j Trade, to the fact that meat consumers ! require protection from excessive rotail charges tor meat. At stock salt to-day at Pleasant Point, one of C'an- ; terbu'ry’s most important stock centres, ' ewe mutton was selling at under 2d; ■ and best wethers at 3d per H>. These i prices have been general for the past j month, yet retail prices in Pleasant j Point township to-day are Hd for legs, ! 8d for chops, and 5d for forequarters. J These prices are the same as they were i twelve months ago, when fat ewes sold from 28s to .'fits. Steps arc urgently 1 necessary to protect the public.”

SUPREME COURT. WESTPORT, April R

in the case in which Mrs Bridget Walsh claimed from the Buller County Council £550 damages tor the death of her husband, which was caused by the council allowing a tramway to be laid along the centre of the road, the jury nfter liall-an-liour’s retirement, found unanimously that the Buller ( minty Council created a nuisance, on a public road, by allowing tHe erection of a tramway. and found the accident was caused through the said nuisance. They assessed damages at £27-5. The case "its adjourned tor further consideration, leave having previously hern icsorved to defendant's counsel to move lor a non suit. Leave was granted Mr Molony to amend the claim in terms of the Death by Accidents Compensation Act. LAKE COLERIDGE. CHRISTCHURCH. April R. Owing to the level ol Lake Coleridge h.v. mg fallen eight led. the Government have diverted Harper River into llttf lake. The diversion works were only temporary, and are liable to be swept away the first big Hood. In view of this fact and the serious effect a stop page of the electrical supply would have in industry, the Government were urged to proceed with permanent diversion works, estimated locally to cost live thousand pounds; but in view ot ! naiirinl stringency the Government declined the request, its estimate of the lost being £10.0t!0. The position was iidlv discussed at a meeting of the council of the Progress League, and the following resolution was carried; That in the opinion of this council, representing all local bodies and public or-

gnuLations in Canterbury and Westla i; !, ii is imperative that steps should he i:iken as early as possible to secure and maintain the diversion into Lake Coleridge of the full normal flow of the Harper River and that the Government bo urged to proceed with the work of permanent, diversion.

FORGED TOTE TICKETS

WELLINGTON, April 6

Robert Fox was charged at the Magistrate’s Court to-day with the forgery of three totalisator tickets and uttering the same to William Herbert Evatt on tli<' final day of the last races at Treiitliam. Fox was arrested in Christchurch. The pay-out clerk at the totalisator said the three tickets produced were on horse No 7 in the last 'eighth) race. At about 5.20 p.m. llireo tickets wore presented for payment. They did not appear to lie quite regular, and witness referred them to the officer in charge. They were shown to a mechanic wild said they did not come out of the machine in that condition. The Rickets had been bought, presumably on another horse in the eighth race, and had been altered. The number in the middle of the ticket had been rubbed mil and No. 7 inserted. The word “seven” had also been put in the place of the other erased. Witness did not pay out.

The evidence showed the three £5 tickets which accused gave in were genuine, but the number was erased and

the number ol the winner substituted. Accused who subsequently was arrested on Riecarton racecourse, was identified hv a man who stood behind him in the race when accused presented the allegedly Surged tickets. Accused pleaded not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail was lixed i»t £IOO, and a surety of £SO. SUICIDE. FOXTON. April (i. An elderly married man, Joshua Cull, a labourer, committed suicide by shooting himself through the head with a rifle at his residence this morning. Cull had suffered from ill-health. MONEY STOLEN. ROTORUA, April 8. The sum of £47 10s was stolen from live bedrooms of one of the principal boarding-houses between midnight on Friday and 6 o’clock on Saturday morn ing. So far there is no clue to the perpetrator.