TELEGRAMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 February 1922, Page 4

TELEGRAMS.

[by TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION

THE CABINET. WELLINGTON, Feb. 14. Several Ministers are still in Wellington and the Prime Minister is continually in his office, attending to important matters. He will be unable to take a holiday unless he can see his way to make the trip to Samoa in the Chatham in April. Notwithstanding a very strenuous session and the great press of. public business with which lie has had to deal since his return from England, he is looking and feeling remarkably well.

Sir Francis Bell will leave for England shortly, and may not he back in New Zealand before the end of next He si on. Like the Prime Minister he has got through an enormous amount of work of late, and his services during the session that lies just closed have been invaluable. It is likely that the Hon. E. P. Lee will act as AttorneyGeneral in his absence, and that Sir William Fraser will act as leader of the Legislative Council, during the absence of Sir Francis Bell. Some slight rearangemont of the portfolios may be necessary.

W ATER SIDER’ S DEATH. DUNEDIN, Feb. 16. Peter Mulder, a watersider, 30, mar-' ried, fell dead in Customs House Square. FIRE ON WAIvATU. CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 16. At an early hour this morning, an outbreak of fire occurred in the engineroom of the s.s. Wakatu. The brigade soon subdued the flames, the damage' being confined to woodwork and Metric wiring. The cause of the outbrecak is unknown. The boilers were hanked yesterday afternoon. PROSECUTION FAILS. CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 16. At the Supreme Court, Alice Lomas was charged with obtaining sums totalling £lB5 from Lazarus Rolfe Balkind, money-lender, by false pretences. Accused was formerly proprietress of a boardinghouse, and apparently had business dealings with Balkind lor a number of years. Sometimes she would get an advance and give a bill () f sale. Then she would pay it off, and got the hill of sale hack. Then she would get another advance, and give the bill hack. It was in this manner that the charges arose. The case against Mrs Lomas was that when she gave the hills of sale, to which the charges related when the furniture in the bills was not in her possession. For the defence, it was contended Balkind had been tendered the money, but had urged the accused to use it to pay off another creditor. There had been no intent to defraud. There was a b»s ‘Lfforence between unwillingness and inability to pay. Accused was acquitted.