TELEGRAMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 April 1922, Page 1

TELEGRAMS.

[BY TELEGRAPH—FEB PRESS ASSOCIATION]

HAMILTON FIRE, f r \ . ■ • •

BODY OF MAID FOUND

HAMILTON, April 7

The body of Nellie Wood, the missing‘maid' of Hamilton Hotel fire, was found yesterday’ a few feet from the kitchen fire place. Deceased I *® room was over the kitchen.

At the inqiiest last night it was shown that deceased was really a married woman, having married Herbert Partridge, engineer of Frankton, in December last. Partridge said he mar red Nellie Wood in December 1921, but owing to hotel-keepers not oaring to employ married women, it was arranged she should seek employment a, s a single woman, under her maiden name. She joined the hotel staff about a ’month a,go. They agreed to each work,' in order that they save enough to go to Australia where his wife had worked previously. They were on good terms and he had seen her practically every day since she had been in Hamilton. On Sunday night witness' left her about nine, and had not. seen her since. The' brooch (produced) found near the body was her brooch. He said he was satisfied the remains were those of Nellie Partridge. ” She apparently went bock to her “room for something and was overcome by the flames and was accidentally burned to death.

WAIMIHA. APPEAL.

allowed with costs

WELLINGTON, April 6,

Judgment was orally pronounced by the Court of Appeal yesterday in the appeal of the Waione Timber Comi pany, Limited, of Marton, againßt the ! judgment of Mr Justice Herdman, in their suit with the Waimiha Sawmilling Company, Limited (in liquidation of Auckland, who were the plaintiffs in the action In a c ase stated for his Honour by the parties, he was asked to decide whether, assuming the facts to he correctly set out, plaintiff was entitled by law to possession of certain land, and to enter upon the land and exercise rights conferred by an agreement dated December 23rd, 1916, by which Thomas George Cook Howe, farmer, granted plaintiff n right to c ut timber and construct tramways on the land referred to.

The judgment of the court was as follows.-.—“Til view of the admissions made by the parties, the judgment of Mr Justice Hardman cannot be supported. The appeal is allowed, with costs on the highest scale ? as in a ease from a distance. The parties will then be at liberty to go to trial on the issues raised by the proceedings as if no issue at law had been stated by the parties.”

CIVIL SERVANT’S LAPSE. WELLINGTON, April 6. James Ross Fraser, who pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing sums totalling £ls 18s 7d, the property of the Labour Department by whom he was employed, appeared before Mr Justice Hosking for sentence yesterday. Mr P. S K Macassey appeared for the Crown. Mr W. E. Leicester appeared for the accused. His Honour said he had given careful consideration to the case which be said, was in some respects differ-. ' from those he had dealt with recently. Accused was admitted to probation for a period of twelve months.

VITAL STATISTICS. WELLINGTON, April 7. Full details of the statistics, dealing with the health of the people of the Dominion are not yet available. The bare totals were obtained to-day and show the death rate is considerably lower than in the previous record. The birth rate, however, is exceptionally low. It is the second lowest on record. The following are figures for the year, the previous year’s figures being given in parenthesis:—Births 28,569 (29,921); deaths 10,681 (12,109); marriages, 10,635 (12,175). The following show the general rate per 1000 of the population (the previous years’ figures being in parenthesis):— Birth rate 23.34 (25.09); death rate, 8.72 (10.15); marriages 8.69 (10.21).

OAMARU LOAN

£22,000 RAISED LOCALLY. OAMARU, April 7

Something rather'unique in the history of municipal flotation lias been achieved, since Wednesday, in connection with the Onmaru Borough Council finances. At a special meeting of the Council, hold oil Wednesday evening, it was decided to float a loan of £22,000 to liquidate the precedent liability, made up of a bank overdraft of £9,000, and deposits at call of £13,000, at the end of the financial year just closed. In the terms of the newly passed Local Bodies Finance Act, the loan was issued at par, hearing interest at six and a half per cent, and by three o’clock this afternoon (within 24 hours) the whole issue was subscribed, and several subscriptions have been declined. No prospectus was issued, and the loan was entirely locally subscribed. There is a very bright prospect of the Council, in framing tin’s year’s estimate, being in a position to make a substantial reduction in rates. The success of this loan demonstrates the financial stability of this district which is at present gathering a beautiful harvest, and last month the port enjoyed a record movement of shipping.