TELEGRAMS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 July 1922, Page 3

TELEGRAMS

BY TEJ.KOUAPH PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT

WESTPORT DECISION. WESTPORT ..Toly 26. Westport Borough Council which was itself elected under proportional representation. resolved to-night, •on a majority vote, to revert to the “first past the post system’’ for the election of both the Borough Council and the Hospital Boards. FAI.SF. PRETENCES. HII? KIN RECEIVES A MONTH. WELLINGTON, .July 27 One, Richard Noel Belcher Birkin. a man of (if), was charged with obtaining Cb hv false representations. Some interesting statements were made during; the hearing of the ease. Tim poiicc said accused, who had been working on the wharf and grubbing gorse on the bills, persisted in declaring Im was coining ili'o a fortune of CJiOO.OOO. and on the strength of this had obtained money from a number of people, in one case as much as CIOO. He was a man of good English family. Accused himself had made a statement to the police which was read. Birkin alleged his father was a rich manufacturer in Nottingham. After bis father’s death and that of other iclations. lie came into much property. He understood some 1 a-es had run out last vear wide!) would give him CUSS.OOft more. He came to New Zealand in 1912 and bad been employ, d at Somes Island as a guard and in the dental corps. Since Ain roll be bad b 'on out of employment and owed money for board and lodging.

Accused's counsel said lie believed Birkin bail gone through half a million of money. He had communicated with bis’ London agents but bad not reoeiv od a reply yet. Aeons d belie,'. ■ was entitled to a further large sum. a 1 least two reversions, but there was some doubt as to whether the father had not cut him out of them in his will. The S..M. said he could not pass over the delilerate Hand and sentenced accused to one month. A BANK REIT'S ESTATE. WELLINGTON, Jul> 2, The affairs of T. W. .Mills, which ha i bein sullied of discussion in Parliament. came up again at a meeting of creditors. The Crown Lamb- !>.-• incut notified it bad been decided to realise on the Crown’s security ini'! r its first mortgage, and the '■ale .vo il l take place on Aug. 3H. a" the r ■•git! ■ tiers did'not permit a reduction of the principal sum of the Crown’s iip.-i----gage. and as the offer by the scym i mortgagee was not sufficient warrant for curving mi Hie soldier in bis present stale, no ether course was o <■:* to tl e Department. The Commissioner said the securities were valued by !!:■■ Crown at L'296:s, and the amounts owing was C 3.022. The Crown intended to claim against the estate lor any balance due. after receipt ol the pro. eeeds of the sale. On behalf of Corner, the second mortgagee, who sold the property in Mills, it was stated lie bad three offer-' of Cl() per acre before Mills came in. The latter put no money of bis own in, (/truer even paying the stamp, do ies, and onlv (barging •>! per cent in teres’. The'(.TOO be got cut of the pro porty was what be bad been living on since. Corner bail not done what be might have done, namely, sold nui Mills long ago for arrears ol intei He bail been most indulgent. 'I lie a' titude of the Lands Department to him bad been most antagonistic. It was not prepared to make a reduction bm wanted him to forego either all or pan of Ids princimd. Corner had made tv offers (1) That the Crown should pay Mills LltltlO cash, which Corner would accent in payment of claims totalling C 3,100 i.r (2). if the Crown would mak the same reduction he would waive al: arrears, and reduce bis mortgage c C2OOO.

! During a discussion which followed lon the question of bankrupt's dis ] eliai'ue. Cornel’s counsel said lie want ■

to I),- -ore there Wiis no arrungeinc:i between the Crown ami -Mills. T : . wns in i llusion to a statement 1 - Corner that he was to he squeezed out Further action was deferred till lego advice was olitained as to the validity of the securities, but Cl 5 was voted to .Mills to enrrv him on till the day of !'■ sale. W'ETjT/INGTON THAMWAYMEN. WEIXTNTiTON. July 2ti. The Wellington tramways dispute came before the Conciliation Council. Mr W. 'New ton (Conciliation Commissioner) presiding. The union was cited by the City Council under the Arbitration Act, the position being that the council want the wages of trnnnvayrnen to be fixed by the Court in the same way as for other workers. The council wanted 5s reduction, as fixed by the Court, to apply to tramwaymen. and asked for an alteration in the conditions. The union assessors contended that the council was asking for a greater reduction than 5s per week, saying that in some eases the decrease would S-mount to at least 18s. Mr \V, A. Grenfell, ogont for the City Council, considered that the tram, wnvmen had no cause for oomp]ain£ in