TELEGRAMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 December 1922, Page 3

TELEGRAMS.

[by TELF.GRAPI 1 -PER Pit EBB ASSOCIATION']

SUPREME COURT BENCH

MORE JUDGES NEEDED

AUCKLAND, Deo. 21

The Supreme Court vacation extends from December 20 to January 31, both days inclusive, hut Mr Justice Stringer even to-day was holding a sitting nt His Court. Appreciation of this by members of the legal proiession was mentioned by Mr John Alexander, president of the Auckland Law Society. Tie said the action of his Honor in sitting during the vacation was all th*. more appreciated because ihe profession knew how overworked me ill hers ol the Bench are at the present time. The profession consider it unfair and improper that judges should have to . sit day after day as they do now with, out proper opportunities to consider matters and write their judgments while the facts of cases are freshly he- j Tore their minds. This was not fair, to the judges. It was not fair to the Bar, and it did not make for quick and proper administration of justice. Tt was strongly felt that in the best intcrasts of the Dominion the number of , judges should he increased. 1 His..*lloiior replied that lie was very anxious to keep the work of the Court under control, lie would certainly he glad to sac overwork removed in fairness to ail parties concerned. j

VITAL STATISTICS. WELLINGTON, Dec. _2l. ; According to figures in to-night’s ' Greet to the total births registered for ( the fifteen New Zealand urban areas amounted to 1102 during November, as against 1071 in the previous month, an increase of Deaths in Novemhei j were 117, a decrease ol forty-six compared with October. Of the total i deaths males contributed 218 and fe- j males 199; 38 deaths were of children! under five years ot age, being 12.9 b | per cent of the whole number. Fifty of these were under one yea rof agee. UNION A.T FAULT. I WELLINGTON. Die 22. ,

Judgment was given by Justice j Husking to-day in actions brought | against Wellington Waterside Workers’ j Union, as a result of the Union strik- j ing a levy of Cl per year upon its members. The Court found the levy | was invalid, and that it became enforceable at no time in as much as it i was nut made in accordance with | Union rules, and the striking oil of | plaintiff’s names as members of the. Union was declared wrongful. j COM I*ANY TAXATION. AUCKLAND, Dec. 20. j “The income-tax in New Zealand, as it operates in relation to companies, is i bv far the most outrageous and unreasonable in the Hritish Umpire,” was . the emphatic way in which the Mon. L. | J. Clifford, a visitor from Australia, in- t terestwl in the extension of a number of industries, expressed his opinion of tie tax. which has been the subject of much severe criticism by business n ,..ji in the Dominion. Mr Cliflord who is a cousin to Sir Ceorge Clifford. 1 and sou of I.ord Cliflord, Knglaml, is j a director and underwriter of tlie 1 flume I’ipe C'oni])any, of Australia, and i in company with Mr T. S. Nettlefold, , general manager, is visiting New Zen- I land to investigate the possibilities fot j the extension of the company’s opera-i tions to the Dominion. | Mr (Milford said numerous concerns' had looked to New Zealand as a possible field for expansion, and while the conditions were admirable, the system j of taxation had in every case turned the scale against the Dominion. About two voars ago two men intimately connected with several very large companies in Australia, representing paid-up capital tntallling C 10,000.000, visited this country in report on conditions here, and although their reports were ext round v favourable as to the opportunities offering, they could not recommend their companies to operate owing to the restrictive taxation. As n

suit, none of these companies had commenced operations in New Zealand, but they bad extended their energies in other directions outside the ' British Empire. At a conservative estimate those companies il established here, would have employed not fewer than 5000 hands, and would have paid into the Treasury hundreds of thousands of' pounds in income-tax, even had the rate been reduced to that ruling in Victoria, namely Is in the C. As an illustration of what the rate in New Zealand meant to trading concerns, the visitor* mentioned that one hank operating in the Dominion paid more in income-tax than in Austialia, where 90 per cent of its income-tax was derived.

REV. ORR’S CASE. j WELLINGTON. Dee. 22. j. Regarding Rev. Robertson Orr’s ease j before the Presbytery, the following re- | port was to-night adopted:—The Committee, having heard Rev. J. Gibson Smith read revelnnt portions of doeti- j nients in his custody, and also Rev. , Robertson Orr in reply to same, is of I opinion that bis actions have been in ] some respects unwise, and calculated | to lead to misunderstandings, but that no grounds have been furnished for the charges of a moral character against ; Rev. Orr.” The report was adopted j unanimously. A MOTOR FATALITY. PALMERSTON NORTH, Dec. 22 • John Groves was run over by a mo- j at Ashurst this morning, and ex- ■ pired from bead injuries in Palmerston ! Hospital at 3 p.m. It, is believed de-. ceased was marietl. He was 4, years | of ago. and formerly resided in Panin* I tun,'lmt from his travel-stained up* I pearance, lie apparently was on the | road for some days.

TAUPTJU MINE. | WELLINGTON, Dec. 22. j The Minister of Mines (Hon. G. J. j Anderson) has received a report in re- . fere not* to the lire at Taupiri Extended j Alim* frillH the Chief Inspector of; Mines, Mr J. A. C. Bavne. J The Minister says he is quite sans- • liocl that everything possible had been » done to make the mine safe. He was, satisfied, too, that there was need Fori a public enquiry. . The ' Department had been watching | the situation carefully for some months past., • and with the Department, the , c.l'etv of tin* minors came first. ‘he; company had carried out the Depart- ■ noqit's requirements, and a portion o! vhe mine now open had boeii_ made .is , safe as was scientifically possible. | •As far as science can make the; mine safe, it is safe.” added Mr An- « derson. A. MAX KTTJ.TCD. NELSON. December 22. . Hubert Atkins. at Riwaka, was : thrown out of his hay-cart bv a horse bolting, and a wheel passed over his j body causing fatal injuries. He loaves a wife and four young children.