TELEGRAMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 March 1923, Page 3

TELEGRAMS.

[BY TELEGRAPH—PER PRESS ASSOCIATION DRUIDS' CONFERENCE. PALMERSTON N-. March 21. At the meeting of the North Islam Grand Lodge of Druids, it was unanimously resolved to send a strong protest to the Government in connection with the delay in furnishing the quin qitennial valuation report lor the per iod ending December. 1921. It was also resolved to request that the Government should appoint an actuary whose services should he wholly devoted to i rietidlv society work. 'I he delay in furnishing valuations is seriously interferring with the financial arrangements of the society, and general regret was expressed that the matter had been so long delayed by the department. (TIKIST(TIFIUTT. March 21 The reserved decision was given today by .lustices of the Peace, in the case in which two men veto charged with trying to defraud the Post and Telegraph ” Departmnet by making fraudulent use of slot telephones. The defendants, after one conversation represented to the exchange attendant that they had not got the number they wanted and in this way got four calls for twopence. The Bench imposed a fine of 90s each, remarking that ilio offence was a very serious one. FARMER COMMITS SUICIDE. AUCKLAND. March 21 Arthur Simmonds. aged 01, farmer, whose family is residing at Tekawhata, committed suicide in the police station cell at 1.30 this morning. Re had been arrested for drunkenness, and strangled himself with a body belt. When he was arrested he had Cl 22 in his possession. PROBATION FOR THIEF. GISBORNE. March 21 At the Supreme Court, Roy Charles Dorn, for breaking, entering and stealing INKS from an auction mart, was admitted to two wears’ limitation. . WELLINGTON, March 21 ; Wiliam Richard Thomas, aged 23 ■ years, pleaded guilty at the Magis- I Irate’s Court to eleven charges of forging a certificate for eoneessions on the railways between Wellington and Petone. In filling in the form be staled that he was under 21 years. The amount involved was Co 12s (id. He was committed In the Supreme Court for sentence. LEADING FREEMASON. (TIRISTC'HTRC'R. Minch 21. Marry IJopkiiisnn, who was killed in Wood Bros, flour mill, was a prominent Freemason, and was Master of Lodge, ciiristehureli in l!Ht:!. and secretary for some years. He was also Past Grand Director of Ceremonies of the New Zealand Grand Lodge. An inquest was opened to.dav . The police report stated Dial Hop kin-on was inspecting the liia'limoiv about :!.:(() p.m. lie apparently losi his balance through some cause and got tangled in the rope of the driving gear, lie was dragged roiinrl the fly-wheel anti his hotly,'"when released, dropped into the pil>l)V.lnw. The driving geai i protected b.V'two wooden rails, about lour feet high, and is is thought the deceased had a fainting turn, and fell forward. 11l- head was mutilated by the revolving rones.

I’he deceased is said to have been feeling a hit weak for tile past. lew dav-. Apparently Im was somewhat nut-down. •MINERS fined. WESTPORT. March 21. In the Magistrate's Court to-day. the inspector of A.wards sought to recover limn the Miilerton and Genuity .Minds' Union £2llO damages for breach of a Will'd, arising mil of a strike in February, when a iniuer was dismissed for |!M "K abusive language io a mine iu.‘i.agci. Ila- mine was idle for two davs. |[ resuiird on the miner apole-j-Cisiiitj; to 11 1 * * Tim Union pleaded technically guilty 1,111 “lim ed, as ex tv a ring circumstances that the miner - might have ''■■mi fined, instead of dismissed ami that the apology eventually accepted w.s tor mihhq language Rum that alleged by the miiio manager against the miner. I he Magistrntv said lie thought there hail been some tactlessness on both sales. He fixed the penalty at C'2o and costs. TUI 11 ()\ TRIAL WELLINGTON. Mar. I, 21. The bearing of evidence for die Clown in the case of Tubi, charged with the murder of Herbert Henry Knight at •lohnsonville, was continued af the Supreme Court to-duv. 'I liomas John Leighton was cross-ex-amined. lie said thill Tniii would be quite able to carry the hotly of Knight to the place where it was found buried. Asked by tho Crown Prosecutor as to Tuhi’.s disposition, witness said: "It will show you what I think of him wlieii I tell you that every time I went: to see him. I took a tomahawk with me. I was frightened. 1 '

VESSEL A HitE. AUCKLAND. A larch 21. The Secretary for Marine reports that be has received advice from the Secretary of the Genera! Rost Office to t':e clfect that the Awanui wireless ‘lalion had reported sign-, of a ve-sel being on lire south-west of Ahipara. 'll the vicinity of the Ninety-Aide Bench, i ward-. Cape Alalia Van Oietnau. They ( I airly saw dense volumes o! -moke. On receipt of that advice, telegraphic instructions were sent to AVlinngape to dispatch a tug immediately. Last night a telegram was received saving the vessel was a considerable distance north of Ahipara. and nm south-west as previously reported, and that she appears to he inshore, and that a party has gone out by motor from Tepaki to investigate, and should return .shortly. Any later reports would be forwarded for publication. V later message states the party from Tepaki have returned from the heads, hut have seen nothing of the remitted burning vessel. RAAf AND EWE FAIR. Cl HI ISTCHri,’.CH. A larch 22. The annual Ram and Eve Fair under the auspices of the Canterbury. A. and j» Association . was held to-day when the flock rams were sold. The entry including owes and stud ranis totalled 6868 as compared with 501 l last year. The quality was better than last year’s and prices all rouml were considerably better. Border Eeiccsters sold well and sales of English Eeicesters started satisfactorily. AA'ell grown half breeds up tisfaetorily. Well grown half bred* met with good competition ns also did Corrieclales. Border Leicester* made ~,, to Of gns. half hrods up to 7t lin< _ half hrods up to 71 gns., and CVv-r’e'i'-'los up to 135 P'lincas. HARBOUR SCHEME. THAMES. Afarch 22. \ large, influential meeting hist night listened to a delegation of i! • Harbour Beard on the proposed scheme ,- o sr £60.£60 Mr Rhodes, Af.p was

' chairman, nnd the speakers were Hnr1 r:;, Chairman; Mr Adams, engineer to i the Board; W. 0. Cooper, of Wailtou, ; member: ,1. W. Denby. member; and ' , Fuller, Mayor. The speakers showed , the different standpoints as to the value of the harbour to the whole dis- , iiict. Hie meeting unanimously re"i solved to endorse the scheme, using 11 ~ every endeavour to secure the support of tiie ratepayers at the fortheming \ n loan poll. They also noted, with pleall~ sure, the magnificent increasing pro1' duction of pastoral industries in the lls Thames Valley and surrounding distriets. The members of the deputation are of the opinion that in the interests cl* -tieh districts the harbour scheme J' -botild he undertaken at the earliest possible moment and they pledge themselves to do everything in their power to obtain the sanction of the ratepayers to raise a loan for such on undertaking.