DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 January 1924, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

[xtv 'rt'.l.Wilt.Vl'U —VKII VItKSS ASSOCIATION.]

ST AT FT K OF i.I.M ITATIONH

SOI.WKHS’ HOI.HINDS.

ASH BFT RON, Jan. 20

The District Soldiers’ Revaluation Chairman informed a reporter that all local auctioneering firms who have been approached have agreed to reduce the accounts of all soldier set tiers whom the (lovermnent intends assisting. It is understood this will all'eei a verv large number of settlers with a considerable sum of money. AN IMPORTANT POINT. ASIIBI'RTOX, dan. '2O There's going to he sensational happenings when I lie moratorium expires shortly, said a prominent commercial lawyer.' Many people were under the impression that the moratorium \\hbh prevented them collecting debts except by special sanction nf the courts, safeguarded their claims against the statute ol limitation till the moratorium was lilted. I hat has ne\et yet been established liv the Courts hut the time will come at the expiration of the moratoriuni_whon the people \i ho.-o claims have not been kept alive inpayments on account are destined to he pitiably disillusioned. The ( ourts are going'to he full of swindlers, es-

caping their liabilities behind the statute of limitation-, which extinguishes a debt after six years. This will be particularly destructive to small investors unfamiliar with the trickeries of the law and without special retrospective legislation, the Courts will be powerless to help them.

AY HOLES AT.!' SAY TXDT.YR . OTSTSORNE, January 28. Allegations of systematic trauf throughout Now Zealand ox tend ini: ovoi six years, were made against n man t l,e polite have in custody, on charges of fernery and false pretences, to three of AV hith he pleaded guilty. and the police state he has made confession in the other eases. He operated at Masterton. AYellington. Aforrinsville. Matamat,i. AYanpanni, Cishorne, Auckland and limy he taken to other towns for identification. IHs favourite method, the poliee state, was to write out a cheque for an amount likely to he paid to a farm labourer and drawn on a well-known estate in the district. He would probably go to an hotel licensee or a storekeeper on a Saturday afternoon or hank holiday and give a fairly ov der to avoid suspicion, and receive ,10. balance in cash. Perhaps several of these valueless cheques would he tendered. ami by Monday morning, when the hanks opened he would have disappeared. It is stated there is nearly „ lu hundred charges of false pretences and forgery, pending from various towns in the North Island,

g|,'ur continuation of news see fourth page).