DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 March 1924, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

BY TELEGBAPH—I’II ESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT. | IMMIGRANTS ARRIVE. AUCKLAND March 18 Tlie first of the boys from the great public schools of England, brought out by the New Zeoland Government to receive instruction in farming preparatory to taking up land in the Domin-y ion, arrived by tlie lonic this evening. The party consists of eight, ranging' in ago from seventeen to twenty, and are of an excellent type. The prefect of the party is from Oundle. The others are from the following schools Two from Cranley, one each Dulwich, Strand, H.M.S. C’omvoy, Christ’s Hospital, and Bradford. Three will be placed in the Otorohanga district, four in the Dannevirke district, and eight at Tologu Bay. The party was nominated by the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, which will be responsible for their welfare in the immediate future, but they are wards of the "Under-Secretary for -Immigration, Mr H. D. Thomson, who met them on arrival.

DRINKING BOUT AND IT’S SEQUEL WELLINGTON, March. 18 Judging by his subsequent actions, a young -Maori named Pukeiotu Morcll somewhat resented his arrest for drunkenness yesterday afternoon. About an hour after Aloroll’s incarceration tlio watch-house keeper heard clamorous sounds in the cell, and rushing lie found that tlie prisoner had wrenched the framework away from the window, torn the steel netting, and smashed the window.

A quiet plea of guilty was entered by Morcll when he appeared before Air E. Page in Court this morning on charges of insobriety and wilfully damaging a pane of glass valued at 15s. Me was convicted and ordered to make good the amount of damages, in dofaulf seven days’ imprisonment. A HORSE KILLED. GISBORNE, March 19 At tlie Supreme Court to-day, "William Henry Wright was charged with wilfully commiting mischief to a mare at Tancatua. The evidence showed one horse had been found dead after terrible agony and another badly injured internally, both bleeding badly. Accused had been arrested for theft. When the bedroom was searched, the police found a bottle of corrosive sublimate tablets, and a bottle of oil of Rhodium, Milestone, tins of tota poison, five plugs of gelignite, automatic firearms, and ammunition. Evidence was given that the animal’s death was due to a powerful irritant. Th* use of oil of Rhodium, experts oxplaind, would entice strange animals. A verdict of guilty was returned and sentence was deferred. FORGERY CASE. GISBORNE, Alarch 19. The re-trial took place to-day of Lawrence 'Herbert George Gwillan on a charge of wilfully delivering to a postmistress, for the purpose of being delivered as a telegraphic message, a telegram purporting to be sent by Harry C'rail, tlie same being sent without the authority of the said Craill. Accused, a. young man, had been formerly engaged to OraiH’s daughter, who wont away on a- visit to the AVest Coast of tlio South Island. Ho sent a telegram and asked her to come home, I and signed the message “dad". He «c-s found guilty and, .sentence was dolor red.

REFORM FINANCE. WELLINGTON, -March 19. “Please understand that the Consolidated Fund is not unlimited. There is a bottom to that fund, and if I am not careful, then, there will be no Consoldated Fluid Jett.” The above admonition was given by Air -Massey to-day to a deputation from the Wellington Forestry League, which asked that some financial piovision be made for purchasing further lands for State forest purposes.

Incidentally, Air Alassey made an important statement a.s to the condition of tlie railway superannuation fund, lor ulikii he said £100,090 would have to be found to strengthen il. There was no chalice of doing anything else, lie could not allow the fund to come to grief.

Altci referring to the- l'aet that it nils tlie third denutation lie had received that day asking for large sums of money, he said, referring to the Forestry League's request: *‘As far as I know, there is not an acre of land in tile neighbourhood. It is all private land. I do not know how much your request comes to, and T can’t tell. It makes me feel inclined sometimes to say that you had hotter get someone else to look after the finances of the country. I can’t keep it in cheek. I never saw anything like it. It lias been a very good year. Considering it has been a dry year, we have done remarkably well. We will have to go abroad lor two or three million bushels of wheat. We cannot avoid it. The people must have foodstuffs, and we must do it. Wo will got that, money hack right away. I am sure of that.”

Mr Massey said he would be quite willing to do everything possible to help forestry, hut it must bo practical. He was not going to be any party to wasting money; the country could not afford it.