POLITICAL NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 23 October 1929, Page 3

POLITICAL NOTES

LAW FIDELITY GUARANTEE WELLINGTON, Oct. 21. ' v The Statutes Revision Committee of the iiouse of Representatives has made brief but important amendments in .he Law Practitioners Act Amem nent Bill, which sets up a solicitors’ fidelity guarantee fundi The committee has struck out the clause which stated that when the fund exceeds £IOO,OOO its income shall he paid into the funds of the New Zealand Law Society and become available for its purposes. The trustees are directed to invest the. fund in authorised trust securities. Clause 15. contained a proviso that ,pb solicitor to . whom the Act applies, nor any person acting as a barrister, shall have any claim against the fund in respect of thefts committed by a solicitor to whom the Act applies. This limitation has been deleted by the committe.

NATIVE TRUST LAW. An amendment of the Native Trustee Act was introduced-by the Gover-, nor-General’s message in the House of Representatives to-night. It- is a short measure- and its terms were explained by Sir Apirana Ngata, Native. Minister. It will, he said, simplify the operations of the Native Trust Office, and will enable the Trustee tp add dairying lands in which Natives are dominantly interested to the securities on which money will be ad-; yanced. Powers of leasing in regard to certain lands vested in the Native Trustee are extended, this particularly applying to Lake Poukawa, iri respect to which a flax lease lias been issued subject, to. validation. Another, clause will permit-the Native Trustee to lend money to tenants of land vested-in him. ’ •-

The Bill was read a second, time.formally and referred to the Native, Affairs Committee.

LIND CASE REVIVED

A petition fvas presented to Parliament- by, Mr J. AY. Munro (Dunedin North) on behalf of A. A. Lind, praying for a Royal Commission to - be set up to inquire into, the. circumstances surrounding his imprisonment for an alleged-crime of'which he says he was both morally and criminally innocent. Petitioner says that as ah innocent hian : he was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment! with hard labour, and that he served six years. As an, alternative to a Royal Commission petitioner, asks that he be granted a re-trial and; such !ega ; l‘ and financial facilities as are necessary to, enable him to establish his innocence,