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Motueka Star, Volume IV, Issue 156, 17 February 1903, Page 3

The sentence of two years' imprisonment passed on William Woodhouse, at the Timaiu Supreme Court on sth inst, under section 121 of the Criminal Code, for attempting to corrupt a witness, deserves more thau passing notice. The particulars are as follows : —About July last, Woodhouse was committed for trial from the Geraldme Court for an indecent assault, the victim being a daughter of a farmer in the locality. Between Ithe committal and the trial the accused obtained bail and utilised his liberty by approaching the prosecutrix, and inducing her to promise when before the Grand Jury to the evidence she gave against him at the Magistrate's Court. The prosecutrix kept her promise, with the result that the Grand Jury threw out the bill and Woodhouse was in consequence set at liberty. The police knowing that the witness must have been tampered with, at once set 'to work and procured conclusive proof that Woodhouse had suborned the prosecutrix to commit perjury before the Grand Jury. He was thereupon arrested on that charge, with the result before mentioned— viz., two years' imprisonment. This should be a warning to persons who may be inclined to pursue similar tactics. The danger of floods in the Manawatu river was mentioued by the Premier in his speech at Levin last week. What they needed he said was a River Board that would take charge of the i-iver from its mouth to its source If they did not look to it they would have a disaster in the district. He asked all. landowners affected by the river to assist the Government in Parliament to place the river in a safe and secure position. According to a Balclutha paper a large contingent of Chinese are working at turnip thinning on the farms in the Hill end district. The paper adds that this is not a case of the competition of cheap labor, because these Chinamen are receiving the same pav as Europeans. The Dnriedin Star says that the selection of Mr R. Nc"Nab, M H R for Mataura, as speaker of the new House , ot Representatives, is practically a foregone conclusion.

At a cattle sale in Timaru last week springers were sold for .£lO, and some of them over .£lO, prices which no one would think of giving for the best dairy cattle in the fdistrict • before the dairy factory started operations.