NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 207, 12 May 1915, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

SAMOAN HEALTH REPORT. ALL DOING WELL. Associu tion —Copyright. WELLINGTON, May 11. Colonel Logan advises from Samoa that the health of the troops is good, hut Captain J. G. Roache is suffering from enteric fever; Sergeant R. Oliphant, lacerated fingers; Corpl W. J. Heasley, dengue fever; Private G. Morrisey, colitis; R. T. Nelson, meaatitis; R. T. Robertson, tonsilitis; T. G. Risk, dengue fever All are doingwell EMBEZZLEMENT SENTENCE WITHHELD. WELLINGTON, May 11. A young man named Stephen Curtis, who had pleaded guilty to several charges of embezzlement, came up for sentence to-day. Counsel explained that the accused’s laps e was due to unfortunate speculation. When war started he immediately Volunteered and went to Egypt, earning th e good opinions of hi s officers, who were willing to take him back Restitution of the amount would be made, and Counsel asked that Curtis be allowed to return to the war. Theh Chief Justice said if the Defence Department would take accused back, he would grant probation.

BAY OF ISLANDS SEAT. AUCKLAND, May 10. A meeting of Opposition supporters will be held at Kaikohe this week, when a candidate will be selected to contest-the Bay of Islands seat. At present th e names most in favour in Opposition circles are Messrs J. C. Martin (of Russell), E. Saunder s (of Kaitea), and C. G. Menzies (engineer to the Hokianga County Council). Mr Menzies is stated by all as the most likely to be the ultimate choice f the party. He is a man young at -70 odd, and is well known throughout he North. Ke was spoken of as a tikely candidate at the general election but he stood aside in favour of Mr Buck. There are believed to be several other aspirants to the Opposition nomination.

Mr Wirt Stewart, the Government 'candidate, is, next to Mr Vernon Reed, the best known man in the electorate. He has occupied every position in local government in the gift of the people, and wit|h credit. It i s mainly due to his wise management of the County and Hospital Board affairs that . thos e bodies are in their present souiid financial position, . In Dominion politics Mr Stewart has always been regarded a s holding moderate views, and this, combined with his popularity in the Bay of Islands, will no doubt, says the correspondent of the-‘Tieraid” secure him .many vote s that might,' if another choice had been made, have gone to th e Opposition candidate. The general impression is that the Reform Party’s nominee i s .so strong that no man the Opposition are likely to produce will have any more than the very remotest chance of winning tjhe seat.

Mr G. Wilkinson, who contested the seat a s a Government supporter" at the general election, was asked to-day Avhether he would be a candidate at the by-election. “I am not at liberty to disclose anything yet,” was his reply.