NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, 19 October 1918, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

MAORIS’ CLAIM TO LAKE BEDS • —o ROTORUA, Oct. 17. The preliminary address of Mr P, . Earl, E.C. ; m the cases in the Native Land Court relating to the ownership Of Lakes Rotorua and Rotoiti is still unfinished. To-day’s proceedings were taken up with further examination of the analogous case of Wairarapa Lake, in an endeavour to show that the position of that lake, as to which the Government recignised and bought out the native rights of ownership, differed in no respect from the position of Rotorua. Mr Earl then mentioned transactions in regard to other lakes in the Auckland district. Various records were quoted showing that the Government, in purchasing blocks of native land, had brought portions of the beds of lakes, notably Tarawera and Okataina. It was claimed that the rights of the natives to all lake-bed areas were never challenged till their .title to Rotorua was denied by the present Solicitor-General. Another section of Mr. Earl’s argument was directed to show that in m?;ny instances, details of which were given, leading Judges of the Native Land Court, had granted titles to lake-bed lands in original judgments upon claims, and in making partition orders, and that, indeed, only one exception to this rule could be found, that exception being a solitary judgment of Judge Johnson in 1899, in answer to which the native claimants entered a protest. SERIOUS .ACCIDENT. PALMERSTON NORTH, Oct 18 A boy named Percy Thomas, aged 10 was knocked over by a train while crossing the line on his way to Terrace End School. He was badly injured on the head and body, and was taken to the hospital in an unconscious condition. ARDEN’S DRUM. ACTION FOR SLANDER. FOR MALICIOUS STATEMENT. STRATFORD, this day. Mr Crooke,, S.M., was occupied with an action claiming damages, preferred by Cecil Arden, hotel-keeper, against W. H. Hawkins, temperance lecturer and captain in the Expeditionary Force, for an allegedly malicious statement contained in a letter published in the Stratford “Post,” in which the defendant referred to the “slimy"! hands - ’ of the liquor traffic, insinuates that plaintiff had presented a drum ,t 6 the Stratford Band in order to make the liquor influence felt and hinder the band playing for temperance meetings. •

Judgment, '(was given for plaintiff for five pounds damages and costs, plaintiff having admitted that his character, and business had not suffered and he was not affected in any way by the libel except that accused by giving the drum proposed getting a hold on the band in the liquor interests THEFT CHARGES ADMITTED. BLENHEIM, October IS. Charges of stealing £7l 6s 2d, the property of the Pelorus Road Board, between June and October of this year tvere preferred against C. A’Court Opie, the board’s clerk, at the Magistrate s Court to-day. The information was laid by the Government auditor. It as stated that accused systematically short-banked money, the deficiency since having been made good. The accused pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Bail was allowed in self £2OO and two sureties of £SO each.