GENERAL TELEGRAMS.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 January 1918, Page 5

GENERAL TELEGRAMS.

A CASE OK BIGAMY. Auckland, Last N'/ghfc. At the Police Court today, James Whyte was committed for trial on a charge of bigamy. The 1 " evidence showed that accused was first married at Toko nine years ago, and that hjs wife was now living in Auckland. For nearly years accused kept company with a do-' ■ mestic, who believed he was single, and who bore a child to him, and they were married at a registry office in November last. The legal wife was suing for a divorce, :md accused had promised to >' legalise the second marriage when he 1 could do so. ' Whyte pleaded guilty, and was re- „ ' manded to the Supreme Court for sent tenee. 3 DEFENCE EXPENSES COMMISSION. Wellington, Last Night. It has not yet been decided if the Defence Expenditure Commission will be open to the press. SHIPPING OF HEMP. Wellington, Last Night. The High Commissioner has telegraph - t ed re hemp that the War Department , 1 understands that there are French ships - running from Australia to France, and r suggests that hemp should be shipped to - Australia in local, steamers for reship--1 nient by that route. They state that in .' view of the inward tonnage situation, it i is considered most undesirable for audi ■ hemp to be brought to the United King- , dom for reshipment. WAR TROPHIES. Wellington, Last Night. The Hon. \V. G. Russell stated at the Board of Science and Art that the Imperial Government was not at present allowing war trophies to be sent to the Dominion. After the war an allotment would be made. The position in New Zealand was complicated through Auckland, Christ church and Dunedin beifig disposed to challenge the right of the ' Government to concentrate war trophies " in the national collection at Wellington. The Dominion Museum, situated in the capital city, must have priority where there was only one specimen. THE SECOND DIVISION. f Wellington, Last Night. 1 The Defence authorities have decided j" that only unmarried men will go into t camp during February and March. No • married men of the Second Division will ! enter camp before April. I PUBLICATION OF MAIL NOTICES. Auckland, Last Night. Sir Joseph Ward stated that the way was now clear in regard to the publicstion of the times of closing of outward overseas mails, although the names of the'vessels could not be announced. The alteration would be inaugurated very shortly, but he was unable to say whether a corresponding change would be made in regard to incoming mails. SHEET IRON. Auckland, Last Night. As a result of representations to theBritish Minister of Munitions by the ' Hon. Mr. Myers, 497 tons of sheetdron, consisting of 347 tons of corrugatetL*nd I 150 plain, have been released for use in I New Zealand, and is due to arrive shortly. The iron will be proportionately; taken into store at the four chief centres, , and distributed for essential purposes, The price fixed is £7O per ton. BREACHES OF LICENSING ACT,' j Pahiatua, Last Night '■ Several licensing eases were before*the court to-day. Knapmann, hotelkeeper, Mangatainoka, and four residents oMbst district, were charged with after-houja breaches. Robert Burns and Tom Digger were charged with offences respecting liquor in the no-license area of Pongaroa. The fines ranged from twenty shillings ESCAPE OF A PRISONER. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Jan. 30. Joseph Thomas Christie, who escaped from Avondale Mental Hospital, was captured at Patea, taken to Wellington;and charged there with theft. He was being conveyed to Auckland by the Main Trunk, express this morning in-company, with another prisoner in charge of two constables. As the train was approaching the suburbs Ohristie asked permission to enter tihe lavatory, which w pranted. Shortly aftcrwarda suspicion' was aroused, and investigation allowedthat Christie had got through tin 'aavtory window and escaped. The train. was going slow at the time and' to* prisoner was probably uninjured. So far no trace of him has been discovered. A VISIT TO OTIRA WORKS. Hokitika, Last Night. About twenty-five representatives from the Canterbury, Westland and Grey)mouth Chambers of Commerce participated in a visit of inspection of the Arthur's Pass tunnel works yesterday afternoon. Bealey was inspected, and the party crossed to Otira that evening. To-day Otira was inspected. The total length of the tunnel will be five miles twentyfive chains, of which there only remains twenty-four chains-of advanced heading, while there are-113 chains between "the finished work at both ends. The visit was under the conduct of Mr. Dinnie, the engineer in charge, and was made most interesting and instructive. The visitors were impressed with the magnitude of the work. At the conference of delegates several interesting speeches were made as to the potentialities of the coast, and theigreat developments which would ensue when the line was completed. A motion was carried, urging the Go»ernment to prosecute the completion of the work with all dispatch, and thus ensure the large expenditure becoming interest-bearing, and reproductive to the Dominion. The Mayor of Christchurch and other members of the party visited Hokitika and Lake Kanieri to-day, and expressed pleasure at the enjoyable nature of the visit.