NEW ZEALAND MEWS

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 315, 30 September 1908, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND MEWS

(bi telegrani—rniss association.) CHARGE OF THEFT. "VERY SAD AND VERY UNFORTUNATE." ■ 4 ■ Napier, September 29. • At tho Magistrate's Court to-day. Mr. A. W. Brabant, S.M., delivered judgment in the case heard on the previous day in which a young woman was charged with having, at Auckland, stolen a postal order for £2, the property of another young woman. At the close of th<j case for the prosecution he said Mr. M'Lean, who appeared for accused, had submitted: (1) that there was no proof that the postal order, if stolen, had been taken by accused; (2) that it had not been shown as alleged, in information, that the order, if stolen, had' been stolen at Auckland; ana (3) that if the note was stolen, not in Auckland but on tho high seas, the case was not within the jurisdiction of the Dominion Courts. He had given full consideration to Mr. M'Lean's contention, but from evidence which, he. (his. Worship) reviewed, it'seemed to him that the theft had been committed at Auckland. The accused and prosecutrix had been among a number .of. young women who came to New Zealand in the steamer Fifeshiro as assisted immigrants. Prosecutrix had telegraphed to accused when she discovered her loss, and in reply received a letter. This letter had no real bearing on the case, but it detailed a sad case of ( what occurred on board immigrant' ships.' The evidence as a whole obliged him to convict the accused of the offence. ' . A witness was called by Mr. M'Lean to givs evidence as to accused's character. Ha stated that tho girl' had been engaged by his relatives at Home as a domestic servant. Full inquiries had been made into her' character at Home with most satisfactory results, and since she had been in his employment she had conducted herself extremely well. If the Court would deal leniently with her he was prepared to take her back into his employment. • '• Mr. M'Lean asked that accusod be leniently dealt with. She was a young girl, and his Worship would have seen from letters produced the character of the associates which she had met on board ship. He would suggest to the police that they should bring tho matter beforo the Minister-of Marine. There were a number of young women on the ship as immigrants, and no one was in charge of them. It seemed to him that they should have been under the care of . a matron, becauso the state of affairs disclosed by the letters was very far from tasteful. His Worship said it was very sad and very unfortunate, but . ho was glad the girl had given satisfaction/ since her arrival. She had been convicted on what seemed to him tho clearest evidence of the theft charged against her. He was very sorry to see her in the position she *was in, and lie hoped as he waa about to give her v the benefit of. the New Zealand probation law that she would not appear before that or any other Court again. She had much to thank her employer for, as'he had expressed his willingness to take her back. Many'employers would not have done so. • ■ She would be admitted to probation for three months, and ordered to pay ss. per week during that period, £2 of the money to bo paid to the owner of the postal note and the remainder towards the costs of tho prosecution. - ;

. . DIVORCE,AM) DRINK: : Auckland, September 29. At a meeting in connection with the No-" License jnovement, Mr. C. J. Tunks, who presided, said .that,' terrible as the drink evil was, it was not the only, source of trouble to'.the people of the Dominion. Tho : - extra facilities granted iu New' Zealand for the obtaining of divorce might have even more far-reaching effects than the drink evil.. The Rev. R'. 13. S. Hammond,' of the Sydney Anglican .Mission,; denounced; the Zealand divorce law as a; scandal to tha .community, and lie also referred, to. the judi-, cial statement tbat a large proportion of the divorce cases were duo to tho'drinking habit# of a nation. ' ' CONDEMNED FRUIT. Auckland, September 29. In regard to the Wellington message that two-thirds of a shipment* of Rarotonga' oranges have had to be condemned owing to the, presence of -Mediterranean fruit fly, local brokers ridicule the suggestion; Ono , broker said: "We know that the Queensland fly,' which is an entirely different thing, and will not live in New Zealand, has been found in Rarotonga, and owing to the lateness of the season- it is possible Rarotonga oranges may have been affected in greater degree • than usual. The Talune landed her Cook Island fruit here last week without any flyinfested oranges being, discovered, so that it , is difficult to know how the Wellington consignment was infected. I should like •to , have seen the portion of that cargo kept , for testing purposes, but .at any rate the fly was'not tho Mediterranean fly, that's certain." THE MEIKLE CASE DISCUSSED. . Invercargill,'September 29. Mr. Eraser, member, for Napier, was banqueted at Wyndham last night, arid presented with a gold locket, in recognition of his op-position'-to' the granting of five thousand pounds to J. J. Meikle. There were about 160 persons present, and eulogistic speeches were delivered. : Mr. Traser, in'reply, said he and his friends in Parliament would do their duty to themselves and to the Dominion by using every means to prevent such a tragedy as the'tragedy' of_ taking money, from the people's pocket-to give to ajperson .who was not entitled to it. A resolution was • unanimously passed, protesting against any Sum being voted—seeing that Mr. Meikle had already'given a receipt in full _discharge— and calling on members of Parliament who place principle before expediency to resist to the utmost the. passing of any further vote. v - • ' Mr. Meikle also addressed a crowded and somewhat rowdy meeting in another hall. ?- - SCULLING, , ' Wanganul, September 29, Tho articles for the sculling champion- ' ship of Australia, signed by Thoroughgood. tho holder, have been received by "Victor." of the "Herald,"', and forwarded to Whelch, for signature. They provide for the race being rowed on tho Hunter. River on November 21. , CHINESE IMMIGRANTS. : Duntitin, September 29. • i Of'sixteen Chineso who arrived by the Maheno from Melbourne to-day, fifteen are newcomers. Three are for Dunedin, one for Lyttelton, and the balance for Wellington.

HORSES FOR INDIA. Auckland! September 29. About 150 horses were sent to Calcutta in the steamer Aparima ; which left Auckland to-day. The Auckland shipment consisted of 50 horses. OVERCROWDING. Auckland, September 29. Action ;was renewed this afternoon by the City' Council, against the Northern Boxing Association, the charge boing that the defendants, as occupiers'" of His Majesty's Theatre, permitted persons other than employees' of the association to stand in and about the dress circle passage-ways on tho night of July 13 last, on which occasion a boxing contest wn.s held in the theatre. An alternative charge, of having permitted a number of persons in excess of;.what the license allowed (1528) to enter and romain in the theatre on the .night in question, waa preferred.: After hearing tho witnesses, Mr. Kettle,.S.M.j 'said that, in hi§ opinion, the ovidenco was overwhelming that there ha.d been overcrowding, and ho convictcd the do. fendants, imposing a" fine of £5. • NEWS IX BRIEF. ' ■ ; Core, September 29. . The first mooting of -the High School Board hold to-day, was found to be informal, owing to tho omission of the Department to gazette tho time, place, and chairman, as promised. Chi'istchurch,'.September :29. : At the Magistrate's Court . to-day six dairymen, convicted, of selling adulterated milk, were fined various sums from 20s. to £5. , ■ .... ,