TELEGRAMS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 72, 28 March 1910, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

" WE AflE OUT FOR A FIGHT." THE KNYVETT COMMITTEE. ITS CHAIRMAN'S PROPHECY. [BI TELEGBAPH —SPECIAL TO THE POST.] AUCKLAND, This Day. As a result of Cabinet's refusal to reopen the Knyvett case, the Knyvett Defence Committee is girding up its loins preparatory to again sallying forth to do battle in the cause of this much-dis-cussed officer. According to the committee, the fate of the Ward Government may hang on this cause celebre, and whilst the administration "may safely steer between freehold rocks and leasehold shoals of the knotty land problem, it may not be able to avoid wreck and total loss of power and prestige beneath the angry Knyvett sea which is to sweep from end to end of the Dominion." The committee seems to bein earnest on this point, and is even now with apparent seriousness the probabilities, of the next general election being fought on the question of the pros and cons, of the Knyvett case, and has resolved to form a ladies' committee to take up street collections on a Saturday in aid of the Knyvetfc defence fund, method of collection to be the same as on Ambulance Saturday. The committee has also resolved to hold another big protest meeting in one of the theatres two or three days prior to the Saturday fixed for the collection. After various suburbs have been visited the committee intends holding meetings at Palmerston North, Wanganui, New Plymouth, Wellington, Christcfaurch, and Dunedin. On being interviewed, the chairman of the committee (Mr. J. S. Dickson) said : "Sir Joseph Ward's reply is nothing short of a challenge to the committee and the Auckland public, and we are taking it up. We are out for a fight. People of Auckland have also twice asked for justice and twice have they been refused. They are not likely, however, to give Cabinet another chance of so flatly ignoring their demands, and so the matter must now go before a higher tribunal —that of Parliament itself. I have every confidence that in the event of a vote of no-confidence being moved against the Government in the matter, Northern members on the Government side of the House will vote for it, and there is every prospect of its being carried. If a vote of no-con-fidence is carried, a general election will ensue on the Knyvett case. In that event any candidate in Auckland province going against Knyvett will have no possible chance of being elected." Mr. Massey, in a statement on the subject, says that he will not treat the subject as a party matter. fPBESS ASSOCIATION.! A LAD'S MISDEEDS. DUNEDIN, 27th March. A lad named Henry Joseph Hftnd, aged 15£ years, broke into shops at Milton, it is alleged, and stole some goods. In addition, it is further stated, on Saturday at Fairfax he overtook a young woman on the road and tried to snatch her handbag, containing £7. He was wearing a mask at the time, and the wqmau noticed • that he was pointing a revolver at her, and scream*ed for help. The' youth at' once ran off. Detective Mitchell and' Const-able M'Rae (Milton) traced him, and in the afternoon gave chase between Fairfax and the beach, and caught him. When arrested he was found to be armed with a seven-chamber revolver^ and a sheath knife • and mask. • He will be also charged with stealing a horse, saddle, and bridle. MISCELLANEOUS. WESTPORT, 27th March. Mr. Crowther, Collector of Customs at Westport, examined on oath to-day the second officer of the s.s. Tottenham relative to an account which he recently gave to a Westport News reporter about his steamer, which left Durban ten days after the s.s. Waratah, having passed off East London bodies of human beings floating in the sea. The story was substantially the same as that recently published. The evidence has been forwarded to the Marine De-. partment. NAPIER, "26th March. The following is a copy of the telegram received by the Hastings Borough Council from the. Superintendent of the State Advances Department : —"Town Clerk, Hastings. Provisional approval £85,0(30 postponed pending further particulars being supplied. J. W. Poynton, Superintendent.' The wording of the telegram as given to a reporter by the Town Clerk was : —"Eight-five thousand pounds loan granted provided that further particulars be supplied. —Poynton." The Town Clerk was then speaking fiom memory, the Mayor having taken the original telegram with him to Wellington. The omission of the word "postponed" from the particulars given the press representatives was the cause of the misunderstanding which took place before the position was made clear by the Premier. TIMARU, 26tn March. The Governor arrived in Timaru on Thursday afternoon. He paid a visit to each of the town schools, and was banqueted by the citizens in the evening. He also presented certificates to members of the St. John Ambulance Association. Yesterday he visited St. Mary's Church, and "lunched at the Mayor's private residence. In the afternoon he went by train to Fairlie, and travelled to Waimate this morning.