TELEGRAMS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 44, 20 August 1913, Page 2

TELEGRAMS

NEW ZEALAND FARMERS' DAIRY UNION DISCUSSION AT ANNUAL MEETING. /___ PAYMENT OF A DIVIDEND. [by. telegbaph— special to the post ] PALMERSTON N., This Day. At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Farmers' Dairy Union yesterday, the chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, spoke of the cost to the fanners of the present methods of buying and the expense of the system of distribution on the Home market. He considered co-operation among fanners would cheapen both buying and selling. Prospects for the coming season, he said, were fairly good. There would be a good deal less butter made in New Zealand this season than for some years. First-class butter would therefore command good prices. He waa sorry to say the stores at Home were fulV of second-class butter. He advised them to deliver their milk to the creameries ip first-class condition and keep up the high standards He considered the butter-makers were in for a. good season this year in New Zealand. Mr. Scheidt, -of Bunnythorpe, considered the company should pay a dividend especially to those who had taken up shares in the early history of the company. The chairman agreed < with Mr. Scheidt, but under the circumstances they could not pay one this year. A shareholder pointed out that a. number of shareholders, instead of supporting their own company, supported others. Mr. Scheidt moved : " A hat a dividend of 5 per cent, be paid to shareholders."' Mr. E. Harding said it was disheartening to shareholders that a dividend was not to be paid this year, but it would be unfair to pay one and leave the suppliers for the coming season to make up the amount of »about £700. Mr. Scheidt then withdrew the motion. Messrs. C. Voss, P. Maul, and T. Moss were re-elected to the directorate. Next annual meeting will be held at Woodville. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the chairman, directors and staff. POLICE AND PRISONERS A DETECTIVE'S MISTAKE. [BY TELEGRAPH — SPECIAL TO THE POST.] CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Interviews with prisoners in the police cells were the subject of a triangular contest at the Supreme Courfc yesterday. Mr. Justice Denniston and Mr. M. Donnelly were examining Detective Torrance at length on the subject in connection with a housebreaking case. Detective Torrance stated that the accused man had been arrested on a charge of having stolen an overcoat, a charge that was not proceeded with, and while in the cells the detective had interviewed him. Mr. Donnelly at once tackled the detective on the question of the interview in the cells and asked : Why did you go to see him in the cells ? "Witness : About the case I had in hand. Mr. Donnelly : That is very frank. Then you were going to charge him with this offence. Witness : I did not know. His Honour (to Mr. Donnelly) : He did not say that or I would have stopped him. Mr. Donnelly : How did the interview commence 1 < Witness : I asked him if he had sold a portmanteau. Mr. Donhelly : Did you suspect him ? did you know that he was the man you wanted on this charge? Witness : No. Mr. Donnelly : Then why did you interview him? The witness did not reply to the question, and then his Honour took up the examination of the detective : Was this man charged with this offence? Witness : Two warrants were issued for him, but I did not know that he had been, arrested for the theft of the portmanteau. His Honour : But why did you go to see him? Witness : I went down to interview him. His Honour : But you know that you are not supposed io interview people in this way when they are under arrest. Witness : Yes. His Honour : Then why did you do Witness : I made a mistake. Later, Mr. Donnelly, in addressing the jury, referred to the incident and remarked that while a man was in the cells he was entirely at the mercy of the detectives, who could ply him with any question they, chose. Judges, therefore, had ruled that it was improper for a detective to interview prisoners under the circumstances.