Untitled

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 24 May 1928, Page 9

A petition to the Governor-General in Council, praying for the reprieve of Allan George Norgrove, who is under sentence of death for the murder of his sister-in-law Elrnistina Mary Norgrove, is to be circulated in Auckland (states an exchange.) The petition being prepared by Mr. A. Moody, who was Norgrove’s counsel. It is expected that the petition will be supported by the Howard Penal Reform League which recently condemned the system of capital punishment. Rumours to the effect that a number of properties in connection with which the State Advances Department lias advanced up to 95 per cent, of the security value have recently fallen hack into the hands of the Government were referred to by Sir John Luke. M.P., at a meeting of the Reform League at Wellington. Ho asked how far the rumours were correct. The Minister of Lands (the Hon. A. D. McLeod) said he did not think that up-to-date figures were available, as the returns were made quarterly. However, he did not think there was any cause to worry about the number of unoccupied houses erected under the advances scheme. No doubt there was a proportion of arrears in payments. It was ,said that a considerable number of houses had been abandoned in Auckland and Hamilton, but that might mean only one or two houses in every hundred. He knew definitely that houses had been abandoned in Wellington, and perhaps in other towns, hut he felt safe in saying that the percentage was very small indeed.