DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 March 1927, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[BT TBBEGRAPn PER PRESS ASSOCIATION'.] native: lands enquiry. OPOTIKI. March -I. '/'lie Niilive I,anils Commission commenced ail inquiry into the grievances nf local natives conceruing the confiscation of tlieir lands. Counsel for the natives ocntended the Hay of Plenty confiscation was unjust, but the Commission thought otherwise. lie would submit that the punishment was excessive. Murders in the district for which a double penalty was imposed were cognizable by civil authorities. Some of those guilty of participation in the murders were executed and others imprisoned. In addition the tribal lands aggregating 440,000 acres were confiscated. Though 300.000 acres had now been returned by the Government, most of that land was valueless and to-day the natives could not make a living off it. Fertile lands had been retained by the Crown. It must be remembered that lia.v of Plenty natives were not really responsible for the murders as they were incited by Keropa Anirawa. who was responsible for the introduction of Hauhauism into the Ray of Plenty. Hauhauism. with its fanaticism, coupled with the natives’ doubts Vegipding missionary activity and knowledge that the lands of other tribes had already been confiscated, caused the Ray of Plenty natives to fear tlieir lands would be taken. These circumstances led up to a series of crimes for which the penalty had been imposed, the consequence of which was that the natives to-day were in very poor circumstances. VERDICT REVERSED. AUCKLAND. .March 21. In a judgment given to-day. .Mr .Justice Uordmau on legal grounds reversed the verdict of the jury which allowed CSO damages and .65 Vs doctor's expenses against Constable George Nichols Douglas, of Mercer, for an alleged unjustifiable assault on Manku Puma, whom lie had arrested. The oflieer succeeded on the grounds as laid down in the Police Force Act, Lb 13) that any action should he commenced within lour months after the act was committed, hut the .Judge stated had he been called upon to consider Ihu question of a new trial. it would have been very diflicult, considering the Constable’s conduct, to disregard the very definite evidence given by some nersons who viewed the occurrence about the misconduct of the Maori and the absence of violence on the Constable’s part when making the arrest.

DAIRY PRODUCE. FIRST WEEK SALKS. WELLINGTON. March 21. The first week’s sales of New Zealand dairy produce under unrestricted prices resulted in practically clearing the quota of butter and cheese decided by the Dairy Board. It plans to clear accumulated stocks of butter, together with current arrivals, in thirteen weeks this involving an average offer weekly of 90.000 boxes. The weekly quota of cheese lo be offered is 45,000 boxes. It is expected to clear the surplus and current supplies by the end of May.

A circular to dairy factories, prepared by the Control Board, shows that the retail price of New Zealand butter in England is Is 7d per lb. Danish Is lOd. while cheese retails at ltd. Sales under the board’s control lor the period February 19 to March 17 (including siles in New York) are as follow: Creamery Butler.— February 19 to March 4—36.547 boxes, average price 167 s fid. March sto March 14—■-43.4,0 boxes, average price 101 s. March lo to 17 inclusive—Bs.Boo boxes. average price 1465. Total sales for the period, 165.817 boxes. In addition 2730 boxes of whey butter sold at 153 s to 14, s, the bulk at the latter price. Cheese sales for the same period were :—February If) to March 4 20,580 .rates, average price 91s Gd,

March 5 to March 11—20.953 i rates, average price 85s 9d. March 15 to I, inclusive—33,2oo crates, average price 765. Total sales for the period. 79,793 crates. It is stated that while definite advice is not yet available, it is likely that the balance of the blitter in the first pool lias been sold during the period .March 15 to 17.

INQUEST .VXD VERDICT. WELLINGTON, .March 23. Air E. Page, S.AI. (Coroner), .presided to-day at the inquest concerning the death of. Leonard Edwin Johnson, Private Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture on Sunday night. Thomas Smithson, uightwntclimnn on duty at Parliamentary Buildings early on .Monday morning, whilo on his rounds, lie opened the basement floor and saw deceased lying in the yard directly underneath the parapet of the building, which is over 50 feet high.

Police Sergeant Ci'ausen stated that he had been called to the scene of the fatality. He went up to the deceased’s room, and on the table found four letters, addressed in the deceased’s handwriting, one to Mr T. M. Milford, one to the Public, Trustee, one to the Hon. O. J. Hawken, and one to Air E. X. G. Boulton, Secretary to the Minister of Internal Affairs.

“ These are private letters containing matters irrevelent to this inquiry.” said Mr Page. “The evidence showed that deceased was in a despondent frame of mind, and the letters clearly indicated that he intended committing suicide.” He found that deceased, while in a despondent frame of mind, took his own life by jumping of! the parapet of Parliament Buildings, some ! time in the evening of March 20. RESULT OF A FIGHT. CHRISTCHURCH. March 24 \s the result of a disturbance in the forecastle if the British steamer Sheaf Mount at Lyttelton this afternoon, Tahit Saleh, believed to be » native of Egypt, lies in a critical condition at the Christchurch Hospital, wth a wound .in his throat, alleged to bavf been caused by a knitc, and Howard, a Malay, is under arrest on a charge of having unlawfully assuulteo Saleh so as to cause actual bod'v harm. Howard appeared to-night before a justice at a special sitting of the court, and he was remanded to appear at Christchurch to-morrow.

SKA3IEX FINED. CHRISTCHURCH, March 24. Five members ot the crew of the tramp steamer Hltrmattan, wore charged in I.vttelton Court, before Justices, with refusing to obey lawful commands Evidence was given that the nton were going ashore when they were ordered back by the master of the ship who told them to return to their work. Thev refused to do any work at all. Asked if they had anything to say , one of the men said they were started on board. Another man said that they had been “shanghaied” on to the ship. The defendants were each fined a day’s pay fcnd ordered to be placed on hoard the ship. DAIRY CONTROL. DUNEDIN. March 24. The Otago Provincial Executive of the 'Farmers Union affirms its support of the principle of dairy control and co-operative marketing, and strongly advised the dairymen to give control to fair trial, and not to be stampeded ly any organised propaganda in an abnormal year.