THE HIKE CHARGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14530, 18 November 1910, Page 6

THE HIKE CHARGES.

HON. T. K. MACDONALD'S CASE EXONERATED .BY COMMITTEE ' [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Thursday. _ The committee appointed by the Legislative Council to investigate the charges I made by Mr. Hine against the Hon. Thomas Kennedy Macdonald, a membei of the Council, announced its decision today. ( The committee considered that the evidence showed that the firm of Macdonald, , Wilson, and Co., Land agents, of which ' the Hon. T. K. Macdonald was a member, negotiated the sale to the Government in 1905 (a) of the property of John Motley Leigh, at Nai Nai, and received from the vendors a commission for such sale, (b) of a portion of Love's Estate, at Waiwetu, near the Hutt-, and received from the vendors commission for such sale. That in the conduct of these two sales 1 the firm of Macdonald, Wilson and Co. acted as agents for the vendors of the properties, and not as agents for the Government, That these sales to the Government were conducted regularly and properly, in accordance with the law, through the Land Purchase Board, and that no undue influence of any kind in connection with these sales was exerted by anyone upon the members of the Board. That the committee was, therefore, of the opinion that the evidence taken by committee did not disclose any violation of the law, or any breach of the Standing Orders of the Legislative Council. EVIDENCE NEARLY FINISHED. KAIHAU CASE CONCLUDED. [BY TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Thursday. The committee of the House of Representatives investigating the Hine charges met again to-day. J. McCluggage, called by the Prime Minister, said that he asked Sir Joseph Ward twice to speak at Stratford during the last election campaign. Sir Joseph declined until the charge against Mr. Symes about a letter to witness and receiving payments for petitions could be cleared up. The Hon. W. C. F. Carncross gave similar evidence. The charges against Mr. Henare Kaihau, M.P., were then resumed. Keritoke Te Ahu, who acted as agent for Mohi Te Waru, produced a telegram from Mr. Kaihau: "Send me petition and money, else too late." Witness sent,under register the petition and £15, and produced the registration receipt. Witness produced a telegram from Mr. Kaihau acknowledging receipt of the peti-, tion and money, and another asking for £5, which was sent, the registration .e----ceipt being produced. ♦ Replying to Sir Joseph Ward, witness said during the last election he telegraphed to Mr. A. T. Ngata asking if petitions had to be paid for, Mr. Ngata replying that it was wrong for members of Parliament to receive payment for presenting petitions. Witness intended contesting the Northern Maori district at next election. Rewatu Hiriako and KaaJnt Huatare deposed to having paid £25 and £10 respectively to Mr. Kaihau for presenting petitions. Te Kamanomano said Mr. Kaihau gave him £10 towards the expenses of the Maori meeting and £5 when witness's child died, witness promising to repay Mr. Kaihau when able. When the petition in the matter of Manuaitu, Aotea South, was drawn up witness gave . Mr. Kaihau £10 to pay for search of Court books. When witness was in Wellington in 1905, Mr. Kaihau paid witness's board for some weeks. '' . This closed Mr. Hine's case against Mr. Kaihau. Mr. Myers mentioned that the only witness he had now to call was Mr. Griffin, who will appear to-morrow in the Flaxbourne charges. The Committee adjourned till to-mor-row.