MAORI FOR TRIAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24555, 10 April 1943, Page 8

MAORI FOR TRIAL

NORTH AUCKLAND CASE MURDER ATTEMPTS DENIED (0.C.) "WHANGAREI, -Friday The hearing of charges against Koni Thompson, aged 43, a Maori farmer (Mr. T. Henry), of attempting to murder his wife, Mary Thompson, and of attempting to murder Ngaro Moses Davis, a returned soldier, at Punuruku on March 14, was continued before Mr. Raymond Ferner, S.M., at Whangarei to-day. A charge against Davis of tlie attempted murder of Thompson was dismissed yesterday. A son of accused, Bryce Norman Thompson, aged 11, said that on Sunday morning, March 14, he saw his father going up the hill behind the house with his Home Guard rifle. He heard his father that morning say he would kill Mrs. Thompson. A brother of accused, Ahu Thompson, s<iid that while searching accused's Homo Guard uniform he found a note which he handed to Detective Miller. The note (produced) was addressed to "Whom It Might Concern." "Good-bye to All" "My wife has driven me to my strategy," . the note stated. "She hounded me to my last breath. 1 intended to take her life and then take mv own, but a God-sent vision came to me at the moment, saying, stop, it's not right. Take your own lite and leave the mother of your children (1 loved them all verv much). I am very sorry to bring tliem to this world and treat them like this, but it's beyond my limit and J can't bear it any longer. So please clear my wife and family of this. _ So good-bye to all, especially my wife and family. I am going to shoot myself—Koni Thompson." . , Detective G. S. Miller said he interviewed accused at the Whangarei Hospital. In a statement (produced) accused said he and his wife had been quite happv until Davis came to live with them.' A short time ago ho had been suspicious of his wife carrying on with Davis, but she had denied it. Threat Against Wife Denied At Russell he had told his wife that if she came home ho would leave her with the children and would try and get overseas with the forces, accused said. He had not threatened her that if she did not return he would cut her throat, but he had said he would cut his own throat if she did not return. " Continuing, accused detailed what had happened on the Saturday night and Sunday morning. He said he had not fired to hit Davis and had no intention of shooting any of them. If he had that intention he could have shot them without trouble. He had never threatened to take his wife's life, but several times he had threatened to commit suicide. Ever since Davis had been living at his home he had taken charge of the place. Explanation of Note Witness continued that later accused was shown the note. He said he had written it after coming back from camp. He had not intended to take his wife's life. He had been in a fit of temper when he had written the note. Accused pleaded not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court at Auckland for trial. The hearing of the charge of attempting to murder Ngaro Moses Davis followed. Accused pleaded not guilty and was committed for trial. HARBOUR FINANCES PROBLEM OF SMALL PORTS AUCKLAND NOT AFFECTED Comment on the reported attitude of the New Plymouth Harbour Board toward the Government's offer of a subsidy for ports adversely affected by the concentration of shipping was made yesterday by Mr. D. Holderness, super-intendent-engineer of the Auckland Harbour Board. Some of the smaller port authorities whose trade had been diverted as the result of war conditions had approached the Government through the Ministry of Marine, said Mr. Holderness. saying that they did not see how they were going to pay their way and asking for assistance in some form When a deputation of the Harbours Association was discussing other matters relating to the wartime use of ports subsequently with the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Eraser, and Treasury officials, it was suggested that a possible solution of the smaller boards' difficulties was to impose a levy on those boards beneficially affected by the diversion of shipping. No such proposal had been mentioned in Mr. Eraser's statement, said Mr. Holderness, and it would be most inequitable in application, as greater costs were incurred in earning the additional revenue. The Prime Minister had said, in effect, that he recognised the boards were national institutions and that they could not be allowed to go bankrupt. Mr. Eraser suggested that a better time to discuss the position would be after the harbour boards' financial year, which closed on September 30. and they were asked to expedite the issuing of their financial statements, so that the Treasury might then see to what extent aid was required. He had now asked that the boards seeking assistance should submit estimates to the Government, which, if it was called upon to help them, would have to exercise some control. Mr. Holderness thought that any investigation of the matter must lead to the conclusion that a local problem must be met locally. The statement attributed to Mr. F. L. Frost, M.P.. that the Auckland and Wellington boards had each shown a profit of about £500,000 for the last, financial year was palpably incorrect. COUNTY RIDING ACCOUNTS (0.C.) HAMILTON, Friday A decision reached at the February meeting to abolish separate riding accounts was confirmed by the Raglan County Council at Ngaruawahia to-day. The voting was again even, six councillors supporting and six opposing the motion. The chairman, Mr. H. W. Wilson, again exercised his casting vote in favour of it. COLLECTION OF RATES (0.C.l WHANC.ABEI, Friday The percentage of rates collected by the Whangarei Counyt Council was a record, equalling 95.95 per cent. The amount involved was £20,543. In submitting the financial statement to the council to-day, the acting-clerk, Mr. G. 11. Lloyd, said that the total of credit balances was high, amounting to ,£21,670, but metalling and repair work on the roads was in arrears and was urgently required.