TELEGRAMS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18157, 31 January 1921, Page 6

TELEGRAMS

(Pis United Press Association.] GISBORNE, January 28. Vernon Winfield Linkhorn was committed for trial op a charge of bigamy. The evidence showed that he married recently a Gisborne girl while his wife, a Native woman, whom he married at Opotiki two years previously, was still living. WELLINGTON, 'January 28. At the Magistrate’s Court, Elephantes Athanasios, a Greek, and Charles Olsen, a Swede, were charged with being unlicensed aliens, they had signed on ship’s articles. The masters of two coastal vessels were charged with wrongfully employing the men. The defence was that the men were quite ignorant of their obligations and had signed on at the shipping office, where no questions were asked. The magistrate cofivicted the defendants, and ordered them to pay the costs of the prosecution, remarking that at the shipping office there should be some notification in regard to the obligations of aliens. Ernest Whitehouse, a station owner at Oharua Valley, was charged with cruelty to sheep, and also that he had caused them unnecessary suffering. Defendant had placed 47 sheep in a yard with no food or water, expecting a neighbouring farmer to collect them. The latter failed to do so. and the sheep were left in the yard for a couple of weeks. Defendant was convicted on the first charge, and on the second charge was convicted and fined £3, with costs.

The latest report from the Otago Repatriation Board is particularly satisfactory. It is evident that a great deal of valuable work is being done, and that ox-soldiers are taking full advantage of it. The Minister in charge (the Hofi. D. H. Guthrie) says the work of the Repatriation Officer is of a very high order indeed.

The Ministerial Repatriation Board has passed the following resolution: —“Your report was laid before this board this morning, and the Minister has requested me to convey to the members of the Otago Board the highest appreciation of the excellent manner in which they have carried out their duties.”

The report from Otago shows that un to the present 6 per cent, of the men have paid off all their loans, and this percentage will be greatly increased during this year. Already 28 per cent, of the money advanced to ex-soldiers by the Dunedin Board has been repaid. CHRISTCHURCH. January 28

Fred Wilson, a steerage passenger on the ferrv steamer, was missing when the Maori arrived at Lyttelton this morning. He went aboard at Wellington last night with George M’Na-ughton, but coqlrl _ not be found ptt the vessel’s arrival. Ilis address is given to Putaruru. near Rotorua. Donald Pugh, aged 18 years, who at, the Magistrate's Court, on n charge of attempted carnal knowledge. v;as ordered to nonpar at the Supreme Court for sentence, failed this morning to answer when his name was called. He was one of the first to be admitted to probationary haH under the amended Probation Act of 1920. Previously prisoners committed for sentence were not admitted to bail. Counsel for prisoner said be had no knowledge of Pugh’s whereabouts. His arrest was ordered by Me Justice Hcrdman.