FOUL PLAY SUGGESTED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17612, 30 October 1931, Page 5

FOUL PLAY SUGGESTED

OLD RECLUSE’S DEATH NEW MOVE IN DRINAN CASE • ‘ GRAVEST ALLEGATIONS ’’ (Klee. Tnl. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Received Oct. 30, 11 a.in.) LONDON, Oct. 29. The strange story of John Drinan was carried another stage when Mr. Justice McCardie gave judgment in lavor of the Public Trustee. He said both signatures to tho documents purporting to transfer Canadian stock to Haiat were gross and clumsy forgeries. Ho added that the case raised a grave issue. He could not determine whether Drinan died accidentally or otherwise. The position was all the more serious because both signatures were witnessed by one, Charles Beale, at one time employed at the British Consulate at Nice. Both by letter and verbally, Beale had asserted that lie had seen Drinan sign in the consulate. Tins was a gross and fraudulent .falsehood. Haiat's son also was formerly employed at the consulate, and there were the gravest allegations against him as well as Beale, but neither had ventured to appear in court. The judge ordered that all the papers should be sent to the Public Prosecutor. John Drinan, 78, was found dead at the foot of stairs in a boarding house in Nice on February 5. He had been nviug in a very miserly fashion, and some surprise was caused by the size of his estate, which was valued then at £76,000, and was mostly left to poor boxes. Relatives thought the estate would approximate £200,000. In tho King’s Bench Division of the High Court the Public Trustee sought to establish whether stock, valued at £SO,OOO, in the Canadian Pacific Railway, which is at present in the custody of a New York bank, belonged to Mr. Drinan’s estate, or to the estate of J. Ilaiat, also deceased, who met Drinan on the Riviera during the closing days of Drinan's life. Shortly before his death Haiat had instituted an action against the bank to recover tho stock.

Senator Hull (Democrat) said tho result probably means “another retaliatory high tariff in response to the American high tariff leadership of the world for tho last 10 years.” Tho chairman of the Republican National Committee, Mr. Fess, stated that the results of the British election came as ‘ 1 a ray of sunshine from that part of the world. They indicate that the people of England arc going to meet their problems with courage and deliberation.” MOVE TOWARDS TARIFFS EMPIRE PREFERENCE PLAN OTTAWA, Oct. 29. The general election in Great Britain, with the preponderance of Con-' servatives elected, together with their expressed intention of giving effect to the principles of tariff protection and wider Empire trade, is regarded by political observers here as bringing into office in the United Kingdom an administration calculated to listen sympathetically to an Empire preference scheme, as enunciated by the Prime Minister, Mr. R. B Bennett, at the second plenary session of tho Imperial Conference at London, when lie declared: “I offer to tho Mother Country and to all parts of tho Empire preference .in the Canadian market in exchange for like preference in theirs, based upon the addition of a 10 per cent, increase in the prevailing tariffs or upon tariffs yet to bo treated. In universal acceptance of this offer and in like proposals and acceptances by all other parts of the Empire, we can attain to tho ideal of Empire preference.” SOUTH AFRICA ELATED REVISED TARIFF POLICY (Received Oct. 30, 10 a.m.) CAPETOWN, Oct. 29. While Ministers studiously avoid comment on the British elections, tho country generally is elated. Tho Government reiterates its determination to remain on the gold standard, but to meet tho insistent pressure of primary producers, the Minister" of Finance announces a special customs duty of 5 per cent, on imports from all countries, and a subsidy of .10 per cent, on all exports excepting sugar and coal. MR. SCULLIN’S .COMMENT LABOR DEFEAT REGRETTED SYDNEY, Oct. 29. The Prime Minister, commenting on the British elections, said that the National Government had undoubtedly received a mandate to deal with tho nation’s financial difficulties. Nevertheless, a Labor Government could have been trusted to do this if it had received the united support of tho other parties. Mr. Scullin regretted the defeat of so many able Labor stalwarts, who had given great service to the Labor movement over a long period. , Reflecting confidence in the result of the British elections, prices on tho Sydney and Melbourne stock exchanges again moved up decisively today. The gains were widespread. Tho market was stronger than for two years, tho turnover being of such large dimensions that the sales board was unable to accommodate tho records of all transactions.