DOMINION NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 57, 9 March 1914, Page 5

DOMINION NEWS.

N.Z. TIMES v. DOMINION. [Per Press Association.] Wellington, March 8. The hearing of the New Zealand Times v. the Dominion libel action, claiming £3OOO for damages, was concluded on Saturday. Mr Justice Hosking summed up at some length and put the following issues to the jury : (1) Was the article in question published of and concerning the plaintiff company ? (2) Is the article defamatory? (3) Is the article a fair and bona

fide comment on the matter previously published by the Times in the newspapers put in evidence? (4) If defamatory, and not fair comment, to what damages is the plaintiff company entitled? After four hours’ retirement, ibe jury intimated that it was unable to agree.

Mr Skerrett, for plaintiffs, intimated that lie would state on Monday what course ho would take.

NEW TRIAL ORDERED. Wellington, March 9. At the Supreme Court, on the application of Mr Skerrett, Justice Hosking made an order for a re-trial at the present session of the New Zealand Limes v. the Dominion libel case. NO WHITE SLAVERY. Auckland, March 7. Superintendent Kiely, officer in charge of the Auckland police district, says that there is not an atom of evidence to support tho statement made by Mrs Field, at the annual meeting of the W.C.T.U., that an organised system is at work in this country for recruiting girls to the under-world. Referring to.particulars of instances quoted by Mrs Field the superintendent said a few cases to which a certain amount of suspicion was attached had been reported to the police, but in none of them has there been an atom of evidence to show the existence of white slavery. Superintendent Kiely added: “1 can say without hesitation that so far as A inland is concerned there is not a vestige of truth in tho assertion. I can also say with almost as much confidence that white slavery is unknown in New Zealand.”

RAID ON OPIUM DEN.

Wellington, March 6

The police paid a surprise visit today to a Chinese laundry in Taranaki Street, which has long been suspected of carrying on some business other than that ostensibly engaged in. When the police made a sudden entry into the premises, half-a-dozen Chinamen were sitting around the room. Five hours’ diligent search in all the nooks and crannies of the ramshackle old building disclosed a large tin of pure opium, three small tins of opium, one large tin of opium “seconds,” and a. quantity of opium empties, as well as lamps and pipes, etc., used in smoking opium. Two of the Chinese were arrested on a charge of being in possession of opium in a form suitable for smoking. This is the largest haul secured by the police in Wellington. THE HUMAN MACHINE. Christchurch, March 0. Tu sentencing Frank Mart on to four years’ reformative treatment for indecent assault, Judge Denniston said: T have more than once commented on the senseless prudery which leaves children without without warning on these points, and offences result from the evil habits acquired in youth. No sensible man would willingly entrust a complicated piece of machinery to an ignorant mechanic, hut parents and teachers consent to leavs children without knowledge of that marvellous machine, the human body.