Untitled

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 278, 21 November 1913, Page 4

A case came before Mr C. C. Kettle, S.M., this morning in which a mother sought maintenance from her son. The evidence showed that the son had never been asked by his mother to contribute. He said he was willing to pay three shillings per week, -and had never declined an appeal for aid. On one occasion he handed her ten sovereigns, and she give him back two. Mr Kettle said he would not place an order on record against the son, but accept his promise to contribute three shillings per week. It seemed to him that these proceedings should never have been taken against a man who had not refused to aid his mother.

"Business is dead," said a town traveller of a fancy-goods Srm to a Wellington reporter. "I have now been travelling for twenty-three years and have never experienced anything like it. I went into a shop this morning, and the look the buyers gave mc was quite enough; but.*' he added, "I had not come to talk busin_-s, but merely to 6how him samples of a few new lines. All the heads of departments seem to have been instructed not to buy for the present, so there is practically nothing doing save a few lines in tobacco and cigarettes. Some of the tobacconists judge that they might run short of stocks before the port i 3 cleared and are buying a little ahead in case -of emergencies. It's no good showing any jewellery—meet of the customers say that these are not jewellery times—and one cannot conscientiously say that they are. I am very much afraid that this strike is going to kill trade this Christmas."

Owing to the Magistrates toeing otherwise occupied, the judgment summons cases were not taken until late in the afternoon yesterday at the S.M. Court. Only two orders were made, as follows: W. H. Debaugh to pay 17/ forthwith; W. Love to pay £4 2/2. penalty for noncompliance suspended until a further order of the Court. In several cases that were called and adjourned the men intimated that they were out of work owing to the strike." A driver this morning remarked that he was not only out on strike, but his wife had him in gaol for a week for maintenance. As the wife was too ill to attend, Mr. Kettle adjourned the case, and gave the husband his liberty on a promise to appear when required.

The usual parade of discontented husbands and wives did not take place this morning at the Magistrate's Court, with the result that only one order was made, the other cases being either struck out for non-appearance, or adjourned. Mr. C. C. Kettle made an order in the case of William Jessen (who did not appear) for the payment of 30/ per week for the maintenance of his wife and two children, who were represented by Mr. Haddon. The husband was also ordered to pay £5 part arrears of maintenance, and costs.

The story oi an impromptu "strike" which occurred in an hotel in one of the Southern towns was related to a north- | crn pressman by a business man, who gained the information first hand from one of the ringleaders in the affair. It was race time, and the hotel as usual was crowded, particularly the bars. The rush was accentuated through the action of one of the servants rendering himself incapable of duty, and to relieve the position a boarder generously offered his services to the licensee. The latter gladly accepted the proffered assistance, and asked the man to give a hand in the bar washing the glasses. The intrusion of the sti'anger into the sacred precincts behind the bar raised an indignant demand from the barmaid as to his business, and the man jokingly but injudiciously remarked that he had been sent by tne boss to watch the till. Throwing down her towel, the woman bounced out of the room, and calling on the other females in the house, they readily consented to "down tools," and repaired upstairs. The licensee was naturally perturbed by the sudden development, and in remonstrating with the employees eventually ascertained the cause of t_e trouble, which was soon rectified. The incident, however, disclosed the fact that strike leaders are not confined to the ranks of the sterner sex.

A woman who had just married a third husband four months ago had applied for separation this morning at the S.M. Court, but the case did not come on for hearing. v

Right throughout the country districts of the Wairarapa it is generally agreed that no more favourable season has been experienced in the history of New Zealand. Feed is abnormally plentiful, and it only requires prices "for produce to be maintained to result in a season of extraordinary prosperity.

"This Court is being flooded with these applications for separation orders between husbands and wives," remarked Mr C. C. Kettle at the S.M. Court this morning. "We will soon want a special court to deal with. f*)ese particular cases."