Untitled

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 194, 17 August 1922, Page 4

Aii application was made before Mr. E. C. C'utten, S.M.. this morning on behalf of Arthur Paul I'olson (Mr. J. -I. Sullivan) fur variation of an order to pay the wife. Ruby Isabel Poison (Mr. Inder) £2 per week maintenance. The parties, had been married three years. Mrs. Pol-: son gave evidence in which she alleged! her husband drank, and was "not fondt of work." For the husband it was shown that he was earning £4 10/ per week, out of which lie had to make j payments which only left him 15/ peri week to live upon. Mr. Cutten reduced, the order to 20/ por week, tho arrears £7, to be paid off at one shilling per week. A collision occurred between two motor cars on the steep grade at the foot of] Emily Place at about 8 o'clock last night.. One of the cars, owned by Mr. Thomas, I I architect, and driven by Mr. Keith | Otway. was descending the hill, and trie I other, in charge of Mr. L. Morrison, wasi going up the hill. The axle and front j wheels of Mr. Thomas' car were extensively darrfaged, little damage being sustained by the other car. Miss Pembroke,; who was in one of the. cars, suffered; I from shock, hut otherwise none of the occupants was hurt. Keen competition ruled at the auction of the Wiltshire's salvaged cargo yesterday at the King's wharf by Mr. George Walker and prices, in many cases, closely approached current prices I quoted by retailers in the city. tVhiaky | ■and wines were freely disposed of, vvhijky selling at about £3 a cape (plus ' UK) per cent, duty) or 30/- a gallon in | draught (plus :JC/- duty). Champagne | was not in keen demand and sold at I prk-es ranging between 10/. and 11/- aj 'bottle. Old wines -also sold at very low prices, about 15/-, including the duty. Tobacco was knocked down at halfprice, n/Ht a dozen tins of lijoz each. The porcelain baths sold up to £8 10/- each, plus 20 per cent, duty. Calico sold at £40 a bale: coloured wool at £20 a bale. An lipripht Brondwood piano, which was described as being worth £300, though more than a few discounted the statement with a smile, was sold at £S0 (phis 20 per cent. duty). At the Paeroa Police Court f before Messrs. (,\ A. Wilson and \Y. Marshall, a man named Williams was charged I under three breaches of Births and Heaths Registration Act, 1908, by having falsely stated when registering the birth of his children that he was married to the mother of the said children at Wellington, Kltham. and Newcastle, when, as a matter of fact, he wag not married to the children's mother at that lime. The accused pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court at Auckland for sentence. Bail was allowed on his own recognisance for £.30. Advocates for unimproved value at Xorthcote are active, in view of the poll to 'be taken next Tuesday. Messrs. George Stevenson and Ralph Taylor, of Auckland, who are well vereed in the principles of the system, are to address a public meeting in the Xorthcote Masonic Hall this evening in order to afford the fullest information regarding unimproved value rating. Opposition is also being organised by several ratepayers who are unfavourable to thus system of rating being applied to Xorthcote properties. This section liae convened a public meeting for to-morrow evening, when speakers will point out the disadvantages of unimproved rating. The proposal has been rejected twice previously at polls in the Xor-thcofc borough -on the last occasion in April. 1910, by the narrow majority of seventeen votes. The completed additions of the revaluation of the Birkenhend borough, as finally passed by the Assessment Court, after disposing" of the objections lodged by the Borough Council, were:—Land £343.430, improvements f3fi2.205. capital value £7(15,035. The valuation list prior to the new assessments being made showed the respective values to have been: Land £30R.e05, improvements £258.G45. capital value £597,250. The respective increases are: Land £34.825. improvements £73.500, capital value £108,385. Though ' the increased unimproved value of ' £34,825 yields additional revenue to the ■' extent of £870 per annum, after allowing | | for a reduction of one halfpenny in the £, compared with last year, the view is still \ held by the Mayor, and at least some ; members of Council, that values are even ' now not adequate. The Mayor (Mr. J. ] W. Court) last night gave notice of his intention to move at the next meeting: | ""That this Council places on record its ' considered opinion that the increases allowed by the Assessment Court, whilst making for a more equitable rating of the borough, still leave many inadequate and inequitable valuations; therefore, this Council hereby respectfully requests a new and correct valuation to be submitted to the Council and ratepayers by ' the end of 1023." The valuation 'of Bir- < kenhead in 1915, after the last revalua- ' tion by the Government officials, was: ' Land £303.700, improvements £250,025, I 1 capital £503,325. | ' The Parks Committee of IW City! \ Council have fixed the boundaries of the I Zoo site at the Western Springs to take '' in an area of 27 acres, of which five acres i j will b>! planted in shelter belts. It kj j expected that the essential preparatory i , work will be completed about the end of' , November, and the committee hopes to ! be in a position to have the Zoo opened : to the public in December. It will, of ■ • course, be long before the grounds can he j . pin into the state of attractiveness which j they will present when the lay-out i { t-cheme is completed, but it is considered that sufficient progress will have been ' , made by December to allow the public to • i view the collection as a Zoo. The lioyd | , collection will be taken over by the I , Council on Tuesday next, and until it ! , can be housed at its new home the One- j ( htin.L'a Borough Council will be requested , to allow it to remain at its present , domicile. Considerable interest is being evinced in Birkenhead in the business to bo sub- ] mitted by the Borough Council at the j public meeting in the Foresters' Hall J this evening, and also at Birkdale to- 1 morrow night. In addition to reviewing ; the borough business, the Council is submitting an extensive programme of loan ■ works. , A change of wind led to the sparks : from a Birkenhead garden fire damaging ' clothes on a line in the neighbouring property. This was the burden of a com- ' plaint to the Borough Council, Which last night decided to warn ratepayers < that before lighting outdoor fires per- ) mission should be obtained in accordance with the by-laws. | i