HUTT VALLEY NEWS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 279, 22 August 1935, Page 13

HUTT VALLEY NEWS

At the conclusion of the last meeting of the Hutt Valley Y.M.C.A. Women's Auxiliary, the president. Mrs. 11. W. Kersley, entertained members at afternoon tea in recognition of their services during the recent queen contest, when the auxiliary represented the gold queen, Miss Kathleen Kempthorne, the successful candidate. Mrs, J. Mitchell and Mrs. Ryder, who were hostesses at social gatherings in aid of the gold queen, were among tiiOBC present.

In connection with the “grand wheelbarrow derby” at Lower Hutt it has been announced that the "pusher” for Mr. W. M. Burton, manager of the Hutt railway workshops, will be "Lofty” Reid, a member of the Petone Rugby Football Club. This novel event is to raise money to furnish the Hutt Valley Horticultural Society’s new hall, and will be held tomorrow at 7.30 p.m. The course will be from Waterloo Road to the old bridge, and among the contestants will be the Mayor of Lower Hutt, the town clerk, chairman and secretary of the Hutt River Board, chairman and secretary of the horticultural so> ety, and others, including the postmaster at Lower Hutt, tlie superintendent of the fire brigade, the principal of the Hutt Valley High School, and representatives of the Y.M.C.A. and Chamber of Commerce.

LOAN, NOT A GIFT

Claim For Recovery of £lO

The story of how a young woman lent £lO to a man so that be could have his teeth seen to. and how the man declined to pay her back on the ground that the money was a gift, was recounted in the Petone court yesterday when Mrs. E. Dennison sought to recover the money from David Doig. The magistrate, Mr. H. P. Lawry, after hearing evidence from Mrs. Dennison, her busband and Doig, decided that the money was lent, and gave judgment in plaintiff’s favour. Mr. E. T. E. Hogg represented Mrs. Dennison, and Doig conducted his own case.

Explaining the position to the magistrate, Doig said that when he was keeping company with plaintiff before her marriage she asked him to get his teeth out, and he said he could not afford it. According to Doig, Mrs. Dennison said that was all right, she would pay for it. The money was a gift, he contended. A resident of Petone, Mrs. Dennison said she knew defendant before she was married. When the money was lent to him he was unemployed and he said ne would pay it back when he got work. Subsequently she and her husband went along to see Doig, who said he could not pay until about next Christmas. She then went to a lawyer. Leslie Norman Dennison, the husband, said he recalled calling to see Doig, who said he would do his best to pay the money about Christmas. In evidence Doig said he had taken the money as a gift and not as a loan. At one time he said he would pay her back, but she said, “Don’t pay it back; I- gave you that.” Under cross-examination it was shown that Mr. Hogg had written to Doig about the money, but Doig wrote back saying he had never received money from Mrs. Dennison. Doig said he knew at the time that that was plaintiff’s married name, but bis answer to the letter was done on the spur of the moment. At this stage Mr. Hogg declared that it was a barefaced attempt to escape liability. / BETTER POSITION Lower Hutt Tennis Club The financial position of the Lower Hutt Tennis Club (Inc.) is stated by the eighth annual report (to be presented to the annual meeting on August 29) to be a better one than last years. The bank overdraft has been reduced from £94/10/2 to £47/11/8. and the club has met interest due to the borough council amounting to £24/17/9. and is to make a further capital payment of £2O before the annual meeting. The club’s grass courts had 'been well cared for, says the report, and the hardcourts, which were top-dressed four years ago, would be given further attention to put them in perfect condition for the coming season. The senior A team were runners-up in the senior championship last year. To improve , upon this in the coming season the committee hoped that a keen interest would be taken in the inter-club games. During the year Hutt Valley - representative honours had been gained by Mrs. King. Misses R. Dver and J. Donthett. and Messrs. L. O Evans. M. Sandlant. A. Tilbury and E. G. Thompson, all members of the club. The report stated that a number of present officers of tlie club were not expected to be avaHable for re-election this year. a<nd the committee trusted that members of experience would give the new committee their help and guidance to continue the existing club spirit.

CENTRAL CLUB. PETONE

At the annual general meeting of the Central Lawn Tennis dub. Petone, there was a genera] discussion as to ways and means of improving the standard of play. The matter was discussed from all angles, and it was finally decided to employ a professional coach. It was considered that no player could rise tn any high form if he started out wrongly, and it was

with a view to helping the particularly promising members of the club that it was decided to do something for them. In order to meet the cost of the services of a professional coach, a small levy will be made on all members, which will be collected with the annual subscription. It was reported that the grass courts had again been topdressed this year, and the griw was looking particularly strong and healthy.