HASTINGS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9298, 27 July 1901, Page 8

HASTINGS.

[own correspondent.]

Mr F. Cook, having returned from Dun din, where ho has been enjoying a fortnight's holiday and at the same time acting as a delegate from the H.B. Fruitgrowers' Association to the Dunedin Fruitgrowers' Conference, read a long (report on the meeting yesterday afternoon at the Council Chambers, Mr Baxter being in tho chair. Mr Cook strongly urged the ftuiigrowers of this district to cultivate the dried fruit industry. In 1903 New Zealand hsd imported no lo?s than £226,125 worth of dried fruit, while in seven years the colo .y had only exported tint article to the value of £10,160. This district was, | he said, eminently Miiied for this class of J produce, which obtained a ready market. The judges at the Dunedin Show awaided j 'a gold m-:dal and diploma to Hawke's Bay, stating in their report that this I exhibit was of line uniform quality. Mr | Kirk, Government expert, whbso pleased with the Hawke's Bay applse that he had several specimens of them modelled aa bein<| perfect in sh-ipe and color. Mr Cook had also received a silver medal for fruit wine. The dried fruit from Frimley was spoken highly of by the judges, who awarded a diploma for it. One of the results of the coufereaee was the establishment of a National Horticultural Society in Now Zealand, Hawke's Bay to be represented by Mr E. H. Williams. .Mr Cook was thanked for hi 3 report by those present, and a meeting will be called to fully consider the question as soon as the Government report is received. Mr J. D. Rivers, of the Albert Hotel, has shown me i photograph which proves that deer have been thoroughly acclimatised in New Zealand. This photo contain', the picture of fifty bend of deer arranged au a trophy, all having fallen to the gun of the same sportsman, Mr Kilminster. A large number of red deer -ire in Hawke'a Bay, but those represented in the photo were killed near Martinborough, Wairarapa. The annual ball of the Hastings Fire Brigade will be held in the Priucess Theatre on Wednesday, August 7ih. A •strong committee are working up the preliminaries, and a most enjoyable •dance may confidently be expected ai a ■result. The impounding case decide;! at the S.M. Court yesteiday is of great importance to both impounders and cattle owners. No doubt the first moral to be <lrawn from it is that owners should keep their stock off the public roads. But, of courae, ihere are cases where stock, especially horses, have been Jet ou f . of their paddocks, either by the wilfulness ■or carelessness of other i cop c. The ■owner, however, haß to take, all the -chances if his stock gets into tne pound. In yesterday's case the plaintiff said that he did not recognise the description in a certain advertisement as that .of hia horse, and sued the piundkeeper. The S.M. upheld the owner's contention that the horse was insufficiently described, and strongly advised that tbe Impounding Aot should be studied by poundkeepers. it is true that the amount awarded for the horse was much less than that claimed, bu' the principle would have been the same had the amount claimtd been £50 anu the full sum allowed by the S.M. As it was the owner claimed £10, got judgment for £3, and had out of this to pay pound fees, etc., which barely left him the amount (£1 10s) the horse fetched at auction. Besides this, there ■were two d»ys' r*r.t,piv.<»mj« we Court, and tb.3 expenses of his o.vn solicitor.