Page 6 Advertisements Column 4

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24, 30 January 1911, Page 6

The Wairarapa Age reports that a Masterton settler states that a short, sharp rain, like that experienced one day lasb week, will do more to exterminate rabbits than hundreds of pounds spent in poisoning. The holes fill with water, and before it has time to soak in the Tabbits are destroyed in their burrows. Questioned by a Timaru Post representative on Friday, the Hon. T. Mackenzie said that there would be no hurry in the demolishing of the old hermitage at Mount Cook. Portions would be used, perhaps, for huts, bub the bulk of it would stand and be put into repair. The new hermitage would be completed as rapidly as possible. The traffic to the famous regions had been very great this year, and there was every promise of it increasing still more greatly in the future. An extraordinary conflict of evidence was revealed during the hearing of a civil case in the Magistrate's Court at Masterton last week (says an exchange). The litigation was concerning an accident. One witness declared that the accident occurred at 12.40 p.m. ; the plaintiff said it took place between 2.30 and 2.45; another, who had apparently peculiar ideas as to time, said it took place between 2 and 6 o'clock; whilst a fourth asserted that it occurred between 5 and 7 p.m. "I'm afraid to go out in the Auckland streets at night," was the remark made to an Auckland Star reporter by a lady visitor, who has travelled extensively in the Australian States and the Islands. Continuing, she gave her reason for this by stating that there were so many men of tht, vagrant class about, who accosted women on more occasions than would be credited if one liad not experienced it. Conditions were not nearly so bad in Sydney or Melbourne, she concluded, The instance given is (adds the Star) not an isolated one, and numerous complaiats have been made to the police authorities about the frequency with which men of the vagrant class are to be seen iii the parks, especially the Doma-in. As a result of this, special police patrols have been put on the Domain. Some interesting figures in regard to the financial result? of the working of the Auckland electric tramv/aye were contained in reports submitted to the Auckland City Council on Friday last. A report on the working of the trams within the city boundaries during the year 1909 was presented by ,the council's auditor. He stated thp(t the traffic (receipts totalled 3180,387. and the expenditure (including £15,000 depreciation) to £125,706. These figftres showed an increase in traffic receipts 0f, £16,736 on the previous .year. The exp'endituie increased by £14.185 over that of 1908. The traffic receipts within the city for the half-yead" amounted to £58.228. The balance available for distribution on working within the city was £21,820. The amount payable to the City Council was £2057, being 5 per cent, on £2500 and 10 per cent, on the remainder of the profit. Once again the "long arm of the law " has demom«trated its reach. A middle-aged man named William James Imrie admitted to Sir. W. G. Riddell, S.M.,_ at the Magistrate's Court this morning that in January of last year he obtained £5 from Joßeph Swindale at Wellington by means of a false pretence — namely, a valueless cheque. Chief-Detective Broberg stated that at the time ■ mentioned Imrie was> staying at the Palace Hotel. He obtained a blank cheque from the licensee (Swindale), filled it in for £5. and cashed it with complainant. Accused then cleared out, but was arrested last month on the West Coast, in connection' with a similar charge. There were eight previous convictions against- Imrie — four for forgery and four for false pretences. The man was a blacksmith by trade. A sentence of three months' imprisonment was imposed. Of late (remarked the Auckland Herald on Friday last) there have been many references to the collapse of the land boom in Wellington. Mr. John Duthie. a well-known business man of that city, who is at present in Auckland, holds that neither this term nor the sinister term "slump" may fairly be applied to the recent history of Wellington; Mr. Duthie said that 'the value of business properties had not fallen, and one could not now buy a business site for a penny less than before. Further, there had been no extraordinary number of failures. Land for residence sites had gone down a little, but the prices continued high. The slight fall. Mr. Duthie said, was due to the fact that the expansion of the tramways had i opened up fresh areas of land, and to the .opening up of suburban, land Mr. j Duthie also attributed the fact that ' there weire empty houses in the city. At the land ballot held in the New Plymouth Courthouse ou Wednesday last considerable disappointment was experienced, says the Herald, by many of the applicants who had forwarded thendeposits or personally come to New Plymouth undei the belief that the only money required would be the half-year's rent and the cost of the l«ise. The law, however, provides that any broken portion of the half-year shall also be paid for, and, while many applicants were apparently under the impression that the half-year to be paid for would be from Ist January to 30th June, the Lands Department in Wellington had given the ruling that in this case, the ballot being on 25th January, applicants would have to pay up the broken period from 25th January to 30th June, plus the halfyear from Ist July to 31st December. This fact was announced by the chief clerk, who had charge of the sale, and the result was that a considerable number of winning numbers had to be thrown out because the applications were not accompanied by a sufficient deposit, while in several instances who were actually present after having come long distances had to experience the mortification of stating that they had not enough money with them to compete. During the hearing of the charge ot theft against the young man Joseph Lee, at the Palmer&ton North Magistrate's Court recently, Sub- Inspector O'Donovan took the opportunity (says the Standard) of refuting the chargo frequently made that the police do not give those who have failed to be law-abiding citizens a chance to reform their ways and become indtistrious. He stated that only recently _ a young man Avas arrested for theft in Pahnerston and pleaded guilty, and was remanded to the Supreme Court, Wanganui, for sentence. The offender complained to the Chief Justice that he commited the offence through stress of circumstances, due to the fact '-hat the police prevented him getting employment as porter at a local hotel by representing to the licensee that he had been convicted. The licensee referred to, on enquiry, denied that any such information was given by the police, but said he would be very glad if they would do so in any case of the kind. As fuither proof that the police do not go to 1113 lengths alleged, the Sub-Inspector said ths accused before the court now was employed in an hotel while undergoing a period of probation for three years on conviction for breaking and entering, imposed by the Supreme Court at Auckland on 4th June, 1910. This fact was known to the police, yet they did not wirfi to interfere in the matter and be the means of the young man being deprived of his employment. It proved, however, in this particular case that the action of the police was not appreciated by the offender. Kirkcaldie's summer sale — taffeta chiffon silks 40 inches wide, in pale sky blue and crimson, worth 5s lid, now 2s 6d a yard. Kirkcnldie and Stains, SUine, Ltd.,—- Advt.