LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 15512, 6 June 1914, Page 7

LOCAL AND GENERAL

There are a "feiv small New Zealand loans of old standing which carry their own individual sinking funds, and do not come under the provisions of the Public Debt Extinction Act. One of these loans, an amount of £266,300, liaised under the New Zealand Loan Act, 1863, k about to fall due, and the Hon. Jas. Allen (Minister of Finance) informed a 'Star' representative at Wellington yesterday that the accrued sinking fund was almost sufficient to pay it off, and would be utilised for that purpose. Other loans which cany their own sinking funds are that under the Canterbury Loan Ordinance of 1862 and the loan raised under the Naval Defence Act of 1909 to pay for the battlecruiser New Zealand.

The question at ksiie in the case in which judgment was given by Mr Justice Sim yesterday was whether Kemp Brothers, farmers, of Kartigi, or the Palmerston Oddfellows were to lose £250 by John Crisp's delinquencies. As stated yesterday, Hie Honor found that the trustees for the lodge were bound by the payment made to Crisp, and he accordingly gave judgment for the plaintiffs. In his annual report to the City Council Mr H. Tait (superintendent of the Wellington Fire Brigade) states that the number of calls to fires or supposed fires last year was 297, an increase of 33 as compared with the previous year. Of these tt2 proved to be false alarms (of which 46 were due 4o various causes and 36 were maliciously given), 30 were chimney fires, 57 rubbish and gorse, and 128 actual fires. It is estimated that the loss of property not covered by insurance was £1,415; the estimated loss of property covered by insurance, £30,879; the estimated value of property on which fires occurred, £412,467. Th« total fire lose for the year was £32.894.

The Public Works Department has accepted the tender of Messrs Donald M'Lean and Co., Wellington, for the construction of a slip for a dredge on the Waihou River. The price is £1,747. Mr J. Hamlin's tender of £2,396 has been accepted for the erection of the Ivowhai River bridge, near Kaikoura. At the Supreme Court at Wellington yesterday Jessie Aitchison, widow, proceeded against the Wellington City Council, claiming £I,OOO damages far injuries suffered through a fall caused by a projecting gaspipe on the footpath of one of the city streets. The jury awarded her £l5O and costs.

. Various prosecutions have been recently made against Chinese in Wellington for carrying on the lottery known as pakapoo, but "hitherto great -difficulty has Wb experienced in getting hold of the "bankers." Ono of the alleged principal men engaged in these lotteries—Ah Gee, aged about 50 years—was charged at the Magistrate's Court yesterday before Mr Cooper, S.M., with having commenced a lottery in Raining street on March 22. After hearing a great deal of evidence the Magistrate imposed a fine of £35 and costs. An appeal is probable. At the Police Court afc Invercargill yesterday Lock Kim was committed- for trial on a charge of mudering Hector Ronald Morrison by shooting him with a gun on May 27. In the Supreme Court Mr Justice Penniston reserved judgment in the appeal case concerning the consumption of liquor in the Club Hotel. The annual meeting of the Hawke's Bay branch of the Fanners' Union waa held yesterday. Among the remits to be sent to the Dominion Conference is the following :—" That it be a recommendation to the Government, when considering the establishment of new country «chools, that the minimum area of land attached to any such school shall be increased from two acres to five acres, in order that when the time arrives sufficient space shall be available for practical instruction in atrrictilture and horticulture, besides leaving ample room for open air physical instruction and playing grounds."