TUAPEKA NEWS

Evening Star, Issue 16051, 1 March 1916, Page 7

TUAPEKA NEWS

[Froh Otra Owsr CoRftEMONDEHfr.] The accident which befell Mr John. Kennedy, of Tuapeka Flat, ending fatally, occurred on Monday evening about threo miles above the Beaumont bridge, on the east side of the Molynenx River. Deceased was in a light spring cart with Mr John Long, also of Tuapeka Flat, both being at the time in the employ of the Lands and .Survey Department, and on their way to O'Connor's Flat (near Horseshoe Bend) to destroy noxious weeds. On their way from Tuapeka Flat they called at the Bridge Hotel at the Beaumont, where they, fed their horse,_ and had four or fivo " shandygaffs," leaving for O'Connor's Flat about half-pa6t 7 in the evening. Long was driving, and when about three miles along the road he asked Kennedy to take the reins while he (Long) filled his pipe and had a smoke. Shortly afterwards Kennedy said he would like a cigarette, and handed back the reins to Long.. Kennedy stood up partially in the tr&p to get tissue-paper out of his trouserpocket to make a cigarette, when the horse swerved and one of the wheels of the trap bumped into a rut, causing Kennedy to, overbalance and fall out on to' the road. Long pulled up at once, and a«ked Kennedy to get up and take his seat in the trap. Kennedy, who was dazed, did not stir, and Long got out of the cart and tried to lift him up, but as he was too heavy, Long drove on quickly to Mr Kilpatrick's (about three miles higher up the river) for assistance. Mr Kilpatrick came with Long, and between them they raised Kennedy into the trap and took him to Mr Kilpatrick's, where a bed was made for him in one of the outbuildings. In the morning Kennedy complained that his feet were cold, and that he could not move his toe 6, and Long, realising that he waa in a bad way, decided to take him back to the Beaumont and get Mr Pearson (of the Bridge Hotel) to motor him. into Lawrence to the hospital. This was accordingly done. The resident surgeon (Dr Sutherland), however,_ had no hope from the fir.st of Kennedy-s recovery, as his spinal cord was injured about opposite the middle of the shoulder-blade, below that level entirely losing its function, causing disorganisation of the bladder, bowels, and kidneys, death ensuing at 8 o'clock on the Saturday morning. An inquiry into the cause of death was held the same afternoon, when a verdict of accidental death, due to injuries to the spinal cord, was returned. T>eceased was 41 years of age, a native of Swansea (England), and leaves a wife and seven the eldest being 12 years and the youngest 12 months.. The Borough- Council, at a recent meeting, passed a resolution in favor of the compulsory system of raising recruits for the reinforcements, as it was recognised locally that the voluntary system was no longer effective. The resolution was duly forwarded to the Recruiting Board, and in acknowledging its receipt the Chairman of the board wrote :—'' With reference to your council's advocacy of compulsion, without going into the question of whether compulsion is or is .not the best method to secure the men necessary to fulfil our obligations, I would ask you what is to be the 'basis on which compulsion is to be enforced, should the time ever arrive when such action becomes necessary ? The only data available to the Government at the present time is that obtained by the National Registration Act, but there was practically no check on the man who failed -to give information directed by the statute or who deliberately refrained from doing so. ' Therefore the Recruiting Board must rely on a systematic and thorough personal canvass over every portion of the Dominion to verify and amplify the information contained in the National Register. . . . The only effective method by which the available information with arespect to the men of military age can be satisfactorily checked in order that compulsion—should it ever come—may be enforced on a fair and ejui table basis is by the local bodies and citizens in each district undertaking the work of personal canvass, as they have the necessary local knowledge to enable the data compiled from the National Register to be made as perfect as possible. The Recruiting Board feel that this is a work that, for the time being, should supersede all other duties, and they therefore appeal to every loca body, to every public man, and to every citizen to give the new recruiting scheme the fullest support, and particularly to see that the personal canvass is in no way relaxed until a definite knowledge has been obtained of the position of every man of military age in ~New Zealand." a good deal of discussion followed the reading of the above letter, and it was eventually agreed that, though the council were decidedly Of opinion that compulsion should be enforced, members were willing to assist the local Recruiting Committee m giving effect to the wishes of the Recruiting Board in carrying out their scheme of enlistment. Durino- the discussion it was pointed out that it was unfair and most unreasonable to ask membersof local bodies to do personal canvassing when the services of the police were available, and could be so readily requisitioned. The police, too, would be more alert in detecting those who had tailed to register, and would have no scruples in exposing those who were inclined to shirk. Work of this kind would not be relished by the average citizen while the police, on the other hand, would look upon it as part of their every-day duty, Again, it was pointed out that before a General Election the Government employed a big and well-paid staff of men to scour the country to place on the electoral Tolls the names of men and women who were too laggard and too indifferent to attend to their Own enrolment. In the case of such men and women, it mattered not whether their names were on the electoral rolls or not, because in the great majority of cases where there was so much indifference these men and women did not take the trouble afterwards to record their votes. With the scheme of National Registration matters were totally different, and the greater and stronger the reason why either the police or paid canvassers should be appointed to enrol all who were eligible to fight for their flag and cdiintry y if there was call for their services. It was felt that the Government should have taken this matter m hand and carried it out without fear or favor, and without casting a responsibility on members of local bodies they should not be asked to accept. An information against John Labes, of Tuapeka Flat, for using indecent language to Mrs Read, of the same place, came on for hearing before Mr Acheson, S.M at a sitting of the Magistrate's Court on Thursday, and created a good deal of local interest. The Reads and the Labes are neighbors/ but apparently are not living on very neighborly terms, with the result that they frequently appear in the local Court. On the present occasion Labes was alleged to have used, tho bad language to Mrs Read when he was driving a stray horse out of his oat field, which was close to Read's house. The mother's evidence was corroborated in the main by ■ her two daughtefs and her youngest son, ■'' who swore that they were net on the i road attempting to drive the horse back to ! the oat crop. Accused denied .usin/r the ' language complained of. A who was sOme distance off, gave evidence that she saw two women and a man on the roadway attempting to turn the, horse back, and it was mainly on this witness's ■ testimony that the Magistrate was in"duced to throw out the information, re- ; marking that he was not satisfied (after weighing the evidence carefully) that accused had used the language with which he was changed. Lawrence, February 28.