LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 19781, 3 February 1928, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The timber workers’ dispute was before Mr W. H. Hugger, Conciliation Commissioner, in Christchurch, yesterday. The union is seeking a dominion award, and the employers ask for the retention of local awards on the present wages scale. The dispute was referred to the court without recommendation. Notice in the ‘Gazette’ last night (reports a Press Association telegram from Wellington) announces the extension to the Dominion of New Zealand and the mandated territory of Western Samoa of the 1922 Convention between the United Kingdom and France respecting legal proceedings in civil and commercial matters. Despite the position _at Manga hao in regard to water Wellington city is carrying ahead as usual. No restrictions have been placed on the use of electric power, nor have requests been made that economies should be practised. The position has not so far been discussed by the City Council, but the stand taken is that Wellington had the foresight to install an expensive plant to meet just such an emergency as the present one, and is now reaping the benefit; furthermore, that having gone to expense of providing against trouble, revenue must not bo allowed to .drop. , , Provisions relative to the sale or tobacco, etc., by non-tobacconists in towns with a population of over 5,000 came into operation on Wednesday. It 5a provided that where a notice is gazetted pursuant to a requisition to fix the closing hours signed by no fewer than two-thirds of the occupiers of tobacconists’ shops in the district, all other shops in ihe district in which smoking requisites are sold must be closed at the hour or hours set out in the notice. By reason of this provision, however, the shops affected will not b® required to close before 6 o clock in the evening on four working days of the week other than the statutory half-holiday or before 9 o’clock on the late nights. It is also provided that as soon as practicable after the publication of the ‘ Gazette ’ notice every occupier of a shop which is required to be so closed must notify the inspector of factories that he sells smoking requisites, and any occupier who afterwards commences the sale of those goods must also notify the inspector. The provisions do not apply to hotels, private hotels, or boarding-houses, so long as any smoking requisites sold after hours are sold only to bona fide ■ lodgers. .... ~ , ** 1 do not think this is a case which should have come before the Supreme I Court at all. It is extremely trivial. I jfrU" display of reason by .the parties

would have resulted in there being no cause for an action at all. Costs on the Magistrate’s Court scale only ■will bo allowed.” This passage (says an Auckland Press Association telegram) occurred in Mr Justice Reed’s remarks when he gave judgment yesterday morning for £lO 5s on claims for libel amounting to £2OO. The case was a Whakatane one in which two claims were made —one for £2OO and- one for £soo—by Alexander George Anderson M‘Tavish, ranger and poundkeeper for Whakatane County, against _ George. Samuel Whiteside, retired civil engineer. The claim set out that on August 12 last defendant wrote to the County Council as follows:—“Should any garden ' gate be opened the harassed animals give trouble, while their bullying, insolent driver (moaning plaintiff) takes Scotch leave to trespass in pursuit over private land.” On July 26 defendant also wrote referring to plaintiff’s “ most abusive and objectionable manner,” and stating that plaintiff threatened him with personal violence and called him all the vile, filthy, and insulting names he could think of. Tho insurances on the buildings at Reefton destroyed by fire are as follow: —Stevenson’s Hotel—£l,3oo in the Royal ODico and £SOO in the Standard; furniture, £SOO in the Standard. Burke’s Hotel, owned by Dr Conlon and occupied by Mr P. Sullivan—Building, £SOO in the Standard and £3OO in the Phoenix. City Hotel—Building, £B3O in the Standard and £l5O in the Phoenix. J. W. Chalks’s building—£4oo in the Slate Office: stock, £BOO in tho Atlas. J. W. Morris’s building, £3OO in the State Office. Duff’s stock, £SOO in the Royal Exchange. Duff and Miss Sullivan, building owned by Mr T. H. Lee—£3oo in the Phoenix. The damage to the premises of R. Patterson and Miller was covered by insurance.