LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 20089, 1 February 1929, Page 15

LOCAL AND GENERAL

At the Gas Managers’ Conference in Wanganui Mr A. M‘Nei!, of Birkenhead, was elected a life member of the institute. The matter of improving the quality of tar produced at gasworks to ensure its use for reading was mentioned, and it was decided to refer the matter to tho incoming council. It was emphasised that great waste is at present going on through the tar not being as good as certain prepared materials.

A meeting of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Waterside AVorkers’ Federation was held yesterday a Press Association message), when authority was given for the filing of claims before the Conciliation Council for a new dominion award.

The ■ growing increase in the cost of Wellington Hospital administration'was disclosed by a statement on the financial position which was made by the acting-chairman (Mr F Castle) at yesterday’s meeting of the board (says a Press Association telegram). He stated that for the nine months ended December 31, 1928, the actual expenditure for maintenance had exceeded tho estimate by £10,650. Of this amount hospital expenditure had absorbed £7,411, and the social welfare department £3,580. As the actual receipts had exceeded the estimates by £2,333, the net deficiency was £8,323. lie anticipated that the deficiency in the maintenance account for the year ending March 31 would be between £5,000 and £6,000.

A new coal mine is to bo opened shortly five miles from Ngaruawahia, known as tho Wilton mine. The coal will be brought by aerial cable to Ngairawahia, where screens will be placed. —Hamilton message.

Arising out of the Aiapimi dam operations, a claim for £‘J,4O7 compensation for 240 acres of land, together with road access, submerged by the lake that was formed, was brought by John Francis M'Geechie and Walter Frederick Woodward, farmers, of Pukeutua, against the Public Works Department. Mr Justice Blair presided. The plaintiffs claimed that tho value of their land had been reduced by £2,000, the balance of the claim being made up of depreciation and general disadvantages. The greater part of the day was spent in an ‘inspection of the locality. The sitting is proceeding. A sitting of the Magistrate’s Court was held byMr K Page, S.M., at the Wellington Hospital yesterday, when Janies Smith, labourer, aged twentythree, was elmrgeti that, with intent to do grievous bodily harm, bo did actual boduy harm to John Leaf. The allegation of the plaintiff, who hardly spoke above a whisper throughout, was that ho went to slay at Mrs Perry’s house, 212 Cuba street, and that on Friday evening two men brought some bottles oi beer with them to a party in the bouse. Witness said that all went well till li o’clock, when one of the men proposed a toast that was objectionable to witness on account of some reference to colour. Afrs Perry told witness that one of the men did not like coloured men, and objected to drinking with them. There was an argument, and tho complainant said he got up from his scat* to strike the man who had made the toast, and was hit by the other man from behind. Leal said he was a ship’s fireman, and had left the Kuapehu at Auckland. The case was adjourned till February (3. Bail was not asked for.

Tho- bankruptcy returns i'or the year 1928 lor tlie whole of tho Wellington district, whicn embraces Wanganui, Tuihapc, Palmerston Aorth, JJauncvirko, Pahiatua, and Mastcrtoir, show (icports a Press Association telegram from Wellington) a, decrease of two, tho figures being 182, as against IS-J for PJ27. For tho whole district tho liabilities in the estates totalled £IGB,655; assets realised by the assignee amounted to £19,9311; proved debts aggregated £132,042; tho dividends paid totalled £12,877; and assets, as per bankrupts’ statements, totalled £31,53G. In seven estates the liabilities were under £SO, in twenty from £SO to £IOO, in forty-nine from £IOO to £250, in forty from £250 to £SOO, in twentyseven from £SOO to £I,OOO, in eighteen from £I,OOO to £2,000, and in sixteen from £2,000 lo £5,000; while there were live over £5,000. It is interesting to note that fewer fanners liled petitions last year, the number being twenty, as against thirty-two in 1927. Twenty-six labourers came before the official assignee last year, same number who sought the protection of the court in 1927. Amongst the long list last year figured two “gentlemen,” a, brewer, and an inventor. The hearing of the case in the Magistrate's Court before Mr J. IP Bartholomew, S.M., yesterday, in which August George Pistor claimed £3B 3s from William John Masked for damage done to his ear as a result ol a collision with defendant’s car, was concluded yesterday afternoon. Mr IP M. Lloyd appeared for tho plaintiff and Mr W. G. Hay for the defendant. Plaintiff said he was driving his (cr slowly along Cutten street, •vlian (ielendant’s ear swung out of driver street and struck Ills car on the leit-imml side. Eileen Marion' Harris stated that she was in the backyard of her residence, and was expecting a car to call at her home. She saw tho plaintiff’s car coming very slowly along Cutten stree*. on realising that the car was not the one sho expected, she turned hack towards her house, but had proceeded only a few paces when she heard a crash. Constable Palmer stated that in answer to a telephone call from Pistor he had gone lo the scene of the accident. Defendant’s car had both front mudguards and tho lelt front wheel damaged. Expert evidence was given by John Archibald Gillies, motor garage proprietor, Ernest Alfred Davis, motor body builder, and Charles James Lowne, motor assessor. Mr Hay contended that, despite the theorising concerning tyre marks, there must have been some serious defect in defendant's brakes. William Jqhn Masked stated that on, the day in question he was returning from Burnside, and saw tho plaintiff’s car about a chain and a-half from the corner of Cutten and Driver streets. He heard the other car accelerate. The left-hand dumb iron of witness’s car bad caught in the plaintiff’s frdnt wheel, and Jhe momentum of the smaller car had turned his own ear round, so that the right-hand dumb iron struck the door of the plaintiff’s

car. Defendant was not a licensed driver at the time of the accident. He had been driving a car for ten years. Evelyn Broadfoot, an eye-witness of the acccident, gave evidence corroborating that of the defendant. Mr Lloyd based his ease on the fact that Masked had admittedly cut the corner and upon the evidence of the wheel marks. His Worship said that the case was one in which the question was to decide which was the more reliable of the two accounts given. He considered that the evidence of Miss was most important. The case for the defence implied that the plaintiff had travelled half as fast again as the defendant, and in view of Miss Harris’s and other evidence he was not prepared to believe that’ such was the ease. Judgment was given for the plaintiff for £3B 3s, with costs.