LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 20572, 26 August 1930, Page 1

LOCAL AND GENERAL

“The circumstances relating to this case are of an unusual and extraordinary nature,” said Mr W. J. Treadwell, opening a case at the Arbitration Court, Wanganui, in which £I,OOO was claimed from, the Y.M.C.A. by Donald Dunn Dlilligan as tho result of the death of his foster-father in 1929. Counsel explained that the deceased had been secretary of the Y.M.C.A. at Wanganui. He had had a free hand as to what games should he played at the institution. The hoys had an arrangement, by which the winner of a game of ping-pong was to kick the loser on tho buttocks, one kick for each losing point. The deceased Dlilligan in September, 1929, played a game with one boy, saying prior to the contest that tho winner would he entitled to exact the usual penalty. _ Dlilligan, lost by 13 points to 10 points. He told the boy to kick him three times. The boy at first demurred, hut finally did so. Unfortunately one kick landed, with the result that Dlilligan received certain injuries from which ho died. Dlilligan was insured with the New Zealand insurance Company by the association against accident. Argument proceeded whether the case was allowable, as tho stipulated six months had expired before action was taken. Tho case -was not taken any further for tho present, Mr Justice Frazer reserving his decision on the point. An action was brought at New Plymouth by the Crown against the Inglewood Borough Council to determine the principal question, whether a local rating authority could exercise its power of sale for tho recovery of overdue rates of land over which the Grown held a mortgage. The judgment of Dir Justice Blair, who heard the case at the last sessions of the Supremo Court, is in favour of the rating authority, holding that it has the right to exercise powers of sale and that overdue rates arc a first charge against the proceeds. Mr C. H. Weston appeared for tho Grown and Mr L. DI. Dloss for tho Inglewood borough.

After a sitting, of four hours the Conciliation Council set up to deal with the claims for a new award by the Christchurch Tramway Employees’ Union adjourned without reaching an agreement on any important clause. The union’s claims represented an increase of one penny an hour in wages and several demands for amended hours and conditions. Tho Tramway Board submitted counter-proposals for a reduction of wages of one halfpenny an hour, with certain amendments in conditions’. Dir W. Hayward (chairman of the, Tramways Board) said that tho board must have relief in some way. Many of" the conditions relating to pay for overtime, allowance of holidays, and hours of work had been given when times were good and the trams were showing-a profit. Now tipies were : not good. One of the conditions tho board found burdensome was tho payment of double time for Sunday work. If tho board could not got this condition amended it would have to reduce the josses by cutting out Sunday work. . Mr Snow, for the union, said there was no possibility of the union agreeing to the suggestions made by. the employers. After further discussions Dir Thompson, general manager of the tramways, said that under special legislation the board was exempt from arbitration awards, and might yet have to raise that point. The council adjourned. A five-roomed house and its contents, owned and occupied by Dir Robert Brown, and situated in Auzac avenue, WJiakatane, were destroyed by fire at 1 a.m. yesterday. The fire had a strong hold when discovered. The building "and contents were insured in the State Office.—Press Association.