CHRISTCHURCH NOTES.

Grey River Argus, 13 June 1921, Page 6

CHRISTCHURCH NOTES.

OUR IRREPRESSIBLE MA.YOR I don't know wliat. you are referring ' to as ‘perfeety absurd/' was (ho lejoinder of our now junior magistrate, Mr Wyvern Wilson when his Worship the Mayor, Dr 11. T. .1. Thacker, M.F. expressed an opinion from the body oi the Court, during tm- .ua-ring of a charge prelcrrcd by the City Motor Inspector against an cxp'.ieea year old Ind of having exceeded I lit' speed limit. Unlike (he man in (he song his Worship was not. ‘•standing al. the corner of the si reelbut rubbing shoulders with all the everyday folk who comprise the queue io be seen nightly of late, outside the Theatre' Royal. ‘ The defendant rode paist at it speed of 25 io 35 miles an hour, and endangered the lives of the public by so doing. These. men who break the law get off too lightly’’ declared the doctor adding that the Inspector goes to a. lot, of t ruble to catch ollcmlers, ami l hen they are lei off with a. light line. ‘‘llh‘ defendant is a' youth, said Mr Wilson, '■and it is apparent, that adolescence must find a vent, units exuberance, ami speea’.<ng was such a vent,. It was a< good thing to have youth in the community with such virility although tiiey may be ai nuisance to the. community.'' The Magistrate disposed of the matter bv lining l lie defendant 40s and < s costs. It is hoped that onr Mayor who ‘-bobs’’ up evoiy now ami then in most'uiiexpu ieil places, will prosecute his determination to suppress speeding and deal, when opportunity oilers, with the 13 oi New South Wales who ga-l-loped so furiously over our League reps a-| Sydney last Saturday. WORK OF VANDALS. A dastardly piece of vandalism was! perpetrated this week, when some nds-i ereaiits so far lowered themselves as I to desecrate (he graves of the most re- : spccted of our departed citizens. Barbados s Street, cemetery was the oi the depredations yhict have slot/k- , cd the wlio.e (niiiiiiu.iii'y. In ijl'C'i Church, of Engla-nd portion of Cm q <•-1 mclery no le>s than 35 headstones*, were ruthlessly damaged. Shihs have been stripped otf caps broken, and 1 , stones thrown, from their foundations I; When u was found that one slaj> re- . sisted the elforts of the despicable deseeralors elforts were made to ella<e ■ the inscription. It is t-vxlen> lhati, more than one was engaged in the fi-.i eiidish work by the massive which have been displaced. Tiw , losses which mark the last, resting place}, of Bishop 11. C. -I. Harper, first Au-,, g'.i.an liishop <>l Uhri-U lion h, and the i;,. v 11. nry .laeohs, D.D., hrsb Dean i.l Ch> isti hlireh, appvar Io have I '<■< ei\ i 1 special aLtr-ntion. In ihe fust case , the cross was broken oil. In Hie latter the foundation yielded Do the pressure applied ami (he cross, was Imind. ■ i.ml.edde.l in Ihe soil. Tim .l.ll.iage . was doitp between the a,tfermions oi

.Monday and Tuesday. Ou the opposite side of the sheet is situated the CathD’iic cemetery, | which was not without attention, foil here 15 stones hawe ‘been cwi-JirtoMy ruined. From foot prints about the do-ecraiod graves it is' apparent Vhaij the work was that of youths. In their endeavour io conipletg their work tie intruders, in om* instance, evidently plated their backs against a tree ami fried to force tho stone dow n with ill, ir (,<•(. Ihe matter is being investigated bv the police and it is hoped that the evil doers will! he brought to justice and their fiendish work met with condign punishment. A POLICE INSPECTOR'S REMARK A fairly long li--t greeted Mr Wy-

vi in Wilson whoa bo look his seat c.n the bench to-day. The charges varied from riding without lights after dark to oim oi having bitten a. porter Im* worst case was that of 'Thomas Kn'ghi, who was charged with having assaulted a lady on the railway platform. • If the statement of the ease as given to me by the policeman is m accordance with fact, this man is a rotten coward” sa-id Inspector Hendry, in opening for the prosecution. 'lhe evidence Went to show that the accused, who is separated from his wife, mot the assaulted lady on ihe platform when she had a baby in her arms, lie struck her twice on the forehead ami used most, objectionable laagua’go towards her. The woman retaliated and Knight again struck her upon which she collapsed. After a. constable had eiven evidence, in which he stall'd that he found the complainant lying upon a> seat, the S.M. had a word oi two to say to the. accused. Mr Wil'O.-i addressing Hie. accused, said: ‘-Your conduct seems to •’.are been just what Hie Inspector has <m- • crihed. Toil are a cowardly blackonard Vott have left your wife dost i tutp n nd tip till now you have dom nothing criminal, unfortunately, ym have now rendered yottrsell liable t< prosecution on a. crimi ml charge.” The accused was seadiiacd Io II (lavs’ hard labour.