WESTPORT NOTES.

Grey River Argus, 12 October 1922, Page 7

WESTPORT NOTES.

—— — (Our Own Correspondent.) PERSONAL. Master Harry Stevens, son of the i licensee of Larsen's Hotel, has received ’ an appointment on the staff of the : local Post and Telegin ph Office. Mr 11. Davis, who has been visitin'' , his daughter, Mrs Sara, left yesterday on return to Afanaia. G ENERAL. Tho complimentary impromptu dance tendered to the Grey hockey girls by the United Club in the Friendly Societies’ Buildings on Monday night,' turned out a delightful success. The visitors enjoyed all the good, things up’ till eleven p.m., when they graciously withdrew for the evening to get in a ' few hours’ beauty sleep for tho match' against the Buller representative team I on the following day. Unfortunately I the weather was again on its worst 1 behaviour, the adverse elements to some extent, spoiling the contest from a player’s, as well as a spectator’-', point of view. The local team, captained by Miss E. AL P. Schadick, scored one goal aginst the visitors. The latter ■were up .‘.'gainst superior play practically throughout the piece, ami were lucky in not receiving a much bigger beating. The revival in hockey this year is very noticeable, and it should have the effect of laying the foundation for much in the way of progress during next season, when, no doubt, the Buller girls will pay a return visit to the sister towns down south, and give spectators something good to look at. If the local girls do no worse than this season’s visitors have done, they will certainly not disgrace themselves. T’he Rival Football Club are holding, a grand re-union of past and present | members on the evening of Labour! Day. This is quite a good way to bring tho season to a memorable close. 1 he Griffiths v. Fletcher ease, which entailed such very long-drawn-out law Court proceedings, received its judgment in a reserved decision at the Magistrate's Court on Tuesday morning. The sittings were detailed in the “ Argus’’ from time to time. The linking up of the “ Argus ’s’’ official correspondent with the Westport Telephone Exchange makes the fifth connection in the Peel Street block overlooking Victoria Square, and, remarkable to relate, the five houses linked up all adjoin one anolher. This' surely constitutes a record for any portion of the private residential part of; the town. COURT NEWS. At the Magistrate's Court on Tuesday morning, C. Mundy, who had a previous conviction against him. was' charged with being a rogue and a va- ' gabond, and a person, without any vi-’ si bl,? lawful means of support. The Sergeant said Mundy arrived' from Nelson recently, and found his way into the mining districts. He? was loafing about and htiG no visible means of support. Constable Campbell said Mundy had been under observation for about five; days, and was going from house to house begging. Accused asked fori probation to enable him to look for’ work in the country, but he was sen- I fenced to 14 days' imprisonment. William Corri-e consented to jndg-! meat of £l5 Is 8 to Bailie and Co. He 1 was further sued by J. W. Harker for I £4 9s Gd. In the box, Corrie said he was a' farmer on a Maori reserve lease. His ' rent was £26 per annum. He had I borrowed over £3OO from the Advances to'Settlers. He nad 15 head of cattle but only live milking. The stock was 1 mortgaged, and he was paying 10 per- | cent, on the value of them. He owed 1 £5O or £6O. For the last four months he had earned about 30/ per week at ■ beach combing. He had two boys, | one 13 and the other 11. When the I season was in properly, he would be I mijjdng 12 cows. He could not make! any to settle the amount. Hol was in arrears with his rent. Mr Wilson suggested to him th:;t it would be to his own interests (J make an offer. Corrie said he could not. Tho Magistrate taking the circum- [ stances into consideration, said he I could not make an order. Francis Hardy Bedford was sued by I McArthur of Ngakawau for £l5 16s. < Mr Molony appearing for defendant, said he was not in a position to give Bedford's circumstances. He knew he was a civil servant in the Forestry Department. The Magistrate:— ( ‘ l.s he a married man?” Mr Molony: —' “I believe so, Sir; but I don’t know how he stands in that respect!” He believed ho had two children. His salary would probably be between £290 and £3OO. He expected that defendant would be present, but he bad not turned up. Bedford was committed to 14 days’ imprisonment in the Westport jail, warrant to be suspended on payment of debt at £5 per mouth commencing on the first day of November. A judgment, by default was given in a further claim made by George Hawes for £9 Ils Bd. KEARNS V. J. WATSON. This was a claim for 4gns. for nursing attendance. On oath, Mrs Kearns, said she was a nurse under a Doctor’s supervision. I She was not a registered nurse. Sire i had applied for registration and also ' to sit for an exam, but had been advised that she was too old. Dr. 'Telford had informed her that she could continue on, but must only take one patient at a time, and that each must be under the supervision of a Doctor.

?The present confinement case she attended there was no help in the house.

; Her fee was £3 3s per week. .'She clid not attend for the whole day—only part time. She did the work perI f-ectly and conscientiously. She had I nothing to do with feeding the pat- > ient. It was arranged that the neil ghbours should do the cooking. Later ■ Mrs Watson vyas removed to a neighl hour’s place. She continued to atj I tend her th-ere. She always did the • patif'nt \s washing, and thought it quite ;a proper thing to do it a nurse had i the time. ’’ To Mr A. A. Wilson: —She was ’ never a registered midwire. She n’- - tended a case in emergency during Sisi ter O’Brien’s absence in Wellington. ' Nurse Mairs was brought, in to help ' her. There was no time to call :i doctor. Mr Watson objected io the .amount charged on the ground of its . being excessive. He did not ask .f'«r I any modification in the. account, but 'said he would have it out in Court. Dr. Dunn attended the case right through. She charged £3 10s when she took in a patient. Her permit allowed her to attend a case with a doctor, but not without. She belicv ed there wercvother women doing Mini Jar work to that done by herself. To Mr Reeves: She had done similar work for 15 years. She had had no complaints. Mr Wilson (solicitor for defendant) said tho matter to be decided was a reasonable charge. Dr. Dunn, on oath, said Mrs Kearns was Mrs Watson’s nurse, and Mrs Mairs was a hospital nurse. The case was a normal one. After the first 'four or live days, Airs Watson was removed to Airs Alairs, next door. 11' could not. say what would be a rea sonable charge to make by Mrs Kearns — that was a mutter •entirely between [the patient and the nurse. Th'' I charge, 12 years ago, was £2 2s for a i full-time nurse. I District Nurse O’Brien, on oath, said she had been practising as a mid- • wife prior to coming to Westport. 'Th-e charge was £2 2s for visiting and £4 4s i if staying at the house. 'These were • the department’s charges. As a tram ‘ ed nurse, she would make Hios-c marge*. With regard to Airs Kearns’s charges, it must be taken into consideration • that she was not- a trained nurse, uno ‘ was unccrtiflcated. For an unceru- - ficafed nurse, she would think £2 2s ’Jwas a fair charge. ’ J To Air Reeves: There, was no stipu--1 ilation in charges for private practice. Ishe, had never charged in private pracItice. more than £2 2s per week for visiting. Mr Watson, on oath, said he engaged Airs Kearns. The engagement was ’ that she should attend night am! mornring. She attended lor four days, and 1 on the liftli day came only m Hie morn ing to wash the baby. The. first night she stayed until Sunday mornring. When she left the bill he ‘ thought it excessive, and called o*n Mrs Kearns to ask the reason or* the high price. They had an argument, and he told Airs Kearns he would nut pay it. He told her he could have put his wife in an hospital for £3 3s a ■ week. He did not mention anyining about taking the matter to Court. | To Air Reeves: He thought £3 3s per , week a reasonable cost. He did not inquire what her charges were. 'There I was no agreement as to her hours of ;work or attendance. He told her it she was fair w'ith him, he’s bo fair ;with her. 'To Air Wilson: He had paid previously £2 2s for attendance and also £3 3s. Mrs Alairs, on oath, said she was a qualified nurse. Her house was nrato Mrs Watson. She was present at I • the confinement while Mrs Watson was 'at her place —6 days. Airs Kearns came in the morning from 9 to 10. She [had no idea what was done in Airs | Watson’s home. Airs Kearns had failed in giving necessary attendance and witness detailed her failings. -A J midwife should give all care to t*ic patient. She didn’t say anything to Airs Kearns about it because it was I not her place to do so. The Magistrate, summing up, said he W’ould take into consideration the District'Nurse’s evidence, and as Airs I Kearns was not certificated and was I unregistered, and was furthermore assisted by a skilled nurse, ne- thought .£3 3s, as paid by Air Watson, was a j reasonable fee. The matter of costs would be held over.