LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 15 June 1927, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The annual meeting of the Farmers’ Union at Auroa (reports our correspondent) lapsed for want of a quorum last Saturday, and it is intended to hold the meeting on Saturday next. It is a'tso intended to give a social to the ladies and to make the presentation of root crop competition trophies subsequently.

An appeal was made by Dr. McGhie last night for help to the Operatic Society when speaking ah the Orchestral Society’s social. Later Mt Fox promised" that the Orchestral Society and he would do all in their power to assist, a decision which drew grateful expression of thanks from Dr. McGhie, who is president of the Operatic. Society, .

Enthusiasm in the cause of music is very marked in the case of one member of the Orchestral Society. Mr Ward, the solo olarionettist, who comes regularly to practice from New PS’ymouth. H is' he In was gratefully acknowledged last night by the conductor. Among the many Interesting exhibits at the forthcoming Winter . Show will be a number which were displayed at the recent exhibition at Dunedin, and some from Wembley. Hon. O. J. Ha'wken has made arrangements for their display here. Discussing pile ancreasec rate or wank interest charged on overdrafts, lat the meeting of the Egmont- County Council yesterday, Or. G. Gibson expressed the opinion that the banks should allow interest on current lacoounts as was done in England. The present position was intolerable and was going to breed much discontent Ihe said. It was resolved to protest to the Prime Minister and to ask him to use his endeavours to (have the position remedied. A large quantity of stolen property which has bee’n missing for some weeks has been located beneath the flooring of the Greymouth Town Hall stated a Press Association message. Recently there have been three burglaries, £l4O worth of goods being taken from a residence. £7O worth of carpets and rugs from a. shop, and £2O worth of tools from a residence, while there have been also a- number of minor burglaries So far there has been no arrests.

Representing The .National Beekeepers’ Association, Messrs Ackroyd and A. R. Bates (Taranaki) approached the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. O. J. Hiawken) iat Wellington yesterday, with a request that the Government should subsidise contributors within the industry, and stressed also the need for the establishment of a nerf .apiary, suggesting South Canterbury as the site. The. Director-General of Agriculture (Dr. C. J. Reakes) said the policy of the department was to make as many institution's as possible a commercdiail 'success.. If .further hives were established in South Auckland and Waikato no honey would fee left in the district, for good production. “If we expend public money, even on an improvement of this sort, we want a return/’ the Minister said. It was costing the Government £4OOO annually to help the beekeepers. The Minister promised to revise the Apiaries Act. Arising out of a- ratal accident at Hamilton on March 15, which resulted in the death of Alice. Myra Morris, aged 19, and the subsequent trial and acquittal of ia lorry driver named Edward Millar Rouse, the deceased’s father, William L. Morris, sued George Jamieson, the lorry owner, for £SOO compensation, stated a Press. Association mesage from Hamilton. The defendant paid £359 12s into court., Which plaintiff accepted in full settlement.

- When the case of Donald David Wilson, veterinary surgeon, of Hamilton, versus- Montagu Mianing, bank manager, of Hamilton, in an action for £6OO for alleged slander, was called in the Hamilton /Supreme Court yesterday, counsel for plaintiff asked leave to " withdraw the case. Defendant’s solicitor opposed the withdrawal, as the defendant still denied Slander. The plaintiff therefore consented to judgment with costs .amounting to £23 2s. •—Press Association. In the Arbitration Court at Wellington yesterday, Mr. Justice Frazer, in dealing with a claim by Peter M. Robertson against' Wellington City Council for oomipensaibion in respect to the loss of his son, John Robertson, Who fell through a skylight of the Wiakefield Street power-house and was killed, his Honour said that until some yeans ago the Act provided that three yeans’ contribution should be paid as the amount of compensation in * all cases. An amendment had been made to the Act Whereby the question of compensation was left entirely to the discretion of the- Court. The Count had found it difficult to make- equal assessment in all cases, and' for many years past Invd worked on the basis of the three years’, principle. The court, he added, had dealt with cases where a man in his forties was the sole support of his mother. When .a man was unmarried at that age it was reasonable to assume that he would continue to support his mother untill her death. The amount in such oases was always increased. On the other hand, a man in the twenties was more likely to marry, in which case the three years’ term 'was reduced to one year or eighteen months.