LOCAL AND GENERAL

Hawera Star, Volume L, 21 February 1931, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

“The art of cross-examination, ’’ said Hon. Mr Justice Adams to counsel in the New Plymouth Supreme Court, “is not to examine crossly.’' Finality was reached in the Hunter will case in the Supreme Court at Wellington yesterday afternoon, counsel’s addresses being followed by an intimation by His Honour Mr Justice Heed that he would take time to consider his decision.

The Marine department received a. report yesterday morning ffoin the Government steamer Matai, showing that line sounding from the eastern limit of Napier harbour showed a general lessening of depth of from five to seven feet. According to “Newspaper News,’’ ►Sydney, the net profit in the Lucky Star Art Union (for the New Plymouth and Wanganui Aero Clubs) was £16,000, which within recent months was second only to the Golden Wings Art Union. Official confirmation of this statement is not obtainable in New Plymouth, states the “Taranaki Herald.”

A postal ballot held on February 18 for the election of an officers’ representative to the Post and Telegraph Promotions Board for a period of three years resulted in Mr H. M. Patrick (•Wellington) polling 4120 votes and. Mr E. A. Thompson (Christchurch) 1910. The majority for Mr Patrick, the sitting representative, was 2210. A meeting of tne Manawatu section of the Post and Telegraph Employees’ Association passed a resolution expressing strong dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister’s proposed salary cut; also expressing the opinion that, if a reduction is made, it should be on a graduated scale.

The National Park Board resumed possession of the Tongariro Chateau as from yesterday. > Arrangements have been made for the appointment of a manager, and the accommodation services for the convenience of the public will be maintained and carried on h)' the board. Motor transport to meet trains has been arranged, so that there will be no interruption in these ser. vices. The scale of tariff charges for accommodation is now being reviewed bv the board.

The Prime Minister announced yesterday that the Government had made arrangements for the Commissioners of Crown Lands in the various districts throughout the Dominion to act as advisory commissioners in connection with negotiation* between mortgagees and mortgagors in cases of hardship arising out of mortgagors’ indebtedness. It was suggested, therefore, that those people desiring to avail themselves of this arrangement should get in touch with the Commissioner of Crown Lands in their district.

A meeting of the Hawera Earthquake Relief Committee was held yesterday afternoon to consider a telegram from General Young asking if Hawera could take additional women andi children from the earthquake area and maintain them until repatriated. It was decided to reply that, apart from hospital cases, there were 140 refugees at present billeted here, and that practically the whole of the accommodation offering was absorbed. If necessary, however, further endeavours to assist would be made.

A book containing 15 pages of special earthquake photographs, taken in the Hawke’s Bay area, is at present on sale in the district. The publication carries the official sanation of the Mayor and Wellington’s citizens’ .Relief Committee. It is 'being sold at 2s, half of which goes to the fund, the balance being spread over the cost ef printing, selling, distributing, etc. Orders for a first edition published in the South Island have already reached 20,000. At a mass meeting of East Town (Wanganui) railway workshop employees yesterday the following, resolution was carried unanimously: “This mass meeting of railway men enters an emphatic protest at the expressed intention of the Prime Minister of extracting from the pay roll of the State employees a sum out of all proportion to their total income; we f urther draw attention to the fact that in our own opinion the chief burden should have been imposed on the wealthy taxpayers of the Dominion.”

Any fighting in Australia will he verbal fighting, said an Auckland man long resident in Sydney in commenting on the recent Sydney cables. He expressed the utmost confidence that sane Labour would have the final say, and that sane Labour supporters had 1 too much property to encourage the Communistic faction. Most of the talk of armed forces referred to the Communists, and some months ago. it was rumoured that a large number of Defence Department rifles had been stolen, but that had been denied by the Governhient. The number of militant 'Communists was, by comparison, very small, and easily overpowered by the police when the police chose to break up their demonstrations.

In a letter to the South Taranaki Power Board explaining the reason for its. power account being overdue, the Normanby Town Board took exception to a circular it had received advising that if the account was not paid within a* given date its power supply would he cut off. The chairman of the Power Board (Mr J. B. Murdoch) said that the town board had been sent the usual type of circular and that the secretary was unable to discriminate between boards and individuals. In his opinion the town hoard had no reason for complaint, as the circular would he recognised as being of a stock type. Official instructions issued by the Railway Department show that free railway' passes may be issued to refugees returning to' the Hawke’s Bay earthquake area on the presentation of a permit from an authorised officer of the relief committees’in the earthquake area, but refugees will not be allowed to return without a permit. The trains are being patrolled by authorised officers and all persons travelling to Hastings and Napier without permits will be questioned in order to establish the desirability or otherwise of their being allowed to enter the earthqauke area. While local committees can, no longer issue warrants for the return of refugees they may, however, in the case of temporarily billeted refugees issue warrants for the issue of free railway passes for travel to relatives in other areas.

Legislation will be introduced during the emergency session of Parliament to provide for the postponement of the local body elections in those towns affected by the earthquake disaster in Hawke’s Bay. All municipal elections are required by law to be held on the first Wednesday in May during the present year. There are difficulties, 1 however, in the way of holding the elections at the usual time in the towns of Hawke’s Bay affected by the earthquake disaster. It would, in fact, be an impossibility to prepare the rolls in complete form, as so many residents will remain absent from their home towns until they are partly rehabitated. The Minister of Internal Affairs Hon. P. A. de la Perreile) stated last evening that the Government proposes to bring down appropriate legislation during the special session of Parliament postponing the date of the local elections in the towns stricken by the earthquake disaster. Works estimated to cost £617,_538 are recommended by a commission of engineers set up by the’ Dunedin City Council and the Otago Harbour Board to report on the prevention of flooding from the Water of Leith and its main tributary, Lindsay’s Creek. The engineers consider works above the residential areas too expensive in comparison with the likely damage, and most of the work proposed is inside the boundaries of the city. If the work were to be carried out it would be a huge undertaking, as deviations of both streams ! are recommended. The provision of a sufficient waterway involves the alteration or renewal of many bridges. The removal of two large and comparatively new structures is recommended, while the widening of the whole channel below Otago University is considered necessary. It is nearly two years since the engineers were instructed to prepare the report, which involved a tremendous amount of work.