LOCAL AND GENERAL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 16, 31 December 1910, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tlie Hawke s Bay Tribune will not be published on Monday next, January 2nd.

At the Napier Police Court this morning a first offender for drunkenness was convicted and fined ss, in default 21 hours' imprisonment. On the 21st December the New Zealand Dairy Association. Ltd., distributed amongst its milk suppliers £'47,546'8 6. These payments cover butterfat which was supplied to their several creameries during the month of November. The corresponding payments last year were £28.308 10 6. Thus the ‘ in-' crease for the month as compared with last year is £19,237 18,-. Control of the Northern Territory of Australia will be assumed by the Commonwealth on January Ist. and tkc- Minister of External Affairs (Mr. Machelor) is in communication with the South Aus-' tralian Government regarding: points of administration. With the Territory the Commonwealth will take over the railways, and negotiations are now proceeding as to the conditions under which the railwavs are to be managed. One proposal is that they should still be conducted by the State, and that separate accounts in respect of them should be kept.

It is understood, says the ■■•Dominion,'' that the Hon. R. McKenzie. Minister for Public Works, will tour over the proposed route of the Napier-Gisborne railway, from the Napier end, some time in January or February. The Minister will be met at various places by settlers, who intend to put in a strong claim that some kind of commencement shall be made with the railway from Napier. The fact that a Public Il orks office is to be opened at Napier is mentioned in connection wi*h the matter. If is mweviH : rr.ncsdfd that by extending the Wel-lington-Napier railway from the Napier end. much good wotdd be effected by bringing a new anti splendidly fertile area into immediate touch with populous towns and districts. from which would be drawn a pioneering population of settlers, similar to those who have performed so successfully on the Main Trunk line.

A first offending drunk, who admitted a lapse from the paths of sobriety, was convicted and discharged by Mr F. M . J. Gascoyne at the Hastings Police Court this morning.

A Press Association telegram states that the number of persons arrested for drunkenness in Masterton for the oast twelve months (under No-license) was 39. For the previous year, under partial Nolicense, the number was 155 .: and. for 1908 under license 302. The vital statistics for the Wellington district for the year have not yet been compiled, but an approximate calculation ' gives the totals as follow, as compared with the figures for 1909: —I'-JO. births

2075. marriages 1030. deaths 841 : 1910. births 1975, deaths 973, mar . riages 837. A delivery of town letters will be made over- the counter be f ween 7.30 and 8 o’clock this evening at the Hastings Post Office. Mails which usually close on Monday will be made up this evening at 8. On Monday (New Year’s Day) supplementary mails will be closed at 7 a.m. The postal branch will be closed ail day, but the Telegraph branch will be open from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Commencing from Monday next, auctioneers will have to conduct their business uiidm the provisions of the new Auctioneers Amendment Act. which provides that every sale of fruit, vegetables, or fish shall be made to the highest bidder, and that no auctioneer shall refuse a bid from any person offering cash for the goods on the fall of the hammer.

We acknowledge with thanks receipt of the Hawke’s Bay Almanack and Directory for 1911, The volume is replete-with useful information, and is invaluable to business men. The directory portion has been brought right up to date, and the general information section is splendidly classified and improved. We congratulate the proprietors upon an excellent production.

Authorities on the Dargaville timber industry informed a North Auckland Times reporter that the timber industry outlook in Kaipara River district is brighter. It is anticipated that the next six months will see record deliveries to the tidal waters. The class of kauri now being handled is of a most superior grade, owing to the sheltered condition under which it is grown, and reports from Australia state that timber merchants are very well satisfied with the quality. Some very large orders from overseas are continually coming to hand. Shopping by post has come to stay, and the advantages are many, as all up-to-date firms make a special point to see that their mail order department is well equipped by experienced and careful buyers, who place themselves in the customers’ place, and so fill the order intelligently. The old-established Tobacconists, Hairdressers, and Athletic Outfitters—-Messrs. J. R. Ross and Co., of Napier, have for some time past had a Mail Order Department attached to their business. and its success is assured, as the numerous repeat orders testify. We can thoroughly recommend our readers to avail themselves of the privileges of this up-to-date firm. The new Borough by-laws, which will come up for confirmation at the next meeting of the Hastings Borough Council, provide that the rider of every’ bicycle shall have a proper and sufficient alarm bell or horn for the purpose of giving warning to foot passengers or other persons. Another new provision relating to bicycle traffic is that every person riding a bicycle shall keep at least one hand on the handle-bar. A driver of a motor car, at the request of an officer of the police or any person having a restive horse, putting up his hand as a signal to stop, must cause such motor car to r -ton and remain stationary so long as may be reasonably necessary.

A number of the Acts passed during last session of Parliament will come into force on January 1. These are the Crimes Amendment Act, Destitute Persons Act, Commercial Trusts Act. Secret Commissions Act, Auctioneers Amendment Act, By-Laws Act, Indecent Publications Act, National Provident Fund Act, and the Post and Telegraph Ainendmt’i t Act. Under the Crimes Amendment Act. judges and magistrates are given power to order that a prisoner be detained in a reformatory at the end of bis sentence, for a period from three years in the Magistrate's Court cases to ten years in Supreme Court cases. Facilities are provided by the Destitute Persons Act for making the path of the wife and child deserter more difficult. A number of difficulties which exist at present in the way of prosecution for the publication of improper matter are overcome by the new Act governing them.

The telephone erected at Tongoio has proved a great convenience. On a recent coach day no less than 30 persons used the wire.

The committee of the H.B. A. and P. Association will meet on Friday and discuss the appointment of judges for the autumn show.

Splendid crops are being harvested at Tongoro this year. Both Native and European settlers have had good yields.

A large number of people are camping and picnicing at Eskdale at nresent. This locality is becoming very popular with Napier people for holiday visits.

Tbf? prize schedules for the Dari-' District A. and P. Association's second annual show have now been isSiibd; find copies may be had on Application to the secretaries.

The Rev. Bates’ forecase for 24 hours from 9 a.m. this day is as follows :—Variable and moderate southerly winds ; expect unsettled and cloudy weather at times ; glass rise slowlv soon but unsteady.

Road work at Tongoio settlement is at a standstill until after the holidays, but the contractors have made good progress. Messrs. Doole and McKee have the last section practically completed, and Messrs. Scullion and Bransfield are well aliead with the fourth mile. Government has also about half-a-dozen men engaged taking off sharp corners.

On Christmas Day Detective Cassels arrested a man named William Gray, and lodged him in the Terrace Gaol to undergo a default term of two months’ imprisonment. It appears that in September last Gray was fined £5O in Auckland for street betting, the default being fixed as above. He failed to pay the fine, and as he could not be found in the Dominion it was surmised he had gone to Sydney. At all events nothing was seen of him until Detective Cassels located him in Wellington.

An exciting incident occurred in the morning train to Wanganui on Thursday, just after it had left Greatford. A lady and her husband had been sitting together in a second class carriage, and the husband went on to the platform as the train was nearing Greatford, his wife placing a bag in his place to save the seat. A number of Maories entered the carriage at Greatford, one young dame carrying a baby. She motioned to the lady r eferred to asking her to remove the bag for her to sit down. The lady replied that it was her husband’s seat. Without further parley, the Maori handed her baby to a friend and struck the lady a resounded slap on the face, alarming the whole of the occupants of the carriage. For reply, the Maori was told in trembling accents that she was a “black pig.” and the husband was called in to interfere. At Marton a constable was informed of the occurrence, and he was asked to arrest the Maori and take proceedings in the matter, a gentleman in the carriage handing the constable his card and offering to go as a witness. The. constable spoke to the offending woman in Maori, exhorting her to keep her hands to herself or she would get into trouble ; but there the incident seemed to end. for although the lady assaulted got out at Marton, the Maories proceeded on their journey unmolested. There was considerable indignation amongst the passengers in the train ov“r the unpleasant incident.