TO-DAY'S COURT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 16 March 1914, Page 7

TO-DAY'S COURT.

(Before Mr Kehrick, CM.)

[ *> DEFENCE CASES. ' /-\_ "*£• J- Courtney, for failing to attend -.- drill, was convicted without fine. An information against W. P. Hay was withdrawn, defendant having gone ito Invercargill to reside. PROHIBITION ORDER. ***!, *^ c application of the police a prohibition order was granted against a / ~eal resident, to apply to the Patea licensing district. LOCKER v. LOCKER. * This .case was partially heard last week and was then adjourned. This jnarning the cross-examination of Percy ward. Locker was taken. In reply to Mr ODea witness said he had some means and lent out money. The sums »f tad out at present totalled about *1000. The interest ranged from 7 to 10 J»er cent. On promisory notes there ware two £50's. Owned 58 acres of freehold labout a mile out of Patea subh Jecfc to a mortgage of £1100. This he •- tbnght for £25 10s per acre about five v , .yeans ago. Thought it might now bring ££Q an acre. Had no big shop in Patea divided into three sections each bringing in 16s per w«ek. Owned a fiveToomed hoxise in Patea, which with land, was worth £500: Was not'aware that the Government valuation was [The valuation had just come to Jaand.] There was another section of 1.04 acres in Patea worth also about £S0 an acre, which belonged to his another, although the title was in his {witness') name. Had also about 40 acres of Harbor Board leases, one of which he paid £120 for. Had no money «a fixed deposit at the bank. His pass I>ook showed a dr. of £216, and he was entitlea to overdraw up to £400 if he wished. Had no money in the Post Office in his name. Put in £210 in his little girl's name in July, 1912. When jnilking his herd of over 100 cows the -average would be about £8 per cow, -possibly £10, but he did not think so. JBia cows Avere below the average, as his aieturns (produced) would show. Could Jiot say what it cost to run his housej T jwobably not less than 20* p&r week. Some considerable cross-examination took place as to how witness treated his whether he did not work her as a j«wrant and whether he would ever get * aerva'it to milk 40 cows daily. Witness said his wife never did milk 40 cows, and what milking she did she did A>r their mutual benent and for their -children. Was not aware that his wife had to write home to her mother for > old clothes, sheets, etc. If she had done so there was no occasion for it. Jtlo considered it was against Mrs JLiock«rs reputation that sue borrowed lUs irom tne Mayor of Patea to come to Jiawera on tue occasion of her second -confinement. He admitted he did give her 3s in Hawera, but he would not jwy that that was all. He admitted that he blocked her getting the Hawera 'Sitar, because there was no way of getting it. Mr ODea: I thought the Star was sent anywhere. ,* Witness admitted that he would not xfc' get the Star because he would have Jf Mad to pay for it. Did not get a daily paper regularly. Sometimes got a copy at the stationers in Patea and had tne Auckland Weekly. DicT'not know what iiis wife would have done with the Star ir^she had had it. His Worship: What do you think she ordered it for? To Mr Smart: His mother had a life interest in the 104 acres. His wife appeared to be in good health when she left. Herbert Francis NeAvbury knew Mr • and Mi's Locker, having been employed lw them for five weeks in April, 1912. The cows were milked during the first few days by machine, afterwards by "hand. There were about 100 cows and. were milked by Mr and Mrs Locker, witness and the other hands. Mrs Locker started 'about half-past six in the morning and went on till 8 o'clock, *&en she would leave off and get the breakfast ready. She did not always milk at night. Remembered when about j to. leave Locker asked witness to stay a ltttlo ionger and Locker told Ms wife ,she need not milk that evening. Never *■* saw any unpleasantness between Locker ■and .his wife and never heard Locker iriae a profane word. There was always O' iof food in the house. Never Mrs Locker complain of the jamount of work she had, to do and she 'did it willingly. ,Uiohard Taylor, wEo was employed by Locker in 1910, also gave evidence of j a similar tenor. I Counsel addressed the Court and the j Magistrate reserved his decision. i