LOCAL AND GENERAL

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 12 August 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A sharp shock of earthquake was felt in Hawera at 2.40 a.m. this n orning.

Cosmo" writes to say that in his Ball Road Notes/ with reference to the Hurleyville for butter-fat, the figures should have been Is 2 l-7d, not Is 2|d, as he accidentally wrote them.

At the annual meeting of the Tamaki Co-operative Dairy Company the chairman (Mr \V. Bell) explained (says the Hawke's Bay Herald s correspondent) that the reason why the a verge price for butter this year was a farthing a pound less than last year was that the output had not been large enough whila the industrial trouble had also affected prices. Referring to the movement originated among Tamaki companies to float a company in London with a capital of £1,000,000 to control the market for New Zealand butter, he said that either this company was unnecessary, or elsie the National Dairy Association had failed in its objects. Tho matter of control at the Home end would have to be closely enquired into by the dairy companies of the dominion.

The hold that football has on the public of can well be gauged from the fact that practically a third of the population was present at the Rugby and Northern Union games played recently (says the Star). The larger attendance was at the Domain, when the New Zealand representatives met the touring British team, the crowd being estimated at anything up to 20,000, the large sum of £710 heincr taken at the gates. At Eden Park when University and City contested* the Rugbp Union Cup final, there was an attendance of between six and seven thousand, the irate takings totalling £153 15s. Eden Park has been very popular this season, the receipts lrom the cup contests totalling about £900, as against £570 last year.

One of the most charming features of Lord,Howe Island, which is peopled by about a dozen families, leading an arcadian-life, is the remarkable tameness of the birds. "1 never saw anything like it in my life before," said Mr R. Douglas Laurie, of the Liverpool University, who has been carrying on research work at the island and who returned to Sydney last week. "The Island abounds with birds, which show no fear whatever of man. When we strolled through the glade little tits would hop familiarly about, gaily chirping songs of welcome. Sometimes they would alight on one's shoulder or an extended arm. When I used to search amongst old logs for grubs, moor hens would often come up within a yard of me. But tl)e most extraordinary thing was the way the mountain mutton birds used t*> o( s m a to us when we CG-ee-ea.' They would come running up, peck playfully at our trousers and let us stroke them and pick them up. The inhabitants never interfere with the birds. Such a thing as throwing a stone at them would never occur to anyone, and if it does would be regarded as an awful offence."

A commotion wtis caused amonc the pearl merchants of Paris over a "black pearl, the original commercial value of which was £320. This pearl had been manipulated by an exneit known as a "pearl dyer," and when he had finished with it the nearl looked like one worth about £61)00. It was then offered for sale through the ordinary channels, with, an intimation that owing to a pressing need of ready money the owner would accent £1200 for it. A charge was then laid against the owner and the ";->earl dyer" by the president of the Paris Chamber of Dealers in Precious Stones. When the "pearl dyer" was told of the charge, he said that he had improved the pearl by a special secret process invented by himself. He laughed at the idea of being charged. ""Doctored pearls!" he exclaimed, "why, on the Paris market there are more than twenty million pounds' worth of doctored pearls."

An impotant point was raise in a compensation claim before the Arbitration Court on Monday (says the Times). Harry Hodge, a farmer of Alton (Taranaki), as administrator of the estate of Frederick Harry Hodge, was the plaintiff, and the Alton Cooperative Dairy Company the defendants. While in the employ of the u.eionda'it uo.ir.pariy on January 22nd last Frederick Hodge became en\iQjiU>i*\ ll\ some machinery, and ai> a result his left arm had to be amputated below the elbow. He was admitted to the Patea hospital, and was paid compensation trom time to time totalling £9. Vhiie in tho hospital ho c-onti.^cted typhoid fever, and on MiU'cn 24th died, leaving no dependents. Plaintiff now claimed a lump sum of £243, being (55 per cent, of the full compensation as provided in the Workers' Compensation Act, IPOB. Mr C. B Morison, K.C., who appeared with Mr P. B. Cooke for the plaintiff, argued that the compensation payable to deceased clearly became part of the estate. Mr P. J. O'Regan appeared for the defendant company, and. maintained that a lump sum was only payable by agreement or by an award of the court. Had such an-agreement been arrived at during the life of the deceased, it would then have been a part of the estate. As he died leaving no dependents, and no lump sum had been agreed upon or awarded by the court during deceased's lifetime, the defendants were only liable to pay such amount hs had accrued during the lifetime of the deceased. Accordingly the sum of £10 17s had been paid into court. The court reserved decision, Mr Justice Stringer intimating that as the point raised was of great importance, he would take the opportunity of conferring with the judges now in Wellington.