FEILDING.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 305, 23 November 1932, Page 4

FEILDING.

MAGISTRATE’S COURT. CASE AGAINST GLAXO COMPANY. The hearing of the ease in which the Wellington Acclimatisation Society charged the Glaxo Manufacturing Co. (N.Z.), Ltd., with unlawfully allowing a liquid or a noxious matter, poisonous or injurious to fish, to flow from tho Glaxo factory at Bunnythorpe into the Mangaone Stream, in which trout exist, was concluded at the Feilding' Magistrate’s Court yesterday afternoon, before Mr R. M. Watson, S.M. In evidence the manager of the Glaxo factory admitted the use of sulphuric acid in the factory’s operations. The quantity of acid used would ho about one-third of a pint, which was discharged into the drain with an immense amount of water. The manager explained the efforts made by the company to overcome objection to the wasting's from the factory being discharged into the drain. The company had always made every effort to meet the wishes of the Health Department. Witness had heard complaints about cattle refusing to drink water from tho .Mangaone Stream, but ho had .seen them drinking the water. To Mr Willson, witness said he did not remember being interviewed in 1918 'by the questioner regarding a complaint. ’I here hud been two artesian wells put down on farm properties hounded by the drain. These wells were put down at the company’s expense, as it was recognised that there was a certain amount of pollution in the stream.

Frederick Joseph Nathan, a director of the defendant company, said that the capital of the company was about £B2,(XX). The factory at Uunnythorpe dealt with over 10,0fX) gallons of milk jx-.r day. Between £12,000 and £14,000 had been expended by the company with the effluent from the manufacture of the company’s product. During the period since that time there Irud' not Ijceii any complaint from the Wellington Acclimatisation Society as to pollution. Over 100.000 gallons of water were discharged from the factory into the drain daily, and tho rpiantity of sulphuric acid did not exceed one part diluted with more than one million parts of water. To Mr Willson, witness said that no complaints had Ireeri received from the Acclimatisation Society regarding pollution. Witness’s company had spent up to £14,000 in dealifig with the effluent problem. This concluded the evidence and in addressing tho Court Mr Grant contended that the prosecution had failed to establish the fact that the discharge from the factory bar] caused pollution. Counsel suggested that tho action was brought by the society in response to complaints from farmers that their stocK would mot drink water from tho Mnngaono Stream. Mr Wilson .submitted that the 2 7 dead trout found were evidence of pollution, and if 27 had been found, if was reasonable to believe that thousands of other trout had also been destroyed. Jii giving judgment the Magistrate sai<l there were two matters for the Court to decide: —(1) As to whether an offence had been committed by the defendant company, and (21 if an otfonce had liecn committed, the question of penalty. In the Magistrate’s opinion the offence had been established, the evidence given hv the society plus other evidence l>eing conclusive oi this. The company would, therefore, be convicted. Regarding the penalty the Magistrate said he could not foiget that for 14 years there had not I teen any complaint against the company in res|>eet of pollution. There was the evidence of the director of the company that the sum of £12.0(X) to £ 14.(X)0 had been s|iciit in dealing with the effluent from the factory, so it could not be said that the company had been idle. Moreover the sum of £2oo had lteen spent as soon as these proceedings were begun in an arrangement with the Health Department to cope with the matter. ’I hat fact, the Magistrate said, showed that w the company had used considerable effort, and at last successfully, in dealing with the difficulty. On account of this the Magistrate was prepared to treat tire matter of a penalty as light]y as the law would allow, ami defendant company would he fined £2 with costs.

At the hearing Mr P. W. Willson, chief ranger to the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, conducted the prosecution, Mr J. Grant appearing for the defendant company.

OUCH ESTRAL SOCIETY’S CONCERT.

An attendance of the public which fell short of expectations was present last night at the sixth concert presented hy Ihe Ecilding Orchestra Soeiety in the Majestic Theatre. The programme of popular and well-hal-ii need iteiris was greatly appreciated by the patrons who left little douht in tlreir reception as to their appreciation of the efforts of the orchestra. The programme opened with the overture, “Tancredi” (Rossini) and after a slight hesitancy at the outset the orchestra settled down to give a really enjoyable rendering of this well-known although rather difficult, overture. The intermezzo “Fairy Dance” enabled the orchestra to interpret tiro light passages of the piece in a very realistic style, while the selection “La Traviata” (Verdi), was one of the bright numlror.s of the programme. In “The Geisha” the orchestra succeeded ■ in capturing the light airy passages of this well-known composition. The rustic dance, “In Sweet Devonia,” was neatly executed while the closing overture. “Lustspeil,” provided a fitting finance to a most pleasing programme. The double vocal quartette were

heard with pleasing effect iri several popular numbers. Outstanding were the items provider! by -Mrs L. Compson, of Wanganui, whose solos, not heard for tho first time in Feilding, proved insufficient to satisfy the demands of the audience. At the conclusion of the concert, Mr C. A. H ausmann, president of the society, thanked the audience for their support, stating that the Orchestral Society wa.s endeavouring to supply the musical needs of the public of Feilding and earned its reward in the support accorded it.

NOTES. Notification was received in Feilding, yesterday, of the death at Hikurangi, North Auckland, of Rev. R. C. Stewart, son-in-law of Mr and Mrs A. Eade, of Feilding, at the ago of 50 years. Mr Stewart was in charge of the Hikurangi Presbyterian Church and on Monday night had a heart attack from which Ire failed to rally. Ho married Miss Florence Fade and to his widow arid family of six children the sympathy of their many Feilding friends will go out. An epidemic of gastric trouble has visited the Feilding Agricultural High School during the past day or two with the result that the boarders, including staff, have been down with the malady. All the patients are progressing as well as can be expected. FAT LAMB COM PETITION. By advertisement in this issue the Feilding A. and P. Association invites breeders- of fat lambs to enter for the N.Z. Meat Producers’ Board’s annual competition for the best district display of fat lambs, through the Feilding group. The competition is for pens of 3 woolly himos, not to exceed 401 b freezing weight. In order that an even group may he reeeived, it is suggested that breeders select lambs of 7011) live weight, which should kill at 3G-38Ib freezing weight. All lambs will lie judged alive at the Feilding freezing works on Wednesday, December 7. and prizes of first £3 3s and second £2 2s will bo awarded the two best pens of lambs on live judging. Any lamb oyer 781 b livo weight will he disqualified from competing for these special awards. After killing, the carcases will he displayed for the inspection of' breeders mid others interested and Mr ,J. Drysdalo, Government inspector, will select tho best 15 pens for export to London as the Feilding group. All lambs from the North Island will he judged simultaneously at Smithfield market, and handsome prizes of first £ls, second £lO, and third £5, will he awarded to tho three best pens in the whole North Island display. The various districts groups will also he judged and a perpetual challenge shield awarded for the champion group. Feilding and district arc famed for raising fat lambs, and it should be the aim of every local breeder to support this interesting competition. Entries will close for the Feilding group on Friday, 25th inst. Full particulars will gladly he supplied on application to flic secretary, Feilding A. and F. Association. LATE AIR H. RARSONAGK. Reference to the passing of the late Mr Harry Parsonage, of Feilding, was made at the annual meeting of the Manawat.u Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association in Palmerston North last evening. “The greatest loss we have sustained is in the death of our old friend, and that is a loss it will he hard to hear. Ho was a man whose heart was in swimming, and his passing wa.s u very sad occurrence indeed.” said the president, Mr A. D. Campbell. In Iris report, Mr W. Schwarz, the educational officer, said that children’s swimming had sustained a great loss by Mr Parsonage’s passing. “Deceased wa.s a real enthusiast where swimming, especially for children, was concerned. He was responsible for Miss P. Sporle’s phenomenal success a year or two ago, while, by bis unselfish and untiring work', be lias erected a monument to himself which will last as long as children’s swimming endures in the Manawatn,” added Mr Schwarz.

Tiro meeting passed a motion of sympathy with the relatives of the late Mr Parsonage, members standing in silence as a mark of resj>ect to his memory.