WHANGAREI ITEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13234, 20 July 1906, Page 3

WHANGAREI ITEMS.

[BY TKM'/OR AI'IT. — CORRESPONDENT.]

Whang Thursday. The chairman of the Mamvu Road Board made some remarks at a meeting yesterday, showing how th© present 'system of the control of the road gives rise .to certain anomalies.' Speaking in-, reference to the County Road running through the Maunu district, lie said it had remained in a state of disrepair because the County Council had no funds to expend on it. On the other hand the Board had money-, * but' had no legal right either to spend it' Oil the road in question or to subsidise, the Council for repairing the road, and so settlers were compelled to wait till Council funds were available.

A mishap occurred on Monday morning last. Victor Beeston was driving a butcher's cart 'from Whangarei to Graham town, and on Hearing a dangerous part of the road a pheasant rose suddenly from a clump of tea-tree, causing the horse to take fright. At this point there is a precipitous gully on ■either side of the road, and Beeston, seeing that an accident was inevitable, sprang clear of the vehicle, which rolled over: the edge of the road. A moment later the horse's, body rested on the roadway and supported the weight of the suspended conveyance till Beeston managed to let the traces go. There was fortunately a light wire fence a little below the road, and here the descent of the cart was checked, but it took Beeston fully three hours to get it back to the roadway. _ • " ■ At the Stipendiary Magistrate's Court, David .Johnstone and Edward McGee were charged with threatening behaviour, calculated to provoke a breach of the peace, at Whakapnra. They were convicted on their own confession and fined £2 and costs each, (living evidence in. this case, Sergeant- Drake said every-entertainment held in Whaktipara was attended by similar disturbances to that created :by accused, and- in giving judgment Mr. Dyer characterised the class of persons who 'deliberately disturbed public meetings and used offensive language where women and children were congregated, as "thoroughgoing blackguards." A Whangarei drover; charged with driving cattle through the town at night, was fined £5 and costs. The case was brought as a warning to others, the police not pressing for - a heavy penalty in the case. Henry I'urchas (a prohibited person) was charged with being in possession of liquor. The magistrate imposed a penalty 01 £5 and costs or one month, remarking that people were beginning to believe that prohibition orders were a farce, but he would try to instruct them differently. For keeping his business premises open on a Thursday afternoon Robert Wilson was ordered to pay the costs, 175,. defendant pleading that being a new-comer he did not know which was the statutory half-holiday. The magistrate accepted the explanation. W. Corns was sued bv the Borough Council for £23 2s, half cost of the formation of a footpath ' constructed opposite defendant's property. There was a counter claim for £15 for trespass, alleged to be committed by the Borough Council in the construction of a drain on Corns' land. Seventeen pounds had been paid in by the defendant. One question was whether a certain culvert was legally part of the footpath, and after hearing evidence the magistrate decided : to; personally inspect the work and give, judgment next Court day.

E. E. Adams, recently arrested in Auckland, and remanded to Whangarei. was charged with assault with intent on Robert Hutchinson, of Whangarei, on July 4-. Accused was fined £7 and costs.

At a largely-attended meeting of the Kamo Racing* Club on Saturday night it was decided to effect improvements to the course, including disc harrowing, rolling, and erection of new railingsA meeting was held at Kamo for the purpose: of promoting an axemen's carnival in October or November -next. Great, enthusiasm in the project was evinced, and a large and representative committee formed. It is intended to offer £50 or £60 in prizes. At the. Maunu Road Board meeting yesterday the clerk stated that the new rating roll showed an increase of £61.911 in the ratable value of property in the' district. The amount last year was £84,213. and this year it, was £146.124-. As a consequence the revenue of tho Board would be augmented by £200.- The'chairman thought it a piiy the Board was powerless to expend the- anionu r on the main road through Muunm'

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