WOODVILLE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 8446, 23 July 1888, Page 2

WOODVILLE.

(FROM our own correspondent.) July 21,

The usual four-weekly Resident Magistrate’s Court was held here on Thursday last, before Mr R. Ward of Wanganui. As usual, several cases were adjourned, to be heard before justices. This practice is sure to continue till we either have a fortnightly court or better arrangements for holding the monthly one, A sheep case, Cotter v. Kinross, in which judgment had been held over from last court, was decided. Mr Kinross had been in treaty with Mr Garble for some rams of his, and Mr Oarlile told Mr Kinross that he did not know that the rams were not sold, but if they were his neighbor, Mr Cotter, had soma just the same. Mr Kinross agreed to buy them, understanding that they were 4-tooth. Mr Cotter did not seem to understand this, and sent, according to his account, six 4-tooth and 15 6-tooth rams. According to the account of Mr Kinross’ witnesses they were 6-tooth, 8 tooth, and broken mouthed. Some disputing occurred by letter, and Mr Cotter reduced his price from L 42, first charged, to L 34 10s, and sued Mr Kinross for this amount. Mr Kinross paid £2l, or a £1 per head, into Court. His Worship found that the sheep were of the description- stated by Mr Cotter, that the mouths were not a reliable evidence as to the age of the sheep ; that the Napier witness (Mr Kinross’s) were deceived thereby ; that the six-four-tooth rams should be valued at £2 per head, and the 15 six-tooth ones at LI per head, and so gave judgment for defendant for £6 - over the amount paid into Court, together with £6 costs. So Mr Kinross did not save much money. There were twenty-nine judgment summonses, some of them being very bad cases. A case in which a settler named Walker sued a young man named Hutching for riding .into his trap on 'the road one night, was dismissed without costs, as it .was proved that Walker had no lights to his trap. The remainder of the cases were not of general interest. A public meeting was held at Pahiatua yesterday week to discuss the action of the Licensing Committee. According to statements made at the meetingthe Committee waselectedtogivelicensesto all and sundry who applied. Instead of doing this, however, they gave a license to Mr David Crewe and refused them to Mr Crimp and Mr Ellmers. Mr Crewe was formerly proprietor of the Pahiatua Hotel and sold out to Mr Stewart about three years ago, since which he has been a commission agent in the town. Mr Crimp has had a large temperance hotel for some years beside Mr Stewart. A storm of indignation rose when it was found that the Chairman and two other members had refused to grant any license but the one to Mr Crewe. It is also stated that the Chairman of the Committee, who is reckoned as a close personal friend of Mr Crewe, has possession of ond refuses to give up a bond given by the latter to the Committee to effect large and important improvements and extensions to his premises. So the meeting was called to discuss the whole matter. None of the three Committeemen were there—one of them (not the Chairman) because he was busy running Mr Crewe’s other hotel at the Mangatainoke. It was indignantly resolved to ask the Chairman and the two committee men who sided with him to resign, which, of course, they are very likely to do. But the most peculiar point about the whole meeting was that the longest, most indignant, aud moat personal speech of the whole evening was made by .the clerk to the committee. The Woodville-Mangatainoke Special Settlement Association was unable to draw for its sections last Saturday as fixed. Althoughit hid been bothered and badgered by Mr Marohant, the Commissioner of Crown Lands, to draw, when it was ready he was not, so the drawing had to be postponed. Mr Stevenson, the Government auditor, has been going through the books of the local bodies about. He has not sent anyone to gaol so far. Our football club won a match last Saturday, sending home a Palmerston team completely beaten. To make things level, however, a Palmerston team beat a Woodville one in a polo rinking match on Wednesday. This afternoon a football match is to be played between Volunteers and civilians.