SOUTHLAND NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14440, 5 February 1909, Page 3

SOUTHLAND NOTES.

(From Our o\yx CoitnEsroxDEXT.) INVKRCARGILL, February 4. At the Magistrate's Court to-ilay another ratepayer made vain protest against having tii pay pait of the saiiitary rale—tliat for the removal of refute. The ratepayer conducted his own defence in lespect of a suit against him by I lie corporation (or the recovery of rate for rubbish removal, and he made an eloquent uddu'si to the court lcgarding the injustice of having to pay when no rubbish was removed from bis place, lie

.-aid that his refusal to pay was, with him :i question of right and principle. His contention was that this claim was not a rate but a service; that is to say, a. service rendered. He had looked through the by-laws fiom beginning lo end, and there was nothing in Ihem nbmil a rale jor the reniova' ot rubbish. Here be wa» besieged with rates, yiear in and year oul. and I hey worn not rates bill "inly t. vvices. The service in question was not among Ihe raU* there, yet heie was a demand fur rates. There was a night-soil service and a refuse .service. I'iic account said that there was a removal of refuse, and if there was to he a charge there was to be a removal. It win a contract. He maintained that if there was no service there could he no charge, ami tI K ! thing was unjust on the very lace of it. What would ho say to the baker who sent in ae. accouut' for bread which he had not delivered? Perhaps the baker would say that he could have taken the bread because the cart was passing the door. That was tho position of the corporation. He had never had his retuse.removed, and if he had he would willingly have paid for it. Tlk; corporation was taking the very life, blood of i he community, anu young people who could •'H afford to pay the- rate were being crushed and petered by these rates. There had been no service- rendered, and the demand was unjust on tho very face of it. Ho maintained that the caw Nioulil he dismissed. The magistrate pointed out that the whole question depended on the Municipal Act, which said thai tho corporation could mako levies lor this, kind of thing. The by-laws did not contain all Lhe municipal law, and the act was moia powcnul than Ihe by-laws. The court was quite satisfied that the account was recoverable, and although it might be a, bit hard on the dcleiiriant under the circumstances, it was the law, and those who did not use the du-t cart had lo pay.

oust before the departure of the midday express this afternoon lhe staff of Ihe firm (•• John Kdmond assembled, for the purpose »f pnsenting one of their number, Mr T. K. Davis, with a silver tea and ei.h'cc service. The manager, Mr Armour, made the presentation, and spoke of the. good relationship existing among the item's employees, and on behalf ol the slat! he wished Mr Davis and ins fill lire wile all happiness in their married eaieer. Mr Davis is to bo married in Duuedin early next week.

The new plant at the Invorcargill gasworks, which was installed under the. supervision of the gasworks manager, has just recently been got thoroughly under way. The plant is proving eminently satislaetovy. as is shown bv the fact that the oilier" day, in 24 hours, 82,000 cubic feel of gas was manufactured from 12 retorts. With the old plant 25 retorts would have been required to produce this amount of gas, so that the piodn-.'ing power of the new retorts is more than double thai of lhe old set.

The i-iiwniill iifiiiv at Grove Bush, for which there has been particularly lively ('(.mpetition consequent on the Land Duntil, at Mr A. K. Waliis's instance. holding that .Mr 11. A. Masscy, who had held the title to the area for many years, had been wrongly granted the title, and throwing the area open to re-selection. There were 51 applicants, all of whom wore personally examined by the board, and Io of the applications were rejected. On the holding of the ballot. Mr Henry Cox was declared the successful apjilicinl.

By the (=,s. Invercargill to-day a gang of mechanics 'from Messrs Johnston's foundry started for Preservation Inlet to Kit up machinery with which to set going the Taniwera gold-mining and smelling company—a venture which, it is hoped, will revive the obsolescent quart/.mining fortunes of the inlet.

Frank l'off, who (in his absence) on Tuesday was convicted of .sly-grog selling in Imciwrrill, and who was sentenced to three months' impri£orhncr*, has been taken into custody. Ho had been absent in Dimediii transacting private business, and was unable to be present at the hearing of the charge against him. He relumed homo on Wednesday night, and having put his affairs in order, lie was prepared to let the law take its course.