CENTRAL OTAGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24205, 25 January 1940, Page 14

CENTRAL OTAGO

RANFURLY Cricket Only one cricket match was played in the Maniototo County on Saturday, when very hot conditions prevailed. At Patearoa, Patearoa, 257 CJames Blakely 116, McAtamney 57, E. Blakely 51), beat Ranfurly, 78 (E. Blakely four for 35. J. Blakely tw 0 for 3). Lawn Tennis On Saturday the B Grade lawn tennis match between Ranfurly and Middlemarch, which was postponed earlier in the season, was played on the Middlemarch courts. A close game ensued, the home side winning by 9 sets: to 7. On Saturday next the B Grade competition will be reopened, the draw being as follows:—Kokonga v. Patearoa; Waipiata v. Kyeburn; Middlemarch v. Ranfurly. The A Grade competition will be reopened on Saturday, February 3.

Bowling: Ranfurly v. Middlemarch (Middlemarch names first).—Turnbull 32.. Carson 20; Murray 17, Templeton 21. Totals: Middlemarch 49, Ranfurly 33. Naseby V. Orangapai (Naseby names first).—Brown 14, Edmonds 30; Behrens 24, Beattie 25. Totals: Orangapai 55, Naseby 38. Ranfurly v. Naseby (Ranfurly names first).—Templeton 19, Brown 12; Carson 23, Behrens 21. Totals: Ranfurly 42, Naseby 33.

J. R. Benson, dentist, visits Ranfurly every Tuesday.—Advt. Mr Anderson, dentist, will visit Ranfurly again on Friday, February 2 Advt. LAWRENCE Magistrate's Court The monthly sitting of the Magistrate's Court was held at Lawrence on Monday, Mr H. J. Dixon, S.M., being on the bench.

Herbert Winter (Mr R. C. Moore) claimed £25 13s from Robert McEwan, jun., and Alfred Joseph Wallis (Mr D. J. Sumpter) being the value of 13 sheep alleged to have been destroyed by the defendants' dogs. The plaintiff stated that on the morning of August 15 last he saw two dogs, which he recognised as the defendants' dogs, worrying his sheep, and hunted them away. The same afternoon he went to the defendant McEwan's house and there saw one of the dogs tied up and having a considerable amount of dried mud on him. In the evening he called Constable Parkhill over to his place to see some of the worried sheep. Later, with the constable, and in the presence of an employee of his, he interviewed the defendant Wallis at his home, but this defendant's dog was not at home. After some discussion, Wallis wrote out an acknowledgment of liability with the promise to pay £7 by instalments, and to shoot the dog. With the constable he then found the defendant McEwan, and went to the police office, where McEwan wrote out a similar admission of liability for £7. When the sum of £ 14 was agreed on, plantiff had not discovered all his losses, but next day found several more sheep had been worried. As neither defendant had paid any part of the £7 he now claimed for his full loss, £25 13s.—Constable Parkhill and R. Elliott gave evidence, the constable emphasising that the admissions signed by defendants were purely voluntary on their part. Under cross-examination by Mr Sumpter, Constable Parkhill maintained that while it was not part of-his official duty, he had agreed to assist plaintiff solely at his request and out of sympathy for him. For the defence. Mr Sumpter contended that the statements of liability had been improperly obtained through the action of the constable. He also submitted that the dogs seen on Dlaintiff's property might not have been the defendants' dogs. In evidence, the defendants both maintained that they had signed the statements because the constable had told them their docs had been worrying plaintiff's sheep. They also pointed out that they had seen only five of the 13 alleged worried sheep, but admitted that they had been directed to where three other worried sheen could be, seen, although they had not gone. Evidence for the defence was tendered by Mrs McEwan as to the habit of tying up the dog each night, and William Christie gave evidence as to the condition of Wallis's dog when later shot by him. Reginald Read gave evidence as to the value of plaintiff's sheep. , His Worship said he must accept the plaintiff's identification of the two dogs. As to the statements signed by defendants, his opinion was that they would not have signed them unless they thought that their dogs would worry sheep. According to the it was possible that some of the plain-

tiffs sheep might have been worried on the following day by other dogs, and he would allow damages in respect of eight sheep only. Judgment was entered for the plaintiff for £l4, plus court costs (£1 15s), witnesses' expenses (£1 6s 6d). and solicitors' fees (£2 12s). Personal Mr R. J. Forbes Is spending his annual leave at PalmerstorL Miss P. Haworth is spending a holiday in Central Otago. Mr and Mrs W. Milne are on holiday at Oamaru. Constable T. W. Parkhill commenced his annual leave on Tuesday, and is visiting Wellington. Constable Wroblenski, of Dunedin. is relieving him. Miss G. B. Robertson is visiting Timaru. Mr R. McEwan will leave to-morrow for Levin to join the ground staff of the Air Force. Mr and Mrs J. Phelan are spending a holiday in Wellington. MIDDLEMARCH Farming Shearing is now completed. The difficulty in obtaining shearers was not as acute as was expected, because a number of local young men have taken up shearing, easing the position considerably. The weather was favourable and some sheds got "cut out" without a break and tallies up to 210 were put up. The shearing has brought to light the heavy losses sustained by the heavy snowstorm during the winter, which are much greater than was expected before shearing. A number of high country men will have very few surplus sheep to dispose of this season, as rhey will be required to,fill up the losses in their own flocks. Added to a loss of over 400 on account of the snowstorm, Mr F. M. Howell was unfortunate in losing another 150 two-tooth ewes by the heavy rain which fell on January 15. The sheep had been shorn four days previously and were brought into the shed again when the rain came on, otherwise the loss would have been much greater. Mr W. D. Mason was also a loser at the same time and under similar conditions, his loss being 86 ewes who had lambs at foot.

A larger quantity of hay and lucerne is being saved than ever previously in the district, the experience of last winter has not been forgotten and has shown the necessity of having a supply of winter feed on hand. The modern method of pressing, instead of stacking, is fullv taken advantage of, but unfortunately the supply of suitable wire has given out and is unprocurable.

The grain crops are now being harvested, and most of the oat crops will be in stook before the end of another week if the weather continues favourable. The grain crops will show a fair average return and will be much easier handled than last year.

Recruiting Several young men In the district have registered for enlistment and are awaiting medical inspection, but have yet to receive instructions.