LOCAL AND GENERAL

Otago Witness, Issue 2317, 28 July 1898, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A 'deputation from fcueDunediuaDd Suliurbm Cycling Tracks Committee waited on tha Iloa. j. G. Ward iv inference <o tbe Cycle Bill. It waß pointed out to Mr Ward that iv D .media the cyclists bad little or no use for tfcpir machines in winter owing to (be hoavy ti;<flic which was concentrated on a few streets caused by the hilly nature of tbe city, and that this winter no cycling could have been done had it notbien for the track which bad been built by public subscriptions. Thi3 f*ot was mentioned as one argument why the committee were in favour of tbe bill, m> tbat .similar facilities could be extended thronghou!; the city. It was also mentioned that a good deal of the present opposition to the bill arose owing to a large majority overlooking the fact that it could only come mho operation when a good percentage of cyclists in a, town asked the local authorities to put it into force. Afttr Mr Ward bad explained that the bill was introduced solely in the iutsrC3fs of Cj diets su thai they could bavn more extended facilities as already mentioned, the deputation thanked him and withdrew.

Mr Joachim, general manager for the Westport Cj»l Company, iv the course ot a recent interview, stated that the wharf aecomaiodation of Weetpoct was quite inadequate, and fche company hnd to csaso cbarturing for San Francisco, as any influx of sailing vessels now would only block the steamers and would not increase tbe trade. The South Amencau trade had to bs abandoned for fche same reason. The company's agents at JSan Francisco were coutiuuKlly asking for coal, but uo charters could be entered into under Use present unsatisfactory arrangements foi loading anil hauliug.

Durijng tbe hearing of a case of stone-lluow-ing preferred against some boys in tbe Police C'JurS on the 19tli mst., the Bench referred to the tact that boys were frequently in the habit of annoying Cbinatnen, with the object apparently of inducing them to chabe thfm. Mr Solomon, the chairman on the bench, mentioned that iv one instance he bad teeu a China mail running after a boy witb a formidable looking knife in his han-1, and bad he caught the buy the consequences might have been very serious. The remar 1 * was obviously made with the intention of warning boys to discontinue a habit that was fraught witb considerable danger to themselves.

A letter which is a cunoßity in its way hag been Bhown to the Taranaki Herald. According to the date ou the top, fche lebtcr was pasted afc Ngaire in December, 1693, aad contained a £1 note. As tbe letter did not reach its destination (NewPljmcufcbJ, inquiries were made concerning it, but no clue could be obtained as to it* whereabouts, and it was finally given up as lost. A tew days ago, after a lapsu of 18 months, the person to whom it vras addressed received the letter, on the envelope of v.lrcti was an intimation that it had beeu picked up in front ot fciie Ngaira Post Office. The envelope was mucn damaged, but the°£l note was intact.

Id the Supreme Court on the 20th Mr Justice Pannefatber had before niru, in Chambers, a summonu iv the matter of Forsyth &nd aaother v. M'Gill and others to increase the salary of David M'Gill as manager ot the Tokomuirico flour nrllmg business. Mr C. M. Mouafc (for Mr Doaold Reid) appeared in support ot the summons, and au order waa made as prayed, ths costs of all parties to be taxed by the registrar aud come oat of tbe estate. In tbe earue matter, a summons, supported by fllr HoskiDg, for remuneration to the trustee and executor was referred to the registrar.

Mr James Mitchell, of Oarnaru, Haß been elected a member ot the Education Board in tbe place of Mr J. JP. M. i'raser, re-igued, He obtained the votes ot 121 school counaittees, a* against 6'} obtained by Mr William Nk-Loleou.

The argument on the motion to settle Mr Walter Guthrie on thu list ot coutributories of the New Zealand Pine Company (Limited), in respect ot 92t> shares, was continued in the Supreme Court before Mr Justice Peunct'&ther on the 20th. Mr Woodhoase appsared for the official liquidator in support of ttie motion, and Mr Solomon and Mr Sim appeared ou behalf of Mr Gdthrie. Mi Wooilhouse and Mr Sglunion baviDg beeD heard on tlis previous day, Sir Sim addressed the cuurb on Wednesday afternoon. lv the course of his argument he mentioned that the dtbenfeure-iiold^rs had all proved in the Pine Company's estate, and the claims of the unsecured" creditors were very small, so that if Mr Guthrie waa put on the list of contributaries the amount paid by him (£s2t'O) to the estate apon tha shares would practically be handed back to the debeuture-holdera, minus the liquidator's commission ; ftfld the debenture-holders, including the Bask of New Zealand, in consideration of the hardship

which they recognised would be entailed ou Me Gu'hric through his beiug simply a trustee foe Walter Guthrie aud Co. (Limited), had entered into an cgreement to hand him back what they might receive *s dividend. His Honor expressed some surprise that under buch ciicumstances Mr Guthrie should re?isb the present application. Mr Sitn replied that Mr Guthriu was brought there by tho liquidator. Mr Wuodhouse said, however, that; from the transaction as it appeared in tho books of tho coiupiuy the liquidator had no option but to ask the court to decide whether or not Mr Guthrie should be placed on the list of contribulorics and the liquidator had notbiug to do with any arrangement belwfen the debenture-holders and Mr Guthrie. Mr Sim admitted that the arrangement that he ret ur red to had been come to alter the procerdiiigs had coinmeccad. After Mr Sim had concluded hi 3 argument Mr "Woodhotise'a reply was adjourned until next day, so that his Honor might have an opportunity in the meantime of looking up some of the numerous cases that had been cited.

A sample of bnsb law was brought to light in the Supreme Court on the 20th. The plaintiff in ». mil case himself undertook the service ol the writ upon tbe defendant, the parties beiug tanners iv one of tho nouthcrn biuh districts. The lirst attempt to clfect service of the writ w;\b made one day when the plaintiff saw the defendant riding on horeebick, bul> when the formsr v?as yo!; somo distance off he says tha dclendant tied his borec up at the edge of a bush, into which he disappeared.- The plaintiff called tha delcndaot by name, and also by bush cocee, bu 1 ; wooed he ever so industriously the defendant waa uot to be drawn, and rt;« rnained in Ihe buali until after dark. Subsequently a friend of the plaiut'ff essayed ta «ffct*l; service ot the objectionable document?, but when he proffered il to the defendant tho latter pat his hands behind his back, sayiug-, " Ob, I don't, want it." The amateur processserver secured one of the defendant's haudv, and opening it laid tbe writ in it, bat believing as he did ufc tbe time that the service would not be legal unless the person served took hold cS tbe wnt, hi weut away witb the paper. Finally the plaintiff got to close quarters with the defendant, and, proffering him tho writ, eaid alluringly, " You had better take this." The defendant threw up his arms, and tha plaintiff, hdvjrjg evidently been advised as to tho legal position, dropped the writ at the former's feet. It would appear, however, that the defendant wan not satisfied that service had been effected on him, for, when informed by the plaintiff's solicitors that they bad set the case down For trial, be wrote to them denying tbat he. hud received a summons or else he would assuredly have defended the case. To this the solicitors replied, advising him to consult a solicitor, when be would appreciate the truth of tho saying tbat " the man who is his own lawyer has a fool for his clicut."

At Riverton on the 19lh a man named l'eter M'Farlane was lined £2 and costs for (.ravelling on the railway witb * packet of dynamite. M'f'arlane forgot to take the explosive witb him when he left the train, but on remember ing ib told the stationaiaster at Groper's Butsh, and thy telegraph being net to work tbe dangerous stuff was removed. It was intended to prosecute M'Fddauo ander the l'nblic Works Act, which provides a. penalty of £50 or two s ears' hard labour, but owing to his straightforwarduesa and promptness in giving ii.formation, aud tbe fact that he was not well oft, he was only charged under tho railway bylaws. Sergeant Mscdonell mentioned that » lew years ago tbe police seized a b:>x ai dyuamitc in a train at iiiverton and nobody had ever claimed it.

One of tbe strangest commissions given by a picture buyer (rennrks a writer in Land and Water) was taken by a well-kuowu West End dealer. The buyer again in this case was one of the " nouiiavx riche*." Tiuniug pig out Chicago way had made biru. Of pictures and their merits, demerits, or delights he confessed he kuew nothing, but be wanted tho portraits oE his illustrious, but to him unknown, ancestors to hang in his Gne new mansion by Lalre Miohig'in. To this end he gave an almost unlimited corumiseion for good full-length portraits, knights in armour, gentlemen m court aud diplomatic suits, and so fortb, especially those of the sixteenth and seventeenth eculnries. These, of course, upon being secured, were afc once relined, restored, re-aarued, tableted (heavy gold tablets) with Sir " So and So," LHO ; Lord " Someone- else," 1650, and so torth lall, of course, bearing the patronymic of the tinned meat man), and shipped off acrosß the ocean to their new and happy home.

Mr P. W. Merchant, late engineer to the Tima.ru Haibour Board, in a loiter to the Timaru Herald, says it is now proved to demonstration that the shingle drift theory, which he has always condemned, is an utter and complete fallacy. He says he looks for the closing of the harbour entrance after a three days' S.E. storm, such &b that of July, 1895. Whether such closure will be absolute, barring the port to the entrance of all vessels* or partial, he cannot say.

The Auckland Harbour Board's revenue for tlis last half-year exceeded that of the corW" spondiog period last year by £2187,