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Otago Witness, Issue 3773, 6 July 1926, Page 47

His Honor Mr Justice Sim, sitting in Chambers in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, granted probate in connection with the following deceased estates Margaret Cuthberfc, Outram (Mr W. G. Grant); Thomas Henry Ford Taplin, Pukeuri (Mr H. J. S. Grater); Donald Septimus Crossan, Dunedin (Mr R. S. Brown); Walter Wright, Dunedin (Mr W. G. Hay); and Mary Frances Driver, Dunedin (Mr H. L. Cooke). A case came before the Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday in which a plaintiff sued for a balance of 2d, short paid by defendant. The presiding magistrate remarked in giving judgment: “Yes, it will cost 3s to get that twopence.” The three shillings were for costs. At the Magistrate’s Court, Palmerston, on Tuesday, before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., Albert Thomas (Inch Valley) was convicted and ordered to pay costs amounting to 14s for failing to destroy rabbits. The cape had previously been adjourned to enable the defendant to attend to the rabbits on his property. Particulars of the vital statistics for the month of June have been supplied as follows by the Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages (last year’s figures are given in parentheses)Births, 126 (150); deaths, 87 (86); marriages, 66 (59). The details for the quarter ended on June 30 are:—Births, 354 (446); deaths, 228 (232); marriages, 220 ( 202). The half-yearly figures are: Births, 764 (834); deaths, 461 (407); marriages, 425 (373). Resplendent in a new coat of paint, aV 1 with her brasswork burnished brightly, A6OO, the express locomotive which was involved in the fateful Opapa accident, left the Napier railway workshops on Friday week under her own steam (says the Daily Telegraph). Considering that when towed into the workshops on March 19 last sho was a virtual wreck, the frame being practically only thing left intact, the locomotive’® present completed state, after 97 days, is a notable achievement, and reflects great credit on the staff of the railway workshops. The locomotive will be on trial for a few days, and when she is properly run in she will be hitched on to the express and "ill start again on her old beat. The A6OO has had a somewhat honoured career, being the engine which drew the present Prince of Wales’s train during his tour of New Zealand. The late Mr Bob Telford was then driver of the engine, and at one stage of the journey, under his supervision, the Prince actually drove it. With the object of minimising the risk of accidents at the crossings on the railway line running through the town of Invercargill, the railway authorities have granted authority for the construction of three wig-wag signals at the crossings at Elies road. Nith street, and Clyle street (reports our correspondent). The signals will be operated automatically by the trains, and will undoubtedly be of great service to all forms of vehicular traffic, as some very nasty accidents have from time to time occurred at the crossings referred to. These will bj the fi’-’t signals of this type to be erected in the Southland district, and as time goes on other crossings will be provided with similar devices for warning traffic. Has a fire engine the right-of-way in a public street? The point was discussed by the Wellington Fire Board last week (says the Evening Post) after the reading of a report from the brigade superintendent upon a collision a lew nights previously between one of the brigade’s engines and a motor car in Taranaki street. The superintendent stated that apparently everything possible had “been done to avoid the collision, which would nevsr have occurred but for the giving of a malicious false alarm. Hie damage to the engine would cost about £4O to repair, and the car had also been rather badly knocked about. Mr G. Reid asked whether fire engines had the right-of-way when going ’o a fire. Cr Luckie replied that the urgent nature of their business and traditional respect for the duty give fire engines a certain right, but ho did not think that the engines had any special statutory rights. The Chairman (Mr D. E. Wilkie) said that he had never heard that they had any special right-of-way. Superintendent Creke remarked that it was at any rate customary for other vehicles to pull to one aide when warning was given. That city solicitor was asked to look the matte* up.