TOWN EDITION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XL, Issue 13172, 4 September 1913, Page 6

TOWN EDITION.

A meeting of the. Gisborne branch of the N.Z.I). A. was liel<l last evening, -.1 which Messrs Barton, Cox, Hudson, Seymour and Palairet were present. The secretary submitted the annual financiil statement, showing a small credit balance. Cordial votes of thanks were passed to tho retiring president, Mr J. G. Cox, and tho hon. secretary, Mr L. G. Barton, for their services during tho past year, which were suitably acknowmg olficers were chosen for the ensuing ledged by those gentlemen. The followyear, viz. : President, Mr R. G. Crawford ; vice-presidents, Messrs F. B. Palairet and Barton : and secretary, Mr M. H. Hudson.

A Coast visitor to town states that considerable disorganisation of the mails has taken place beyond Tokomaru lately. Although the floods have contributed to this, more 'has been due to tho steamers missing the connection at Tokomaru Bay. Under the old system the mails for north left Tokomaru on Tueday and Friday, and if the steamer did not call at Tokomaru tho mails, if despatched from Gisborne on the ordinary coach day, would not be delayed at all. What happens now, states the Coast resident, is that if tho steamer happens to bo a day late it takes five days for tho mail to reach Te Puia (the tourist resort), six miles distant. An improvement on tho old system would have been to have despatched mails from Waipiro to Tokomaru, which is only nine miles distant, on Tuesdays and Fridays. This would have speeded up the despatch of letters both north and south by the ordinary steamers, with the alternative of the coach should there I c interruption of the communication by sea. Under present conditions, it was stated, a reply can be received from Christchurch almost as quickly as from Gisborne.

The Union S.S. Company announce the following alterations m the East Coa_4 running. The Tarawera, which parses through Gisborne on Sunday next, will on arrival at Dunedin on Thursday withdraw from the running until the following Tuesday, 16th September. On this date she will take the run at present • maintained by the Monowai, and leave Dunedin for' Aucklaud, via usual .ports. She will thus pass through Gisborne on alternate Saturdays, going North, and on Wednesdays, going South. The Monowai, on arrival from North, Mill withdraw at Dunedin on Sunday. 14th September. The present run of tli© Tarawera- will be taken by the Hud-dari-PArker steamer Westralia-, which will leave Dunedin on Friday, 12th Sep-, tember (instead of Tarawera), for Auckland, via Coast ports. The Westralia will consequently pass through Gisborne on alternate Wednesdays going North, and on alternate' Sundays for South. Passengers outwards from Gisborne to Napier and Southern ports on Sundays will therefore require to note that the Westralia will leave Gisborne on alternate Sundays with the steamer of the Union S.S. Company.

Even those who have most closely followed the new cult of flowers m England — m London society as m country villages — were astonished (says the London Daily Mail of a recent date) at the evidence supplied by the exhibition of sweet peas at the Royal Horticultural Hall. This spacious hall is not now big enough to contain the members of London society who flbek to the shows. Th<; waiting 'people Suggest the clamour at the box-olfi.ee of a popular theatre, raid within the hall particular flowers of novelty or superior charm have the T,rt of reception given to a Pavlova. The people who flock to the hall go to buy as well as to admire. A few years ago gardeners were allowed to grow any varieties they pleased. Now, as al! professionals bear witness, everyone, will have the best, will have his favorites; and directly a novelty has proved itshardihood it is taken up eagerly. Some 80 per cent, of the people who go to. the show are m their degree specialists. No flower to-day is quite, so popular as the sweet pea; but apart from this, the general love of flowers of all sorts, and knowledge of them, are a real emergence cf our time ahd country, are "social fact? of which account must be taken, of which use may be made. We are becoming a nation of gardeners, and m many instances reluctance 'to leave their gardens has been the one influence-pre-venting some Of our most stalwart countrymen from emigrating. Gradually the ■ skill and interest of gardeners are teach-) ing the whole community both how much may be made of the land and how attractive country life may become.

In a civil case, J. R. Redstone and Sons v. Lan S. Simson, which was called on at the Magistrate's Court to-day, Mr Burnard, who appeared for the plaintiff, said they accepted the amount paid into Court, but there was the question of costs. Ho said the defence on which the defendant was relying m connection with the balanco of the claim was the statute^of limitations. This was a defence which the Court never viewed' with any great favor. It was a legal defence, but not an honorable kind .nf defeneb to take. The defendant did not admit, when he gave notice of intention to defend, even the amount which was not statute barred. He admitted the sum of £1 16s 6d. When he received a claim for two wedding carriages he admitted only one. The plaintiff insisted on tho two being paid for, and now defendant admitted his liability and paid the amount of the claim for the two ca v - iages into Court. The only defence _._\v was regarding the amount said to be statute barred, about £1 10s. Counsel askod for costs, as preparation had been made to meet the defence. Mr Arnold, for the defendant, said there were two distinct claims, tho first being statute barred. If that claim had not been statute barred they had a tolerable good defence. If no money had been paid into Court the amount claimed would have been £3 16s 6d, but they had offered to settle for £1 16s 6d. Tn cases of payment into Court it was n)t usual to allow solicitors' costs. — His Worship pointed out that the other^sido had been led to believe that the dc fendant was going on with the action.— Mr Arnold contended that it was quite legal for them to give notice to defend for the full amount, and then .before noon on tho day preceding the case 10 pay tho whole amount into Court; no costs sliould bo allowed. His Worship said he thought plaintiff was entitled to small costs, and allowed a solicitor's fee of 10s 6d/