COUNTRY NEWS

Southland Times, Issue 19290, 8 July 1924, Page 2

COUNTRY NEWS

RIVERTON. MAGISTRATE'S COURT. (From our Correspondent.) A sitting of the Magistrate’s Court .was held at Riverton yesterday, Mr G. Cruickshank, S.M. occupying the Bench. CIVIL ACTIONS. Judgment was given by default in the following cases: Trustees W. C. Harrison v. George Portnick, £7 14/1 and costs £1 9/6; Commissioner of Taxes v. David McHugh, £36 11/6 and costs £2; T. J. Henderson v. John Shaw £2 19/2 and costs £1 3/6; Thomson Bros. v. J. Phillips £5 13/5, costs £1 10/6. In judgment summons case, G. E. Charlton v. R. Make, judgment debtor was ordered to pay £l4 10/8 by Augst 1, in default 3 weeks' imprisonment in Invercargill gaol. POLICE CASES. Bernard McKay (18), was charged with the theft of a watch from Mr Cochrane’s dwelling house, Happy Valley, Te Tua, on January 15. Accused said that he had been cutting grass for Mr Cochrane and Mr Cochrane sent him into the house to get a file out of a drawer in a room. On looking into the drawer there, he saw no file, but a watch. He took the watch to keep his time while working and forgot to return it. Inspector McNamara read the accused’s statement in which he said that he had taken the watch and carried it for a while. He showed it to another person' and this other person said if it was sent to be repaired and it was a good watch, he would buy it. The watch was sent to Invercargill where it was recovered by the police. The Inspector said that the accused was to have been brought before the Court at the last sitting but he did not appear and had to be brought along. Accused was convicted and released on three years’ probation on condition he takes out a prohibition order. The watch was ordered to be returned to its owner. William Alexander Phillips was charged with a breach of a Prohibition order, with a breach of his probation, and using obscene language. Inspector McNamara said that this case was adjourned from the last sitting of the Court. It was a case in which if the defendant was sent to gaol his wife and family would be left penniless. He had treated his probation and prohibition orders as of no consequence and simply ignored them. On the charges of breaches of probation and prohibition order, Phillips was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. On the charge of using obsence language he was fined £3. John Daley was charged with driving a vehicle without lights between the hours of 5.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. at. Waimatuku. Defendant said that he had no light for a short time as he had no matches, and as he had no lights, he was walking himself and leading his horse along the side of the road. Constable Fraser said that on the day in question Daley had been coming from Invercargill and at about 5.45 p.m. he was proceeding along the road at Waimatuku without lights. A youth on a motor-cycle collided with the vehicle and fractured his leg. On his questioning Daley, Daley admitted that he had no lights. He was convicted and fined £l, costs 7/-. Elizabeth Pemberton proceeded against Thomas Pemberton, alleging disobedience of a maintenance order. Mr W. S. Hunter, for the plaintiff, said that no doubt the Magistrate would remember this case as it had come before the Court fairly regularly during the last two years. He said that defendant never paid any money till forced to do so. Defendant was sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment, the warrant not to be issued if he £B 13/4, and costs £1 1/- before July 22. Mervyn B. Rothwell was charged with being drunk in a railway carriage between Riverton and Tuatapere on June 28. Accused pleaded guilty and was fined £2 and costs 7/-.

BAND OF HOPE. On Friday evening the Riverton Band of Hope gave a concert in More’s Hall. Although the weather was boisterous, a large number of people attended and were well rewarded by the excellence of the programme presented. Great credit is due to Mrs Borland and her assistants for the excellent manner in wliich they had trained the young people and also to the young people themselves for their rendering of the various items which showed not only skilful and careful preparation but also wholehearted interest. The Rev. J. Fordyce presided, and the following items were given:—Opening hymn “Rescue the Perishing,” prayer by the Rev. Fordyce; song, junior members, “It Is Coming”; recitation, Phyllis McDougall “The Dirty Little Boy”; recitation, Connie Borland; solo and chorus, senior members, soloist G. Fordyce; recitation, Sheila Kibblewhite; speech, Miss Bella Fraser; dialogue, junior members “Some Spiders”; recitation, Miss Annie Hopwood, "The Girl Who Smiled”; recitation, Margaret Dixon, “Jack and Jill”; address, Rev. J. Fordyce; song, senior members, “Vote It Out”; recitation, Jessie Fraser; recitation, Peggy Hancock; quartette, Mrs Borland, Misses Green, Ashley and Borland, “We’ll Turn Our Glasses Upside Down”; recitation, Sarah Allison; dialogue, senior members, “Sambo’s Party.” The Chairman in his address took for his theme “Courage,” and after thoroughly explaining the correct meaning of the word gave various examples of the highest courage by quoting animal and also human life and ending by quoting the Life of Christ as an example. Before the commencement of the evening’s programme the Chairman asked the audience to pay particular attention to the recitations as a prize was to be given for the best recitation and the audience at the conclusion would be asked to record their vote as to which one recited the best. On the votes being counted the prize fell to Miss Phyllis McDougall Miss McGregor ably presided at the organ. Ihe meeting ended with the singing of the Doxology. OLD IDENTITIES MEET. A meeting convened by Mr E. J. Stevens, of all those people who have resided in Riverton or its precincts for the last 50 years, was held in the Town Hall, Riverton on Saturday, when the following were present: —Mesdames Cussen, Aitchesou, and Gilchrist, Messrs E. J. Stevens, H. Watson (Pahia), F. C. Mills, Jas. Campbell, J. Geary, F. Stivens, E. Howell, R. Frew (Te Tua), T. Howell, J. Boniface, W. Scott, S. Barley, A. Templeton and W. Boniface. Mr Stevens, who presided, said that he was pleased to see so many present and explained that it was only a meeting convened to see if they should form an Old Identities’ Society. This should have been done many years ago. He said it would be very pleasant to meet and give some reminiscences of the past and also rebuild Riverton as it was in the old days, also some might have relics or documents bearing on the early history of Riverton and these could be brought to the meetings of the Society. It was decided to form an Old Identities’ Society and to make it applicable to Riverton and the whole of the Wallace Electorate. The following Executive was formed:— Chairman: Mr E. J. Stevens; Committee: Messrs F. C. Mills, E. Howell, Jas. Boniface, J. Geary, J. Campbell and S. Bailey; secretary: Mr S. Bailey. Mr Stevens thanked the meeting for appointing him Chairman, and said he was glad so many were present and was quite sure now it was started that many more would join. Mr Scott advised the Executive to try and get all the aged people iu. The general meeting then adjourned and a meeting of the Executive was held