INGLEWOOD.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1919, Page 7

INGLEWOOD.

ADVERTISING CHARGES. (From Our Travelling (Reporter.) Inglewood, May 2. At the Inglewood S.M. Court on Friday, before Mr. A. Croofce, S.M., a claim by Hamerton & Son (proprietors of the Inglewood Record) was made for £ll Is lOd against the Red Post Furnishing Company for advertising. Mr. F. E. Wilson appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Bennett for defendants. Mr. Wilson stated that the Red Po9t purchased a business in Inglewood, and opened a branch of the business there about twelve months ago. A representative of the firm called at the Record Office, and received a quote of 3s 6d per inch. Tl»e advertisement was allowed to run for a month, when defendant asked that it be removed. T. E. Hamerton, proprietor, stated that his rate for advertising was 3s 6d per Inch for casual, with a material reduction for a term. Mr. Hayden arranged for a three-column advertisement, about five inches deep, for a fortnight. The advertisement ran for nearly three weeks, but the claim was for the two weeks specified by defendant, and the account was! rendered at the close of the month.

Mr. Bennett, in cross-examiniHg plaintiff, desired to know the circulation of the Record. Mr. Wilson protested, as this had no bearing on the question. Mr. Bennett persisted, stating that, unless a charge was agreed upon, counsel had a right to know. He desired to show that it was the question of circulation that governed the whole matter. Papers published every day were certainly of more importance than a tri-weekly, and the two New Plymouth papers, circulating in [Dglewood every day, both distributed more papers than the Record —at least, I he was given to understand that this Was so.

Mr. Wilson said it must be generally admitted that a country paper has not the circulation of a city one, but it was Its use as an advertising medium that was the consideration. '

Mr. Bennett contended that, although the Record did not possess a city circulation, it was charging city puces.

Plaintiff, while refusing to state the Record's circulation, maintained that the rates quoted were for casual advertising, with no discounts, and would make no concession to any man who purchased a business in Inglewood if the space was only for a short period. He admitted there was a difference between £7 10s a quarter for a similar advertisement and £ll Is lOd, but the first was for a long term and the other for a fortnight.

Mr. Bennett stated that their defence was that no price was fixed by the parties, and that the sum charged was not a reasonable one. He would call evidence to show that the prices fluctuated according to the circulation of a paper and the district. Plaintiff had stated that a contract price was fixed, but, although he st-ted this, it was not until five letters had been written and nearly five months had elapsed that plaintiff woke up and inferred ft was a contract price. The Red Post Company had considered the charge excessive, and thought £5 5s a reasonable charge.

J. W. Hayden, manager of the defending company, stated that lie arranged for the space and copy, but no mention was. made of price per inch. He had bad a good deal to do with advertising, and had notices appearing in the Daily News ajnd HeraldL the former being monthly and the latter quarterly. To Mr. Wilson, witness stated that his advertising was never for less than a month. As a regular advertiser, he did not think he received any concessions, and when he put the advertisement in the Record he did not think it would work out at more than the New Plymouth papers. He could not quote any newspaper in the world that charged 2s an inch for a casual advertisement.

Loftus Rea, accountant, Herald, said that an advertisement of the length of the Red Post's would be quoted at about 2s an inch right through, but it would depend upon arrangements. He would not be prepared to do business with any man 'who came into the office and told him to put a lengthy advertisement in the paper for a fortnight without arranging the price. A small casual advertisement would cost 4s, but if lengthy and in for a few days it would be charged for at a. lesser rate. He had Bo idea how the Herald compared with the Record, and could not even approximately state what was the Record's circulation.

Counsel stated that .he had hoped to have a Daily News representative present, and, under the circumstances, asked for an adjournment. The S.M. granted this, the solicitors engaging to arrange -whether the ease was to be heard at Inglewood or New Plymouth.

At the Inglewood S.M. Court to-day, Mr. A. Crooke presiding, F. Grylls, barman, pleaded guilty to a charge of supplying liquor to two persons at a time when the hotel was required to be closed. Constable Longbottom related the circumstances which were previously heard, the licensee of the Railway Hotel being .oonvicied on that occasion. The S.M. 'inflicted a fine of £1 {costs 7s). Judgment by default was given in the case of A.. M. Thomson (Mr. Wilson) v. J. H. Falconer, claim £l2 (costs £2 8s fld); Newton King (Mr. Wilson) v. E. Shirley, claim £6 15s 6d (costs 23s 6d).

This morning a claim with counterclaim was to have been heard, but when the case was called on one of the solicitors engaged was absent. After waiting some time, a considerate S.M. resolved to adjourn the Court till the afternoon to enable the solicitor to be present. The contending parties all came from a distance, but there was no alternative but to waste a couple of hours.

It was noticeable to-day that one defended case had two New Plymouth lawyers engaged in it, and in another the solicitors engaged were both from Stratford.

Rupert Nicholls is buck with-"us once more. He must hold the record for the number of operations perfqritiejl. his: tribulations are not njjw to nj&ny Inglewoodites, but to the riewcoiijer an explanation is necessary.'With a nutnber of other Taranaki boys, Nicholls left early in the Great War to take part in the struggle. His part was very brief, but it has been a struggle ever since, and he has displayed considerable lortitude. At Gallipoli he was badly wounded, and was brought to a trench by a. wrarade, Tjooney, who lost his own life by a bullet as soon as he had saved Nicholls. The latter has been in several British and Continental hespitals, and also in Nw Zealand, and made a second ! trip Home for treatment. He has had ', the wounded log and thigh operated • anon no less than twentv-four times. UTten last here he moved about with irntches, and now walks with a stick. It first sight that looks like a. good (Bcovery, but, unfortunately, It Is 'not

(0. but the result of exnorWnK which -Jave fitted up the limb sp that it can

rfake fhe strain better tßan when prevj*: iously in New Zealand. It is considered, however, that amputation must result* later, and it is very probable that, afterj attending to some business affairs hen he will again leave for London, whicl apparently, is likely to be his final hom as he has relatives there and will all receive' the best possible treatment, A memento o£ the Lusitania shippii disaster can bo seen here. In the wi dow of Mr. Geddes' premises is one the bronze medallions struck to coi memorate the sinking of that gre liner and the great loss of life th followed. The trophy is the property Mr. R. Nicholls, and is worthy of inspe tion, if only to jog the memory of lit Kaiser Wilhelm and ,his Governme viewed the dastardly work of the Germ; submarine. The % efforts of the LadieV Patriot fceague were crowned with success la evening when the welcome home soci to returned soldiers took place. Tl Town Hall was well filled, and lovers < "poetical motion" took advantage of a excellent floor until the early hours o the morning. The music was supplie by Miss Curd's orchestra, and it ws, excellent. The progressive euchre com petition was largely patronised, it bein) impossible to provide sufficient accommodation. During the evening the Mayor (Mr. Young) extended a, hearty welcome to the returned'boys. Referring to the committee qfi ever-willing'lady workers, he said that no appeal had ever been made which they had not magnificently responded to. His Worship called for three hearty cheers for th« ladies. Mrs. Evans then stepped forward, and called for three cUeevs for the rei turned soldiers, after which "For They arc Jolly Good Fellows" was sung. Mj". B. Codd won the gent.'s prize for the euchre, and Mrs. Surrey carried off the ladies' honor. Mr. F. Codd carried out the duti&s of M.C. in his usual effective manner. There were forty returned men in attendance, and the evening was voted one of the most successful held here. The sum of approximately £l7 was the result of the ladies' efforts and! the money will be devoted to the Blind* Soldiers Fund. i

At the last meeting of the Inglewood Borough Council the Mayor (Mr. C Vomtsrt, as chairman of the Eleetricrt; Committee, submitted a report on thi arrangement entered into by the counci with the New Plymouth Borough Coun oil for the supply of electric current. Tt was stated that the reason for nol croing on with their own scheme wai that it was difficult to obtain the neees' earv loan and the supply under - tb* *c!iome was limited to 160 h.p, Whi!« ne'-n+iating, the New Plymouth Counci' mads a proposition which appealed to the Inglewood Council, and by entering intc the nroposed arranvmient thev would be able to obtain an unlimited supplv nf current at a cost considerably lower than that of Iherf own supply. A revision of the charjres is to be made in five years. The" charges are not to be increased, and the committee hare hopes that they may be reduced ATI necessary arrangements liave been made to protect the burgesses in ease of unavoidable interruption of the supply. The cost of raisin? the loan, whieJi had been sanctioned, hM therefore been saved, and ts the New Phmouth Council is to sropnly the currerit have the right to retail it within its own area, thus conserving the profit to the borough.