HAWERA NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 July 1925, Page 2

HAWERA NEWS.

SWISS FARMER FAILS. DEFICIENCY OF £lit)fi. (From Our Own Reporter.) Hawera, July 21. A Swiss named Anton Bachmann, who settled in Kaponga four years ago, found farming in New Zealand under the conditions upon which, he attempted it not such a profitable business aS he had anticipated, and Bachmann was failed upon to face his creditors at the office of the D.0.A., Mr. R. 8. Sage, at Hawera to-day. There was not a quorum of creditors, however, and the meeting lapsed. The bankrupt’s statement showed unsecured debts totalling £576 and secured debts of £440. The estimated value of the security of the secured debts fell short of the debt by £l4O, which left a deficiency of £716. The only asset was furniture valued at £2O, so that the total apparent deficiency was £'o96. The unsecured creditors were: J. Seheuber (Hawera) £230, Newton King, Ltd. (Kaponga) £l5O, L. Sehumacker (Kaponga) £llO, Paul Seheuber (Kaponga) £5O, Davison and Co. (Kaponga) £9, Fraser (Kaponga) £2, Dr. Hocken (Kaponga) £25; total, £576. The only secured creditor was the Kaponga Dairy Company, the amount of the debt being £4OO and the estimated value of the security £3OO. This amount had already been realised, the stock being taken under a bill oi sale and sold on June 13. In his personal statement the. bankrupt said lie came to New Zealand four years ago from Baar, Switzerland. He had £2OO when he reached Taranaki, and he arranged through Mr. J. Seheuber to take a lease of a farm of 180 acres belonging to Mrs. J. Bolger, on the Rowan Road, for three years, at a rental of £270 per annum. He financed Lis stock by putting in.nearly £3OO cash and the balance by loan from Mrs. Bolger, £2OO ol which was guaranteed by Seheuber. This was not sufficient, however, and he arranged to get an advance from the Kaponga Dairy Company of £5OO, giving the company security over the stock and chattels. In the second year the rent was increased from 30s to 32s fid per acre. The farm did not give the returns expected and the loan from Mrs. Bolger came due and was paid by the guarantor Seheuber. He endeavoured to secure another farm as his rent was too high, but he could not arrange it, and finally the Kaponga Dairy Company wculd not give him further time on the security and sold him up. As he was unable to pay his creditors in the circumstances he was forced to file. His wife had recently been in ill-health and Was then in hospital. He regretted he could not make any offer to his creditors. THEFT ALLEGED. GOLD MATCH, CHAIN & PENDANT. Charged with the theft on July 20 of a gold watch, chain and pendant valued at £lO, the property of A. E. Burgess, a young man named Alfred Rich Gilmour appeared before Mr. L. A. Bone, J.P., at the Hawera Court to-day. Gordon Wilfred Lett, a young man of similar age, was charged with receiving the articles mentioned, well knowing them to have been dishonestly obtained. On. the application of Sergeant J. Henry they were remanded to appear on Thursday morning, each being allowed bail in his own recognisance of £5O and one surety of £5O. PROCEEDINGS IN COUNCIL. “SPEED AND TONE” WANTED. When it had completed- the business more intimately concerning the outside public, the Hawera Borough Council last night set about putting its own house in order, and in the process a few pleasantries were exchanged in good humour. Or. E. Morrissey, who has been a member of the council practically continuously ior 24 years, drew the coun- j ell's attention to the by-laws relating { to procedure in council. He said he did hot wish to criticise the Mayor or | the councillors, because he knew the Mayor and some of the councillors were | new to the work, but his object was' to shorten the proceedings and give a better tone to the meetings. It must be admitted that the meetings had become more • like conversations than i regular proceedings in council. He him- I self had sat under some very strict ' Mayors and -had been brought to order; for infringements such as were now becoming evident in this council. The by- j law said that a councillor should stand when addressing the chair, and there '• were various other rules to which the councillors were supposed to conform. Cr. Morrissey said he only brought this matter up as a hint, to the council and to avoid the necessity of rising to a point of order at a later date.

Cr. W. C. Gilbert supported Cr. Morrissey, and agreed that the council had become a bit lax. A councillor should certainly stand when addressing : the chair.

Cr. W. Page said perhaps he lacked the power to concentrate, but the rustling of papers around the table distracted his attention when the eierk was reading the minutes. If the councillors would keep this in mind, refrain from rustling their papers, and so help a weaker brother, they might materially assist in expediting the business of the council. The Mayor. (Mr. E. A. Pacey) admit--ted that he, as well as the councillors, had transgressed, and he hoped they would all take the hint dropped by Cr. Morrissey. THE EAST END PARK. A very practical interest in the East End Park was shown by the Borough Council last night, when the reserves committee was empowered to immediately plant shelter trees to make , the growing of native trees possible. Cr. J. M. Townsend said those taking an interest in the park had unfortunately gone the wrong way about their work. Many people had readily donated pative shrtibsj- but no shelter for them had been planted. and there -was no possibility of them growing without shelter. I'Jiere were great possibilities :u the park, and people were taking a great interest in it. Mr. B. C. Bennett had donated some paradise ducks, two white swanp; rainbow trout and perch for the lake, while Mr. O. Coodson had

given some Milliard ducks. A large number of privately-owned ducks now frequenting the lake would have to be removed. The shelter trees would probably cost about £l3.

The donors of gifts to the park were

thanked, and the reserves committee ’ was given power to carry out the treeplanting as suggested. LITTLE GIRL INJURED. ' , RUN OVER BY LORRY. A grievous injury was suffered by a little girl named Mary A. M. Lee in a motor accident on the Waibi Road this afternoon. The girl, who was only six years and seven months old, was admitted to a private hospital suffering from a fractured skull. It is stated that Mr. E. S. Bennett had been giving some children a ride in his car. The car was stopped, and the girl Lee got out. She ran behind it, and was attempting to cross the road when a motor lorry driven by Mr. E. Lines, of Kaponga, who was proceeding towards Normanby, struck the child and knocked her down. The lorry was brought to a standstill almost instantly. The little girl’s parents are Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Lee, of Waihi Road. TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL. MEETING OF BOARD. A meeting of the Hawera Technical High School Board of Governors was held to-night. Present: Messrs. R. S. Sage (chairman), T. C. Hobbs, A. L. Campbell, J. W. Harding, W. Howell, Mrs. J. Gilbert and the headmaster (Mr. A. Gray). In reply to a cncular setting out the scale of fees payable by pupils after their free place had expired and before tuition commenced, the board passed a resolution expressing the opinion that all secondary education should be free. Mr. Sage and the headmaster were appointed as the board’s delegates to the annual conference of representatives of Technical High Schools to be held at Wellington next month. Mr. Sage said he had been endeavouring to arrange a conference of representatives of the smaller schools prior to the general conference to discuss anomalies existing in the administration. He claimed that the smaller schools were entitled to treatment different from that of larger schools. Difficulties in the smaller schools enumerated were the lack of interest in the smaller towns owing to the complicated method of electing board members, and starting difficulties caused through the inability of the smaller schools to secure sufficient staff to cover the extra classes when the larger proportion of the pupils were taking, one subject. A special vote of thanks was accorded the staff and Mr. S. J. Catran for their attention to sport at the school, and to ■Mt. A. Morrison for his attention to the furnace room. MISCELLANEOUS NEWS. The Hawera Gas Company’s contract for lighting the town will expire in September next year, said the town clerk in response to inquiries at last night’s meeting ot the Borough Council. Cr. W. G. Walkley, who -was recently elected to the Hawera Borough Council to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Cr. H. B. Burdekin, was welcomed to the council table,last night by the Mayor (Mr. E. A. Pacey). Mr. Paeey said Ur. Walkley was following; in the steps of a very useful member. He was sure Cr. Walkley would prove an acquisition to the council. Cr. Walkley was appointed to those committees upon Which Cr. Burdekin had acted. A donation of water lilies from Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, for the Hawera East End Park by Messrs. Watts and Haughton was acknowledged with thanks by the Hawera Borough -Council last night. To procure an artistic framed roll of honour containing the names of Hawera’s soldiers' in the Great Wai-, at a cost of £1 18s fid, was a decision of the Hawera Borough Council last night. “The freedom of the water tower,” an expression which causefl considerable amusement amongst the delegates to the annual ineeting of the National Dairy j Association, was granted by the Mayor Ito the Wellington football team, which i recently visited Hawera. At last night’s meeting of the Borough Council the Taranaki Rugby Union wrote thanking ■ the council for the hospitality extended ; to the team. That there had been some criticism !of the Hawera Borough Council giving ■ the use of the Borough Chambers free lot charge for meetings in competition i with private enterprise was hinted by Cr. E. Morrissey at the meeting of the council last night. In reply to a question the town clerk said there were very I few halls available in the town, and I the council had adopted the policy of . allowing the free use of the chambers i for meetings for educational purposes . and of local clubs and bodies.

Many friends in South Taranaki -will learn with regret of the somewhat sudden death of Mr. G. W. Sharp, which took place this morning. The late Mr. Sharp, who was a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, was a man of sterling character, of a kind disposition, and held in high esteem by all with whom he came in contact. He had been a resident of the district for thirty years, and was previously for many years in Nelson. Mr. Sharp was an enthusiastic member of the Hawera Bowling Club, and will be much missed on the playing field of the green.