LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 25 November 1930, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The New Plymouth town clock ceased to function for a brief periqd yesterday morning. I Some of the iron bars holding the 'bells have almost corroded through and repairs have been commenced, with the result, that, though the hands will operate as usual, the chimes- will not be recommissioned till this afternoon. Slowly and monotonously one of the bells was sounded at intervals late yesterday. It seemed it was tolling for the death of Time. When he was approaching the Waitara level crossing yesterday morning a New Plymouth motorist, Mr. H. Jolson, noticed the z wig-wag signal issue its warning of an approaching train. He hurriedly applied his brakes but the car skidded and turned over beside a bank. The driver was not injured and the car was able to move off after it had been righted by a breakdown truck. The mudguards, radiator and hood were damaged.

Following the suggestion of counsel for the defence Maori witnesses in a charge of manslaughter got along very well without the aid of an interpreter in the Supreme Court yesterday. Questions were asked and answered in English satisfactorily with very few appeals to. the native tongue. But the system seemed to suffer a slight temporary break-down when one woman had reached her cross-examination. “And did not she ,gay ‘turi, turi’ to the child?” said the lawyer. The witness appeared to hesitate. / “You know,” proceeded the questioner enthusiastically. “Turi, turi,’ 'the Maori for 'hush, hush’ ?” And the bewildered witness 'turned to the interpreter for enlightenment.

After sitting, seven days in New Plymouth the Supreme Court has disposed of three criminal trials. Alexander Townsend was sentenced to death for murder, and yesterdav following a. verdict, of manslaughter, Abraham Wally Mahomed Sala--man, Indian herbalist, was given 12 months’ hard labour, while Makere Kerehoma was found not guilty on a charge of manslaughter in connection with the death of a Maori infant in the Ketem.arae pa. This morning Timothy Piciard Christian will be tried on an indictment of indecent assault, while this afternoon it is hoped to commence the trial of Thomas Alfred Botterill, charged with theft of money. Tomorrow the last case on the criminal calendar will begin with Crown evidence against Donald Alexander Stewart, who is alleged to be responsible f • 10 thefts as a servant and IS omissions to make entries in a cash book. This case will probably last a day and a-half.

A wordy argument between a bull dog ami Pomeranian interrupted proceedings in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday. The dogs met in tlie public part of the Court. The offenders were summarily ejected.

It is reported that ' Waikato _ buyers have been operating freely during the past wek in the purchase of breeding ewes in Poverty Bay. It is esc'mated that they have purchased 30,003, and the price for station 1 lines of live-year-old ewes has been about twelve' shillings.

“One of my predecessors was an eminent sailor, and the last was a distinguished soldier, but I come before you as an ordinary cow-cockic,” said Lord Blcdisloe at a public reception at C'amaru, much to the amusement of i.ho audience.

The elevation of Huntly from the status of town district to that of borough has been sanctioned by a proclamation. The •change will be effective as from February 1, an election of the Mayor and six councillors will he held on March 14 and the council will hold its first meeting ten days later. A man who covers portion of the North Otago district daily in the course of his duties, says the Oamaru Mail, states that the wheat crops throughout the district look very well indeed, although towards Duntroon the crops show the effect of lack of rain, lasturee are backward. An Oamaru Mail representative was told by a man who has seen shearing operations on several farms in the district that the wool, as compared with that of other years, was in good condition, though somewhat light. On an average when 1001 b of greasy fleece wool was scored SOlb was secured, which was a very good return. The Masonic Grand Lodge of New Zealand wiirhold its annual communication at Christchurch to-morrow. Its principal ceremonia-Kbusiness will be the. installation, of His Excellency Lord Bledisloe as Grand Master. His Excellency v. ill be tlie fourth representative of the Urown -in New Zealand to have held the office, the others havipg been Lords Plunket and Jellicoe, and'Sir Charles lergusson. • .

Lifts.,.df 1301 b with one hand, and 182 lb with' two hands, were made by an Auckland resident, Mr. L. Patterson, at a. demonstration of weight-lifting and physical, development methods, given, says the Poverty Bay Herald, on Wednesday 'evening before a kmall gathering in Te Hapara, sponsored by well-known sporting figures. The Aucklanders weight is 9st 101 b, and ! his one-hand lift was therefore not. much less than his own poundage, while the tiyO-hand lift exceeded ,it substantially.

Rubber has proved unexpectedly more durable than steel for conveying the mixed, concrete from. the “cement guns' to the back of the big steel in the T-wa Flat tunnel jobs, says the Wellington Post. The. curved steel pipe which carried the -concrete mix . under a pressure of 901 b to the square inch wore out with alarming rapidity under the stream of sharp metal. Now a pipe of the finest quality .rubber, reinforced outside with a flexible steel covering, is found to last admirably.

The forwarding of a doctor’s certificate in place of a juror in the new panel called for swearing-in- drew censure from the Chief Justice at the- Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday. His-Hon-our said he desired more evidence. No man should stay away and treat the Court in that cavalier manner. He ordered that the man attend next day or submit some evidence that he could not attend. Later in the day his Honour' said that further evidence had been given him for the man’s non-appearance and. the juror was excused from attending. ' ■ , - 1 | .

A somewhat unusual ground in support of an application for bail was advanced to Mr. E. C. Levvey, S.M., in the Police Court 'at Invercargill last week. The defendant was remanded to appear elsewhere to answer a charge alleged against him, and .the court expressed the opinion that in the interim the defendant should remain in custody. “I would ask-for bail, your Worship, as the defendant is to be married in a day or so, and I take it that Detective-Ser-geant Hewitt will not object,” requested counsel. “Oh, we have no objection to his being married.” remarked the Detective-Sergeant. The court accordingly granted bail. . -

A prominent Yorkshire wool buyer, i:ow in Auckland, vouches for the truth of a cricketing story concerning a fam-, ous North of England fast bowler, whose erratic ■temperament alone has kept' him out o.f test cricket. The bowler in question evidently has a habit of appealing on the slightest provocation, and on one occasion after he had appealed unsuccessfully for lbw decisions five times in two overs when the ball was ■bumping off a fiery pitch, the umpire turned to him. “There is only one better appealer than you in tho/whole of England,” he said. “Who is. that?” inquired the bowler —and like a flash came the answer: “Dr. Barnardo.” No more impossible appeals were heard in that, match.

Applications for exemption from jury service were made by three men when the new panel of jurors was being sworn at the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday. Inquiring closely into the reasons liis Honour said he feared he had been too lenient in granting exemptions at the swearing in of the first panel. It was a privilege as well as a duty to serve on a jury. Two men were granted leave for one day. The third man, a carrier, stated that his partner could not drive the lorry as he had only one hand. In granting exemption this time his Honour asked the Registrar to note the man’s name, saying that he should have made lanangenients in time. If he came again next session and his Honour was on the bench he would certainly not be excused, ftqm service.

A ease of interest Io dog owners was lately heard in the Magistrate’s Court in Wellington in which a. resident of Palmerston North sued the Stock Departir.ent. The ease for the plaintiff was that three valuable cairn terrier pups were received from England with then' dam ai. l handed to the Stock Department in god conditioii. They were released from quarantine suffering troni eczema, rickets and other troubles evideiitly caused by malnutrition. The department denied any neglect while the d<">s were on Somes’ Island. It, however, admitted that the pups were supplied with no solid food whatever, but were fed entirely on milk. Evidence was given that a purely milk diet is ..generally fatal to puppies and the magistrate gave judgment in favour of the plaintiff for £2O, with £2O 4s costs. \ \

The sir.ls’ popular name competition conducted in conjunction with the "Baby Dav” appeal at'New Plymouth on Friday was von by Mrs. Sorrenson (Smart Ibiad). The names were Betty. Margaret, Joan and Barbara. The boys’ name competition is not yet decided. The harne was won by S. Mills (Devon Street East). The competition for the Alsatian dog has not yet ..been finalised.

You will be requiring a smart summer coat .nd smart hat this summer. A word to the wise: Buy now at The Greater MeGruer’s. New smart coats, 19/6, 27/6, 32/6, 39/6, 59/6. See our window to-day.