RATES ON PARISH HALL

Taranaki Daily News, 23 December 1931, Page 6

RATES ON PARISH HALL

QUESTION OF HALL’S USE. MATTER CONTESTED IN COURT. Tho Taranaki Power Board yesterday sought to recover in the Eltham Magistrate’s Court the sum of £8 6s 3d, being rates on the Roman Catholic parish hall area, which allotment, it was claimed, did not come within the definition of the exemption clause. The defendant was the Rev. Francis Redwood, Archbishop of New Zealand. The case was defended, the defence claiming that all functions in the hall were used to aid. the school funds. The plaintiffs submitted that the building was now no longer used as a school and that entertainments were held to Which the public were admitted by money charge. , , Counsel for the defence stated that the functions were solely to aid the school and no one outside the parishioners could obtain tho use of the building. It was contended that the holding of dances and functions in aid of funds for the school did not cause the building to cease to be used exclusively for the purposes of a school. The plaintiffs eaid that the defendant’s case was based on the assumption that the building was a school, but it had. not been proved that the IbuildI ing was a school. The fact that there was a school on the property and that it was called a hall rather proved that the defendant’* contention* were not substantiated. Decision will be given in writing. THEFT AND DAMAGE. i FARM HAND IN COURT. Harold Walter Wood, a farm hand of Matapu, pleaded, guilty at the Eltham Police Court yesterday to a charge of wilfully damaging the rear light .bracket of a motor-cycle valued at 13* 6d, the property of George Fewtrell. Wood was also charged with etealing a set of motor-cycle tools and two motor-cycle electric light bulbs valued at 21s fid, the property of . George Fewtrell. He again pleaded guilty. Sergeant ‘Henry said that on Sunday, December 6, Fewtrell visited friends at Matapu and left his motor-cycle inside the gate. When he went to return home later in the evening ne found that damage had been done to his machine and some tools were missing. Constable Townsend interviewed Wood, who at first denied, but later admitted his guilt. Two spanners and a tyre wrench were missing. Tho young man was of t'he hoodlum class and when interviewed he tried to “put the police off by a pack of lies.” The magistrate: Have you anything to say for yourself? You steal these things; why chould you not go to gaol? Defendant: I took them because I heard, that ho had taken my tools. The magistrate: If you carry on like this you will land in gaol. On t'he first charge Wood was convicted and ordered to pay 10s costs and 13s fid damages. On the second charge ho was fined £2, 12s costs and ordered to pay 6s damage* to replace the missing goods. ELTHAM COURT CASES. JUDGMENT IN CIVIL CLAIMS. Judgment by default was entered by Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M., at the Eltham Court yesterday in the following claims: Ira J. Bridger v. Walter Morgan, £2 14s 4d (costs £1 7* 6d); Eltham Drainage Board v. Mary Jane Stockman, £2l 3s lid (£4 fid); N. C. Davie* v. E. Andersen, £5 (£1 7s 6d). On a judgment summons C. Hyndman ,was ordered to> pay George Petch £l4 15s 2d at the rate of 10s a month; F. Ddmbroski was ordered to pay George Petch £lO 10s lid and. costs £1 Is, in default 10 days’ imprisonment. POWER BOARD’S CLAIM. AN ACCOUNT DISPUTED. The Taranaki Power Board claimed in the Eltham Magistrate’s Court yesterday the sum of £3 6s 3d from Alfred M. .Allen. William J. Tristram, secretary to the board, stated that the account represented a balance of an unpaid account. The sum of £1 0s fid was for current and the balance for repairs. Allen contested the claim on the grounds that the charges were too high. Bernard H. Goldsmith, engineer, said that the accounts for repairs eent out were all in order and were reasonable. The defendant stated that from t'he outset he had questioned the cost of the heating element and he had inquired regarding the life of an element. He offered to meet t'he board half way in the cost. The magistrate said that defendant had not satisfied him, and gave judgment for plaintiffs for £3 os 2d and costs £2. HUIROA NEWS. ANNUAL SCHOOL CONCERT. The Huiroa school concert was held in the schoolroom on Thursday evening. The room was crowded and a very fine programme was presented. The teachers, Miss Prince and Miss Taylor, are to be congratulated oh their efforts. The chairman \pf the committee, Mr. H. R. Wickham, presented prizes to the children and a medal for calf-rearing to J. Wood. A dance , was held after the concert, about 25 couples being present. Miss E. Wilmhurst provided the music and Mr. Ivor Stanford waa master of ceremonies. y The programme was:; pianoforte solo, Joyce Taylor; seniors, Cheery Song; infants, Nursery Rhymes;, seniors, Carman’s Whistle; infants, recitations; Leo Rogers and Hilda Martin. The Little Nut Tree; senior boys, The Tale of a Trunk; senior girls, songj, Butterfly Land; infants, song, Peter (Rabbit; infants, recitations; girls, dialogue; boys, awkward squad; seniors, song} Carry On; infants, song, Mr. Mitchell; infants, recitations; seniors, song, Barefoot Days; infants, Ructions; infants,. songs; seniors, songs; seniors, Toymaker’s Dream; infants, song, Sleepy Head; boys, John Brown’s Baby; Shoo Fly; boys, Ten Little Niggerjßoys. Misses Greta and Stacia Ford have returned home from a holiday st Christchurch. Miss Gracie Lister, New Plymouth, is spending a holiday with her aunt, Mrs. A. H. Bowen. Mr. Pat Pastier, Stratford, 1* /the guest of Mr. D, Redshaw, ’)