WAIMATE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18817, 4 March 1931, Page 7

WAIMATE.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE. A meeting of the Waimate School Committee was held on Monday night. Present Mr W. F. George (chairman), . Messrs W. Hettrick. D. Newall, W. ; Anderson and H. J. Jolliffe. Correspondence. The secretary reported having recommended trenching and drainage works as suitable under the No. 5 Unemployment scheme. He reported having received support for the recommendation to the Education Board for work to be done under the same I scheme for preparation of agricultural plots. The Board asked to be advised how many men would be required, and for what time. A communication was received from the Canterbury Education Board notifying that the assistant architect had been given authority to have eleven I cast-iron wash basins at the school re-enamelled. The headmaster (Mr D. C. Brown) reported that the roll number stood at 593, 294 boys and 299 girls (compared with 274 boys and 289 girls, total 563, at the same date last year). The attendance and health of the school was very good. It had been recommended that the school should be closed on March 4 on the occasion of the visit of the American athletes. Various matters had been gone into with the visiting committee on affairs connected with the school. The report was adopted, and it was decided to fell a tree near the Technical School as advised by the headmaster. Mr Jolliffe moved and Mr Anderson seconded that a hearty vote of thanks be accorded those who gave donations towards sending children to the School picnic.—The motion was carried, It was decided to thank Mr D. Newall for his efforts in collecting sufficient money to send 110 children to the picnic. Thanks were tendered to donors of trophies, and to Messrs F. Allington and W. D. Patterson for assistance given during the day. The chairman announced that the prize for the largest family attending the picnic had been awarded to Mrs H. Brokenshire. -with nine children. It was decided to donate £1 Is to the Salvation Army Band in recognition of their services at the picnic. It was decided to grant a half-holi-day to the scholars on the occasion of the sports on Wednesday. MAGISTRATE’S COURT. At the Magistrate’s Court, yesterday morning, before Messrs W. Geddes and G. Dash, J.P’s. the following cases were dealt with:— By-laws. Arthur E. Kilworth was charged with riding a motor-cycle on High Street, without a silencer attached, and was fined £2, and costs 10s. Motor Regulations. Robert Fredrick Hassell was charged with driving an unregistered motorcar on the Main Road between Otaio and the Waitaki-Hydro works on October 25, 1930, and was fined 20s, with 10/- costs. Theft of Petrol. James William Woods, Morven, was charged that, on or about October 31st, 1930, at Morven, he did steal one 44gallon drum of petrol valued at £4 8/- the property of Albert Avery Coulbeck. Mr W. Boland appeared for accused, while Sergeant E. C. Turner conducted the case for the police. Albert Avery Coulbeck. store-keeper, Morven, gave evidence that he had supplied accused with small lots, but had never supplied him with a drum of petrol. He stocked petrol of a similar brand to that contained in the drum produced, which was the only brand stocked by witness in drum lots. Witness had a man named Burgess in his employ, who went on his rounds, and passed accused’s place of residence, but had not delivered a drum anywhere on the date mentioned. When accused had spoken to witness in company with Constable McGettigan, accused had stated first that he had purchased the drum of petrol from witness in November. On witness looking through his books, accused had stated that he must have bought it in October, but witness showed him that there was no petrol boked to him in that month, and he then said he must have paid cash for it. Accused was then told that in that case he would have received a written receipt from witness.

Cross-examined by Mr Boland, witness said he could not say definitely that the drum of petrol produced was his property.

To the Bench, witness said that he had not missed the petrol, and was first aware that the petrol was missing when the police drew his attention to the matter.

Arthur Burgess, employed by the previous witness, gave evidence that he had not at any time sold petrol to Woods. To Mr Boland: Witness was friendly with Woods up till about the first week in October, and used to drive round with him in his car. He usually gave something to Woods for his share of the petrol used on these trips Woods had never approached witness about putting in his share for petrol. (If Woods said that he had given £2 towards the cost of the drum of petrol at present in Court, witness would deny it. He had delivered petrol to I Woods, but not since Mr Coulbeck had I taken over the business of Meehan's at Morven. He denied having any con- ( versation with Woods since accused had been interviewed by the police. To the Bench, witness said tnafc he had a key of the yard in which the petrol was kept. He had delivered petrol to Woods in drums while he had been working for Mr Meehan. Constable Marsh, Waimate, gave evidence that he had received a complaint from the Waimate County Council, and had proceeded to a shed which had been broken into, and from which petrol had been stolen. Witness took particular notice of the car tyre marks near the gate leading to the shed. Witness subsequently interviewed ! Woods at Morven, and asked him if jhe would allow him to have a look round his premises. Woods was obviously nervous, and made straight home from Morven township ahead of Witness. Witness found no petrol on the premises, and Woods denied having any about the place. From further information received witness again visited Wood’s house in company with Constable McGettigan, and Woods again denied having any petrol on the premises. Witness and Constable McGettigan procured spades and dug about the garden, and Constable McGettigan discovered a drum of petrol buried in the garden near the house. Accused at first stated that he had buried the petrol to hide it from petrol thieves about the district. He later stated that he had buried it so that he would not use it, but would have it for the delivery of vegetables when the busy season came around. On February 22 Woods came to witness, and said that on the advice of his solicitor he wished to contradict his previous statement, and to tell the truth. In a statement, which was signed by accused, Woods said that the statement made by him previously had been made with a view to shielding Burgess, and that he had paid Burgess £2 as his share of the costs of the petrol found on his property. Constable R. McGettigan, Waimate, gave corroborative evidence. Mr Boland contended that there was no evidence that the petrol was ever owned by s Coulbeck. In cases of theft it was necessary to prove definite ownership, and the police had failed to do this, therefore the case should be dismissed. The Bench said that as Meehan and Son were the sole importers of the brand of petrol concerned, it might be possible to trace it back, and the case should be proceeded with. Woods was then called, and said that he had been in the habit of sharing the cost of petrol for various trips with Burgess and a man named Wright. Burgess was a bit behind with his share, and witness thought it was time to “chip” him about it. He did so, and Burgess promised to bring him a drum of petrol, which he eventually did. Witness gave Burgess £2 as his share of the cost. He had made his first statement to the police to :ry .md kec-p Burgess out of trouble. To Sergeant Turner: Witness said he had not told the police he nad petrol on his propetry, as he did not think it was necessary. Witness did not know that the gate of Coulbeck’s yard would lift oil its hinges. He admitted that the petrol in the Court belonged to Coulbeck.

In answer to Mr Geddes, Woods said he realised now that it was suspicious to have buried the petrol. Addressing accused, Mr Dash said that the Bench took a very serious view of the matter. They were .satisfied that he 7 stole the petrol, and satisfied that he tried to conceal it, and also that when discovered he tried to shoulder the blame on to another. However, he was a young man, and they were loth to send him to gaol. He would be sentenced to two years probation, and ordered to pay for the 16 "allons of petrol taken from the drum, to restore the property to Coulbeck, and also to pay costs of the prosecution-

LICENSING COMMITTEE. A meeting of the Waitaki Licensing Committee was held yesterday morning, when, in the absence of'Mr C. R. Orr-Walker, S.M., the chair was occupied by Mr W. E. Evans. Others present were.—Messrs A. McPherson, C. Coventry, Geo. Murray, and C. G Holmes. The only business was an application of James Marshall for a ijermanenL transfer of the license of the Duntroon Hotel, which was granted. An application for a petrol bowser on the premises of the Omarama Hotel was withdrawn by the licensee. ATHLETICS. Waimate yesterday had quite an influx of visitors well known in the athletic sphere, and residents were busy discussing the merits of the various competitors, who at intervals during the day trained at Victoria Park. Simpson, the American sprint champion, said the track in Waimate was the nearest approach, and practically identical to American tracks where a 220 yards race is run on the turn, the curve and long straight being conducive to fast times. The American visitors were taken to Kurow by officials of the Waimate Athletic Club, and were shown over the hydro-electric works, where they were the guests to lunch of Mr Packwood, engineer-in-charge. The programme to-day promises to be full of interest. This is a seller—Seven acres fre- - hold, close to Waimate, heavy land, sound 3-roomed house; electric power; good cowbails and pigstyes and accommodation for 1000 fowls. Price £7OO. Cash required £25. FORBES WALLACE. Auctioneer. Box 47, Waimate. We beg to notify having commenced business in Queen Street, in conjunction with Mr A. E. Lewis, Plumber. All branches of electrical work at lowest rates. Workmanship guaranteed. Prompt attention. RUSSELL AND KANE. (Late of Turnbull and Jones) ‘Phone 153, Waimate.