LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7718, 11 May 1916, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The polling at yesterday’s by-elec-tion was unusually heavy, and well up to the records of a general contest. AI the Council elections in April last year the total number of votes cast was 395. At Tuesday’s meeting of the Harbor Board at Napier a suggestion was made that the honorarium of the chairman should be raised from £IOO to £l5O, but Mr .lull said lie would prefer it to remain at the old sum. A cheque for £IO,OOO was, at the Patriotic Conference at Waipukurau yesterday, handed over to the War -Relief Association by Mr Ransom on "behalf of the Daunevirkc Patriotic Committee. Messrs A. E. dull, W. .1. McGrath, F. W. Williams, C. Ellison, and J. P. F. W. Williams, C. Elliso hand J. P. Kenny (secretary) have been appointed a deputation to proceed to Wellington should occasion require if in the matter of giving evidence before the Local Bills Committee in respect to the Harbor Board Loan. No less than eight sheep have been promised for sale at the Soldiers’ Parcels’ and Red Cross Shop this week, and as a portion of them will arrive to-morrow afternoon the shop will be open for a time in the evening. An attraction for Saturday afternoon will be a wool-winding competition between the hours of 3 and 4 o ’clock.

Exceptionally heavy rain was experienced in the Onga Onga district this morning. There was a queer case under the Tasmania Testator’s Family Maintenance Act the other day (says the “Bulletin”). The Act says that where a testator so disposes of his property as not to provide for his widow and children or any of them, the Court may order a sum to be paid to them out of the estate. A recent amendment extended the provisions to illegitimate children. The applicant in this case was a returned soldier who had come back minus an eye, and with other injuries; the testatrix, who was alleged to be his mother without benefit of clergy, had left a matter of £12,627, but had made no provision for him. Most of her estate is held in trust for the benefit of the Church of England and the Presbyterian Church. Justice Ewing ruled that, assuming that he was satisfied that the applicant was the testatrix’s son, there was nothing to justify him assuming the applicant to be without sufficient means of support. The fact that he had lost an eye might to some extent limit the scope of his employment, but did not necessarily affect his earning capacity. Though His didn’t say so, it wouldn’t even prevent him becoming a Judge—in Tasmania. Nor, when you cOrne to think of it, would it prevent the Church of England giving the maltreated young man a job as, say, an Archdeacon, supposing it was satisfied that the lady did bear to him the relationship he claims.”