LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 20053, 11 April 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A notice which should be read by all who have to, make income tax returns appears in another.column.

A sitting of the Conciliation Court, presided over by the Commissioner, Mr. Rally, will be held in Wanganui on April 22nd., when the Wanganui gas employees' dispute will be considered.

A. cable from Calcutta states that the Crown has entered a nulle prosequi in the case of a student named Roy, who was charged with complicity in the murder of Inspector Ghose.

The " Wiaikato Argus" understands that a Hamilton lady, who has invented a, hat fastener, which she has patented in several countries, is about bo proceed to England to float a company to place the article on the market.

The Wellington Hotel Workers' Union >•; asking private hotelkeepers and the proprietors of oyster saloons, restaurants and tea rooms, to enter into a *resh agreement relating to wages, hours and conditions, thus superseding 'he old award, which expired somo time ago. The demands include a six-day week-, as in the case of the licensed hotels, and a general increase of 2s Gd to os per week in wages. Where board and lodging are not provided, it is asked that the present allowance of 15s weekly bo raised to 22s Gd.—Press wire.

The many friends of Mr. J. K. Law, headmaster of the Aramoho School, will regret to hear that he ir.et with a serious accident on Thursday morning. While cycling alon!- the River Bank road the forks of his machine collapsed when he was in the vicinity of Wilton's Pharmacy. Mr. Law was found lying unconscious on the road and was carried to the pharmacy, where he was medically treated. He was then removed to his home on Durie Hill, where, iii the afternoon, ho was attended to by Drs. Times and Wall. Mr. Law, who sustained a broken noso and had his face badly cut by the fall, is progressing satisfactorily.

A Gazette Extraordinary further prorogues Parliament till May Bth.

The residents of Wanganui are notified Iby public tha/bl the new cemetery at Aramoho recently purchased by the Borough Council is now open for burial purposes.

The latest additions to the Telephone Exchange are No. 1019, Mr W. M. Ashton's residence, "Oakbrook," Carlton Terrace, Gonville, and No. 1038, Mr C. R. Ford, architect, Victoria Avenue.

Owing to the scarcity of pickers, some hop-growers in the Nelson district have suffered considerable loss. In some gardens the crops are heavy, but owingeto til© lacs of assistance, giowers have not been able to get them in before they ripened too much to be fit for use.

It was suggested by Cr. Spriggens at the Borough Council .meeting on. Tuesday evening that powerful electric lights should be erected overhead in the middle of the Avenue at Thain's corner, the Post Office corner,. Maria Place, and Guyton Street corner. The councillor, said the lights .would give the town a fine appearance at night, and the scheme could be carried out at little expense. The matter was referred to the Tramways Committee.

At the Public Hospital yesterday at 12.30 p.m., a man named Davifl Couper, about 32 or 33 years of age, died whilst undergoing ah operation after an anaesthetic had been administered The deceased, who tip till a few days a^o was ih i;t3ie employ of (Mr. F. Moore at Kai Iwi,1 JreeehtJy'cut a tendon in one of Ins Hands; An operation was deemed necessary, winch ended fatally. An inquest will be held some time to-day.

The tram from the Wairarapa, which was duo to arrive iv Palmerston North at 10.45 on Wednesday night, was delayed until 1.30 a.m., owing to a carnage leaving the rails at Woodville on two occasions. The first time it was jacked on successfully, but upon leaving the rails for the second time, tno carriage was cut out of the train. The midnight express from Auckland was delayed in Palmerston North for an hour m order to allow passengers for Auckland on.the Wairarapa tiain to connect with it. Some carriages left the rails during shunting operations in the Palmerston North yards on Wednesday night, damage being done to the couplings. .' ■ *

A for the Auckland City Council officials is in future to foe jlsept at the municipal offices at the Town Hall. The'proposal emanated from tifo Mayor (Mar. C J. Pair), who mentioned that the suggestion fon his Jermyn Street outlet scheme had been made to him in the firssfc instance by the city building inspector (Mr. jr., Maxwell), though it had since been> elaborated. In supporting the! proposal for'fhus encouring suggestions froml officials of the Council calculated to benefit the city ? OMr. A. J. Bntriohan r expressed the view that when the suggestions made proved useful the makers of them should be given some tangible recognition. It was agreed that each' case of the sort should be dealt with on. its merits.

\ deputation from the Wanganui River Trust BoaiM waited on the Hon. W. F. Massey at Wellington on Thursday and asked that sova.fi twelve thousand acres of Crown land which, had once been native land be vested in the Board iis an endowment. Mr. Ivfassey quoted the opinion of the Crown law officers to the effect that if such lands-were handed over the revenue would have to be refunded by the, Board in its capacity., as. h Domain Board, and not spent on improving the- navigation l of -the rirer. ISvery-'tlay he had applications frbm local Bodies for endowments. If he had acceded to all he had received during +he last twelve months he would not have a single:: aer& of public Estate left-. He was quite prepared to 'recommend •i reasonable subsidy, but the matter would havetto go before the Cabinet.

An interesting communication regarding moneylending has been received from a correspondent of the " Wellington Post," who says: "I borrowed £10 from a moneylender, and have paid it' back in six one-monthly payments of £2 12s. Now he says there is a balance of £1 6s. owing, making, in all, £16 18s. for six months. Do you think thek interest charged is trio much, and would! I be justified in refusing "the £1 6s. balance he is now charging?" If the borrower refuses to pay and the moneylender sues for the £1 65., the-case will come under section 3 of the Moneylenders Act, 1908, which says, in effect, that if th© Court considers that the interest charged is excessive, or that'the-trans-action is "hard and unconscionable^' the Court may reopen the transactionl and take an account between the parties. Further, the Court may, in suchl a case, order the creditor to repay any! amount which it considers hao been unreasonably charged by way of interest. It is also interesting to note that if any person carries on the business of moneylender without being registered under the Act he incurs very heavy penalties.

The first case under the new regulations for the conduct of theatres and music-halls framed by the Birmingham licensing Justices was heard recently, when Mr William Homcastle Hebden, manager of the Gaiety Theatre, was summoned for "allowing the premises to be used for certain indecent and1 improper things." It was explained that the magistrates' new regulations provided that nothing should be done, acted, recited, sung, or exhibited which was licentious, indecent, (profane, on improper. The polio© had been particularly vigilant since the rules came into force. On February 16th a constable visited the Gaiety Theatre, when, it was alleged, certain patter by two comedianswas distinctly improper. There were two songs and a dialogue lasting about a quarter of an hour, and it was during the dialogue that the words complained of were used. For the defence it was stated that, the management regretted what had occurred1, and steps had been taken to prevent a repetition of the offence. Immediately the artists had uttered the objectionable expressions the •manager went on the stage and forbade the patter being made use of again. A fine of £5. and costs was imposed.

The Borough Council offices will be closed for the Easter holidays until Tuesday next, 14th. A summary of Wellington city accounts shows total receipts for the year ended March 31st were £228,662 compared with £221,211 in the previous year. Tne expenditure was £226,910, compared with £229.703 in the previous year. ■It is quite a common thing for Government" departments to ireeeive conscience money." Usually, however, the amount is microscopic, a matter oi shillings and pence. An exception to the rive occurred last week, however, when the Minister for Finance received the sum of £107 in bank-notes, sent by some person unknown to atone tor an undiscovered delinquency.

The Rev. F. Rule reported to the Canterbury Presbytery on Thursday that the Presbyterian Social Service Association had received a cheque from tne Fraser Trust for £1000, and had just been advised by the trustees of the late G E. Young, Sefton. that it was tne residuary legatee. This would bring to the Association's funds in the near future'quite £4500, and it was possible that the amount would come to a few hundreds more. The Presbytery carried motions of appreciation.

A Waitotara correspondent writes:— "The Ernos" showed in the Public; Hall last evening to a fair house.. Professor Erno was unfortunate in not being able, to get here in timeVto hypnotise a Itoal resident at 2 pjn. # as announced, 'but on arrival at 5.30 he at once : put one of the company into an hypnotic trance, from which he awakened him on the stage at 8.30. The Professor then proceded with his entertainment, wiucn, taken all through, was very good, his cataleptic acts being particularly appreciated. The following are the boundaries oi the Aotea Native Land Court and Maori Land District, which has its headquarters in Wanganui, which are gazetted this week:—All that area in the Dominion of. New Zealand bounded towards the north by the Waikato-Mamapoto and Waiariki Native Land Court and Maori Land Districts from Parininihi'to the north-western corner of Umupapamaro Block; thence towards the east generally by part of the boundary of the Auckland Land District to the Mohaka River; thence by that river to the Mangatainoka Block; thence by the northwestern boundary of that block to the Ngaruroro Eiver; thence by the western boundary of the Hawke's Bay Land District (as described in the " New Zealand •Gaaeztte No. 30, 28th April, 1898. page 689) to the south-eastern corner of Awarua. Nn No. 3 South Block; thence towards the soutih-east generally by the southern boundary of that block to the Oroua River; thence by that river to the southern boundary of the Oroua Survey District; thence by that boundary to the Rangitoto Survey District; thence by the southern boundary of that survey district to the road forming the south-eastern boundary of Sections Nos. 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 16, 22, 29, and 35, Te Kawau Survey District; thence by that road to its intersection with the road forming the northern boundary of Sections Nos. 39, 46, 47, 48, 49, and 50, Block 11. of the said Te Kawau Survey District; thence by that road to the Rangitikei River;;, thence by that xiver; to the sea; thence towards the southwest, west, and north-west generally by the sea to Parninihi, the place oi - commencement.