LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19033, 10 June 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

For keeping a common gaming house, Arthur Yeo was fined £lOO at the Magistrate’s Court, Napier, yesterday. He pleaded guilty. The Native War Memorial Committee desires to acknowledge the sum of £0 contributed by the Hincaro and Tuera tribes (Parikino). Counsel made a point, at the Te Awamutu Court the other day in a shoplifting charge, of the fact of shopkeepers displaying goods on the open footpath. This was an incentive to people of weak will to commit theft. A marble memorial tablet, placed in the Dannevirke High School by the Old Pupils’ Association, in memory of 29 former scholars who made the supreme sacrifice in the World War, was unveiled on Sunday afternoon in the presence of a big assemblage, the speakers being Mr. A. Ransom, M.P., the Mayor (Mr. A. J. C. Runciman), Mr. R. J. MacDonald (president of the Old Pupils’ Association), and Mr. T. H. S. Lloyd (chairman of the Board of Governors. Of the 29 names on the tablet five were of those who had won fhe distinction of having been dux of the school

David J. Beard, who failed to appear at the Magistrate’s Court yes terday, to answer a charge in respect to having insufficient lights on his motor car, was convicted and fined £1 and costs 7s.

The first challenge of this season’s Moascar Cup competition has been received by the holders, (New Plymouth Boys’ High School), from the Wanganui Technical College. The match will take place in New Plymouth.

A showman in France has been arrested for torturing his 10-year-old daughter. He was coining money at a side-show by compelling the child to walk barefoot on red-hot iron bars. Although her - feet were smeared with grease, she was badly burned.

“I speak my mother tongue only onee a month.” explained Miss MacDuff at a meeting in Palmerston in connection with the China Inland Mission, ‘‘and that is the first Sunday of each month, when I come into the head station.”

The danger of the spread of cattle tick was mentioned at a meeting of the Waitotara County Council yesterday, one of the councillors remarking that it could be carried by birds or animals. Another councillor said that the authorities did not seem to take the matter seriously enough.

The growth of the Nelson apple export trade is shown in a report by Mr. J. H. Thorp, orchard instructor (states an exchange). The total quantity of fruit exported during the present season from Nelson Central fruit district (Moutere Hills) discloses an increase for 1924 of over 100 per cent., as compared with 1923.

The Waitotara County Council have decided to set up a committee to confer with the engineer in regard to what applications should be made for Government grants for roads. It was mentioned that a grant was being songht for the extension of the Watershed Road to Taunoka, and the settlers at Tokomaru West were talking about raising a loan.

"The Maoris often know more than they profess to know,” remarked Mr. Munro when several natives were before the Court yesterday for failing to clear noxious weeds fttom their properties. Mr. Barton S.M., said he was afraid they did, as he proceeded to explain their duties in the matter to the dusky ones.

A local sportsman states that the present shooting season has not come up to expectations, and not many good bags have so far been reported. Dueks appear to be much scarcer than usual, and the pheasants, although fairly plentiful, were too wild and inaccessible to be secured in great numbers by shootists.

A loeal motor-car salesman states that business in his line is fairly good, and money appears to be circulating fairly freely in the district. Farmers who were hit badly during the financial depression that swept through the country a few years ago seem to have recovered their feet again, and are purchasing ears along with the business people generally. When a portly Maori emerged from the silent and grim Courthouse yesterday, broad smiles and self-satisfaction wreathed his swarthy countenance, for the fine inflicted upon him for a certain offence had not touched his pocket to the extent he had anticipated. The reason for the native’s elated appearance was explained after ho had left the precinets of the Court, when he expressed himself in the following terms: “Ha! Te judge him think because I have no solicitor I got no money, and him net fine me heavy!”

There is a continued leakage or disappearance of coin in the Dominion, especially of gold, remarks the Mercantile Gazette. This is going on all the time, but to what extent is probably little known except to bankers, and, therefore, some particulars on this subject may be of interest to many of our readers. For many years past it has been illegal to melt down sovereigns, but no doubt a fair amount of it is done. It was only as recently ; s 1916 that the Federal Government of Australia issued a proclamation prohibiting this practice. Jewellers, dentists, and others find in the sovereign well-refined gold in a handy form for making articles of jewellery, dental work, etc.

Speaking at the Opera House last evening, the Mayor, who presided at Mr. Veitch’s political meeting, said that the man who could fix the exchanges of the world could go to London and make a million a year. All the exchanges went through London. He was associated with a company that inported to the extent of three-quarters of a million to a million a year. They did not know from day to day what the exchange would be. When he was in New York in 1920 he tried to find out, but they did not know what caused it to go up or down. It was then 3 d 01.30 to the £, instead of the ordinary 4 dol.Bo. Exchange was one of the problems of finance.

"A Strong Man and his Virtues” was the subject of an address delivered by Mr. R. J. Jackson at the Rotary Club yesterday. The speaker dealt with the subject in a most interesting manner, and held the attention of the members throughout. He pointed out that immediate loss in many directions meant ultimate gain, and if a man endeavoured to inspire the action of giving, he would make his mark in the world. By being strong a man was a driving force, and had a good influence, generally speaking. The ultimate result of a man being himself—an individual—was a sound policy. A full account of the address will appear in Friday’s issue.

At' the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Rangi Whakateka was charged with failing to cut blackberry from his land, situated in the Waitotara County. The Inspector of Noxious Weeds (Mr. Munro), stated that the defendant, who owned 1700 acres of good land, had been a good fanner at one time. During tho last two years, however, he spent much of his time in Ratana. and his land was going back quickly—gorse and blackberry having taken control of it. The native admitted the facts, and was convicted and fined £3 and costs. Mcri Poutini, Toma Tawhaifi, and Pua Rata Minihera, for similar offences, were convicted, and each mulcted in the sum of 10s and costs totalling £2 Is. The inspector explained that the natives, although they occupied the land, did not have licenses of occupation, and were under the impression that they were not responsible for the clearance of the weeds. In asking for a nominal penalty, he said he thought they understood the position now, and they could secure their licenses from the Native Land Court.

Mr L. M. Isitt announces that he Will not be a candidate for Christchurch North at next election.

At a meeting of the • Wanganui J Museum Trustees, Mr C. H. Burnett urged that an endeavour be made to procure old photographs of Wanganui for the Museum. Should any old residents in tho district be able to assist in that direction their help will be appreciated. It was also decided to obtain any photographs of old Wanganui available from local photographers.

A Whangarei wireless enthusiast, Mr. R. A. James, on Sunday night was able to pick up a message of a rather unusual kind for New Zealand this being a sermon preached in Auck land by the Rev. Joseph Kemp ami broadcasted from there. On Thursday and Friday of last week Mr. James listened-in to concerts sent from the Sydney Town Hall, hearing a very fine programme on each occasion.

The door takings at the Waikato Winter Show totalled £1677, representing an attendance of 33,540 people apart from those holding privilege tickets and the thousands of school children who were admitted free. The takings were £lOB less than those for last year, but In view of the weather experienced, the executive is quite pleased with the result.

A cable message from Capetown announces the death of Sir Arthur Mason, Judge President of the Supremo Court of Transvaal. He was born in 1860, was admitted to the bar in Natal in 1881, was Puisne Judge of tho Supreme Court in Natal in 1896, Commissioner of the Supreme Court for treason cases in 1900, President in 1901, Delimitation Commissioner in 1919, and chairman of the Commission in 1923.

Mr. R. P. Giblin, who for the past 24 years has been associated with the firm of Sargood Son and Ewan, and who for some years has been branch manager at Wanganui, has been presented with a handsome gold watch suitably inscribed by the staffs at Wanganui, Napier, Wellington, and Nelson branches as a mark of esteem and good fellowship. Mr. and Mrs. Giblin leave Wanganui to-day on an extended trip to Australia and Britain.

An Invercargill resident travelled by train into the country the other day, and -in the same carriage there were two new chums from Australia. Passing a paddock in which the turnips had been eaten down by shetep one of the strangers remarked on the quantity and size of the "mushrooms.' ■' When corrected by the amused Inver eargillite, he expressed surprise, anc added that “he thought wo cultivatec mushrooms down here.”

A very interesting event took plac< on the King’s Birthday, when th< members of the Eastown Railway Fir< Brigade held a competition for two gok medals which were kindly donated t< the Brigade by Fireman W. Piper anc Dcputy-Supt. W. Pcrrett, of the Wan ganui Racecourse Brigade. The event was a two-men one, and was won by Lieut. W. Salter and Branehman F. Davis (44scc.). Fireman A. O’Keefe and Fireman A. H. Mathie (47sec), were second, and Flyd. Beauchamp and Fireman Musgrove (50sec.) were third.

In another column it is noted that the annual meeting of the Watganui Beautifying Society is to be held in the Borough Council Chambers on Friday, at 8 p.m. In view of the splen-. t did work accomplished by the SocictdV% which is an example all over New Zealand, it is expected there will be a big attendance. During the past year or so the society has lost by death some of its best workers and most active members, and others are invited to fill the gaps so made and help to carry on the work.

At the Magistrate’s Court yesterday a man named Phillips, who trespassed on the property of his wife during the currency of a separation order, was convicted and fined £5, in default 14 days’ imprisonment. Seniorsergeant Lopdell stated that tho accused had been before the Court in October last, and since then the police had been sent for eight or nine times owing to his tresspassing. The wife’s objection to his presence was due to his laugnagc. Mr. Slipper enterentering a plea of guilty on behalf of the accused, considered that the wife • had been too hasty in the matter.

For a long period the Supreme Court sittings at Greymouth have been characterised by the almost entire absence of crininal cases, and the whole district is remarkably free from crime. Many persons wanted in connection with maintenance eases, however, favour the West Coast, with its isolated settlements and their lack of communication with the outside world, as a desirable place in which to forget their obligations. A police officer states that tho establishment of the train service from Christchurch has caused an influx of undesirables. Vagrants, petty thieves, and ne’er-do-wells were to be met with in much greater numbers than when the mountain rang* kept passenger traffic between th* two coasts down to a minimum.