LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15975, 18 November 1919, Page 11

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the Gisborne Magistrate's Court to-day J. McCol, a local contractor, was fined .£23 for refusing to supply information to the Income Tax Department. On three other charges he was fined £2 for failing to make returns. Three cases of influenza, all serious cases, were reported to the Health Inspector this morning. One was reported from Marton, another from Pa-rawanni, and the third from a house on the BullsTurakina Road. All three cases have been well isolated, and two are under the care of trained nurses.

A sittings of the Supreme Court will commence in Wanganui on Monday next, but the volume of business set down for the session is not large. There are three criminal cases to be dealt with on minor matters, five civil actions in. which moderate sums of money are at issue, five applications for dissolution of marriage, and seven bankruptcy matters. The sitting will be presided over by the Hon. Sir W. B. Edwards.

At the Magistrate’s Court yesterday afternoon, the licensee of the Albion Hotel, A. B. Neighbour, was proceeded against by the police on three charges of breaches of the Licensing Act, i.e., for permitting drunkenness, for keeping open for sale of liquor after closing hours, and for exposing liquor for sale after closing hours. Mr Hussey appeared for the defendant, who pleaded not guilty. The three offences alleged were said by the police to )iave occurred on two separate occasions in the same day. After hearing the evidence, the Magistrate, Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M., convicted and fined defendant £2 and 7s costs on the first charge; he dismissed the second and third charges. According to figures published by the Government Statistician, groceries in Wanganui had increased in price by the end of September by 56.78 per cent, over, the prices ruling in pre-war days. During the last twelve months the increase was a little over 10 per cent. In dairy produce the increase from July, 1914. to September, 1919, was stated to be 42.95 per cent, for this town, an increase of about 10 per cent, during the last twelve months. Prices for meat have remained steady locally, increasing by about 1 per cent, during the last twelve months and at the end of September the rate of increase over pre-war prices was 48.80 per. cent. For the three food groups combined the increase was stated to be 50,78 per cent. The increase which bad taken place during the last twelve months was set out to be about 7 per cent.

Exports from the port of Wanganui for the month of September were valued at £139,936, and for the nine months of the year the aggregate value was .£2,887,479, a concrete example of the progress and fertility of this district for the Iqtter period Wanganui ranks as the fifth exporting centre of the Dominion being headed by only Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, and Napier. The following is a list of main items of export and their value, hoth for the month and for the nine months, the Tatter figure bein? given within parenthesesßutter, (£179,364); cheese, £56,239 (£448,198); beef, £17,347 (£218,380); mutton, £22,235 (£278,449); lamb £16,185 (£196,457); mutton and lamb joints, £9lB (£10,762); wool, £2786 (£917,849); hides, £I4OB (£29,069); sheepskins, £6969 (£158,654); tallow, £3365 (£158,186); flax (£8583): timber, £2IOO (£20,024).