LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waikato Times, Volume 87, Issue 13235, 18 July 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

In character, in manners, in stylo, in all tilings, the supremo excellence is simplicity. Butter in cool store in Now Zealand on Saturday last totalled 35,363 boxes, compared with 15,0Z$ last year. A total of 6.90 in of rain has fallen in Auckland since the beginning of the month. Seven volunteers from Fiji were yesterday accepted for service in the New Zealand forces. Twenty-four volunteers came forward at the Auckland station yesterday. Twenty were accepted. It is probable that legislation will be introduced extending the. life of the present Parliament in the event of the war continuing. The cross-examination and the reexamination of tiie "prophet" Rua were concluded in the Auckland Supreme yesterday. Evidence in rebuttal on behalf of the Crown is still to bo called. A fruit-tree pruning demonstration will be given in Mr 1). MacCulloch's orchard, Hamilton East, on Thursday next, at 2 p.m. It is expected that orchardists will attend in full strength. At Dunetlin yesterday Alfred John Mills, a young man, pleaded guilty to bigamy by marrying Sarah Adelaide Whisker, a barmaid, at Chrffetchurch, on the 7th of the present month, while lie had a. wife living at Oamaru. He was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. The transfer of a license involving the closing of the Ohiwa hotel, near Qpotiki, lias been granted by the Hay of Plenty Licensing Committee. MiHarry produced evidence before the committee showing that the license fee for the Ohiwa hotel had not been paid, and consequently the license lapsed, lie stated that the committee, therefore. had power to grant another license. and applied for one for the Manutahi hotel, in the Tuparoa district, between the E ist Cape and (iisborne. In granting the application, the committee fixed the license fee at £2O. Mr AY. S. Ffsher, Official Assignee, has been appointed administrator in the estate of James Richardson, a farmer, late of Te Awamutu. The schedule shows as-ets as follows:—Stock-in-trade, estimated at £500; furniture and other chattel property, £'-13: roaNpropcrty, 372 acres 2 roods 12 perches, Pukekura , i' 6520; 17 acres 36 perches, Mangapiko, £2100; an estate as mortgage on 334 acres 1 rood and 33 perches, at Pukekura, £730; making a total of £C3SO, thus bringing the total assets up to £9593. The unsecured creditors total £44-5 9s 4d, secured creditors £7BIO 9s lid, total £8261 19s 3d, leaving an apparent surplus of £1631 0s 9d. The Women's Hospital and War Committee, of Cambridge, are sending from that town a parcel of warm clothing to each soldier who has left the district for the front. This represents over 200 parcels containing the necessary woollen clothing for the European winter, and will involve a cost to the committee of £IOO. AVith a view to assisting the committee to provide the necessary funds for the purpose, the Cambridge branch of the Farmers' Union will hold a patriotic entertainment on Wednesday, August 9th, in the Cambridge Town Hall, instead of the usual annual social. Arrangements are well in hand for making the function a success and providing a really enjoyable evening's entertainment for those attending it. In consequence of Mr Thomas, draper and importer, of Te Awamutu, wellknown in volunteer and sports circles, having enlisted in the Twentieth Reinforcements, and about to proceed into camp, the proprietor of Burley's Drapery Importing Stores has undertaken to take over the whole of Mr Thomas' stocks at present In Te Awamutu together with all indents for incoming season, which are expected to shortly reach the Dominion. As soon as stocktaking is arranged, the whole of the goods well lie re-marked off in Hamilton for Special Sale, at prices which will cause a speedy and complete wash up of Mr Thomas' business affair's. ■ Burley's effpect to be ready for the Sale of Thomas' Stock on Saturday next. Notification of the sale of goods ex S.s. Durham, Waiwera, etc., will be made in due course.* Bargain Bench in Boot Department daring great Mid-winter Sale at T.M.S.

A swan drive on Lake Ellesmere during the week-end, in aid of the Belgians, brought in six drav. loads of birds, which will be frozen and sent to England. A surfaceman employe.! on the Huke-renui-Oiiria sectioa, i,amed \\m. Cost.'llo, a married man, was travelling alone on a jigger alwut 1.30 this morning, when lie was struck by a breakdown tr iu piotve iing litrcii in connection wita the washouts, and killed. Co.stello was apparently returning homo. The man was practically decapitated. Mr J. Porter, or Hamilton, who is last becoming famous as a poultry breeder, secured the North Island championship at tiie recent show at hawer.i for white leghorns of the utility strain. He also . i ecu red a first with his unite Wyandotte cockerel and a first for his whitj Wyandotte hen. Out of five birds shown by him he secured tare"firsts, a special, and a championship.

At the S.M. Court, Palmerston North charges ot alleged seditious publication wore pre fcrred against P. C. Freeth, editor ot the Manawatu Daily Times, lor publishing a letter signed "Shirker" which was alleged to contain matte r indicating disloyalty and likely to interfere with recruiting. Counsel for the t rnvn said he want, d to disavow any suggestion of disloyalty on the part of .Mr Fieeth or the management of the paper. The letter was taken exception to. however, as it contained sentiments verging <ll rank sedition. The defence admitted publication, and said the letter had teen published in order to condemn it editorially. Judgment- was rcMTved. A man named Robinson, sec-re-taiy ot the Flaxniills' Employees Union, was charged that he did express seditious intent.on by delivering to a person unknown, a circular letter detailing a n solution of the union, to the effect ihat members be called upon to strike as a protest against the operation of the Mi.itary Service Hill. The magistiate reserved decision. The exemption from income tax of incomes derived irom investment in war debentures was again referred to by Mr ,1. A. Yotng (Waikato) in his speech on the third reading of the Finance Dill. He gave the following instance of the wonting of the system, which, he said, he had worked out:—"Take, say, a £'60,000 investment in anything other than war debentures at per cent. That gives a total income of {J27110. If the exemption of £3OO is deducted it leaves a taxable balance of income of £2400. This L24UO come-! into the higher graduations of taxation, and it pays at 2s Sd in the £, plus th ■ extra shilling in the £ war tax, making 3s 8d in the £. That taxabl amount of £2400 would pay, in the ordinary way, £l4O tax." An investment in war stocks, however, he added, carried an exemption from taxation, 'this gave a great potential value to war debentures. It meant in the case referred to that the 44 per cent, war debenture carried with it a premium of 14s 8d pei cent., which made the income equal t<: a return of £5 4?; 8d per cent, from investments in other directions.