AUCKLAND ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 924, 17 September 1910, Page 6

AUCKLAND ITEMS.

A LEGAL INJUSTICE. ANOTHER AUCKLAND PROTEST. FRIENDLY SOCIETY TROUBLE; ' (By Tclesrapli,—Special Correspondent.). Auckland, September 16. Commenting editorially on, the Supremo Court's refusal to grant probate iiuthe case of the will of Isaac Walker, reported yesterday, the "Herald" says: "Isaac Walker/i an half caste, son .of a .European, brought up as a European, and living as, a European, married to a , European, . and: working • an Opotiki dairy farm, which he had personally acquired in European fashion, died in laoß. He left an undoubted will, ,by< iwhicb all his real and porsonal property, was bequeatheu to .his wife. It should be; distinctly, understood byi every .test as to ,th'e intrinsic differences; between Maori and European this man was not.Maori but European. 'His Opotiki farm had been previously...Europeanised, and was purchased by him from' European owners with money left to him-by his' Euro-: pea n lather. He was ■of . good, European- repute in his district, and: energetic _in public affairs, but through his ('Maori : mother lie unwittingly and- unknowingly. inherited a paltry : patcH of. land at Poverty Bay. When.tlie'Ohinepoutea Block of 5069 'acres was divided among 495 catalogued Maori' owners, the' names 'of Isaac Walker -and . his ' brother were in.' the. list.. .. This .was enough, to bring .the' Walker will under the ban . of, a law. which;, provides- that -the only Court which can grant probate where _ Native land is in. question is the Native Land - Court/- A. claimant appeared in the person of-a'daugh-ter.of ( the testator by a previous Maori .marriage. 'As no will .'.can be probated which is;noi'.prese_hted .within two years, of the testator's,'death, it becomes .null and yo'idi".;. With; Mr. i Justice. Edwards's decisionwe hive -therefore., the extraordinary , position . that . .tKe'' - European widow.;of.' a . half, casto is disinherited-in the r face of a will' in .her because 'in';-addition 1 , to :ari .acquired European farm he was. the legal owner- in Jlaori- customvof ; sis V small, acres.". ■ ■ ' \

■ :The Auckland, Chamber of'.Commerce, having failed .up -to /the present to. get the;' s.s; /Mo.ura/taken' olf the rum to, Fiji,/■ connectinig i.the '"Vancouver j service, ~ and. that . vessel being tised ..to// sail , from . -Auckland; for Fiji oti the 28th instant, the - president' .of: 'the; chamber (Mr. J. H. Gunson)has •again - taken the v. matter . up, and has dispatched "the:,.following, /telegram /to. |the general /-manager /of the' Union Steam . 'Ship -'Company, /Duhedin :—'|Wo; regret that-, * despite" repeated protests as,/'supiw'rted,-!^ my chamber from both "' arid l shippers,-' your company lia3 again placed the lloura (a .very inferior vessel)' upon/'; the : Fiji-Vancouver ' connection. - : Kindly /'advise' me -by .'/telegram: - (1) Are my chamber's / representatimis for : a /better- vessel,: for/this/ important service -to receive.'effect ? ' (2): If so, will; you: ireplac'e: the ,-Mdura timed for the. 28th instant. Further,--we',; protest ■ against.: .vessels', of '/the /Squall ; (which cannot: copts '.-with the-, ireight offering)', Hauroto, and Tairawera class beingcon-. sidered . good-enough- for, the New- Zealand' .'coastal■•'passenger' trade 'in, and, out of Auckland.'rJdy/ chamber,; appreciates the - rapid', expansion, of/: your/ service, and theV.difßculty'/of placing/.-these-old-' i vessels,/ /-but ,we submit - for- -.your consideration,.that, uf.'your- company is',to : :retain'-, the.;',confidence! ; '.of!;/Auckland;' .) which''isone.! of .is -essential' that/ our ! representations"; should ; forthwith, .receive :e£Eect!'.' ..The ' the ; return of the general - manager., of! the - company to. Dunedin.. //.,/,-/, './-/ Tlie chairman, ,of/the Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, Mr. !P. SI! Mackay',-/.was/: asked his opinion'- on the! Goyerniaent's.prop'osed ..'amendments to the Hospitals Act.. "The provisions of .'the -Bill, 1 . as i report'ed," / .'said '' 'Mri Mackay, ',"ar9 ~! ; dr^tic',, iu character. For'- instance', \ the Bill pto-' vides that! hospital/boards: are .to >stipply medical • attendance to married .'women!'inchildbirtHj!"-. where' ; th'e cora-i biiied; .'incomes!,/do not;■ exceed £200; I; and|-.!\;;.furtheri"' .'■ tlie/:; attendance "to /be given/ is •' either that /of' a doctor ori registered midwife,, and is', to/; be slip-, ; plied at.'.the' mother's residence,/'unless; ; the. board decide to.. erect maternityhospitals. Inl'the; /place; I con-, sider -the,.£2oo . limit too high, : £120 / being; ;■ quite high• enough. ' If' the .higher/limit became, law], it! ; wduld! mean; over 50 per cent! bf t-he'populatioh benef fitihg/at /the' expmse '.of.. 'ers,- as; the refund- of £1; per week;; together :with . the'larger ; subsidy, would! not, I consider, cover.'.the cost.. ' The question /of the!'nursing'-' in?!illegitimate 'cases would also' have to be faced. /Although full particulars 1 : are- not/ yet to., hand, .regarding,! theVßilli/i;/ should!! say- that! the' amendment. '.'to.': ihe';hospH tals Act. .will /eritair a heavier/'burden, on the ratepayers.- With regard to ; hospital...boards/.',taking. over control ,/of infectious diseases, 1 , that is/already pro-' vided for ill the.Act." .' /..:;/■/ -'■/

'• The -defaulting ifriendly,:;;society., offi-. cial; whose- pase/ was .recently, .brought before/-the. /Minister' for' Justice/is/a young man,- who/was/a.mmember.'.okf k an Oddfellows' lodge-/in - a.-country district ncai- .Auckland.;' Hc/w;as -a ;new, ; arri-! a-al .iiiv-tlio_',/distript,.i/and../'shori>ly.',a'f€dr-his advent. tliere he/-joined/the lodge,■: and -was appointed .treasurer.-.. -About a month . later, " it/ is -,stated',- lie a;>propriated; as much of the lodge's/ftinds as ho could lay ! his hands, on,; and got away_to- Sydney. , The total sum involved waspfortiirijitelyj not very large' -being some £53. This/amoiiht; includ-; ing - a cheque which the, absconder, is statecl to' have caslied in. Sydney /after forging tlie signatures of, the presiding . officer and secretary- of: the lodge • as' an endorsement.,' The lodge was protected to the extent of £50 by a fidelity policy with the Friendly -Society's Mu- : tual Guarantee Association, which has therefore Iliad/ to hear nearly the--whole of .the iloss occasioned'by tho, defaulters' breach, of trust. './. A. warrant' for 'the'; arrest'-of, the young man. was issued . in May : last,. ;but as already 'statixl,. difficulty has been exporionced owing to tlio Goyernment refusing to hear the cost; of brmcina him back; to. New -Zealand. ■ ,