NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1881, 15 October 1913, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(By TelegTkph.—Press Association.)

THE ACENT'S UNDERSTUDY. Dargaville, October 14. Mr. Pago, S.M., gave his written decision to-day in a case reserved from tlio . last sitting of tho Court, and which is important to land agents. A man named Keith branch manager for Otto's Land Agency at Aratapu, unlicensed, and receiving a salary and a, quarter of Otto's commission on sales, was charged with a breach of tho Land Agents Act in 1912. Tho police contended that tho receipt of commission in any form constituted a breach of tlio Act. It made him ail agent, and that demanded a license. Defendant's solicitor .(Mr. Buttlo) maintained that the commission was paid by an employer, not by the principal in tho transaction. It was not commission in tho sense of the Act. It did not make him other .than a servant covered by his employer's licenso. Mr. Page, S.M., upheld Mr. Buttle's contention that this was not a breach of tho Act, but defendant liad admitted using old stationery, headed witli tho name and words "land agent." This constituted a technical breach of the latter part of Section 14. Defendant must bo convicted, and was ordered to pay costs. RAFFLE & THE LAW. Hamilton, October 14. The Waikato Winter Show Association was charged to-day with a. breach of tho Gaming Act in raffling a motorcar at the recent show, by which they made a profit of £1400. Tho association relied upon the word "specimen" in Cjauso 43 of tho Gaming Act as justification for the raffle, but the Magistrate held that the motor-car was not a bona-fide specimen of agriculture, horticulture, or poultry. 'A fine of £5 was imposed. THE GARDENER'S ACT. Hastings, October 14. Karl Ritz, aged fifty-four, a single man, employed as a, gardener at Horton'B nurseries, attempted suicide last night by drinking an irritant poison. He was found in a. wliare this morning in a critical condition, and removed to the hospital. A note left by the man showed that tho act was premeditated. SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S GRANTS. , Eltham, October 14. At the monthly meeting of the District High School Committee, it. .was pointed out that under tho proposed amendments to tho Education Act, now before tho House, school committees would bo unable to get any subsidy or donation that was- not spent on the secondary department. As committees relied on tho assistance of the Government subsidy to finance tho primary department, this would prove a death blow. It was decided to urge Mr. C. A. "Wilkinson, member for tlio district, to oppose tho amendment, and to use his best endeavours to retain tho previous clause intact.

SORE POINT WITH TEACHERS. Timaru, October 14. A' deputation from tho local' branch' of tlio Teachers' institute waited on- tho Education Board_ to-day in order to point out difficulties in tho way of carrying out tlio ■ medical examination of children, and the large amount of time required for examination and' clerioal work, and tho difficulty in one-room schools where there was 110 Kuitablo place to make a proper examination. Nothiilg has yet been done in this district, and tho board decided to hold tho matter over, as tho demands on _ tho teachers' time appear to bo excessive.