LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 15, 12 October 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal aut'horitips have received advice from Sydney that the s.s Wanaka sailed at 4 p.m. on Monday for Wellington. She carries 99 bags of mail for the Dominion, including 23 from the East and one from Africa.

Up till Saturday last the City Coiincil had received the sum of £66.059 17s. Gd. in rates, which is considered satisfactory, Referring to the subject , yesterday the Mayor (Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P.), stated that there would probably be more cases for special consideration this year than for some time past. Several ratepayers who were out of work and up against it had already called to ask for extra time in which to pay their rates, and whenever such cases . were known to be genuine such consideration was given. Section 4 of the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Amendment Act of last year was interpreted by the Court of Appeal yesterday, when giving judgment on an appeal from a decision of Mr. Justice Herdman. The section provides, inter alia, that a decree of dissolution may, in the Court’s discretion, be made on tho petition of either of the parties to a separation order made by a Magistrate. After going into the matter at considerable length, the Appeal Court held that "neither the words of tho Act nor the requirements of public policy justify the adoption of any general rule to the effect that a decree of divorce should ho refused to a guilty petitioner. A refusal on this ground must bo justified by special considerations applicable to the individual instance, and must be consistent with due recognition of the fact that the Legislature has expressly enabled either party, innocent or guilty, to petition for a divorce on the ground of three years’ separation.” In consequence the Court allowed tho appeal, and remitted the case (Mason v. Mason) to the Supreme Court in order that a decree nisi could be made. Originally, Mr. Justice Herdman refused a decree, on the ground that the petitioner was the party to blame for the separation, inasmuch ns he had deserted his wife without just cause. Upwards of 100 mon, selected from the ranks of the unemployed, have been given work by the Wellington City Corporation during tho past three weeks. There are about 70 men still on co-oper-ative wages, doing pick and shovel work, cither at Evans Bay. the Vogeltown Road, or at Northland. Applications for employment are still being made at the corporation yards at Clyde Quay. There were quite a number of fresh cases on Monday, and several turned up yesterday. It is said' that the applicants include some shearers who have turned down the good rates of pay fixed by the 'Arbitration Court.

A few days ago it was notified in (hose columns that a numlier of knpoc-stuffed lifebelts, (damped with the word "FosIO.” had boon washed up on Iho beach nt Karaka Bay. At first it was thought that these belts, which are of excellent design, wore from some vessel, hut it now appears that the 'Tosco” bolt was our, of tho life-saving npplinnees sanctioned by tho Board of Trade during tho war, and was used considerably by passenger/; and others when passing throujfh danger zones known to be infested by U-boats,

The delegates of tho Young Citizens’ League from Auckland spent n busy time yesterday interviewing representativtes of various organisations having for their object the betterment of young people. They discussed with Mr. Hay, the secretary of the Y.M.C.A., ,and Mr. Burton, the director of juvenile activities, tho project of forming a Young Citizens’ League in Wellington. They held a conference upon tho same subject with tho members of the Boys’ ‘Work Committea of the Rotary Club, and were, subsequently entertained at lunch. The formation of a league, is to be thoroughly discussed at a, public meeting convened by tho Mayor, on Friday night next, in the Town Hall Council Chamber.- Altogether, the delegates express themselves as well pleased with tho assurances and encouragement they have already received. A deputation from tho Wellington Ministers.’ Association will wait on ths Prime Minister at 10.15 a.m. on Friday to place before him the, view of tho Churches on Clio report of the Racing Commission.

"The local bodies in this district appear to he right up against the proposed Highways Bill, and are condemning it severely," reports Tin: Dojiixiox’s Manawatu conespondent. At the meeting of the Pohangina County Council on Saturday, tho resolutions passed at tho conference in Wellington to oppose the Bill were approved, and like action was taken by tho Kairangn County Council at its meeting yesterday. Sir. Justice Sim (Acting-Chief■ Justice) heard an originating summons yesterday in tho case of T. Lister, an old man and a widower, against John Doyle and, T. H. King, executors of tho estate of the late Annie Lister. Airs. Lister died and left a will whereby the whole of her estate, valued at .£7OO, was loft to the children, and no provision waa made for her husband, who was without means, and entitled to tho old age pension. Application was made under the Family Protection Act for an allowance from tho estate. His Honour made an [order that .Cl (per month should be paid to Lister, and allowed £7 7s. costs. Mr. C. H. Treadwell appeared for Lister, and Mr. P. Levi for the executors.

Ten offenders for insobriety were brought before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning. Nine of them were first offenders. James W, Davis, convicted for the third time, was fined 205., with tho option of three days’ imprisonment. "That this chamber Is of tho opinion that tho timo lias arrived when the Government should derive a much larger revenue from luxuries and amusements,” was a resolution passed by the council of tho Central Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon. Mr. F. Castle wished to know what were luxuries., but the chairman, who would tax them whatever they were, said that the point might be left to the Government. The Taumarunui Chamber of Commerce has invited the Wellington Central Chamber to approve of the national highway through tho North Island following tho railway. At yesterday’s council meeting of the Central Chamber of Commerce, Mr. A. L. Hunt said ho thought they might support the proposal. From tho standpoint of defence a central highway’ would ho much better than one following the coast. Mr. F. Castle said he did not agree that the road should follow tho railway;, indeed, there might bo grave reasons why it should not, dp so. Mr. IT. Hart questioned if it were wise to duplicate expenditure on a, road through country already opened up by a railway- Mr. W. Cotton thought they should know where they were about their own affairs; for instance, tho La’mbton station. Mr. Hart: "And whether tho Toad is io go via the Akatnrowa Gorge or the Nvahauranga Gorge.” Mr. F. Castle: "Is it suggested that the national 'highway is to follow the railway over tho Rimutakas?” Tho chairman thought they might go as far as. to urge that the national highway should traverse the centre of the island, and this was agreed to. Tho motion carried at the special meeting of tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce which discussed the Mortgages and Deposits Extension Bill was as under: —“That tho Minister of Finance bo requested io withdraw tho Act as at present drafted, and that tho new draft of the Act provide that mortgages originally d'uo in 1914, 1915, and 1916, respectively, bo pavable on the same day of the month in 1921, 1923, and 1924, respectively, and all mortgages falling duo between January 1, 1917, and October 21. 1919, be payable on December 31, 1924; (b) that tho machinery clauses relating to tho Public Trustee, and land boards bo dropped, and that questions of hardship or of tho right of a mortgagee to exercise his powers bo deteranined by a. Supreme Court Judge or a Stipendiary Magistrate; and (c) tJiat .it is desirable that there be no fixed rate of interest for renewed terms of mortgages, but that tho rate bo a matter of mutual arrangement between mortgagee and mortgagor, and, failing agreement, it bo fixed by a. Supremo Court Judgo or a Magistrate." His Excellency the Governor-General has accepted tho position of patron of the Wellington Cricket Umpires’ Association.

Ono of the Christchurch Company’s aeroplanes alighted in Greytown yesterday afternoon, and then took five minutes’ flights during the rest of tho afternoon, says our special correspondent. It will go to Carterton to-day, , * A generous spring has meant a glut of spring vegetables in the local markets. Yesterday, for instance, young cabbages, fresh in from the country, were being sold at Is. per sack or case, and sales were tardy at that price, owing to the greengrocers and hawkers being fully supplied. Lettuces, fresh and crisp, were selling at Is. per case, and the very 'best rhubarb could be purchased at 2s. per head (Of three largo bundles), 'rhe last of a big consignment of oranges from South Australia were sold for whatever they would bring. These were sweet oranges, evidently very fine fruit when thev were shipped twelve days ago, but a considerable part of tho shipment arrived in a bad condition, and sold at from 3d. to Gd. per case, whilst halfboiled cases went for ss. or 6s. a case, and yielded results on picking. Had this fruit arrived in good condition it would have brought 14s. and 15s. per case readily.