LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 19804, 1 March 1928, Page 14

LOCAL AND GENERAL

In the Police Court, Wellington, Steward Robert Oleary Fletcher admitted forging a letter in Auckland purporting to be signed by Dr J. Macfarlane, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. The accused had been questioned by the police respecting an application he made for admission to the Police Force. A detective doubted the authenticity of the testimonials. _ Later in Wellington the accused admitted that they were forgeries, but stated that no use had been made of them. Mr Justice MacGregor, in a reserved judgment at Wellington, has awarded May Bradley £325 damages against the Bell Bus Company in respect of injuries which she received when, a bus collided with a pole near Kaiwarra on October 17. A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that the officer in charge of the Wallaceville veterinary laboratory, Mr Hopkirk, has returned from a visit to Victoria and New South Wales. In Melbourne he attended the Commonwealth Conference of Veterinary Officers. He says that Victoria is making steady progress in research in connection with vaccine prevention for tuberculosis and mammitis; but New South Wales appears to lead in research work, where the Veterinary School, the Department of Agriculture, and the Committee of_ Industrial and Scientific Research are in strong co-operation. A shock has been caused to Gisborne produce firms by the unexpected increase of 14d per sack on maize shipped between Gisborne and Auckland, the former price of lOd having been advanced to 2s per sack. The increase is the cause of great dissatisfaction, as local merchants had taken orders for February-March-April forward delivery at the iOd freight rate. A nautical inquiry was held at Halfmoon Bay yesterday into the circumstances surrounding the disaster to the whaler C. A. Larsen. The Norwegian Vice-consul conducted the proceedings, and all connected with the accident were cross-examined. The Press representatives wore refused admission, the inquiry being solely in the interests of the Norwegian Government. The evidence taken will be sent to Norway. At the concluding session of the conference of the Fire Brigades’ Association at New Plymouth the following officers were elected: —President, Superintendent A. E. Freeman (Masterton) ; vice-presidents—Superintendent G. E. Gilbert (Ouehunga) and Deputysuperintendent P. Deere (Greymouth); treasurer-secretary, Mr C. A. _ Osborne (Onehunga); secretary, Captain T. J. Watts (Newmarket); auditor, Mr P. R. Fraser (Newmarket). The retiring president (Superintendent Garrett, Thames) and Mr C. E. Bellringer, M.P. (a, past president), were elected life members of the association. The position of secretary was made a permanent one.

Sir George and Lady Fenwick and party are at present visiting Denniston, and yesterday evening (reports a West Coast Press Association telegram) Sir George, by invitation, attended the Buffer Progress League’s meeting. Replying to the welcome, Sir George said that the motor drive to Denniston was one of the most magnificent imaginable. Lady Fenwick and himself had travelled over a good part of the world, hut they knew of no place to equal the Buffer Gorge, which was well known for its magnificent beauty. Denniston was equally as beautiful, hut it was of a different kind. From Denniston one gob a glorious view of over 100 miles of coastline, stretching away from Cape Foulwiiid to Rocks Point.

There was an unexpected development in a Supreme Court case at Hamilton, when a young piano salesman named Raymond' Gifford was charged with so negligently driving a vehicle as to cause the dcatli of Leslie Spencer, aged twenty, in a collision which occurred between the defendant’s car and Spencer’s motor cycle at Claudelands on December 19. The case had proceeded some distance, when His Honor, after a few minutes’ adjournment, said it had been reported to him that, a member of the jury had been a fellowworker ol the deceased. To avoid any question concerning the fairness of the trial Mr Justice Blair, with the concurrence of both counsel, discharged the jury, and a new one will bo empanelled. The court thereupon adjourned for the remainder of the day. With reference to a P.ress announcement of the resolution passed by a gathering of returned soldiers at Denniston during the recent visit of the Governor-General, His Excellency desires it to be understood that when the proposal to despatch a telegram to Major-general Sir George Richardson was made His Excellency expressly stated that as the situation in Samoa was the subject of political controversy ho could not associate himself with the matter in any form. A meeting of representatives of Gisborne local bodies was held yesterday afternoon to consider relief works for the unemployed, delegates being present from the Hospital Board, the Borough Council, and the Cook, Waikohu; and Wairoa County Councils. The meeting was convened by the Hospital Board, wdiose chairman (Mr W. G. Shorrat) emphasised the fact that the board’s charitable aid_ bill was steadily mounting up, due plainly to the unemployment problem. Most of those in receipt of relief wanted work, not charity. The deputy-mayor (Mr J. Blair) said the council intended to interview the Minister of Public Works (Mr K. S- Williams) on his next visit to Gisborne on the matter. One speaker urged that the Government should start work on the Gisbome-Wairoa railway from the Gisborne end, and thus avoid the necessity for men having to keep two homes going when on relief work. It was eventually decided that the Government be urged to adopt a policy of spreading relief works among local bodies and making grants accordingly. The speakers said that local bodies could carry out works such as road improvements, etc., if the finance were supplied by the Government. He suggested that each local body should prepare a, list of the works to be done. The chairman undertook to forward the resolution to, the Minister.