LOCAL AND GENERAL

Horowhenua Chronicle, 14 May 1915, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Four Belgians started work in Ralph's mine at Huntlylast week, reports the New Zealand Herald correspondent. Two were at Antwerp when the Germans entered the city, and with the other two were despatched as refugees to Great Britain, whence they were Miit to .Now Zealand. The subdivision of the Gleiimark estate,, recently acquired by the Government, is attracting considerable attention in North Canterbury and, it is slated, the number of applicants will lie very largo. The plans will bo issued .shortly and applications wil lbe receiver! up to June 9th. The usual examination (if applicants will follow, and the ballot wil! take place as soon after that as is possible. Influenza is ravaging the North Island, from Auckland to Wellington. It is rampant in Feilding- -no much so thai, .some business places have been and aiv greatly inconvenienced by the absence of members of their staffs. "1 really believe that a. man who has had a criminal record, but who has kept straight for a mwnber of years, is deserving of more credit than the man who has never been tempted and fallen. Once having formfcd criminal habits and got among criminal associates, it is very difficult for a man to make a fresh start." This observation was -made in .the Auckland Police Couit by Mr Fraser, S.M., when he had before him the case of a man who had a police- , record against his name, but who, for the last ten years, had boon loading an honest life. The Nelson "Mail" reports a gold rush at the Howard River where there are now about 80 men engaged on different claims. The locality of the rush is in a tributary of the Howard, known as Louie's Creek, about three miles up the river. .Men have been worfcing the vicinity with success and within the past. month or two a gradual rush has set in. It is reported that several of the men have obtained good gold, and a representative of the "Mail" handled a three-oiico nugget which" had been found there by a lucky gold-seeker. Judgment by default was given in 'he following civil ca.sew heard before Mr J. W. Poynton, S.M., at the Levir S.M. Court, yesterday.—X.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency C. Ltd.. v. Timeki Wohipoihana £5 18s 6d, costs £1 I 12s tid; J. T. Oak v. Albert Watson £1 ■'is Jd, costs os. Tn the case of Benjamin Gray v. H. O. Barnett and E. Rarnett. a claim for £31 7s <3d. plaintiff applied for an adjournment. The application was granted oi| condition that plaintiff paid defendants' costs £2 Is into Court before the 27th inst., tbe day to which the adjournment was granted. At the Levin S.M.Court yesterday, before Mr J .W. Poynton, S.M., Mr W. Goldsmith. Town Clerk, procoedpd against Robert A. Sloan, for plying for hire without a license. Defendant was fined Ik and costs 7s. A barge of using indecent language in a public place was laid by the police I against Tihi Oterangi. Tihi pleaded guilty and was convicted arid discharged. With his consent a prohibition order was issued against him. On May -Ith a Maori named Hanita lleuare impounded at Levin '23. head of stock the property of another .Maori named Uipeka Winara. A third Maori Tihi Oterangi considered Han ita'.s action illegal and backed his opinion by laying a charge to that effect ( against Hanita. The case was hoard ' by Mr J. W. Poynton. S.M., at the Levin Court yesterday when Hanita pleaded guilty. Mr Poynton ordered him to pay complainant the sum of X' 2 11s. plaintiff's expenses £1, solicitor's ICe £1 Iβ. Court costs 7s, and translation fee 2s Gd. A further charge j laid by Tihi against Hanita was that the lattef'on the, 3rd May (the day previous to the impounding episode) [ need provoking and insulting language to him (Tihi). Hanita pleaded not guilty in this instance, but after hearing the evidence Mr Poynton fined defendant 10s. and ordered him to pay. Court costs 7s, translation fee-2s (i<l. j witnesses' expenses ss. and solicitor's fee of L'i Ik. Mr Cooper of Palmereton North, appeared for plaintiff in both cases and Mr W. S. Park, of Levin, for defendant. A "L , .; mi try Fanner" writes as follows lo ihe Hawko's Buy Herald: —"A I paragrap.i in your issue of yesterday informed your readers that the barren hill.s had 'once more assumed their green hue, and a plenteous supply oi winter pasture was available. Tiic (.■mm try round Havelock, Fenihill, ..iiadalc, ajld Petane is now in excellent condition., and affords .splendid grazing for thousands of head of cattle and sheep.' An old proverb states that •distant hills arc green." hint it is not only hills that arc coloured that way, for one would imagine that the writer who penned that paragraph must have been very much of the same tint. The country round Havelock, ets.. may bo green but the plenteous pasture, the splendid grazing for thousands of head of cattle and sheep are both myths. The paragraph «ould be amusing if the position wore not serious—-in fact, very serious*/ There is absolutely no winter feed for cattle, and very little for sheep, without resorting to artifical feeding. This is costly enough at any time, but there has boon such a drain already on artificial feed that this also is very scarce and dear, and the outlook for many small farmers is very bad indeed, for it is too late now for any prospect of improvement, as far as feed for cattle is concerned, at any rate. Those who are able to do so will no doubt buy or lease in those districts where the rainfall has been more abundant, and where natural feed is more plentiful, but under the most favourable circumstances it is clear that the result of the drought must be a very heavy loss to this district." '