NEWS AND NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 July 1923, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

“He who disregards as needless any precaution which the Legislature ha. authoritatively declared to be reason able and necessary, will do so at his peril; and if he meets with an accident in consequence, he must hear it for himself.”—-Opinion of Mr Justice Sulnnmd expressed in a judgment at' Wellington.

Considerable quantities of Java sugar are finding their way on to the Auckland market. Ihe third shipment this year will arrive by tbe Dutch steamer Do Grove on July 27th. from Soiirubaya. and will bring up the total to over 10.000 tons for the past six months. 'The previous shipments were brought by the steamers Springburn and Ilona, all for tbe Colonial Sugar Refining Company. ’Hie De Grove has a deadweight capacity of 5009 tons She cleared Souraltaya on June 29th.

"He who drives a. motor-car on a dark night over a railway crossing of whose exi't' o"' he was unaware, without stopping in observance “I the stytute .or who in the daytime finds himself unexpectedly so close to an unknown crossing that lie cannot reduce his speed or stop in tiling is not guilty of contributory negligence, merely he cause of his failure to obey the .statute.” Mr Justice Salmond when giving judgment in tv railway accident last week at Wellington.

Tlio sympathy of ritzens ol the city of Brisbane wil.li tlio sufferers in vhe rail any disaster is expressed in a cablegram received l iy the Mayer ol Auckhuul, Mr .1. 11. (limsou. from the Mayor of the Queensland capital. Mill. J. Diddams. who formerly resided in Auckland. The message is as follows:—“Citizens of Brisbane greatly shocked at recent railway disaster. Whole community profoundly grieved. Accept assurance of heartlelt sympathy with sufferers.- Diddams. Mayor of Brisbane.”

To he living in a tent in the middle of winter is the lot of a family disclosed by a debtor, who appeared in the Magistrate's Court at Auckland. Ihe man said he did not live m a street, neither did he pay rent. His explanation was that he had seven children. had not hceu aide to work for 13 months and could not rent a house a-, people would not have tenants with children. Conseipiently lie was living with all hi.- family in a tent on a socj inn in the suburbs. rent tree.

Tin* happiest man in Dunedin this week (says the ‘'Otago Daily Times”) is the liev. I l '. 0. Camming, the agent of the Patients and Prisoners’ Aid Society. His heart has been made to re in ice by the fact that a philanthropic citizen lias authorised him to distribute on his behalf in all '2OO tons of coal and 100 pairs of blankets.

Papuans have much exaggerated ideas of politeness that they are o\en courteous when committing murder. This characteristic was emphasised in a paper read by the 1 Jeuleiiant-Dovoruor of Papua, Mr J. 11. I*. Murray, at a meeting of the Hoyal Colonial Institute. "He wanted me to carry him across the water,” said a prisoner who was charged with murdering another native whom lie had done C> death on the hank of a river, “hut he looked so very heavy. Of course J coulu not lie so rude as to refuse to carry him. so I thought the. best way out <>t the difliculty was to kill him."

Petiv thieving is rite in Ashburton at present (says the “(luardian D. Meat safes, clothes lines, and coal stores are not secure against the night prowlers. One night recently a local resident, had the contents of her sale rifled and another nil'll! a thief made his way to a residence and not content with purloining a large quantity of coal, poisoned a valuable sheep dog. which was found lying dead tlio next morning. Poultry runs! too. have been subjected to visits from thieves. Frost-fish still continue to In- plentiful on the Hokio beach. Fast Sunday one Levin party secured seven. It m a peculiarity of this fish (says the .<?- viii “Chronicle”), that they only come ashore at high tide on frosty nights, although the reason for their doing so is so far. unknown. The variety at present being obtained is that known |,v the Maoris as "Para.” which is a larger variety than the more common “Tikati.”