The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1881.

Kumara Times, Issue 1381, 5 March 1881, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1881.

Referring to our comments on the late case of Bridget Cute, tried at the Magistrate's Court, Kumara, last Saturday, we find that the Kumara correspondent of the Grey River Argus has most disinterestedly (?) taken up the cudgels on. behalf of the two Justices who presided on that occasion. In the last emanation from' his pen that appears in our contemporary, he states "Ihave taken the trouble to look up the law upon the subject, and I find that Judge Johnston, in the New Zealand Justice of the Peace says :—'lf the information be sufficient, on the face of it, be laid by competent persons, and purport to relate to a matter within the cognisance of the Justice, it gives him jurisdiction, irrespectively of the truth or falsehood of its contents.' " To us it is highly gratifying that for once the soul of the Kumara correspondent of the Grey River Argus "has soared above such petty trifles as small boys and drum and fife baud;;, and ttiat <of late he has been engaged in looking up (studying we had hoped) the law. May the looking up business in legal authorities prove of assistance to him in '"■ "'' °* -'T deter him when attempt- '* ■■■ .::;■-■ '?) from introducing

hap-hazard a couple of quotations from the Justice of the Peace Act in support of a case in which (although he has looked up the law) at present his comprehension fails to grasp the flaw ill the proceedings. We are glad to learn that Mr Garquilo, who met With a serious accident to his leg a short time ago, is progressing most favorably in the Hospital. It is currently rumored in tdwh that some person or persons yesterday secured a large number of fish in the Greenstone Creek by exploding a charge of dynamite therein; Such a dastardly and wanton destruction of the finny tribe should meet with the reward it but too justly deserves, as the Tereinakau river now abounds with greyling and other fish, thoroughly sufficient to meet the requirements of the most enthusiastic angler. We had occasion last year to call attention to a similar occurrence, but in this instance we trust to see the matter taken up by the proper authorities, as not alone by the use of explosives are a number of fish destroyed, but there is every probability that many of the salmon placed in the Teremakau are amongst the number. A meeting of the German Association will be held to-morrow evening, at halfpast eight o'clock.

Mr Hannah announces his usual grand Easter art-union, the full particulars of 'the various prizes appearing in another 'column.

A painful accident occurred at the Energetic Company's engine shed on Wednesday morning to Mr Frank Smith, of Reefton, who has a contract to supply mining timber to the company. It appears (says the Argus) that he was sharpening an axe at a grindstone, which is driven by a rope connecting with the engine bands, when the rope ran off the drum, and, in endeavouring to affix it, he became entangled, and was dragged to the roof of the shed before the engine could be stopped, which, happily was very promptly done by Mr D. Morrison. When rescued, it was found that Mr Smith had sustained a fracture of the right thigh, besides being badly cut by the friction of the rope in the region of the groin. He also received slight injury to the head. The sufferer was immediately conveyed to the Reefton Hospital, and was attended to by Dr Thorpe. The extent of the injuries to the thigh will not be known for some days, when the inflammation will have subsided.

At the East Christclmrch Pigeon Flying ;Club trial stakes, flown on the 23rd inst., twenty birds competed. A strong N.E.wind was blowing at Rakaia (36 miles from Christclmrch) where the birds were liberated. The following is the time taken by the .first six birds home, most of the others arriving home shortly after :—Mr W. Ashby's Progross, 81min. ; Mr A. Walker's Strop, 81 min. 30 sec. ; Mr R. Foulkes' Chippendale, 81 min. 30 sec. ; Mr J. J. Parker's Hamlet, 82min. ! Mr F. Williams' Trumpeter, 84 min. ; Mr W. E. Earnshaw's Silvio, 88min. Says a writer in the Oanmru Mail—A good story is told of some friends of mine down South, and as it contains a moral that may be useful to the friends of the Mail, I find a place for it in my budget. Ashore time since three sections were sold.in ft borough not fifty miles from Oamar u for £2 10s each, or a total sum of £7 10s, and after the sale some discussion took place as to who should pay for the transfer of the title. At last the buyer and seller agreed to submit the question to the arbitrament of a coin, with the result that the seller lost the toss, and was duly electen to bear the cost of the transfer. He engaged a solicitor, and everything progressed satisfactorily until the bill of costs was received, when, lo ! it was found that the transfer of the sections sold for £7 10s had actually cost £B. The feelings of the seller when he discovered that besides losing the sections he was 10s out of pocket, may be better imagined than described. Next time he sells sections he will take better care that he himself is not sold, and will let the buyer pay for his transfers. I said there was a moral to this story, and so there is—two morals, in fact. Fr?t don't submit to chance the liquidation of an unknown liability, particularly when there is a lawyer in the case ; second, take advantage of the Land Transfer Act, and don't let a lawyer take advantage of you. To those in search of merriment, visit S. S. Pollock's, and obtain the great Irish song "The Babies in our Block," or "Little Sally Waters"; price sixpence. [A DVT.]