PROVINCIAL NEWS

Kumara Times, Issue 3105, 15 October 1886, Page 2

PROVINCIAL NEWS

[united CHESS ASSOCIATION.] Blenheim, October 14. A fatal accident occurred this evening to a man named Robert Aroa, a grazing farmer in the Awatere district, about 25 miles from Blenheim. He was driving home in a dray, and when about a mile from town fell from the vehicle, the wheel of which passed over his chest. Death ensued before the arrival of a medical man. An inquest will be held to-morrow. Deceased waß an old settler in the district aud about 40 years of age. He leaves many relative*, a wife, and family. Woodville, October 14. C. H. Weber, engineer, of Napier, an old settler, who left this town for Pallialur on Tuesday week, to inspect land in the Mangatamoto block with a view to purchase, has not been heard of since. Grave fears are eutertained as to his safety. The rivers were in flood at the time. A search party was out yesterday, but got no tidings of him. Another party has gone out today to m.ike a further search. Feilding, October 14. William Johnstone, a native of Birmingham, recently from Auckland, was yes'erday crushed by a falling tree in the Imah. His left arm is broken and the base of the skull is fractured. He is not expected to live. Auckland, October 14. George F. Waller was arrested on board the B/otomahana, prior to her departure for south, charged with embezzlina; £Bl, the moneys of the incumbent of the Episcopalian Church. Arthur D. Bennett, accountant, chaiged with perjury in regard to the endorsement on a promissory note in Roiiert Fitzroy Bolton's estate, was acquitted. The judge expressed regret thai he should have been subjected to the inconvenience of a trial, and animadverted strongly on certain evidence given for the prosecution. In a case of slander in which James Kay was charged with slandering Wra. Green, an English solicitor, the jud«e inflicted a nominal penalty of £1 and, costs. LOCAL BODIES' LOANS ACT. - Wellington, October 14. The Colonial Treasurer has issued the following circular .to local bodies, covering a precis of the Loans Act passed last session : The Local Bodies Loans Act provides machinery by which a local body may obtain authority to borrow money for public works of any nature, and any undertaking or purpose which a local body is authorised to erect, construct, or engage in or provide for by means of borrowed money. ! The Act may be adopted by the local body in part or in whole. Where the local body does not adopt the Act, the statutory provisions set out at foot of this letter remain in force, and regulate the mode of raising loins. Where the local body does adopt the Act the mode of exercising the power must be that provided by the "Local Bodies Loans Act, 1886." The Government Loans to Local Bodies Act empowers the Government (when [lower to borrow has been properly obtained) to lend the money to the local body on terniß of a favourable nature.

Applications for loans will be received on the Ist December next, and notice thereof appears in the Gazette of this date. As this is the first occasion of calling for application, and as there is reason to snppose the loans actually authorised by the ratepayers are not large in amount, I have determined also to receive applications from local bodies "which have proceeded no further thnn to resolve to recommend borrowing to the ratepayers and to consider these applications, together with those for loans actually authorised by the rate payers. It is obvious, however, that this course mast not be taken as a precedent, since, if the amount of loans authorised by the ratepayers were large it would not be right to defer such loans by placing on an equal footing applications which the ratepayers might not approve. Although on this occasion I propose considering and approving the application as just stated, it must be clearly understood that the loans cannot be made, nor any money paid, until the statutory formalities are complied with. The statutory provisions alluded to are chiefly certain sections in the Municipal Corporations, Counties, Town Districts, and River Boards Acts.