Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JULY 11, 1898. The Rights of Racing Clubs.

Manawatu Herald, 11 July 1893, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JULY 11, 1898. The Rights of Racing Clubs.

In the wise of Robinson v» the officers and members of the Town and Suburban Racing Club, heard at Napier on the nOth June, the rights of Racing Clubs to order persons to leave a course has been fully defined. Robinson, alms " Murrumbidgee " claimed damages for false imprisonment and lost his case. It was shown that the club had six notices posted oa the ground cautioning persons from laying totalisator odds, two were placed at the entrance gates and two on the totalisator house, Robinson asserted he was laying •' starting prices " but which he admitted was what the club called " totalisator odds." He stood for part of the time in front of the machine. His conduct having been pointed out to the Secretary, Robinson was*asked to leave, but claimed, as he had paid a shilling to enter he was entitled to stop in. The secrethen tendered him the shilling and as he would not then leave, asked ihe police to remove him. There is no doubt from the Chief Justice's ruling that all was done that need to have been done, as he asserted that Robinson having been asked, time after time, to leave, and he having refused to do so, it was lawful to take him into custody. He would not leave the property of the club except by compulsion, and he was therefore taken away by force. As a matter of law the police were perfectly justified in taking plaintiff to the lock-up, but he ought then to have been taken as speedily as possible before a Justice. His Honor quoted sub-section 3 of section 6 of the Police Offences Act and stated that the Act contemplated that if a person wilfully trespassed upon another's land, and refused to leave when called upon to do so, that was an offence, and upon sight of that it was lawful for a constable to take a person so offending into custody, and to keep him in custody until a charge against him could be properly laid and investigated. During an argument with counsel it was attempted to be shown that the course most proper to adopt was to have taken the name and address of the obstructor and then summoned him, but His Honour pointed out that it was evident that in a case where a man had no settled residence it was useless to hold that he was a man whose name and address could be readily obtained.

This decision is most satisfactory to all who have anything to do wiih the management of race-meetings as it will enable them to put down, with a firm hand', the nuisance that these " bookies " are. It is also a sort of fitting judgment that it should have fallen to the lot of one of the most determined of this class to have, at his expense, proved that they can be lawfully jind easily suppressed. The name of " Murrumbidgee " will therefore have, for the iuture, a more pleasant association with race-meet-ings than it has had heretofore.

At an adjourned meeting of the Foxton Licensing Committee yesterday, Mr George Gray attended and informed the Committee that tenders had not yet been accepted for the alterations to Aberdeen House, but he thought they would be directly. The Committee did not view the matter as very satisfactory, but adjourned for another month. We have not heard of very much damage having been done by the flood. At the Messrs Dudson's mill in the swamp about 10 to 12 tons of fibre has been spoilt. A few cattle both at Motoa and Wirokino have been drowned by getting entangled in the wire fencing, and a few sheep which would not travel well. Considering the area the water covered it speaks well for the promptitude in mustering when such few casualties are known. The San Francisco mail closes at the looal office to-morrow at 8 p.m. The direot mail due in London on 29th August closeß here on the 17th July, and for specially addressed correspondence by the s.s. Coptic, due in London on 6th September on 24th July. 'Mr Greenwood notifies that he will visit Foxton on 22nd July. By an inset with this issue it will be noticed that Mr James Smith announces a great salvage sale at his branch establishment in this town. The goods have been purchased in Sydney, the salvage of the burnt steamer "Port Jackson," and were obtained at a very low cost. The prices mentioned do appear remarkably cheap. During the flood a pieoe of high land in Mr Purcell's paddock got surrounded with water, and on this rise many hares had sought refuge, with the result that Mr Purcell secured a bag of sixteen. Most of our contemporaries notify that there will be fifty-three Sundays this year. We are glad they are pleased, but are our parsons ? The Hon. W. P. Reeves has resigned his position of Managing Director of the New Zealand Times, at the request, so it is said, of his Ministerial colleagues. This is evidence of the unfortunate false position that, politicians are in who attempt to be critics of their own actions. The flood has been the oocasion of a stampede on the part of the spiders inhabiting Jhe low-lying lands. From all parts of the swamp wonder has been expressed at the immense number of spiders clinging to everything above water, the flax, posts, and floating thistles all being covered with these insects. ' 'Mr John' 'Anderson is the successfnl guesser of the contents in the bottle in Messrs Ramsey & Co's window. The actual number of beans and peas were 1328, and Mr Anderson guessed 1330.

A good many people rode up No. 1 Line on Sunday to view the waste of waters over the Motoa s\varap.

Put not your faith in nostrums. We have heard of one unfortunate man in the Woodville district who suffered severely from rheumatism. He was advised to anoint himself with kerosene, and, like the ruler of the Queen's navee in Gilbert dt Sullivan's opera, he did It 80 beaiitiftillee that now he has rlcit a liair on his body or head-, eveft his eyebrow? having disappeared. This must have been unsuspected, therefore care should be taken to discover what effect certain cures may have. It has given him relief from pain, but also relief from hair.

Last week tlie Palmerßton Borough Councillors were astonished to And " a gentleman in blue," a veritable policeman, on duty in their Council Chambers. They objected strongly, they feared the strong arm of the law might spoil their diversions. They refused to take their seats until the Mayor requested the Constable to leave. It is supposed that the " bobby " was present at the Mayor's request, and, from the way Councillors are reported to have behaved at a prior meeting, we are not surprised at the Mayor desiring better protection. We hope that the same precautions may not be needed nearer home.

At the Bangitikei County Council meeting the Engineer suggested that a bye-law should be passed compelling traction engines when passing over bridges to place planks, 12 inches by 4 inches and 15 feet long, on a bridge before passing over it.— Mercury.

The Coalpiteath mine at Brunnerton has been abandoned for the time being. The men employed have drawn their tools, the water having forced them out. Over 100 men are idle, as there is no room for them in the one working mine.

The whalers of Dunedin are forming a company with a capital of £60,000 to conduct operations in the Antarctic Ocean from the Falkland Islands.

It will doubtless surprise residents of the Rangitikei, says the Mercury, to learn that no less a sum than £700 has been spent in endeavoring to prevent the encroachment of the river near Mr D. Scott's residence. This money has practically " gone to sea," as very little good has been done.

One of the latest inventions in dairy appliances is a machine for blending butter, which is being largely used secretly by grocers behind the counters. By means of this machine, firkins of butter of the most widely different quality and color are in four minutes absolutely blended. Margarine, water, or any other frozen matter can be blended as easily. One large firm in London have just had four extra large blenders geared up, capable of mixing 9cwt per hour.

A Berlin correspondent writes to an exchange: — In one of the theatres here a piece is given in which, during the first act, there is a thunderstorm. In order to produce the lightning two electric cables are used, the ends of which terminate in carbons like those used for electric lamps. When a flash of lightning is to be produced, a man behind the scenes unites the poles of the two cables, whioh produces an electric spark, and the thing is done. For some time past a workman occupied on the stage had always watched the lightning producer with the greatest attention. The other day during a rehearsal he thought he would like to try hia hand at it. He took hold of the oables and produosd the flash, but in consequence of some awkward handling on his part the electric spark struok him, and he fell on the ground completely paralysed. He was at once taken to the hospital, but all the medical s kill was in vain.

The funeral of Lady Wheeler, wife of Sir T. Wheeler, took place at Leamington, England, on 20th May. The deceased weighed 39st, and, with the coffin, llcwt 2qr 71b. The coffin was 6ft 9in long, 3ft Sin wide, and 2ft Gin deep, the usual depth of coffin being 15in. A special hearse was constructed, and it took twelve men to carry the coffin.

George Gerald Marrington, 14 years of age, has won a record for regular attendance at a board school at Earlsfiekl. For seven years in succession he has never been absent or late. He holds a gold medal presented by the School Board for this exemplary conduct.

" Amongst the poorer classes in China," said Professor R. K. Douglas (who knows a good deal of that country) to members of the Royal Institution, " it is quite common to kill off the female infants in one way or another, and such notices as •' Girls may not be drowned in this pond ' can often be met with.

MAHOMET SAID :— « The ink of the wise is worth more than the blood of martyrs." Perhaps all do not agree with this ; but everyone acknowledges that Crease's A. 1. Coffee when onoe tried is always used.