MY SON'S ACCIDENT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 82, 7 April 1874, Page 2

MY SON'S ACCIDENT.

To the Editor of the Evening Mail. Sib— -A copy of your paper of April 2nd wss sent to me last Saturday, -which very itmch pleased me, thinking that some kind friend had sent it, because it would interest my poor boy. But, sir, on reading that cruel letter signed " On 3of Alany," referring to the accident to my son, my feelings were very much hurt. Perhaps if the writer of that unfeeling lettrr knew how much my poor son has suffered from the effects of being rode over end trampled on, and the great anxiety it has caused an old feeble woman watching by her dear child's bedside, and seeing his agony for days, the writer would not have made sport of our misfortune. Thank God that he is now able to move about a little, but I am afraid it will be a long time before he is well again, as he still suffers so much in .the back, where the horse first struck him as' he was standing on the road. By inserting these few lines you will greatly oblige. Youra, &c, Elizabeth Frost. Eichmond, Farm, Wakapuaka, April 6th, 1874. [It is quite time the correspondence on this subject was brought to a close. We shall decline to publish any more letters in connection with it.— Ed. N.E.M.~]

The Otago Guardian says : — " We observe that during the past winter season 20 tinsmiths were constantly employed upon the Woodlands MeatPreserving Company's Works in the preparation of tins for this season's supplies; .200,000 tius of the various sizes were on hand when the correspondent of the Bruce Herald visited the works before the commencement of this season's operations." The following melancholy record of deaths from diphtheria appear* in the Canterbury papers : — March 7, at Southbridge, of diphtheria, Hamilton, fourth $ba of John and Catherine Sloan, aged' lo years. March 9, at Southbridge, of diphtheria, William, eldest Bon-pf John and Catherine Sloan, aged 15 years. March 11, at SouthbriJge, of diphtheria, Walter, fifth aoo of John and Catherine Sloan, aged 8 years. March 12, at Southbridge, of diphtheria, Mary Elizabeth, eldest daughter pf John and Catherine Sloan, aged 4 years. A decision of some importance to members pf burial societies was recently given by the judge of the county court afc Stourbridge, in the case of "The Exe.pu.tora of James Brown v. The Lily of the Valley Lodge Odd-Fellows," when the plaintiffs claimed the sum of £11 11s 9d, the funeral money of the deceased, which money, having no widow, he bod left by will to a distant relatioo. The Society admitted that the claim was due to some one, and the question for the judge to decide was, whether the money was due to the executors, or to the brothers of the deceased, in fact whether a member of any burial society could bequeath his club money. The, ru,leß of the society provided that at the death of a member his widow or relative waa to receive a certain pecuniary donation, and it was argued against the assertion of the claim to the funeral money on testamentary disposition that the rules provided the means of disposing of the money by nominee. The judge decided that the money claimed was for ever vested interest, and by common law every vested interest might be Bubject to testamentary disposal, and the fact that means were provided for disposing of the money by the rules of the society did not override the right of common law. He therefore held that the interesta of members of benefit societies such as " The Lily of the Valley OddFellows," might be disposed of by will, and therefore gave judgment for the plaintiffs for the full amount. Considering how many difficulties men often have to contend with in spending the life income according to their own inclination, it certainly seems only just that they should be allowed to do what they like with their " funeral money." Their chief object should be, under any circumstances, to let as little as possible of it go to the pockets of the undertaker. — Pall Mall Gazette.