LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 56, 1 March 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

“I know Or. Meredith better than Or. lloberton does,” was a remark {Kissed by Or. McCutchan at the meeting of the Whangamomona County Council on Wednesday. Messrs. T. Borthwick and Sons, Ltd. (Australasia), and the Wood vi lie Bacon 00., Ltd., will not receive pigs until March 11th.

Foreman T. Wilson, representing the Stratford Fire Brigade, left by the mail train this morning for Rotorua, where The Fire Brigade Conference is to be held. Three other delegates were aboard the same train.

“To apply for Government grants and then mot take them, and then, again, make application, and when granted again refuse the expenditure cf same, seems to be a schoolboy's game,” remarked Or. Biggins at Wednesday’s meeting of tlie Whangamomona. County Council.

A dozen odd trucks from the Mountain quarry were at the station this morning. The material is for ballasting the line, in any places that may require attention between hero and Hawera.

“I have not used that word ‘declaring’—please leave it out, and say ‘treating,’ ” was a. remark frequently used by Cr. Coyne at Wednesday’s meeting of the V, hangamomoua County Council, when Councillors were speaking to the resolution re treating Brewer Road as a main road. Two of the rooms in the east end of the new school building will be occupied on .Monday next by the standards at present using the Salvation Army Barracks. The formal opening of the school will take ’dace towards the end of March.

Crs. Coyne and McCntchan h'ad somewhat of an argument at the Whangamomona County Council meeting regarding 4 ‘treating” ■pr ‘‘declaring” Brewer Road as a main road. Cr. Biggins Jet light in on the subject with the remark; “You are both on the same track, hut you do not understand one another.”

In a judgment summons case before Mr. W. G. K. Kenrich this morning, Wilson, Brake and Co. (Mr. Malone) proceeded against Mark Cronin, of Whangamomona. The judgment debtor produced a statement of his earnings and expenses, and 'the Magistrate refused to make an order. Cr. Bacon moved at Wednesday’s meeting of toe Whangamomona Comity Council: “That in /future /the estimates and quantities bo included in the specifications of every .contract.” The motion was lost after considerable discussion, on .the casting vote of the chairman.

Mr. Hubert Mitoliell, for many years associated with the literary staff of the “Lyttelton Times,” has temporarily abandoned journalism to go “on tour.” He arrived in Stratford yesterday to make arrangements for the appearance of Miss Marie Baines and her English Comedy Company, in “Miss Lancashire, Limited.”

During tin argument between Crs. McOivtchan and Coyne at the Whangamomona County Council meeting re treating Brewer Hoad tas a main road, Cr. Coyne said that,he found out such inconsistency cn .the part iof Cr. McCutchan, and it was such ,a .shock to Ids nerves that ho could ho knocked over with a feather.

Cr. McCutchan stated pi reply to Cr. Bacon at Wednesday’s meeting of the Whangamomona County Council, while discussing (Government grants, that he had four times more experience .than be had. Cr. Bacon: Where ? Cr. McCutchan; In the back blocks, with 34 years’ experience. Cr. Bacon: 1 have had 30 years. Cr. MoCntchan: Well, you .arc an older man than you look. (Laughter.)

Cr. Bacon, in reply to Or. McCutchan, ,nt the Whangair.bmona County Council meeting, said it, was utterly wrong for Cr. McCutchan to stand vp .and say (or. any other Councillor) that the roads mentioned worerin dehit or not. He defied airy ( Councillor lb, know, and when he (Cr. McCu.tehan) was mot sure, he should keep his mouth shut.”

When the motion “That the 1 engineer’s report as amended be adopted,” came on at the County Councilmeeting at Whangamo-mona., Cr. McCutchan stated that it was <a wrong proceedure. If the words “as amended” .were left out it was in Order, and he went on to say: “What about the ether matters contained in the report —■are you '-adopting them, or merely the amended items?”

A lot of’poor j hardworking horses and bullocks will bo deprived of a livelihood when the “iron horse” runs into Whangamomona. On the Wliangamomona Saddle yesterday morning cur .travelling reporter counted the following formidable array of animals of carriage:—Three waggons loaded w.th timber, ten bullocks to each waggon; three waggons, six horses each; throe waggons, five horses each; one waggon, four horses; mail coach, five horses; delivery cart, .two noises; a total of 74 beasts of burden.

. bh>t even the “ ’umhlcness” of the immortal Uriah Heap (says the “Wanganui Herald”) was more thorough than the methods of a certain ratepayer, who commenced an,epistle lo the Borough Council last evening with “Gentlemen, I have the honour and privilege to place myself in communication .with your honourable Council, and concluded with “your* very respectfully.” In view of such flowery language, the Couucirs action hi merely referring the letter to the ft orks ,Committee almost savoured of vandalism.

io have an even number on a Council often places the chairman in a peculiar position. Such is the case with the Whangamomona County Council. At Wednesday’s meeting of that body several divisions were called for, and with one exception all were even voting, and needed the casting vote of the chairman to decide. Some matters were of a very important nature, and for the chairman to give his vote for or against, as the case may be, practically leaves him to shoulder all the responsibility. The chairman remarked; “I think I will have to resign the chair.”

The second annual picnic of the Ackland Hoad School was held on Thursday in the school ground. There was a. splendid attendance of the children, their parents, and friends. Among the latter were quite a number of Stratford people, who were kindly driven free of charge to the picnic ground by Mr. F. Gooch, in one of his drags. The prizes won during the year were presented by Mr. Frank Mackay. Another presentation was also made, the chairman presenting Miss Mace, who leaves the teaching profession for another sphere of life, on behalf of the children, with a splendid clock. A well-known Stpat- : ford resident responded for ' Miss Mace. Games of a most enjoyable character, including a greasy pig c\ cut, were indulged in, a most enjoyable time being spent. Judgment was given plaintiff by default, with costs, in the following civil cases heard before Mr. ,W. G. K. Kenrick, S.M., this morning:—Bert Burgess (Mr. Thomson) v. B. Keith, claim £1 7s 6d, costs 7s; A. 1). Carbery.(Mr Stanford) v. W. Bellve, for balance of a claim of 2s, and 5s 3d solicitor’s fee; William Winmill (Mr. Stanford) v. Joint Harvey, claim £l2 Is 3d, costs £1 10s bd ; J. Davov (Mr. W. G. Malone) v. W. Blair, claim 15s, costs ss; F. M. Marlow (Mr. Thomson) v. H. V. Edwards, claim for rent and possession of tenement, judgment for £3 aid costs £J 12s, possession having boon given v.p since the issue of the summons; N.Z. L. and M.A. Co. (Mr. Malone) v. 1). Father, claim £3 12s, and costs 10s ; National Bank of N.Z. (Mr. Malone) v. I). Favier, claim for | £lOl 13s 2d, Court costs £2, solicitor £3 1 Os; John Leydon v. William \\ r.gbt, claim £1 6s Sd, and costs ss; 1 R H. Brigs! (.Mr. Fookes) v. Wm. Burgess, chain £1 17s fid, and costs ss; same v. P. Coldstream, claim for £2 17s Od, costs 1.8 s; same v. H. Blaudford, claim £2 Ss 6(1, costs 10s.

The Licensing Committee were to have met- at noon m-clay, hut the meeting was adjourned, there being no quorum. .

Mr. J. W. Beem, field supervisor under the Agricultural Department, is at present on an inspection visit to Stratford.

While .discussing an application for compensation for accident at the County Council meeting at .Whangamomtolia on Wednesday, the question was asked by a Councillor, had any claims been brought under the Council’s notice previously, and payment made ? ’To which a reply was given that- it had probably not been brought under the C'e.uncT's ntatice, but payments had 1)0011 .made, and an instance was given where a man fell over a log and cut his foot, .while in the Council’s employ, to which a prominent Councillor replied: “Shooting pigeons!” the remark creating much laughter. . At the Magistrate’s Court this morning Arthur John Huggett was charged with riding a bicycle on the footpath. He pleaded not guilty. The Borough Inspector stated that accused cycled some hundred yards on a properly kerbed footpath. From the body of the Court accused said that he was not jading on the footpath. Later, Mr. Fookes, who appeared for the Borough Council, extracted from him in the Uox an admission to the effect that he had ridden twenty yards on the footpath. The Magistrate commented very plainly on the fact of accused pleading not guilty. Ho should have pleaded guilty, and then made an explanation. He had only made the costs heavier, for the Borough had instructed their solicitor to appear in all defended cases. The offence was quite plain, and it did not matter how far lie had ridden along the footpath. He was fined ss, witJi costs 17s 6d.

At J Wednesday’s meeting of the Whangamomona County Council Cr. McCutchan stated that ho would support Cr. Coyne on his notice of motion re Brewer Hoad if he would alter it to “treat” it instead of “declaring” it a main road. Cr. Coyne; I haven’t used the word declared, at your own suggestion. I adopted the word treated, and have not once mentioned the word declared. To this Or. McCutchan replied: “That he has never been Unmet guilty of any improper act, and Cr. Coyne or anyone else would never find his name recorded in the minutes in support of any matter cf unfairness, and that he would always be, fair and just.” Or. Coyne then remarked that he asked for no favour, but fair play, and would get it.

In the course of a conversation concerning the correct pronunciation of Maori names, says the Haw era “Star,” a -res’dent of this district recently mentioned that the Hawera pronunciation of “Wangbgoro” was nothing like the Maori, which (as rendered by .the resident referred to) was “Wai” and a prolonged snore. Translated, into English, he, continued, Waingongoro meant “snoring water,” and the river had received its name from’.the story that an old-time chief, voyaging up the coast, ancl'y-qary with lifokpig for a,landing-place, had put ( in at that, jriver’sj mqutlp ap,d .immediately lay down and went' ,to sleep there. . Another gontlomjuf present accounted for the name by a different legend which was to the effect that a Maori chief living ,at the headwaters of the Waitara River, had been awak>ened by the crying of his child, and in an endeavour" to quieten it, had walked until he came to the Waingongoro, where the child at length went to sleep. Hence the name “snoring water.”

A case illustrating the technicalities of tlie Impounding Act was heard at Manaia S.M. Court on Wednesday, when T. D. Bradford (Mr O’Dea) complained that F. Day (Mr. Bennett) bad illegally impounded, a Cow belonging to plaintiff, and had also clai med excessive trespass rates. The parties were before the Court on two prevous Court days over a fencing dispute. It was admitted by Mr. Bennett that the fence through which the tow trespassed was not a sufficient fence. The Impounding Act makes it imperative that certain particulars must be given in writing to the pqundkeeper by the person impounding. In this case the notice did not specify the land on which the cow was trespassing, nor did it mention tbe owner of the cow. Mr. O’Dea quoted authorities to show that this omission made the impounding (illegal. Mr. Bennett, on the other hand, contended that the plaintiff had waived the omissions. The Magistrate (Mr. Ken rick) held .that the omissions were fatal to the defendant, and that, therefore, the impounding was illegal, and ordered the return of all pound fees paid, 6s -expenses for driving the cow homo, and one guinea solicitor’s fee to plaintiff’s solictor." His Worship suggested that it would lie a,good idea for local,bodies to draw up a model form of notice for use by poimdkeepers.