DOMINION NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 88, 18 August 1913, Page 2

DOMINION NEWS.

STABBING CASE DISMISSED

[Peb Press Association.] Invercagill, August 17

At the Juvenile Court on Saturday, Mr W. A. Stout addressed Mr G. Cruickshank, S.M., in the charge peferred against Robert James Simpson for stabbing Robert James Blackmore with a knife on July 26. Counsel gaid that there was no direct proof as to how the stabbing took phce, i Hfr >no one saw the affair—not even the victim. It was absolutely certain that there was no deliberation on the part of accused, and no preparation and no ill-feeling existed; and was no motive. Counsel said that the; •youth''of• the accused''had also to be taken into consideration. The evidence given by u Fox ijras'that at the time of i be occurrence Blaekmore said it was an accident. . Hit, Worship said he agreed wuh'Mr'Stout bt 1 most'of hi 3 points, ;i ad,.dismissed the case. .

J ASSAULTING A CONSTABLE. Dnuodin, August 16. At the Police Court this mormug, Ivan Herliii; was charged that, on 15th August, he was guilty of disorderly behaviour while drutiki;on the raiiI way nation, and was further charged with using obscene language and with as»auliing Constable Maiden, by threatening to stab him with ;.t knife' while--in execution of his duty. John Eardly Nelson "was charged with be-

ing guilty of disordely behaviour, and with resisting Constable Vaughan. The evidence showed that Constable Maiden found the acused making a great deal of noise, and told them to go homo. Nelson challenged the constable, who again advised the men to go home. Herlitz was arrested for using bud language, and Nelson then obstructed Constable Maiden and drew, a knife and threatened to ase it on the constable. Assistance was procured, and the men wore arrested. His Worship said that for disorderly conduct the accused would each be fined £2 or 14 days' imprisonment, and on the charge of resisting the constable, Nelson would be fined 20s or seven days' imprisonment with hard labor.

NON-RESIDENT AGENT FIXED £5. Dunedin, August 16. A case of an uncommon nature came before Mr Widdowson, S.M., at the Police Court this morning—the Commissioner of Taxes v. J. A. Serle, a non-resident agent. Defendant was charged by the Commissioner that he had acted as agent in the Dominion, not being the holder of a warrant itt

! the necessary form from the Commissioner of Taxes or Collector of Customs so to do. Mr Eraser, K.C., prosecuted. He said that information was laid under section ten of the Land and Assessment Act, 1908. Defendant, arrived in Auckland on June 22 as representative of two firms in Sydney. Ho had taken no steps to obtain a warrant authorising him to do business in the Dominion, and had worked from Auckland to Dunedin. The maximum penalty for the offence was £SO, but the Department simply asked for a penalty to act as a deterrent. For

the defence Mr MacGregor said that the Act was harsh and unjust, defendant being only lately aware,, of {he existence of any such Act. Mr Fraser* said lie had received a wire from the collector at Auckland stating that defendant had been warned upon hi> arrival of the necessity of having n warrant, but this was denied by defendant and his counsel. A fine o? £"5 and costs was inflicted.

BALLANCE DAIRY COMPANY. TViiatua, August, 17. During the oast season, the Tsal]anc n Co-operative Dairy Company has manu r»oturi''d ton* of butter for a total i-ehim oi £80,4R0 °s 7d. This oompired with the fiprn-e., for the 1.911-12 season, represents an increase of five

tons in the output, and an advance of £1220 lbs 44 in the realisation, which, considering tin loss favorable season aid the decidedly lower prices'ruling for butter on the London market, is considered highly satisfactory, establishing as it does a double record For tha company under unfavorable conditions. The directors "note that a portion of tin output was consigned Home, a quantity being sold t" Vancouver and the remainder sold in New Zealand. The price realised per lb. for the year's output was 12.29 d, compared with 12.1 Pd for the previous season. Payments to shareholders for the season were Is Ofd per lb, and Is lfd for August. The company is now engaged in forming a cow-testing association, by which it is hoped, without any increase in the herds, to increase the returns to suppliers by over £15,000 per annum.

SCHOOL TEACHING REFORM

Mastertou, August 17. Eighty teachers met here on Saturday to lay before Sir Walter Buchanan and Mr G. R. Sykes, M.P.'s, the necessity for improving the conditions of New Zealand teachers. Stress was laid on the urgent need for an improvement in salaries, payment not to be made on attendance, a Dominion promotion scheme and that superannuation should be granted on the best three years. Sir W. Buchanan was absent through illness. Mr Sykes promised to lay before the Miniester for Education the requests of the Institute.