NEW ZEALAND NEWS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 158, 9 March 1915, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND NEWS

THE HUNTLY DISASTER. A CASE OF MANSLAUGHTER. 1 (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) I HAMILTON, This Day. J The trial of James Fletcher, late !, manager of Ralph's Colliery. Huntly, charged with maslaughter in connection with the recent, pit disaster, commenced to-day before Cooper and a special jury of twelve. The charge read: That on or about the twelfth September 1914, you did omit without lawful excuse to observe your, legal duty in regard to the safety of lives of miners employed in Ralph's colliery ,and in consequence of such omission you did cause the death of William Burton, thereby committing manslaughter on grounds of negligence as follows: (1) That it was your practice tc allow miners to go into the workings with naked lights to remove rails in spite of the fact that you knew that gas was beinjg constantly found there by deputy inspectors. (2) Knowing the 'presence of gas in the mine and of ignitions and explosions that had taken place, that the mine was a dirty one, and that coal dust was slightly explosive, you did not order satiety lamps to be used in the mine. (3) That contrary to special rules you did not keep the door leading to eld workings locked. (4) That you did not carry out watering of the mine as instructed by the Government Inspector. 5) That you did not cause daily inspection of all parts of the mine to be made as required by special rules, nor did you cause adequate inspection of old workings to be made. Mr Ostler appeared for the Crown, and Mr Skerrett, K.C., for the defence. There are about twenty witnesses, and the case is expectd to last a week.

INSPECTORS APPOINTED. ' WELLINGTON, This Day. The Footwear Regulation Act, which vvas passed last session, contains strict previsions against the importation into the Dominion of shoddy footwear. It is new announced that the administration of the Act has been passed sver to the Labour Department, whose inspectors are to be (given power to inspect stocks (wholesale or retail) and to proceed against persons selling or offering for sale boots and shoes of the shoddy order. A reporter made some inquiries into the subject to-day which point to the fact tflat in spite of last year's prohibitive" legislation there is still a good dea] of footwear containing such materi*. as cardboard and cloth packing beinlrimported. This applies more particularly to ladies' fancy shoes. One whqlesafe dealeir said that fully 40 per cent, of this class of footwear was still shoddy in the strict sense of the word, but he said that as the months went by the importation of better goods would gradually eliminate the cheap and nasty quality . ,

It is understood that the Public Service Commissioners will shortly call for applications for extra inspectors, to be attached to the Labour Department, whose duty it will be to closely examine all footwear that is sold. TAU HENARE CASE. COSTS BETWEEN £l5O AND £2OO. AUCKLAND, This Day. Justices Hosking and Stringer, who heard the petition against the return of Tuu Henare for the Northern Maori seat, to-day ordered the petitioners, two natives, to pay costs, which amount to between £l5O and £2OO.

CRUELTY TO A BULL. A HAWERA CASE, HAWtfRA, This Day. In tha Magistrate's. -Court to-day, Thomas Major, Ralf Haybittle, and Goodger were charged with having ill-treated a bull by firing at it with a gun or pea-rifle. The information against Haybittle was dismissed, but Major, whom the Magistrate considered primarily responsible, was fined £ls, and Goodger (his servant), 20s. Defendants' explanation was that they did not intend to injure the animal, but discharged the weapons with the. object of mastering a vicious beast. The bull had to be destroyed.