NEW ZEALAND NEWS

Taihape Daily Times, 17 July 1918, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS

THE LURE OF THE PANTOMIME

KEEPING CHILDREN PROM SCHOOL.

PARENTS FINED.

WELLINGTON, this day.

As a sequel to the production of the pantomime "Dick Whittington" In Wellington, several parents appeared in the Magistrate's Court, charged Vith'keeping children from school on the occasion of the matinee on third July,,. '•''"' .'- ~ ' The Truant Officer stated the pantomime management applied for permission to employ a number of children. The request was granted"~on condition the children's education was not interfered with. The children, however, were kept at the theatre till late at night and asked to attend the afternoon performance. One girl, aged eight, was so overcome by excitement that she had been in bed ever since. The prosecutions' were brought as a warning, to parents. Many children, besides those participating, have been absent from school to witness the performance.

Magistrate Fraser said perhaps the parents were not so blameable as the management, who took an unfair advantage of the children and of permits. However, : the parents were responsible, and the children had received a reward for acting. The defaulters would be fined two shillings each.

FIRE AT CARTERTON.

BOROUGH COUNCIL OFFfICES DESTROYED. CARTERTON, this day. The Carterton Borough Councti chambers were completely destroyed by fire early this morning. When the outbreak was discovered the fire had too great a hold, and the building was razed to the ground. All the contents' were consumed, nothing being saved. Maunsell Hart, and Hogg-, so- : licitors, had offices in the building. They also lost everything, including a valuable law library. The building so far as can be ascertained was insured for only £325, but full insurances are unavailable till the strongroom is opened. Maunsell, Hart, and Hogg were covered by insurance for £250. The premises adjoining were agricultural offices and dwelling, and suffered from fire and water to" an extent of about £25, covered by insurance. The origin is a mystery. TENANT'S WAR-TIME RIGHTS, EJECTMENT ORDER REFUSED Judgment was given by Mr. E. C, Cuttch, S.M., in the Auckland Magistrate 's Court on Saturday, in the case in which Dora M. V. Wills Mr Burns) sued for possession of a house from Edward Farmer, plasterer, Grey Lynn (Mr Moody). The magistrate said that the War Regulations Act. 1916, gave protection to a tenant who paid his rent regularly, and only on specific grounds, could a landlord obtain possession in such a case. One of these grounds was that the tenant's occupation was a nuisaricc or an annoyance to neighbours. In this case the plaintiff lived next door, and claimed possession because of annoyance to her caused by defendant's household. His Worship said that the demeanour of defendant and his wife in the witness box did not give the impression that they were the kind of people to' act in the way complained of. On the other hand the plaintiff was a highly-strung woman, who admitted that she had not been well for some time, and who had not got her time occupied in the somewhat . trying—though to the normal woman congenial —occupation of caring for a family. Taking the defendant's denial into consideration, and weighing the probabilities of the case, the magistrate said that the plaintiff had not proved grounds of complaint which would entitle her to turn the defendant out of the house. Judgment would be for defendant with costs.

A C2 TERRITORIAL. AN IMPOTRANT JUDGMENT. DUNEDIN. July 16. ' Mr Bartholomew, S.M., to-day gave judgment in a ease under the Defence Act, in which a member of the Expeditionary Force, classed C2 was charged with failing to render personal service with the Territorials When the case Avas heard it was stated that the Defence Department disagreed with the ruling recently given by Mr McCarthy, S.M.,' the Department maintaining that the Defence Force Act of 1909. with the Expeditionary Force Act and the Military Service Act, made the Expeditionary Force part of the Defence Force of the Dominion. Therefore, if a Territorial was drawn in the ballot and

classed C2 he ss*as still liable for training. Th c defendant contended that, as a member of the Expeditionary Force, he was free from such service Mr Bartholomew, in entering a conviction, said the fact that defendant was classed >' - was not of itself proof of unfitness to reader personal service, and there was nothing to prevent the obligation under the Act from operating in his case. THE WEST COAST MURDER. ALLOTMENT OF REWARD WELLINGTON, this day. The reward of £SOO offered by 'the Government for information which would lead to the apprehension of the person who committed thc West Coast double murder (Eggers) has been allotted as follows: —Detective Ward £lls, Detective Connolly £IOO, Detective Abbott £IOO, Morgan and O'Brien £SO, Inspector Cruiehshank £4O, Sergeant Foley £lO, Constable Hodgson £lO, Chief Detective Mellveny £ls, Mr Murray (West Coast) £ls, Mrs. Russell (West Coast) £ls, Mr Batt 15, and Mr. Watt £ls. DEFENCE MINISTER'S GENTLE REBUKE. WELLINGTON July 16. Referring to the Second Division League's annual report, Sir Jas. Allen said: "My attention has been drawn to a statement being published apparently broadcast by the Second Drrf. sion League in "its first annual report, of concession and benefits which have been granted to soldiers and their dependents. The purpose of the publication is evidently to give the impression to the public that the whole of these concessions and benefits "aXe solely due to the persistent agitation and pressure of the Second Division League. The method adopted by the League has been simple. The executive appear to have taken the original conditions withrespect to soldiers and their dependents, and compared them with those now in existence, and has assumed that the difference Is entirely due to the work of the League. This assumption altogether eliminates members of Parliament, individually and' collectively; tn"eT Press; the War Relief 1 Associations, individually and collectively; Ministers of the Crown, individually and collectively; the Returned Soldiers' Association; the Na-. tional Efficiency Board; the administrative heads of the Defence Department; and a large army of patriotic citizens throughout the Dominion, who are continually suggesting improvements for the benefit of our soldiers and their dependents. While I have no desire to discount thc actual work j that has been accomplished by the League, I think it necessary to point out that it has not a monopoly of Initiative in these matters, nor a monopoly of goodwill towards, soldiers and their dependents."