GENERAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 128, 21 May 1908, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS.

Have boarding-house keepers a lien, on goods belonging to boarders in security fur payment of board anil residence'; Thin* was the question submitted to Dr. McArthur, S.M., at Wellington the other day for decision. Mr. Wedde, who appeared for the keeper of a boarding-house, submitted that it had been the custom in houses that took casual guests as well as permanent boarders to detain property when paymerit was not forthcoming. His Worship: "It has never been done. Ail those cases you refer to deal with licensed houses, a fact which alters the question completely. Everybody knows that an hotclkeeper has a lien on the property of guests. It is not so at all with boarding-houses." Mr. Wedde named several large private hotels where it wa s done. "They have no' right to rotain luggage," said his Worship. Counsel considered the question important enough to appoal to a higher court.

At the present time the Waver ley Station, Edinburgh, holds the unique distinction of being the largest railway station in the world, covering an area of no los s tham 23 acres. The Waverley's nearest rivals in the United King, doni arc Liverpool Street Station, London, with 22% acres, and New Street Station, Birmingham, with 10% acres. Chief features at the Waverley comprise two main platforms, each 560 yards long, seventeen docks, including two through suburban, with an average length respectively of 180 yards, a, siui•urban island platform -170 yards in l< nglh. a cab stand area of 2200 square yards, while the lolal nieasurcinenl of the perniniioiil „ar within the conlii.es of Hie station is IS.SoU lineal yards. Sonic slight idea of the enormous amount of work entailed at Waverley mac be gleaned from the fact that there are. live signal cabins, 200 signals, 110 locking bars, 505 signal and locking bars, while the east cabin contains the largest continuous signal frame yet completed. In the telegraph department forty operator,, arc engaged, who deal with something like 4000 messages daily. Altogether for the efficient working of this colossal concern, a staff of over 400 meu is required.