LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 293, 5 December 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At a meeting of the Licensing Com- ! niitlee at Waitara yesterday, a trans- ' t'er of the license of the Masonic Hall, Waitara, was granted from James lieDuff to Mrs. Cusack. A private detective employed on the Waitara Itaciug Club's course on Thursday informed one of the officials that there were more " crooks"., present than he had ever seen at a small meeting. The. Mew Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, hare, received the following cable from their London house:- -" The annual meeting passed off satisfactorily, and the annual ' report ami directors' recommendations and payment of dividends were adopted." J "Prisoner at the bar," said a judge in a recent case, " before evidence is heard, do you wish to challenge the jury!" "Well," replied the prisoner, " I aint in exactly wot you'd call 'ar.i trainin, me Lord, but I don't mind 'aving a-round or two with the fat chap in the corner."

Waitara people have repeatedly a:ul unsuccessfully 'endeavoured to pbtnin, the appointment of a second constable for that district, on the ground tint Constable Price has to attend to moie business than he can, reasonably be ex pectcd lo do. On top of this they view with great dissatisfaction the action of the officer in charge, who frequent'y takes hi/n away for special duty. On Thursday, for instance, he was out of Waitara' from nine o'clock in the morn'mg, and. being a race night, the. town was 'entitled to police protection.

The following wove visitors to live North Egmont Mountain House (luring the week ended Saturday last:—Harry Peters, A. Peters, F. Hawksworth, J. Harford, W. Collis, X. Collis, K. Collis, W. A. bo Pine, G. B. Lewis, W. 11. Lister, T. R. Davis, L. Simpson, K. M. Simpson, E. B. Reid, A. K. Collins, F. L. Smith, A. H. Johnston, J. A. Brailsford. Frank Messenger, Annie Butterworth, J. W. Butterworth, Thomas King I'hilis King, Leta Sovcnson, Nellie Sorcnson, F. T. Morshead, W. J. Hikk-r, G. T. Salway, W. S. Monk. The rainfall for November was 12 inches. Should a sufficient number of candidates hand ia their names, New. Plymouth, will be made a centre for th"; Board of Education, South Kensington, and the City and Guilds of London institute Examinations. The Education "Department has written to the Director of Technical Education, asking to be supplied with the number of students who are likely to sit in tJifr. .several subjects, the grade or stage of 'examination, and also an estimate of I the number of application forms required. In order that this information may be'supplied, intending candidates are retiucstcd to communicate with the DirecI tor, Education Office, New Plymouth.

AVilliam While, a miner belonging W Reefton, arrived in New Plymouth on Wednesday from the Feilding races, and on Thursday morning was charged with drunkenness and having assaulted Constable Whilehousc on Wednesday evening. .Mr. C. 11. Weston appeared for accused, who pleaded guilty to the charge of drunkenness and not guilty to the

other charge. The Magistrate said he | could not let accused off with a small line. White had no right to come into I the. town, get drunk, and create a disturbance. He would have to ittllict ii sentence sufficiently severe to deter accused from committing such an offence again. Accused would be lined ..US, in default seven days' imprisonment with hard labor. On the charge of drunkenness accused was convicted and discharged. An important case on the subject of Maori adoption was commenced before his Honour Judge Johnson yesterday. It affects the succession to the estate of Teieti lloera, a chief of the Nga.ivahui hapu ol the Xgatiawa tribe. «o if the registration of the adoption of Kori Watere, a younger sun (if lUugi Watere, of Waitara. is upheld, he will probably be declared to be the heir to it all. In bis time Teieti was an ardent follower of To Whiti, whose funds, it is said, Ire largely augmented from time to time. The deceased .applied) to have the boy registered as his child, but the registration was not completed until after bis death, and then at the

instance of the boy's agent. The point ■now arises for the lirst time whether under »ucli circumstances the registration holds good. A large, number of

witnesses are to lie called on both sides, and the case will occupy some days. Mr. C. H. M'estim appears for the applicant for cancellation of the registration, and Mr. J. H. Dunn for the respondent.