LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 218, 20 October 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Tluntervillc Express gives the final figures in the Rnngitikci election poll as follows:—Smith 2451, llockly 2022; ma-' jority for Smith, 420. • The mails for the I'nitcd States of America, Canada, and United Kingdom (pin San Francisco) will close here at | (>,15 a.m. on Thursday, 21st October, instead of Friday, 22nd, as previously advertised. "Is this witness asleep, or is he only thinking?" asked the .Magistrate yesterday when a particularly .slow witness was under cross-examination. The witness smartened up, but only for a moment or two.

Whilst seeing the sights of Paris, Mr. I I'. M. Spurdle, of Wanganui, had a ride in 11 i'urry car, and interviewed tne I manager ol the system. What he saw ] and heard convinced him that the Purry cars would be very suitable for a place with a email population requiring ,1 cheap and cllicient means of locomotion. The Harbor Board held a special meeting last night to discuss with the engineer, Mr. F. W. Marchant, C.E., the suitability of stringy bark for use 1:1 wharf construction. The proceedings

were iiu eommitlee, and rnu decision »as arrived at, the matter biting ic'i, in the hands of the chairman and Mr. King.

At the Church of England Men's So-1 ciety last night, Mr. John Cook read! a very interesting paper on "The Jiinle: How it came down to us ill its .present form." At the conclusion of the reading, the matter was discussed by those present, and, on the motion of Mr. Wilkinson, a very heart vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Cook.

"At last! $ would not make the trip again for a hundred pounds." Thus a weary traveller who got off .last night's mail train after doing the long railway journey from Auckland. He proceeded to say that though lie was not a good sailor he would sooner make the sex journey half-a-dozen times than the train journey once. This seems to be the feeling of most of those who have made the Main Trunk trip. It's not often that we hear complimentary things about the gas in Js'ew Plymouth, and apparently its fame goes abroad. The Woodville Examiner, reporting an " ideal" banquet in that town recently, says: "As to the gas, a couple of Salvation Army officers, who were formerly (Stationed in W|ood|vlille and, had since been in New Plymouth and Petone, had told him that in neither place was the gaslight anything like equal to that in Woodville. Pn fact, in Petone they had to light a lamp to assist the gas." During the hearing of the Warcacasc in court yesterday Mr. C. H. Weston had occasion to tell a witness that Mr. | Elwin would go into the box and contradict the witness' story. "If Mr. Elwin does that he'll bo telling a falsehood, eh?" queried the lawyer. The witness smiled broadly. " One of us must he, Mr. Weston," he replied. "And it's -Mr. Elwin, is that it?" persevered counsel. The answer was cautious enough for a member of the profession. " 1 don't say that," said the man in the box, "but I'm not." And-counsel had to leave it at that.

Interviewed in New York by a lady reporter from the World newspaper, Mr, Hark Cohen, editor of the Dunedin Star, gave some interesting personal touches to the subject of women's franchise in New Zealand. "It was claimed," he said, ''Unit wive.* would vote blindly' as their husbands told them, or else that, political differences would cause family dissension. Some women vote with their husbands, but that is because their political views happen to be the same. My own wife and 1 differ in politics. She is a Tory and lam a Radical. My two daughters vole with their mother. My son is even more Radical than I. Hut there has never been politiIcnl dissension in the family. Sometimes my wife conies home and says rath.;r triumphantly. 'My man got in!' but 1 nave niv davs of triumph too, and it is all peaceful.'" 'The habit of to-day is to take, everything in tabloid form," said Mr. Wilford, during bis hour's speech in Parliament on Friday, when he tersely dealii with a remarkably large number "of political questions of the day. His final tabloid was labelled ''Lest we forget.'' Its ingredients wore the social improvements in which New Zealand has given a. legislative lead to the world. New Zealand, he said, was the first to establish non-oontributory old-age pensions, cheap money to settlers, cheap money to workers, Stale fire insurance, compulsory conciliation and arbitration, compulsory purchns'e of large estates for closer settlement, State maternity homes. Xcw Zen land was first to provide competent midwives and nurses for Ihnse unable to pay; the first British country to aW'ord to women the Parliamentary franchise, the first to establish State life and accident insurance, reciprocal (rude with Great Britain, workers' homes, si department of public health, and various operations dealing with superannuation, and also the first to establish State coal mines. He continued that we were apt to forget the work done in parliament both by the (lovernniciit representatives and by Parliament as a whole. Both sides of tfc? House would admit v tlmt notwithstanding many imperfections this country was pressing on to better tilings. (Load applause.) At a special meeting of the Stratford Hospital Hoard on .Saturday a. letter | was received from the Board's legal adviser on its pusition with regard to : the present arrangement with the medical oli'icer. After the letter had been read th t , chairman (Mr. Ralfe) said it | was plain that the present arrangement with the medical superintendent (Dr. I Paget must cease. He moved that the [ medical superintendent be notified that tlic arrangement between the Hoard and himself, entered into in September, 11)08, by which patients are charged for operations performed by him and the fees' j recovered handed to him, is hereby ter- i uniuated. Sir. Meredith seconded the motion, which was carried, Mr. Marchant dissenting. The chairman gave notire to move that the existing by-law No. 107 be replaced by the following: (1) All patients shall contribute according to their menus towards their maintenance and treatment while in the hospital. (2) Full inquiries shall be. made with regard to the circumstances of every patient, after which the amount of payment shall be determined by the Beard. (3) Except in special circumstances', enumerated in siib-paragra'pli 4, Hie charge for maintenance and treatment shall he such sum. not to exceed IDs per day or am- part of n day. as the Heard may lix bv resolution from time to time. (4) A special fee, however. •tuny be charged where: (a) In the opinion of the Hoard a patient is well able to pay an additional fee for am operation or special treatment: Mil where tin- patient or those responsible foi hi.ni or her demand a. consiillaticm or special surgical assistance at. an operation; {<•) where in the opinion of the medical superintendent any additional medical or surgical assistance is ucccsThe Magistrate's Court was occiipic I dining the whole of yesterday aficaocm with tin- hearing of an inter

picador summons in a matter which lias been well discussed in and around Wuria lately, (flip evidence was voluminous, and the arguments lengthy. The' facts were simple enough, when straightened out, lint they took some straightening;. They concerned a widow farmer principally, a:id her employe?., a man of apparently thirty years. She was Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Taylor, recently a farmer at Warea, living'on Mr. j. J. Klwiu's property with her ten children. Her stock was held under bill-of-sale to Mr. Newton King, ami latterly lie had

been collecting iier milk cheques and paying the store account. Rent in ar-1 rear, and payments falling back. the. auctioneer sold the stock and satisfied his' <<!aiiu, leaving her two cows, a horse, a buggy, and her furniture. At ihe same time lier account at the store lost its backer. She had no money, ana could get no credit. So she .sold a phonograph to I lie employee,, Bert Thomas, for eight pound!). Then the landlord seized for rent, but he couldn't lake the instrument, which still remained on the premises. Thomas held a receipt for the ea paid for tlic machine.

The lady moved to New Plymouth, and brought the phonograph with her. It was seized bv the bailiff to satisfy her debt to W.'JI. Clarke. Then Thomas claimed the, property as his', and took steps to prove his rights. The defence sought to prove that there was no bonalide sale, but fraudulent collusion between Mrs. Taylor and Thomas, and evidence was called to show that Thomas bad admitted that it was only a scheme to "beat" the landlord. Mr. .1. J. Elwin. The witness, however, did not do this, but corroborated Thomas' story work for word. At the conclusion of the evidence Mr. Weston, for the defence, argued that the receipt which | Tavlnr relied on was an instrument nn- ' der the Chattels Transfer Act. and. »e----iug unregistered, was void against j.ie execution creditor. Mr. Wright n»ed on the Sale of Goods Act, under which J the property passed as soon as the money i was paid. " Numerous authorities and j cases were quoted, and his Worship reV ctV ei his decision. ■