LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A man who could not tell the time, read nor write, was among the witnesses ’n a court case at New Plymouth yesterday. The erection of a large private hotel, to be known as the Hotel Cecil, will be proceeded with in Hamilton in about two months’ time. The building, which will be of five storeys, will be thoroughly up-to-date in every respect, and will have a frontage to the river, with an entrance from Victoria Street. Accommodation will be provided for 100 guests. A Government electrical expert is shortly to visit Stratford to consider a hydro-electrio scheme submitted by Mr. B. H. Horner, civil engineer, at the last meeting of the Power Board, which he claims is capable of generating about 4000 h.p. The locality of this power is not yet disclosed, but is understood to be suitably situated for utilisation over the whole of South Taranaki. — Post.

While the law provides that no unregistered accountant may designate himself a “public accountant,” he may still practice the profession under any other title. The question is one of perennial interest at meetings of the New Zealand Society of Accountants, and endeavors have been made to have legislation enacted to block this loopi hole. The matter was raised at last j night’s meeting of the Taranaki branch |of the society, when the branch’s delegate to the New Zealand Council was requested to again voice the opinion of tfye members on the question at the next meeting of the council. At the Hawera S.M. Court on Friday the inspector of awards proceeded against J. C. Harrington for employing a porter at a smaller wage than provided for in the Taranaki licensed hotel employees’ award. Counsel for defendant said the man had been given work though the hotel-keeper had not much work to offer. A fine of £2 was imposed. Francis David Buckley, licensee of the Normanby Hotel, was charged by the police with selling after hours » bottle of beer to Alexander Boyd Cadman. Buckley was also charged with opening his premises for the sale of liquor after hours. Both charges were dismissed.

The annual report of the Taranaki branch of the New Zealand Society of Accountants, presented at the annual meeting at New Plymouth last night,, contained a paragraph in which the retiring chairman stated that there were numerous matters affecting the profession which ought to be discussed from time to time. If there was to be a proper professional spirit members should meet periodically, and he trusted that the coming year would be a period of renewed interest and activity on the part of members, so that the local branch might assume in the community the position it ought to occupy. In moving the adoption of the report, ‘the chairman (Mr. F. T. Davies) again urged this matter, and hoped that members would make the society felt in the commercial life of the community. A claim for £lOBO 4s for general and specific damages arising out of a motor collision on the main road near Waitara occupied the attention of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday. The claim was made by Eleanor Mary Crofts against Herbert H. Johnston, plaintiff being a passenger in a motorcar and the defendant being the owner of a motor lorry in charge of one of his employees at the time of the accident. In addition to the general question of fact. Mr. J. C. Nicholson (for the plaintiff) also put in the plea that when two vehicles came into collision as the result of the combined negligence of two drivers, a passenger in one vehicle was entitled to claim damages against the driver of the other, notwithstanding the fact that the first mentioned driver was also guilty of contributary negligence. The whole of the day was .occupied in hearing evidence for the plaintiff, the Court rising shortly before 5 p.m. This morning the hearing will be resumed at 10 o’clock.

The dropping of a line in the report of the speech of Dr. Reakes at the boys’ and girls’ clubs prize-giving on Thursday gave a wrdUg impression. Dr. Reakes said it was most satisfactory to note how the competitions had gone ahead and the large number of competitors. This year no less than 43 schools had competed. In 1920-21 there were only 192 entries, all in South Taranaki. In 1921-22 there were 235 in southern, 210 in northern, and 107 in central Taranaki, besides 207 entries in the calf clubs of South Taranaki. This, he said, was most satisfactory. This is the last week of C. C. Wards Great Winter Sale, which has been a record one owing to the splendid values given. Ladies should avail themselves of the opportunity of buying drapery at greatly reduced prices before it is too late. , ~ At the auction sale to be held on the 30th inst. on behalf of the Taranaki Oil Wells (N.Z.), Ltd., will be sold a quantity of office equipment, which includes two good Milner safes. See advt. in this paper for particulars. The attention of persons looking for a good property investment is directed to the Taranaki Oil Wells (N.Z.) Ltd. s auction sale. The refinery site, which consists of five acres of freehold land, along with several spacious buildings, oners one in this direction. The land is suitable for a cutting-up proposition, or tlie buildings may be let in their present c ® n " dition for storage purposes at a rental that would be equivalent to a handsome rats of intersat on one's outlay.