LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 October 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Damages Awarded for Injury. Judgment was given in the Supreme Court, Palmerston North, in a claim by Mrs E. Albury for injury sustained on the premises of C. M. Ross and Co., Ltd. Plaintiff was aAvarded £750 general and £126 2s 3d special damages. Entering of judgment was postponed pending legal argument on a non-suit, point.

Right-hand Rule. “You failed to give Avay to traffic approaching on your right, thinking you had the right of way; if you thought that, you had no business to be driving at all,” said Mr Justice Smith, in giving judgment in a case in the Supreme Court, Palmerston North, yesterday. “The right hand rule is universal in New Zealand; there is no ‘main and side road’ rule,” he added.

Outstanding Bull Purchased. Yet another outstanding Jersey bull, has come to the Wairarapa district. Three years ago Mi’ L. A. Keats, Mount Bruce, purchased the show and butterfat champion bull “Erinview Masterpiece,” whose daughters have made history. Mr Keats has now purchased “ErinvieAV Beau Pere” who is by “Irene Wonderful Oxford,” champion butterfat bull out of “Erinview Adeline” • (V.H.C., C.0.R., 8641b5. fat at 3 years). “Beau Pere” has three generations of C. 8.8. behind him, on the dam side, also a double cross of the “Owler of Puketapu.”

Train Driver’s Negligence. Finding that the driver of a goods train which hit a motor truck at Kohuratahi on February 18 was negligent in that he failed to see attempts to warn him the line was not clear, Mr W. H. Woodward, S.M., gave a reserved decision against the Railways Department in Stratford yesterday. John Edward Shewry, farmer, Kohuratahi, was allowed £59 Ils 5d for repairs and depreciation of the truck. Mr Woodward said the engine of Shewry’s truck stalled. While he was trying to get the truck off the line, he sent an employee along the line to stop the train, and Shewry said he ran along the line himself to stop the train. The enginedriver said he saw nothing unusual till he saw the truck one and a half chains away, with Shewry standing beside it. Mr Woodward considered the driver was negligent in not seeing Shewry and his employee. The magistrate agreed not to enter judgment for a fortnight l to allow consideration of an appeal.

Liquor at W.A.A. Clubhouse.

Admitting that a small quantity of intoxicating liquor had been consumed at the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force clubhouse at Levin on Saturday last, the Minister of Defence, Mi’ Jones, yesterday read to the House of Representatives a report which he had received on the occurrence. He stated that the officer commanding had allowed the consumption of the liquor, an irregularity for which he had been disciplined. Mr Jones’s announcement that the carrying and consumption of liquor in W.A.A.F. quarters on R.N.Z.A.F .stations was strictly prohibited Avas greeted with murmurs of “Hear, Hear” from both sides of the House.

Highest Hospital Levy. Figures demonstrating that the charge per head of population for hospital levies is much higher in Wellington than in the Dominion’s three other principal cities are contained in the report of the special committee of the Wellington City Council set up to ocnsider the impact of hospital expenditure on the finances of the city. The charge per head in Wellington for 1942 is 17s lid. For the other chief cities it is: Auckland 13s lOd, Christchurch 10s 3d, Dunedin 11s 9d. The great increase that has taken place in hospital expenditure in recent years was demonstrated by the committee, which said that the Dominion expenditure had risen from £1,313,649 in 1933-34 to £2,282,408 in 1938-39. The average annual cost of maintenance of general hospitals per occupied bed rose from £99 12s in 191011 to £254 in 1938-39.

Public Spirited Work. “A splendid public-spirited work,” were the words used by the Minister of Health, Mr Nordmeyer, in speaking of the society’s achievements, when he addressed delegates at the Plunket conference in Wellington yesterday afternoon. He expressed the indebtedness of the Government and the Health Department to the society for what it Avas doing in promoting health among mothers and babies in New Zealand. It should surely be the function of the State to assist materially in the matter, Mr Nordmeyer said, when discussing one of the society’s .greatest difficulties, adequate financial help. As Minister of Health he assured the conference he would do Avhat he could to assist 4n this matter. Without committing the Government in any. way, he said it Avould do everything possible to assist in the great work and to cooperate with the society.