LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 July 1942, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Beer Stolen. Five bottles of beer consigned to New Zealand troops overseas were stolen recently from a ship berthed at Wellington. Convicted of this offence yesterday by Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., Matthew Bonner, waterside worker, aged 30 years, was sentenced to one month’s hard labour. Evidence was given by officers of the shipping company that cases had been found broken open and bottles emptied. Bonner was seen leaving the wharf with two bottles in his pockets. Price of Shaving. The authority of the Price Tribunal for an increase in the price of shaving from 9d to Is was notified yesterday to the secretary of the Auckland District Retail Tobacconists and Hairdressers’ Association, Mr R. M. Carter. Shaving at 9d had been an uneconomic proposition for some time, said Mr Carter, and the New Zealand Retail Tobacconists and Hairdressers’ Federation had based its application for an increase on the increased costs of materials used, laundering, overhead and wages. The price now. fixed had a Dominion-wide application. Bequest to Blind Institute. Subject to a life interest, the capital of almost the entire estate of Mr Alfred Butcher, Christchurch, probate of which has been sworn at under £25,000, will go to the New Zealand Institute for the Blind, Auckland. Mr Butcher, who died on July 18, aged 75, lived nearly all his life in Christchurch. He came to New Zealand from London as a young man, and for many years conducted a jeweller’s business. More recently he was in business as a financial agent. The will provides for small legacies of about £5OO, and directs that the remainder of. the estate shall go finally to the institute, which is expected to benefit by about £20,000. Mr Butcher leaves a widow but no children. Selfish Landlords. Concern at the attitude of certain owners of properties damaged by the earthquake who refuse to sign the order making themselves responsible for the cost of repairs, on the ground that they wish to get rid of their present tenants, has been expressed by the Mayor of Wellington, Mr Hislop, and he intends to suggest to the Government that legislation be brought down to deal with such cases. Though the corporation had certain powers under the Health Act, they were not sufficient to meet the new position created by selfish landlords, he said. He considered that wider powers might be given to the local authority to take _ such steps as were considered proper in the circumstances.

Soldiers’ Hostel Meeting. The annual meeting of the Wairarapa Soldiers’ Hostel will be held at the Hostel, Essex Street, Masterton, this evening. In an advertisement appearing in yesterday’s issue it was incorrectly stated that the meeting would be held in Carterton. Attempted Murder vnarge. Herbert Hunter Barrett, recently a police constable at Wanganui, appeared in the Magistrate’s Court, Whangarei, yesterday, and was remanded to appear in Auckland on August 10 on the charge of attempting to murder Mate Soko Urlich at Lake Ohia on July 20. Urlich is reported to be improving after an operation. Porker and Baconer Weights. With the object of encouraging farmers to raise more pork and bacon, the maximum carcase weights of porkers and baconers will be increased as from August 1, the commencement of the dairy season, stated the Minister of Marketing, Mr Barclay, at Auckland last night. As from that date, said the Minister, the maximum weights at which porkers would be accepted would be 1201 b., as against 1101 b. in the past, and those of baconers would be raised from 1601 b. to 1801 b. Mr Barclay said the demand for pork and bacon, both for export and for local requirements, justified the raising of the maximum weights. The Marketing Department would pay the same price per pound for pork and bacon at the increased weights. He hoped that this announcement, before the commencement of the new dairying season, would enable farmers to arrange their plans accordingly. Conviction Quashed. By a majority, the Court of Appeal has quashed the conviction of Archibald Charles Barrington, who was found guilty by a jury of attempting to publish a bulletin of the Christian Pacifist Society, of which he is secretary, containing subversive statements. Barrington was charged with publishing, as well as with attempting to publish, and at the first trial the jury disagreed. At the second trial he was convicted of the attempt. Barrington submitted during the trial that there was no evidence of publication of the bulletin or publication by him. The trial judge, the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) stated a case for the Court of Appeal on this point, and on the question of whether his refusal to allow certain English publications to be shown to the jury by accused was correct. The Chief Justice’s judgment was against Barrington on both points. The other two members of the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Smith and Mr Justice Johnston, agreed with the Chief Justice that the newspapers were not admissible, but decided that the conviction should be quashed on the ground that an. attempt to publish a subversive statement had not been proved.