"THE WHIFFLERS" DOMESTIC ECONOMIES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1933, 7 March 1885, Page 2

"THE WHIFFLERS" DOMESTIC ECONOMIES.

At tho Resident Magistrates Court yesterday, before H. S. WardellEsq., R.M., Mrs Lydia Rose Harris applied for a maintenance order against her husband, "John Smith Harris, A.C.A.," better known as-."The Whiffler." Defendant appeared in tho dock lugging a huge armful of "documents," consisting of photoraph albums, unabridged dictionaries, and about a ream and a half of manuscripts. He pleaded '' Not guilty, up to the hilt." , Mrs Harris, when sworn, proceeded to narrate her tale of woe in a low voice, until kindly encouraged by her husband's ejuculations of "speak up mother," "Don't be afraid old gal," and tho liko, after which she became more audible. She deposed that for some weeks the defendant had not furnished her with any money to provide Subsistence, for herself and her children. That during the last week she had been compelled to work at washing and hoUse-cleaning to earn a few shillings for the support of herself and family. The defondant began a cross-examina-tion by asking his wife if she remembered tho particulars of ,his suite against Charles Qreatrex and Company which ended in his favor, and was proceeding to go into details w|en he was stopped by the Magistrate, who postponed the further hearing for a couple of hours, Mr Wardell suggested that the parties should try to arrange the matter amicably but Mr Harris refused to listen to any counsel on that 'head. He Baid that mention had been made of the matfer in the newspapers, and he wanted the : ;case publicly disposed of. He added that he was 'Uure of justice; that no man held the scale of justice more evenly than Mr Wardell," and left 'tho dock with a triumphal air,, calling for /three cheers for the red, white, and blue," His bearing in court was marked by his usual strong idosyncrasies, calling forth a half "sotto voce" remark fromhis Worship that "the man must be either an idiot or a. knave. ' On the. case being called on at one o'clock, the defendant again made' himself supromoly ridiculous, and laid himself open to several severe strictures from the Magistrate on Hb behaviour in Court., . Ultimately the case was adjourned for a weok to permit the parties to come to some private arrangement,. if possible. —Evening Press. . - •——

'MASTERTON TOWN LANDS TRUST, •%_■ ■; The Inontlily meeting of tho Trusteos nas held in tho Council Chambors last night. Present—Messrs R. Hare (chairman) E. Feist, and J. Muir. Tho minutes of. the previous mooting wero read and I 'confirmed. The Treasurer reported a credit balance £lB 2s 2d. _ >; *,;■ The"following correspondence was'read: From tho CommissionerH CrafmiLands re the boundary of the Masterton' Small Farm settlement and section 43,-Manaia. From same, stating Rhodes',TrUsteeß had not yet sent in their Crown, grant for amendment. From Mr M. .Caselberg, : making a fresh application to enab&bim .to.take advantage of the improvement clauses of the Trust regulations, From, the secretary Park Trust stating a deputation' from that, body would waitupon •Town Lauds Trustees in respect of themortgage on 'the Park.. : ''; Re the application from Mr Caselberg, the minutes.of the meeting in which tho 1 application was previously considered was . re «d. . ■ . ~' .. .. . Mr Caselberg had offered to. pay an increase on his .present rentals of five per cent, Since the Trust had the matter in consideration the brewery had been-des-troyed by fire and the lessee was only bound to rebuild to the oxtent of £IOO. The matter, wasreforred'tbacommittee consisting of Messrs Lowes, Feist, and Gapper to report upon'at next'meetings ■ Re the.Commissioner of. Crown Lands. The "Chairman-said from his experience . in former times unless they kept the Go-'-Verhmeht'to'the mark they would have • soijie troublo with the matter of the south boundary of. the town.-. He-would move' . That owing. to the error in the Crown Grant to W-, B;-Rhodes, of section 43, ■■■ Manaia,.dated In the year, -1864; part of the. section which constituted the •the. public road and abounded on .the Kuripuni. creek, as also part of Town Acre 69,-Masterton, have been sold by Rhodes' representatives, and improvements had been made thereon by the purchasers. 2nd, That in order to prevent action-at-law boing taken by tho purchasers in the event of tho boundaries of their holding being disturbed, the Masterton Town Lmds Trustees hereby express their willingness to convoy to .the Borough Council a right of road of one chain wide and ten in length on the north side of Kuripuni crook, being parts of Town Acres 69 and 70 on the plan of said town, in lieu of tho road originally described and. provided in the Crown Grant of the 6th December, 1858, upon the conditions'that fen. acres of suburban section No. 104, Masterton (not being an Education Rosorvo under the Education Act of 1871), and which adjoins the portion of land already provided for recreation purposes for the people, be 'granted for the purposo of enlarging, the present recreation ground as provided by the Public Reserves Amendment Act, of 1878. 3rd; That a copy of these resolutions: be. forwarded to the Goinmissiner of Crown Lands and to the member of the district,, with the hope that effect will be given. to this arrangement. These were the resolutions he would submit, He would recommend that a copy be sent to Mr 6. Beetliam, M.H.R., and to, the Commissioner of Crown Lands.. \ Mr E, Feist said it did not seem '.to him a matter of such urgency, but that it might be leftover until the Government got the Crown grant back from Rhodes' Trustees. The resolutions seemed premature, and he thought' success- would not follow their adoption. "' The -. Chairman said he thought the matter should be strictly followed up, and if placed in the hands of Mrßeetham it would no doub.t be well looked after. These resolutions would force them tosend a surveyor and ascertain the amount of land that had been taken, from the Trust, The Clerk: was instructed to. write ...to the Minister of Lands; and.Mr' Beetham;, and urge the Matter forward by next -meeting when the- question would 'be ■' dealt with.."";. - ';,:,,.:.:-- -.:.; v;.-'.'•;. . A deputation.from the Park-.Trustees,: consisting'of. Mes3rs ; Bunny, Vile, and' Payton waited upon the'. Trustees'in reference to the mpnoy that.had'been borrowed on the public park, .:.,.•-.": Mr Payton, who was spokesman, said he had hoped to have met a full meeting of the Town Lands Trustees that night, as the subject he had to bring before them was an important one. He had purposely, avoided speaking to any-individual member of t : he Town Lands Trust on the matter as tho question was one to bo dealt with on. public grounds only. He would briefly'refer to the origin" of the: loan. In tho year 1878 the Park Trustees '. consisted of Messrs Renall, Hare, "Foiat,; Williams, McCardhy Woodroofc,- and I Hosking, and in the interests of the public to pay a claim of £100; to Mr Bannister on the park grounds and for the purpose of planting trees, fencing, and othorwiso .improving the public park, they borrowed•the sum of £4OO. Theso gentlemen were, for the most part, members of the Town Lands Trustees, and in raisilig.this sum of money for tho benefit of tho public thoy felt they had the Town Lands Trust at their back, this boing a work of public utility. Tho debentures matured. Many of tho old Trustees of tho Park had beon replaced by new members and it was found tho trustees who had signed the deputation were not personally responsible It wm a dobt of honor duo by the public of Masterton which could not be repudiated, and the Park Trustees who had incurred the liability had always looked upon it as a public debt that would ultimately be paid out of the Town Lands.' When the loan matured tho present Trustees did their best under the circumstances, Thoy renewed £2OO of loan and raised from anothor quarter the other £2OO. The present incomo of tho Park Trust was £3O granted from the Borough Council and from the Town Lands Trust £25, These amountß were swallowed up in paying interest on Loan £32 and in providing a small sinking fund for the payment of tho principal. They were left with nothing to do the necessary work required in digging round the trees and keeping the grounds in order and the trees instead of being of a vigorous growth were making but small progress, The Trustees had made strong efforts to improve the public park but were altogether crippled. Their application to the Town Lands Trust was twofold, first to provide instead of the annual grant o| £25, ! a sum of £32, which/would .'cover, the annual interest. The second, and real question was to provide, forthe renewal or repayment of the principa 1 ! sum of £4OO when it became due. If that were done the Trustees would then be enabled to keep the Park in order and improve the property, without which the public would not get justice. He thought the others would bear him (jut that tho debt was incurred by the original Trustees, with the idea that they would'be helped out of the difficulty .by the Town Lands Trust. It was a debt of honor, due by the public, and would have to be provided for. Mr J. Vile said he had.boen a member. ; of the Town Lands Trust, and was a member of the Park Trust. It whb generally I understood when the debt was in- : qurred that to a future time the Town Lands Trust would take upon itself '. the liability of the Park, and he hoped and trusted they would consider the : matter favorably. He considered it quite i within their province, in fact part of their duty to assist in the manner suggested, as : they would Bee the application was only a : air and reasonable one,'

Tho deputation haviiif? withdrawn, tho consideration of tho application was held over for a fuller attondanc6 of members. The following freehold properties were tendered the Trustees as an investment: -4th acre and dwelling, Town Aore 75, Dixon-st., £200; 3 sections, each 491 ft, by 165 ft., part of Town Acre 101, £120: noon 08 ' dwollm 8 and dairy in Shoitst., Tho consideration of tho tenders was left ovor until the wit'meeting of the Trust. ..•'''" Accounts amounting;,to £5 18s wero passed for payment'and tho meeting adjourned, •■ ."•••■