The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1891.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3735, 13 February 1891, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1891.

The question of costs of the litigation which took place some months ago over tde liability of the contributing bodies in the Wairarapa under the Hospital and Charitable Aid Act, has again cropped np. It appears that before legal advice was taken on the matter, a conference of those local bodies interested was held, and it was decided that the costs of litigation should be paid on a pro rata basis. The interview with the exponents of the law having taken place, with the result so peculiarly in accordance with general expectations, and familiar to all, the local bodies found themselves confronted with bills of costs which it was their bounden duty to meet. The lawyers quite naturally allocated their costs according to the amount of work done fqr, or the legal advice tendered to, the individual Councils concerned. It was discovered, on the receipt of the scale of costs as arranged by the solicitors, that under rata basis the Councils of the Wairarapa North and South were not receiving the full value for their money, whilst the Masterton and Greytown Borough Councils ware relieved of a considerable liability. A meeting of delegates was held to take the whole matter into consideration, but as the Wairarapa South Council wrote, signifying its absolute refusal to contribute on & prorata basis, it was decided to accept the only other alternative and pay on the scale arranged by the solicitors. This has been done by the County Councils of the North and South Wairarapa, but the Borough Councils will not accept such a liability ae a pro rata scale had been adopted. The legal advisers now threaten the Borough Councils with writs for the amount All the repudiation in the W?rld will not avail them undpp £he circumstances. The liability is clearly theirs, ai)4 it remains for them to immediately liquidate it. At the same time the other local bodies interested have also a liability. Whilst they are not responsible directly to the legal adviser#, they have agreed upon a certain course, and that course they must pursue. Tl-ey cannot, by any honorable means, escapg the liability. An adjustment of accounts should take place without delay, and each body

should contribute according to the arrangement made m the first instance. In the meantime the Borough Councils should avoid further litigation by liquidating tbeir individual liabilities, as the question of a pro rata distribution or otherwise does not concern those to whom they are indebted.

Another slip has occuried on the Manawatu Gorge railway line, the opening of which for public traffic will be still further delayed. We have always been under the impression that the construction of the Gorge railway line was a " slippery " piece of work, and we are now more than ever convinced of this fact. It was a palpable error on the part of the Government to undertake the work at all, and the continual "slipping away" of the earth and the public money which has taken place during the past twelve months can only be accepted as a judgment upon the perpetrators of this grave blunder. There may be some slight hopes of the line being opened during the present decade, but even should it be, the travelling public will be exceedingly reluctant to trust their lives upon a section of railway which is so manifestly unsafe.

The system adopted by the Wairarapa North County Council in leasing privately the reserves under its jurisdiction is not one that can be commended, as it may breed difficulties of a most embarrassing nature. A case was brought under the notice of tbe Council yesterday which should be convincing on this point. A resident of Mauriceville some short time since applied for the lease of a reserve in that district, which he received, without any inquiry being made as to its position or occupancy, for the paltry sum of ten shillings per annum. Now it so happened that a firm of sawmillers were running a tramway through the section in question, and the lessee, who was somewhat of a financier, at once made application to the owner for a weekly payment of three shillings. This would amount to something like L 7 10s per annum. The efl'eut of the issuing of the private lease must be apparent to all. Had public tenders been called, there is little doubt but that the sawmiller in question and the Council would have derived the benefit, which, under the circumstances, falls to an adventurous individual.

Mr. J. Vile intends running a da"y coach between Woodville and Pahiatua. The Easter Encampment of North Island Volunteers will be held this year at Palmerston North. A horse which was beta? driven by Mrs. (iirdlestone took fright yesterday on the Te Ore Ore road, and after proceeding a few yards dropped dead. The lady occupants of the buggy received a severe scare, but fortunately escaped without injuries. cause of the sudden death of the horse is a mystery. The W oodville Examiner is informed by Mr. Mountfield that one of the natiye New Zealand birds is proving the natural enemy of the pear slug, which has done so much damage of late years. The Fielding "Stai" says that as there are four newspapers working against Mr M'Guire in his contest for the Egmont seat, his victory may be looked upon as certain. In consequence of the heavy rainß which have fallen in this district during the past couple of days, all hopes for a burn this year have been abandoned by owners of bush country. We are informed by the Clerk to the North Wairarapa Rabbit Beard that the loss sustained on the recent shipment of stoats and weasels is about £550, and not £9OO, as stated in our columns Half this loss will be borne by the Government in the shape of subsidy. We might state that our estimate of the loss was formed on the belief that each stoat and weaßel cost about £3, whereas we now Jeam the actual cost was only £2 per head*

Messrs. W. W. M Cardle. J. Vile, and F. Von Redin have been nominated by the Mauriceville East School Committee for the vacant seats on the Education Board. We understand that efforts are to be by a number of residents of the Upper Plain and Masterton to secure the support of the County and Borough Councils in obtaining a water supply from the Waingawa river;

A man named Fred Travers was sentenced to seven days' incarceration in the Wellington Terrace Gaol at Carterton on Wednesday morning on a charge of drunkenness.

The return cricket match between Carterton and Maaterton will be played at Masterton to-morrow. The" Carterton team will be chosen from the following Bunny, Beechy, King (2), W. Judd, Booth, Reid, T. Kemble, Henall, Grigg, Mercer, Leyiok, Deihl, McKcnzie (2). The following piece of gross cruelty was brou D nt under the notice of the Wairarapa Worth County Council at its meeting yesterday by the report of the engineer : A drover named Cameron, from the Tenui District, while driving cattle along a steep face of the road forced one of the animals off a high bank, mashing its legs and otherwise damaging it by contact with the road surface. The unfortunate beast was abandoned in this plight and remained in great suffering from the afternoon of the accident, during the whole of the following day, when the matter was reported at this office and instructions sent up to destroy and bury it. A Hhougb the affair happened close to the township no attempt was apparently made by the man to destroy the beast, nor were any measures taken to remoye it from the rqad, the latter operation havin? been performed two days later by the Council's roadman. The Clothing Stock at Hooper's Bon Marche will be Sold at Nefct Cost du-ing the Great Sale, liens', Boys' and Childrens' Olothipjj, Hats, Shirts, Seeks Ties, etc, at exceptionally low prices. A Monster Clearing Sale of Drapery and Clothing will be held during the next few days at L. J. Hooper and Cos' Bon Marcbe. Every article in the warehouse will be offered at greatly reduced prices. The Sale will commence on Saturday morning, January 31st, at 8 o'clock. A tremendous sacrifico of Dress Goods, Millinery, Ladies' j Jackets, Mantles, Corsets, Straw Gcods, ] Hosiery and Gloves, Umbrellas and Parasols, etc etc. will be made to make room for Fresh Shipments to arrive. So be ready for bargains in every department at Hooper's Monster Sale commencing Saturday morning, January 31st, at 8 o'clock. We shall sell, and those that patro | nize the Bon Marche Monster Clearing Sale will reapthe benefit of our being overstocked. Hooper and Co, Bon Marche. —advt.