NAPIER NEWS-NOTES.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 494, 16 August 1890, Page 2

NAPIER NEWS-NOTES.

(FBOM CUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Napier, Wednesday. A LULL LOCALITY. Things down this way are again de .idedly dull, and as stale as a seven davs’ old baker’s loaf. While His Honor the Queen’s Judge (who has since migrated to Gisborne) was sitting in judgment on bill and other cases mutters assumed a rather lively aspect, and court news provided topics for discussion, but after his departure everything seemingly got becalmed. UNPLEASANT WEATHER. We are still experiencing bad weather • Napier seems to be specially favored in thi< particular reapset. Th? country has improved in appearance of late, however, and the hearts of farmers and pastoralists rejoice in consequence. A SIX POUNDS CASE. A case in which Mr Hilding, hotelkeeper, of Gisborne, was interested, camo on f>r heating at the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday bef<-ra Mr H. 8. Wardell, R.M, Messrs Smith and Provis, carriers, of Port Ahuriri, sued Mr Harding for th? sum of £6. Mr Brass?y appeared for the plairuiff J , and Mr Cotterill for the defendant, The fao:s, as stated by Mr Brassey, were that Harding was owner of the schooner. Awaroa. He purchased the boat in February, 3.889, and he sent her down to Napier on a trip in charge of Captain Wigg. The vessel vi-i’.ed Napier, went away again, but had to return, she being in a sinking condition. Wigg went to Mt Smith and asked him for a loan of £6 £■ r purposes in connection with the vessel, and as he was captain of the vessel, and represented the owner (Mr Harding), the money was advanced. Application had been made to Harding for it, but he had not paid up, and Wigg was at present absent in other parts, being in pursuit of bis avocation as master mariner. F. G. Smith gave evidence to ths above effect, and Harding’s evidence was put. in. It was taken at Gisborne. Mr Cotterill said the money was lent to Wigg, and not to Harding, and Wigg was i ©sponsible. He quoted a parallel case in Maude and Pol’ock, volume 1, page 156. If Wigg wantel money he could have got it by advising Handing of the necessity for it. Mr Brassey argued otherwise and said that Wigg represented Harding, and he had told Smith that he wanted the £6 for purposes connected with bis vessel. Harding was consequently responsible, being liable for debts contracted by his agent. Mr Wardell said that it had not been shown that the £6 had been applied to the purposes of the ship. . Mr Brassey said h? had not Wigg here to give evidence, but he would take a nonsuit, and commence ths action afresh when Wigg would b? here.—A nonsuit was entered up, and coats £2 12? (inclusive of colicitoi’s fee). THE RUGBY UNION. The secret ary of the Hawke’s Biy Rugby Union, Mr Hoben, resigned his position last week owing to the action of the Uni -n re the annual match with Gisborne The facts are these:—The Union held a meeting and decided to play on a date which Hoben had told the Gisborne men in the course of some correspondence that Napier conld not p’ay on. The secretary contended that it p’aced him in a false position, and the Union was stultifying itself by playing the match on the date mentioned, How6ver, at a later meeting it was announced that Gisborne could not raise a team, and the proposed trip had to fall through. The secretary, however, last nijjht resigned, but was subsequently persuaded to continue in office, on condition that a committee of management consisting of three was appointed. This wag done and the difficulty got over. SMALL EOY GETS STUCK IN A CULVERT. On Saturday last a small boy created a small sensation by getting into a culvert locitcd in one of the thoroughfares and sticking in he middle. He ciuld not move either backwards cr forwards, and the culvert had to be taken up before he could he released. As a football match had been just eono’uded in the “ Reo ” a large number of people were wending their way towards town, and they all assembled round the culvert, wondering what the deuce was going on, There was a general laugh when a diminutive seven year old urchin, as pale as a newly washed counterpane, emerged from the culvert and gazed ruuud in an astonished manner, A PECULIAR CASE. A paragraph in the News relates that a eas? c f a rather peculiar character was to have occupied the attention of the Court the other day, but it was withdrawn from the list. The facts are these :—A report of the Ormondville Town Board meeting appeared in the Bush Advocate soms few months ago, in the course of which the chairman (Mr Forward) made some damaging reflections against the cj?rk (Mr R. Russell). The clerk went to Mr J, H. OUyton, the proprietor, and admitted the report was correct, but asserted that it was -libellous, and intimated that more would be heard of the matter, Messrs Guy and Diuwiddie sent Mr Clayton a ‘ lawyers letter,* stating that they intended issuing a writ for lib J, but if £5 5a waa paid they would stop it. Mr Clayton demurred to paying tho five guineas, but eventually agreed to compromise and pay £3 3u He then thought no mnra of the matter, and neglepted to pay it. When t Mr Clayton received the summons ha found that he had a set off against Rusgflt to tip? amount of £2 18s 61, and he pleaded this jn a counter claim, and paid the difference into Court (7? 61). The summons was not issued at Ormondville, where the case should have been heard, and the proprietor of the Advocate ha l to come all the way to town. It appears that Mr Dinwiddle did not know about the set off imtj) the last moment, and then he withdrew ths case, which is one of an unusual nature and deserves mention. RAILWAY CHARGES ON PRODUCE AND FIREWOOD. Mr G. Ellis, the Mvyor of Hastings, repeqtly wrote to the Railway Com missioaevs, at the request of some settlers, applying for a reduction in the for carriage of firewood to Hastings, and also in the rates for carriage of produce to port. A reply was received to tho effect that tho GumnußSioners had a largo mimbhe of

similar demands for reductions. They hoped, should the revenue appear to admit of it, to make gradual concessions in rates in favor of the natural productions of the 1 colony, and they would give early attention to the point concerning the disadvantage under which the growers of produce in Hawke’s Bay at present labor. However, unless legislators made provision for it, no large reductions could immediately be carried out without disturbing the finances of the Colony. THE COMING ELECTION. — REGISTER ! REGISTER ! ! It behoves all whose names are not at present on the electoral rolls of either the Poverty Bay or Hawke’s Bay districts to register in time, otherwise they may find, at the last moment, that their neglect has caused them to be disfranchised. The Hawke’s Bay district takes in some portion of what was at the last election in the Poverty Bay district, and as the contest for the Hawke’s Bay seat will on this occasion be a tough one, everyone who is qualified should make it his business to see that he is on the roll. At present there is mention of three candidates—Captain Russell, who is getting politically “ played out,” Mr G. Ellis, late Mayor of Hastings (who resigned the other day through not getting his own way anent a much vexed local pig question), and a popular surveyor, also will stand on the Liberal ticket, and who will have the support of many gentlemen of influence, wh >se political leanings have hitherto had a Conservative tendency. Mr Ellis is not a popular man, even in his own township, and is not known out of it. The name of the Liberal candidate xi ill be made known shortly; meanwhile a start has already been made in the various centres of the Hawke’s Bay constituency to secure his return, and success promises to be. the result of the efforts of his supporters. I might mention that he has a tnorough knowledge of the Wairoa and the Poverty Bay end of the electorate, and is, well known in your parts. It is a'so rumored that Mr T. Tanner, the present member for Waipawa, is going to stand, he not relishing the idea of contesting the Waipawa seat with Mr W. C Smith, who has determined to go for Waipawa in preference to Woodville (which is now incorporated with Wairarapa). Mr Smith, who has never yet beaten in an election contest, will probably have a walk over on this ocoasi m. Mr Tanner would not have a thousand to one chance if he stoid in opposition to Mr S nith, aud his show for Hawke’s Bay will not be much better.