Pipes arrive for Waipori

Cr Shacklock stated at the City Council’s meeting last night that the extensions at Waipori were proceeding satisfactorily. A number of rivetted pipes for the pipeline were on the ground, and a number of the welded pipes had been landed. He invited the critics of welded pipes to have a  look at them, adding that he was not running down the locally-made pipes. The two pipes were really separate classes of work. In reply to Cr Hayward, who suggested that the welded pipes had been more than five months in coming to hand while the locally-made ones were even further ahead, Cr Shacklock said he did not remember when the contract was signed, but in any case the extensions would not be delayed by the pipes. 

Judge directs child sex assault jury

The hearing of the charge of attempting to carnally know a girl aged 12 years was continued before his Honor Sir Robert Stout. There was a second count of indecent assault. Mr Irwin (for accused), addressing the jury, said that the case depended entirely on the evidence of the girl. His Honor, in summing up, said that the girl was only 12 years of age, and even if she was a consenting party that was no excuse for the accused under the law. 

The law held that all children under 16 years of age were incapable of giving consent to an indecent act by any man. The next point was that in this case no corroboration was required. His Honor then went briefly through the evidence, and summed up strongly against the prisoner. He asked, was the girl’s evidence contradicted? Were they to say that a little girl of 12 had concocted these stories regarding the two particular offences alleged? Why should she do so? What would be the motive of the little girl? Did they think that this little girl was capable of concocting this story? — A girl of 12, attending school? This might happen in the case of a grown woman for the purposes of blackmail. There had been no alibi set up. The man was on good terms with the girl’s family and the girl herself. There was no ill-feeling between them. The girl had told the same story right through. If they found the accused not guilty, then of course the girl’s character was blackened. The care of their girls and the safety of the community lay in their hands, and no doubt they would do what honest men would do. The jury returned after an absence of half an hour with a verdict of guilty on the first charge of attempted carnal knowledge. Prisoner was remanded till Saturday for sentence.

Writer, artist, WW1 veteran

The death occurred in Dunedin on Tuesday of Miss Myrtle Mecredy, a daughter of Mr R.J. Mecredy, of Dublin, and a sister of Dr Mecredy, school medical officer at Dunedin. Miss Mecredy’s death is attributable to her war work, as the complaint from which she died was induced by the privations and long hours during the strenuous period in England between 1914 arid 1918. Deceased had considerable literary ability, and poems from her pen appeared in Poetry and Drama. She was also a clever pen-and-ink artist, and she was a frequent contributor to various magazines and journals. Miss Mecredy’s two sisters and three brothers survive her. Her brothers served in the army, and the sisters did war work. — ODT, 9.11.1922