NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 66, 11 December 1907, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

, |[BT.yTELEGBirn—rjfESS ASSOCIATION.] "M -''Hiii .. . : — ■ THE'LIQIIQB- LAW. " -INTERESTING-CASE ATOAMARU. Oarnfyru, December 10. Oamaru is a rio-liccnsfi district, and a case of somo importance Vfa's heard boforo the Magistrate to-day. The police brought charges, against persons for selling hop beer manufactured^locally. The sarao, being H6ld to be ah- intoxicating liquor, was analysed by "Professor.:' Bickerton, who said the beei^, contained 2j45 per cent, of pure alcoKolj!- equaf' to 5.39 - per cent.- of proof •spirjt. porter contained 2.7!) of alcohol, and . 6.13 of proof spirit. Professor Bicker- - ton, it was i)\it by the defence, had -later"' sligtffciy,. modjjjied ;,tnose figures. The dvMorico -for •tbe' r 'dof®e .was to tho effect that" liquor. containing ,ovon 3 per cent, of alcohol was not'MrttoXiOating. Two medical men, Mr. Thomson (analyst), and the lecturer on materia .medics in 'Dunedin, gavo evidence to this'"effect']' \all : 'fbuivagreeing ,in the main. The : magistrate, to" the conflicting ovidbneo,-dismissed' thfi case, but the prosecution" gavenotice'of''an appeal to tho Supreme Court: for a'ruling, inasmuch as the English law fixed the minimum at 2 per cent, of alcohol overiwhichrduty had .to be paid. THE GOVERNOR ;AND THE ADMIRAL. Auckland, December 10. ' His .Ejxcollency the.. Governor (Lord Plunket), accompanied by L;idy Plunkot,' the Son. Kathleen ' Pliitvkbt, Captiun Gathorne-Hardy, •A.D:.C;;;aJ?d Mr. (Private Secretary) , 'wo lit onboard ; Fl.M.S. Powerful Yesterday 'afternoon/ sKbrtly after the. arrival of'the warship from' Sydney. After dining 'with Admiral, , and,. .Lady. Fawkos, the 'party returned to town! in tHe evening. Admiral and. Lady .aro' staying at GovHouse for a.. foftnigjit.

SOUTHLAND A. AND-P. SHOW. invercargtll, December 10. " /Tho-Southland Ai. andvP. Show was opened in - fine-:-weather to'-day. I.'-The stock is. of exceptional! quality; and many, northern breeders are represented. The show promises •to eclipse the previous -record and be worthy, of one of'the.best- agricultural districts m the "Dominion! 0 IThe'.'fbllpwin'g are tho results of the — ; Border Leicester ram, T..,,L. - Barnhill (Castleroek); English teice'ster Bros. (Woodlands); Romriey Marsh owe, Bealey Bros.; Shropshire. Down.ram.and,ewe, J. S. Grieve (Wallacetown) ;' Ch'eviot rata -and ewo, T. L. Barn--Ihill; ,J Morino»ram; W.-J. Johnston; Corriedale'ram,' J. : Stringfellbw;- Jersey bull and heifer, F.''E."Hcllyfer (Otago Peninsula.)

SALARIES'W'HARBOUR. OFFICIALS. Auckland, December 10. .. The Auckland Harbour. Board proposes to increase»the,, salaries ~of.,its officials. It has been recommended in the case of the engineer (Mr.,W. H.. Hamer) that his salary should he increased from £1000 to £1250 per 'annum that 1 ;of the secretary and treasui'er.(?lr'. J/Sli'.Brigham) that he should receive-'£Boo a year instead of £650; and in that' ■ of. tho' harbourmaster ■ (Captain A. Suder), 1 ' that'he illiquid'-be paid. £100 a year extra, or £500 per annum. The total increases" >recommended'i/ involved a sum of something- like-.£1500 por annum. _ The subject has'befen referred; to- a committee. ... A CLAIM FOR. DAMAGES. 'V,' 'Auckland, December .10. At' .-thd-.i-'Supreriie'. .Court to-*lay, . Mabel. "Barry, typewriter and '.'stenographer, claimed ■£100 damages for .Wrongful dismissal from Henry HolWay, Robert John Gwynno, and Molville Henry Quick, proprietors of the " Waikato Argus," Hamilton. Plaintiff's •story".was' that-she. and her sistor were engaged as but had to operate a .new type-setting machine known as tho Simplex.": Beforo' they -got accustomed to th : •working- of it they wore discharged. • Mr. 'Justico Dferiniston'hon-suited tlje plaintiff. .

' TRANSFER'' OF A CROWN LEASE. ''" . Blenheim,' December 10. The'-.Lahd', Board tb-'day ..resolved to grant a transfer;;rf a l 'Grown lease' in defiance of tho departmental ruling that, by section 35 of, the' nw Land 'Act, all applications to transfer must^be'submitted to tho Minister. Tho Commissioner of- Crown Lands dissented. The -Board's.decision .will probably liavo the .iiffect/of. bringing.. the Supreme.Court .for interpretation. ■■'NATIVE. . Cisborne, December' 10. The Native Laind opened yesterday at Waiomatati'iVi...' Sir Robert Stout, received a hearty welcome from the Natives, -who-have gone extensively' in for co-opera-tive farming, and ;hiiye 'some fine 'sheep' stations. : •• ■ • , . . r FISH. •" •">';< ,!'• Cisborne, December 10. The beach at /Joltomaru Bay was strewn yesterday ~.m.ornijig,.w,ith. fish unknown in -those; 'ports,, .averaging-*'twelve inches in length; :' Europeans .'and Maoris filled many sacks, with ; tliem. " ■ : 'THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.' Chrlstchurch, December 10. A-gang-of meii' engaged by the Labour Department left'Christchurch-to take up work at Otira, on'the Midland Railway. ARBITRATION'fijOURT CASES. . Chnstchurch, December 10.' In the,. Arbitration Court to-day J. Thornton, a bootmaker-, was fined'£s and costs for dismissing a'man during tho consmer'ation. .of, an industrial awii^l,, V .Aflams; -Ltd.-,' cycle' makers, were fined £5 in eacli' case 'for paying less than the minimum' .wage to • two 1 bßjta'; The Court said' it was a deliberate breach; of the award. - j J.-Dingle, -butcher, was' fined £3 for underpaying an employee. ' Thomas M'Kauglit,' saddler, Amberley, was fined-. £5> for failiug-to pay overtime. ! THE CHRISTCiIURCH SHOOTING CASE. Chrlstcliurch, December 10. .'. Hans Wilson, the,man who' last month murdered, his,,wife by.■ shooting her with a • revolver, and atteriipted suicide, is rapidly' improving arid will shortly bo discharged from hospital.; • ; - [The coroner's jury brought in a verdict of wilfii! : murder, against Wilson.]

; ' SUPREME' COURT SITTINGS. . Inveroarglil, December 10. The .Siiprpme Oour.ti! sitting opened before Mr. Justice Williams, who congratulated the jury on the, remarkable, absence of crime in the. district. . -There, were only three cases, :an(l iiionfi,of a. serious character.Charles. Ifroggatt,--. a youth, was charged with;" havinghad-improper relations with a girl- uudor .isistoen, ..who was a consenting .party. .A'. verdict .of-;" Not Guilty" was returned. ,j - ' The ...grand jury , returned. no bill. in the • caso against Alexander Feirior, oharged with manslaughter..; The facts wo'ro that a horse took 'fright.-at Forrier's. traction engine, and backed oyer an embankment,' killing a young -woman, . EARTHQUAKE AT NELSON. ' : ' Nclsqn, December 10. ' A J short, ■'sharp' shock "of earthquake'was felt at 6.15 this morning. The direction was oast/and west. ' " • NEWS IN BRIEF. •Dunotlln, December 9. . A meeting"of' the : Otago branch of railway servants, after hearing addresses yestorday by tho' president (Mr. "Walker) and the gonerhl ' seoretary '(Mr. Edwards), passed a resolution disapproving of tho action 'of those -'officiate' - in visiting branches at the present juncture, "and also protesting against the harassment' of the branch for Hhe past two.years or more. : Clirlstohuroh, Decombor !). The 'heavy thunderstorm yestorday will have's beneficial effect on the country. ' Reports' State '.that r fof about an hour and a half rain fell heavily. This will greatly help toward the salvation of tho crops and feed,' and 'reUeve'.tho, situation, which was ' becoming', alarming.'..'. "