NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 149, 18 March 1908, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

tBT ißLßonArn—press association.) - - ■■ ; THE BJBLE IN; SCHOOLS QUESTION. ■ / DISCUSSION AT; NAPIER.' -. . .. ; • Napier, March 17. ' 'The.'question:of Bible reading in schools ■was discussed at the' Education Board meeting .last- night. > The matter .was- brought up , :by.tho inspectors, who asked for the Board's : actual .intentions ,in respect - to tho; following:—Tho teaching; in schools-shall/be fot five-hours daily for five days in-every week, except that iii the preparatory classes it . shall. bo for four hours .only.' (1)' D6es teaching covor- secular- instruction only, and in the subjects /enumerated in. Sections 135. and 170 •; of the.. Education Compilation Act? (2) Would !tho regulation be .met by : taking out of live hours on one day a week, half ail hour for religious instructionj say, - from 9 to -9-30 a;m. ?' (3)-As preparatory classes are.limited to a day .-.'of- four;hours/ is it competent ,for Vschool.- committees to extend the. school day. for these classes' for religious instruction,' and .would: teachers bo justified .in .tellinf their- pupils to attend school' for such instruo t-ion? . 0- ' ''..Tha -Board,,. after'., a ;lengthy -discussion, answored .the. first question-in-the . affirmative, and.tho. second and, third in tho negative. '; THE OTEKAIKE BALLOT. APPLICATION; FOR AN INJUNCTION. ; , \-.'V, . March 17.. ,'ln- tho Supreme: Court Mr. Hosking, K.C., mentioned the-case of Mitchell';, and M'Kellar against .tho.' Governments .an' applir, cation for an injunction to restrain the Otago Land Board from proceeding with the! ballot,' for.the,lcaso°of.sect'iojis'at Otekaiko originally 'granted to' ■ plaintiffs..- Counsel said' the. matter was to have como before'.the-Court' to-day,.but he understood the other sido wao n ot quite" ready. His Honour Mr. ; Justico Williams suggested that: the . oase should; go before' tho -full Court. :Mr.' Hosking ! said tho ballot was'fixed for April 8, .and it was 'desired that an .injunction-should issue; restraining tho Board from including in the ballot;.the land,held by. plaintiffs.His. Honour said,' if the case did not come on till n'oxt week, it' was unlikely that he.'would bo able, to givo a decision until after the Court of; Appeal's sitting.,.-.Mr;- Hosking said'in that' caso ho would' have to apply, for an interim injunction. - Mr. Macassey (Acting Crora Solicitor) .said' all the "papers had not'como froni 1 Wellington,, but.they, were, ox'pccted. tonight. The case was set down for -hearing next Tuesday. .>: V-'; V.- I '. -'.v'' '! TWELVE MONTHS' 1 HARD LABOUR. '■ rnvsrcargillj-Marohl?.;' i Patrick,' Troy., was r to-day sentenced, -to ' twelve months' hard labour for being- a rogue and' yag'aboiifl.; ■ He'jwas described : -in' Court as. a professional-.'swagger- arid .loafer,-;, who travelled:fymi end to ond,'of • Southland.;beg-. .giilg•' fodcL • Ho: seldom-.:-workedp.;and-v-.Boma . f a'rmhb'uso-' people- wero f afraid '-' to - turn- him a.way: for.;;fear ho' would -;buni-slacks',or-do i other.damage. . • -.' ''■ ---' .-.

' • _ SIZE OF GRAIN SACKS. Oamaru, March 17. A conference of representatives' of South Island 1 Chambers' of - ■ Commerce'' met :h'ere 7' day; to "consider-.the Government's (regulation. ; respecting tho size of' grain •, sacks-HDhrist- • church,? Dunedin/ Invercargill, • Timaru,-> and Oamaruwere .represented.After' a . lorigdiscussion,. in which a variety of;-sizes'.werefre-; ,cctmmendcd by thejdelegates, it was, eyentually dccidcd to recommend that a sack 46'.by 24i bo adopted. ; This,, it was believed, would:. hold 2001b of flour as well as'of grain; :It y was also decided, to ask the Premier to .alloyv; the "carriage of ; grain 'in sacks carried .oyer;; from .. tho present season -: and, to communicate with the Chambers •of ■ Coin- : merce asking .that a similar size of sack'ba adQpted there. \ THE TIMBER INDUSTRY. , " Taihape, March 17. ;It is ..expected that fully sis more-sawroilla' will be erected, round Ohakune'.during.; the next three- mpnthsj iand' as. soon-, as freights are .taken down on the iPublic Works line. a' ' numbor 'more "are to. be erected. The heavy y freight' on the: ■ line between'. Ohakune.V and • Mataroa ■ is stopping sawihillere'from'export- ; ing.;

CroiSTCHtniCH; STATISnCS.' s ': ' " , :.'■. 'Ghristcliurch,March 17.

•The city.surveyor issued- during February, fifty-six building/permits' of' the ,-Value-.' ;0f£33;435. •' v\ ;:,v v'.y ■ During February, the following stock,-.waa slaughtered: at ■ the Municipal ' Abattoirs• Cattlo, 1031;-' condemned, 13. .Sheep, > 7470; conUeinned,- 70.' Lambs, 1937; condemned, nil. Pigs,' ; 477 ; condemned, 3. - Calves,/368; condemned, nil. . .. ': ■..( ; ESTATE OFFERED .FOR SETTLEMENT. . ; •'/ '' Oamaru,..March 17.- ; . At the-requost of the Minister for Landsj Teschemaker's -Kauroo Estate 1 ' lias iV 'been; placed_ under offer. £o; thei Government;.for closer .settlement." 'The'acreage: of.-:the free- , hbld^is,' 1 approximately;'--'-19,113V acres; - and thero are 750 acres of Crown' landt and; 600 acres ''held from. the.''school-' commissioners. • Already the estate is subdivided-into seven farms,' ranging, fiiom.' 800 to. SOOOjacres eacli. '; A BOY MISSING.... r ' '■ ' \Auckland,' March 17; : .« A -thirteen-year-old'boy,- afctepson of Mr. John Galloway; : ofMotukaraka, has been missing, since/the ,M3th • inst:, : active• search having,failed-t-o find any trace of'him. OLD RECORDS^ Auckland,' March. 17.. '. An interesting addition to the collection :oi the old;.' New &aland records: in the-Auck-land; Publicj. Library has'just, been mado in the shape of .the first, publican's.license issued m'the Dominion; It was■!granted at- Kororarcka- (npw; known. as ..Russell), to .one.. John Johnston,'in' the yehr -1810,' tlie fee charged -being' £-30, and_' authorises -him .to sell' "at . the- sign of the' Duke- of Marlborough,'" various.liquids, including "ginger beorand spruce beer,!'.. ..'■ :• / NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN. ■ N . . ' . Auckland, Marclr 17." . Tho No-Liccflso, party ; started '; the Shall: rolling to-night in connection with the forth- • oonling campaign against the liquor traffic, at a mass ■ mooting of the,'W.C.T.U.j when • several addresses wen?. 1 given,, including: ono . . by tho. Rev.'; L. Isitt. I:. Amongst other state-; 'ments made, it-was alleged by tho Rev. A. Murray . that. from. the beginning . of- tho settlemout .377 lives had been :,lost through drowning, '-as-',a; result .of; drink, in- North Auckland's .'great ;V waterway, tho. Wair'oa ■ rivor.- '■' 1 The Auckland. Prohibition League carried . a resolution expressing alarm = oii -account'; of t-ho'' spread 'of . intemperance - in.;the .-com-; munity '.y ' : .•It was' resolved 'to. draw the' attention- of tlie 'Alliance ' Execntivo :; to Commissioner Dihnio'sletter to the : ; Licensed .Victuallers' Eniplm-ors Association,' 'dated February • 28. winch, 'is- regarded • as an attempt to interfere unduly wit h the. mdepondenco of'the Inspector of Police. U YIN TRUNK. RAILWAY ' . Auckland, March 17. Tho Auckland Chamber of: Commerce :ha# recoivod-a; toftram from Messrs; Anderson and C 0. ,; contractors; for :.th'e- : ,-Makatoto. viaduct,; with; .regard .to the statement r<>-' contly-.-mado. to/the .effqet'- that the; delay;,in - tho completion of thb. ;viaduct .was .likely to delay t-lio completion of tho Main' Trunk railway" to'such an exteiit that-tho lino would not be opened by tho end of this year; Tho ■ Chamber of Comniorco,- at its last mooting, ■ roforred." to this, statement,'. and asked the Railway! Committio to' reprtrt on it. - : Messrs. Anderson and Co., in .their, telegram",- statov that, as far as tlioy are- ooncerned, thcro should.bo no.possibility;6f viaduct- drying -the'completion of the une,. and they behove- .tliat the _ railway .should; be opened': within the. specified- tiino. > .. .., " ■