NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 395, 2 January 1909, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

tor TELEOtIIPE—PIIESR association.)

NUMMERINC THEATRE SEATS. • THE FERMENT IN CHRISTCHURCH. . •: • '. : Chrlstchurcli, January 1. ■i-Thb City Council's new by-law providing ..... that; all seats in theatres must be nuaibered, ,: and that no'tickets, in excess of the numl>or .: of seats available must be issued, came, into -: forco to-night. Tho provisions of the bylaw carry with, them tlio supposition thai -. . v each ticket-holder shall have.- a claim on a certain scat, - All tlie places of amusement in the: city were by, large numbers to-night, but tlie 'clcmalu'ls of the by-law. were practically."ignored. ■by Xthe' public, and, in . the lower-priced seats,; ticket-holderß took ■ any Beats they-fancied.. The proprietors or ; the different halls and theatres had had the; : seats numbered, and only", issued. tickets to • . correspond. Th®.conclusion arrived at is that - tho by-law in operation was farcical.CHURCH OF CHRIST. Auckland, January 1. . 'The third :gerieral conference- of - dclogatfis from Churches of Christ in New Zealand began,; its:- sittings ' .'to-day. ... Thirty-two i .\ j churches ivoro represented ;by between fifty • ■ 1 and ; sixty . delegates.' ■ After: a brief devo- ■ ■ I tional -soTVice,- presided over by Mr. Ti Dav- ■ iee, addresses of-Weloomb to ■ delegates: were rgiven . by, the president-of the. conference, . •Mr. - J. Inghs Wright, of Dunedin, and by the president of tho Auckland District Conference (Mr. A. M. Brydon). Mr. H. Langford, of Christchurch,. read a paper on the . best; methods. of /.extending the' gospel 'of , : Clirist in New ;Zealand towns and cities, and : Mr. J. G. Price; -of Takaka, dealt'with > the same subject..in ;refefe'noe to country die- :'•. -'tncts,: both, paper^;,:containing many prac-tical-and helpful suggestions looking to tho more cfieotivo-discharge ofthe Church's obligation ( in ,the . matter of preaching the gOSpel. . ': . . .V/ELtINOTON. TO NAPIER BY MOTORCYCLE. • Napier, January 1. . Messrs. W. E. Hvslop and H. L. Schaefier, of> Hastings, loft Wellington' post office at '4(3.0. this morning fbr.:Napier on motor oyples.'; Schaeffer -reached: Napier post office. at 1.9 •;.■ p.m., and Hyslop at 1.44 p.m. Sehaeffer's full - time!.waß:;7hr." 30min., and his: actual; riding ; time . was 6hr. 59min.: . Both; riders had,'tyre - mishaps at a tramvhne;-: and Hyslop had 1 a.' collision with a.dray. .v,'. - . CUSTOMS RETURNS. Napier, January 1. Tlie Customs revenue for- the, past, year at;;;; Napier totalled £117,543 25..7 d., Doing an in-.- .. ci'oase of £9241 18s. 6d. as compared with - tlib'return-fpr . 1907. .• :. - 1 CROUNDINC OF A STEAMER. - ■ '~ r•' '.. Auokland. January 1., , Tho steamer Daldorch,wlucli' grounded on a mud bank near-Bean. Rock lighthouse on Thursday;.'evehin^,, and-Was-successfuUy'towed,- ; : -.'morriing, .by,;;.; Lloyd's representatives (Captains Clayton and blanket), and was found to -be undamaged. She resumed.her'Voyage; to Wellington shortly after- s'p.m., Pilot .Sainty.' talsing her out of : •port as far as the Rnngtoto Roef. whoro her master"( Captain Pearson) assumed command. • ; , ( HOUSE BURNED. Nelson, January 1. An unoccupied seven-roomed house, owned 'by Mr'.-.W^. W. Squires, was to tally destroyed - by-fifo oarly this morning., .Tho cause of tho . • - -fire-is unknown,'and-tho insurances arei not ; -'ascertainable.' .": - ■ ! DIED ON WAY TO HOSPITAL. v . Nelson, January 1.; '' Thomas Kennedy, who cut his throat on r 'Tbiirsday; (lied in tho train sivhilo being' . ■' brought te tho hospital this inbriihg.-. ;v -. ;