NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 417, 28 January 1909, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

■ (HX, TELEGBAFU—FEESS ASSOCIATION.) MISSINC STORES. SHIP'S : COOK CAUGHT RED-HANDEQ . Dunedln, January 27. At the Police Court this morning John Learney,. ship's cook on board the .Wbaka tano, was, sentenced to two- months' im« prisonment on a charge of entering the storeroom on the steamer and taking twelve bottles of stout. It was'stated that thirteen : : cases were' missing from, the stores. Suspicion had bwn aroused ovring to thei jipm- : ber of men observed under the influence-of 'liquor;-,and'.', the; chief, steward and fourth officer hid themselves in tho storeroom and caught accused red-handed. Accused asked why the officer and -steward-had fired at .him in the storeroom,- to which the steward replied?that they had fired'- a; blank : cartridge .. to frighten_him, as he was ,dangerous when under the influence of liquor. DISHONEST CUSTOMS' OFFICER. | - A CONFESSION. | Auckland, January 27: i Henry Phillip Barry,-Customs. collector, | pleaded guilty- to-day to: receiving, between i May, 1908, and December, -1908, various moneys totalling about £800, which ho had converted to .his own use. : \ . I In a - written-. confession accused stated that ho was in the habit of detaining cheques for dues, obtaining cash from the 'cashier, and giving a receipt from duplicate books He was committed for - sentence, 'bail being reneweid in £800.; There was a fidelity guar- . antesin favour of accused to_ the extent of £800, while his iotal abstractions amounted to £533 17s. od. INTERESTING DISCOVERY. . AN OLD MAORI WORKSHOP. .''• Auckland, January 27. _ Mr.- Haszard, Govfernmeni Surveyor, found in tho sand near Mercury Bay-an old Maori workshop for'"making stone implements,; .in-' eluding' an. anvil and axes in various stages of manufacture'.. In addition he ; found ovens in which :cannibal feasts."had been oooked, , and many'bones, split .to . get the marrow. ■ The find was made near tho Wharetawa Pa, where;'/about the\ year- 1800, the Ngatihea tribe, to the number of 1000, were slaugt-ered by the Ngatitamatera. BRITISH UNEMPLOYED. A GIFT OF SHEEP.;. . .. Cisborno, January 27. • At 'a ; meeting of; the Borough Council. when an'application from the Petone Council for, assistance'to the British unemployed waa Mayor said he:th'ought-it wouli be easy,to raise a donation" of a hundred froze? sheep 'from this district, and offered half a, dozen.-on his own account.- The council ro> solved to 'iivite 'offers Vfrom- pastoralists. . '■ SUNDAY TRADING. Auckland, January 27. _ The method adopted by the police in securing evidence of Sunday, trading, was .severely , ! condemned-by'®; S.M./'in tho Police Court to-day. Mr. Mays, assistant Crown Prosecutor, admitted . that the polioe 1 were sent, - St.. Helicr's.Bay-,for the. 'express :purpose of securing, a oonviction.for : Sunday; trading;' 'this, ,tbe . asked/the "to induoe these' peo- : pie) to; commit.;.avbreach 'of- .thVIaW"; ;,Mr, . Kottks contended ;that".'offenders should bo detected; • not entrapped.,, ;■■' .- Vr- . ~ . loan Proposals, Hastings, January. 27. The proposal ; 6f> the : Hastings .Borough: -; ' Council to raise.a loan i of £30,000 .for. sewer?, ago extension purposes was-, to-day -rejected at a poll by 349 votes to 275. Wanganui, January 27. A poll was taken to-day on a proposal to • \ : raise a loan of-£12,000 for gasworks'exten-' ' : sion.;-. Little-' interest '".was 'manifested,' ■. thapoll being earned by 110 ,to 21-.' :'■■:■■■ : OHINEMURI LICENSING POLL. : \ ! ■ Waihl, January 27. Tho hearing of evidence in the Ohine> petition' case was* continued' to-day, Five wtriesses examined gave cor roborative evidence as to > overcrowding in the booth, inadequate facilities for voters,.. . . and the absence of'-secrc-cy of the ballot. CHARCE OF MURDER.. ,' Westport, January 27. . The murder charge against'Connelly . waa'/ this morning/further adjourned ,- till" lata . ■ this 'afternoon,-pending receipt: of :a; reply' . from.the Justice Department' as to tho Court bo which accused should bo.committed. I'ha i Magistrate/referred toa letter' he had re* ceived dealing with the case. He said it ; - .'.: was.: gross' contempt of Court, -ancj advised . • the .'writers of the said letter to bi> careful .- or they would get themselves, into th» ;; clutches.of the law. • '■. ;v' PROPOSED CHRISTCHURCH CANAL, v .VChristch'nch, January 27.: ■ : The, Selwyn.,County. Council to-day, aftoi. hearing the views of-a deputation in favour. ; : of the construction of • a'' ; canal from the sea •; to Christchurch, agreed to the following • 1 motion by, seven, votes, to,:four"That, thi«. . . council considers the port of Lyttelton suf- 1 : ~ ficient: for the requirements of the, district, : and strongly objects to the proposal to raise; , a largo loan for the purpose of constructing. . . a canal."-. An amendment to tho effect that , the council :should'..refrain'from expressingany opinion'regardingtthe.proposal until full particulars were available • was negatived. - . TEAM OF HORSES DROWNED. Ashburton, January 27. \ Information has been received- that, a team " . of. four horses,-valued at: about £200;'.and'be*;.longing to Mount. Possession ' Station, . were, drowned while' .endeavouring' to; cross' the? upper Ashburton I^iver,-' wliich is much' swollen by tho recent rains., : ' - NEWS IN BRIEF. " Duncdin, January 27. 1 :It. is understood,.tha'ti.the .City Council's ; loan, offered in -London, : has been un'dor•written at a .minimum of 93. • • .; ,■- • Auckland, January 27. .-'ln.-.the'Magistrate's Court' to-day,;-Harry' ' Evans-and William Dalziell ' were convicted . 'of . sly ; ;-Each , was sentenced to - Isis. months' imprisonment swith. hard'dabour. • 'Both. accused : :had-.previously: tho same offence. -. ■ , . r " ; Osborne; January 27. ; -Three .boys were before- the; Court to-day . on charges of breaking and entering. One , pleaded guilty-to'threo such offences.. ,ISvo - ' were sent to the industrial school at Burn- ■ ham, ; and the third "was renianded for polica supervision. ' - ■ ■ • ' '.-.v Mastcrton, January 27. ; It is stated that the next Easter. ; .mail- '■' oeuvrcs are to be held-in: the AYairarapa district. . Palliser Bay, it is! said, will, play a ■ prominent part, in the scheme. .