NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 755, 2 March 1910, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(By Telegraph.—Proaa Association.) SCHOOL COMMITTEE SUED. SUCCESSFUL MBEL ACnON. . Napier,-March 1. At the Supreme Court to-day Ronald •Owen obtained judgment against the Heir . bertyille School Committee for £20 for - libel and slander, the committee having, in a letter to the Education Board, stated ;that Owen, with whom the local teacher associated, was of bad character, and had "been iii gaol.' The amount sued for was but the jury found thaf'the commititce had acted in good faith, although it &had not made .proper- inquiries into'onq lof the allegations against Owen. ; Mr.: ' Justico Cooper said that it was not neces■sary . to discuss the interesting legal point las to the committee's' privilege, as defendant agreed to judgment ' for tie Amount awarded by the jury. ■■•' , - . -RECORD COAL OUTPUT. V . Westport, March 1. Speaking at a farewell gathering, Air. Broome,- the recently-appointed general manager of the' Victorian State. mines, •said that the Westport Stockton Compairy, in topping one thousand tons for ,&-, day's output, - probably established a .record for a mine in New Zealand; and .even in. Australasia, as. the mine had been open less than eighteen months. The work fiat been laid out so that at small cost the output could be doubled, and he understood that:the directors contem-' plated making the additions necessary to achieve that end.\ The present output, was giving a\very fair profit. '. .. . / •; PALMERSTON MUNICIPAL; MpVE. ■'"!. •'.-;■ 'Palmerston, March L The Palmerston Borough Council: do; f4()ad to-night to meet the Gas Company : with a view, to considering the taking : over of its works;' for the present agree-ment-has still five and a half years to run. The suggestion is that if' the borqugh takes, pver the gas, the -purchasers will have the electric light and power scheme, and destructor, and swimming bath all mutually, co-opera tiye to carry out by private or' municipal entcrr prise. QUESTION OF CONTROL. .-'P'unediri, March 1. 'At a meeting of the Otago Centre, of ! the New Zealand Athletic Union tonight it was' decided to support a remit that, the council should take over tho ! control of all cycling races.in the Domin- ! , ion, and it further decided to oppose the- ( proposal that the council should assume ■ control of Highland I events.. . EXEMPLARY SENTENCE. . .■ ] Hamilton, March I. , John MinternPaull, the young man . charged with the attempted murder of , a'bank clerk at Mystery Creek—in which j case accused formerly stated that he had j . acted under threats by Maoris—pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court this'morning., He was sentenced by Mr. Justice Edwards to ■ seven years' hard labour. MR. BUDDO AND ;THE BEASTS, Wangaivji, March 1. , ' The action of the Alinister tor Internal Affair's in refusing to allow animals '■ for the Wanganui Zoo to be landed in ' New> Zealand is regarded hßre as most i extraordinary, and is based on :a completo misinterpretation of the •Animals Protec- : tipn Act. An indignation meeting is to. ] be held to protest, and the Government i is to be asked to reconsidei; its,' decision, i '■ " ■ ' '• ' i THE MAHENO'S HOLD, . ] r :.- Auckland,-' March 1. ] In the Police Court John Whitechurch > and Charles Campbell were committed for ! trial on a charge of breaking into the ' hold of the steamer Maheno with intent ' to steal'''cargo, i NEWS IN BRIEF. I Napier, March 1. Louis Morgan, found guilty of criminal ! assault; was sentenced to'twelve mouths' I imprisonment. - ~ i Hew Plymouth, March 1. ■< Tho Customs-.revenue- at tho port of i New Plymouth for February was ,£328(1 , as compared with ,£2874 in February 1909. ' . ■'''...■'-'! • , -.; l