NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 771, 21 March 1910, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(By TelesraDh.—Press Associatloa-1 « —■ ■ HASTINCS AND NAPIER LOANS. AND THE GOVERNMENT Napier, March 20. The Mayor has received the following telegram from the Prime Minister.' with regard to the Napier Borough Council's application under the State. Guaranteed Advances Act: "The board has provisionally approved the £35,000 for drainage. The other applications from Napier cannot be entertained. at present with the numerous applications for roads, bridges, drainage, and water from various parts of the country. It is not, possible ,to .entertain tho electric tramways proposal and such classes of loans jast now. J. 6. Ward." The Hastings Borough. Council have been advised by the'-Government that their loan for sewerage and water supply has been granted, subject to th«' usual oonditions. AN IMPENDINC HARBOUR POLL. GREAT INTEREST IN NAPIER. Napier, March_ 20.' Great interest is being taken in the .forthcoming poll on the proposal of tha Napier Harbour Board to borrow £300,00Q for tiie completion of the breakwater harbour. Points for and against the breakwater and the inner' bar bom are being keenly discussed at publia meetings throughout the district and by correspondents in the newspapers. An interesting feature is the offers, which have been. made by private per-, sons —one to carry out the inner bour scheme under certain oonditions, and the other to complete the breakwater harbour.

HAWKE'S BAY FISHERIES. TTTF.TR. INDUSTRIAL SIDE. Napier, March 20. The owners of the fishing fleet ban conferred with Mr. P. Hally, Concilia* tion: Commissioner, regarding - the present agreement existing between tnem and the Napier Fishermen's TMan, which expires on April 23. The award, in force is based on the wages and share system but, owing to the very bad season experienced, owners stats they are making nothing out of their boats, and some new arrangement i? desired by'them. Thei position was'discussed at length, and,' ultimately/ a committee ,was formed with the object of going into the question;; and draw-, ing up some scheme suitable to x both parties which, when arranged, will b& presented to the union.-, ■ ' .

WANTED: ANOTHER MACISTRATE. Eltham, March IS. For. some time past work at tfaa Magistrate's, Conrt has been getting ia■arrears, and great inconvenience and expense are caused to litigants by repeated adjournments of cases. The Borough Council last night resolved that the attention of the Minister for Justice : b&' drawn to the. urgent necessity for &]>■ poihting an additional stipendiary mag-' istrate for .the Taranaki district, also* two additional justices in Eltham. • ARREST: A FIRE CHARGE. Auckland, March IS. . At the. conclusion of the .coroner'* inquiry into a fire in an ironmongery store on Jervois Road, Ponsonby, on February, 26, in which it was shown that outbreaks occurred at more than one place, the police arrested Walter Bates, occupant of the'premises, and charged him with, having wilfully at> tempted to set fire to the building, with intent,, to defraud the Royal Eschangl and Standard Insurance Companies.

, PAYMENTS FOR FOOTBALL. Dunedin, March 20. At ■ the annual ; meeting of ■ the Otago' Rugby Football Union, Mr. F. EL Campbell, who was re-elected presi' dent, made :some remarks on the goes, tion of professionalism. He said thai he was not satisfied that, because & player went on- tour, lost wages, and was recouped for that loss, be should be called a professional. He did no 4 think it "advisable to recoup players at 1 present, however, as they had ths Northern Union game at their doors. HOUSE DESTROYED. 1 Auckland, March 19. A .fire at Prospect Terrace; Moan? ' Eden" destroyed a house owned by H. Paltridge, of Napier. Arthur Hodgson had moved in a few hours before the; outbreaki and during his absence tbr lire occurred. The cause of the fire is a .mystery. • ■ ' ~' . ... ROWING CHAMPIONS RETURN. V/anganui, March 20. ; The Union Boating Club's crew which won the Champion Fours at the Ho. Bart Regatta returned to-daj; and. received a hearty welcome. , COAST ARTILLERY. .... Dunedin, March K. ■ The Port Chalmers Navals Tiave been awarded the Hudson Cup for quickfiring shooting. ■ Their , record.- of_ six series by night, with an average fignrr ■of merit, was 1.021.'.