NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 785, 7 April 1910, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

tliy Teleeraob.— Preeg Association.! . -4 — . CHARGE AGAINST A CLERK. Invercargil!, April 6. John Archibald Mackay, a clerk in the employ of the New Zealand Loam and Mercantile Agency Company, and manager of the department at Bluff, today committed for trial on a charge of forging a name on the wages sheet of the company. The defence was that the practice was followed in order that Mackay might recoup himself for an outlay in tips to aid the speedy transaction of the company's business. It was also alleged that at least some of the othftf clerks knew that this was being done.

CONDITIONAL LICENSES,

New Plymouth, April 6. In reference to a telegram from Wei-, lington dealing with a conditional license for the Wellington races, there appears' to be a misconception of the decision of Mr. Fitzlierbert, stipendiary magistrate' at New Plymouth, which was mentioned in the telegram. The facts were that the Stratford Licensing Committee issued a : conditional license to-a publican in their district to take effect in the Taranaki district. The magistrate held that the committee had no power to do so, and that only the Taranaki Licensing Com.mittee could issue such a license. He, therefore, held that no valid license had been issued, and consequently the man was selling without a license, hence the fine. ....

SEQUEL;TO A STRIKE. '' Auckland, April 6. The slaughtermen and floor hands at Southdown Freezing Works who went on strike the other day have been served at the instance of the Labour. Department with summonses charging them with striking. The men slaughter meat only for export, and not for domestic con-, sumption, in New Zealand, and thus escape coming under the provisions of Section 9 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act, 1908; which provides for higher penalties than .Section 5 of the Act, under which the charges against them are laid.

CHARGES OF ASSAULT. ; Blenheim, April 6. , At the Supreme, Court a young mail named William Barrow was sentenced to 18 months on each of two charges of assaulting two girls under sixteen in tlie Awatere district, sentences to be cumulative. Prisoner stuck one girl up on the road while she was going : to music lessons, and the other he improperly approached while asking for a billy of hot water' at her house.'

A VERDICT FOR £550. Blenheim, April 6. In the civil. session of ■ the, Supreme ciourt. Mrs. . Andrews, wife-of a Flaxbourne settler, claimed .£IOOO from the Railway Department. for injuries sustained in a train collision at Blenheim railway station on Juno 14. The Bepartment offered .£2OO, but the jury returned, a verdict for ,£550. with costs.