NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 797, 21 April 1910, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(Bjr ToletraDh—Proaa Association.!

LOAN PROPOSAL CARRIED, 6000 ON THE BOLL: LESS THAN 1000 VOTE. Auckland, April 20. A proposal to Taise a loan of .£225,000 for the purpose of extensions and additions to, the electric power station at Auckland was submitted to a poll of the ratepayers to-day, and / was carried by 390 votes to 146. There are 6000 people on the rolls, so that over 5000 refrained from recording their votes. THE IRON INDUSTRY. LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT WANTED. Auckland, April 20. A■. strong plea, was made at to-day's luncheon of the Ironmasters' Conference by several speakers for legislative support for local industries, particularly the iron industry, in the way of a slight alteration in the Customs tariff and labour laws, as there were, it was said, unmistakable signs that the industry from one end of the country to the other was languishing for want of practical encouragement. Attention was also dTawn to the large number of New Zea-land-bred and trained boya who annually left the eonntrj to seek appointments m various parts of the world, simply because they could not find suitable emploj- . ment in the Dominion. A PECULIAR LAWSUIT. NIECE AND UNCLE. Dannevirke, April 20. Judgment was given in an unusual case, Woulfe v. Woulfe, to-day by Mr. M'Carthy, SJf. The plaintiff, who was the niece of defendant, claimed >EIOO in respect of an alleged breach of agreement, whereby (so it was alleged) defendant agreed that if the plaintiff left England and came to New Zealand, and'there acted as defendant's' housekeeper, defendant would provide her .with a home, and leave her (by will). all his property. Plaintiff sold up her business in England to tarry out the agreement, but found, on arrival, that defendant's representations as to means, etc., were false. Judgment was given for the full amount claimed, with costs. A PLAIN CLOTHES' CONSTABLE. AND STSEET BETTING. Gisborne, April 20. As a result of a visit to Gisborne of a plain-clothes constable last month, charges of street betting and betting at totalisator odds- were laid against three local bookmakers. Tho principal evidence was that given by the constable of bets made by himself with a man named Burnard. Accused successfully raised the defence (in one case) that the bet, "starting price with £W limit," was not clearly a bet on totalisator odds.' One of. the defendants was fined £10 and costs on the totalisator odds charge. The magistrate reserved decision in the other cases on" various technical points raised by Burnard. A HYDRO-ELECTRIC SCHEME. HASTINGS WITHDRAWS. Napier, April 20. At a meeting of the Napier' Borough Council to-night, it was stated that Hastings had withdrawn from the Waikaremoana hydro-electric scheme, and that it would not now be worth while to go to any expense in obtaining further information. The Mayor remarked that the question had assumed a different aspect since the Government's intentions regarding 'water powers had been announced. • STABBED A CONSTABLE. Dannevirke, April 20. At the Magistrate's Court to-day, an elderly man, James Stevens, • pleaded guilty to a charge of stabbing Constable Keane on April 5, after accused had been arrested on a-charge of drunkenness. He was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. BROTHERS AND A KNIFE. Elttram, April 20. At the Magistrate's Court to-day Charles Buckland was charged with assaulting his brother, Ernest, causing'him actual bodily harm. The evidence for the prosecution was to the effect that bad feeling had existed between the brothers, culminating in an altercation, in which accused stabbed the other with a pocketknife, inflicting wounds on the forehead, nose, and cheek, and cutting through his coat, vest, and shirt, over the region of the heart, but not touching the skin. Accused pleaded not guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court at New Plymouth for trial. Bail was allowed.

ATTEMPT TO BURN A HALL. Wairoa, April 20. A deliberate attempt to burn down Stewart's Hall, next MDougall's book depot, -was discovered yesterday morning. On the building, which is used as a sample room, being opened, it was found that a stained glass window at the back had been smashed. On a table was a bundle of half-burnt clothing, obtained from the washhouse at Storey's Hotel since Friday. The police are investigating the affair. •

TO BE RETIRED AT ONCE. Dunedin, April 20. At to-morrow's meeting of the Otago Education Board, Mr. W. Scott will move that five ,teachers who have reachdd' the retiring age of 65, be immediately superannuated, and given three months' aryNAPIER MUNICIPAL LOAN. Napier, April 20. Advice has been received that the State Guaranteed Advances Board has increased the grant to the Borough Council for loan purposes from .£35,000 to .£68,250. About half the amount of the loan was voted by the ratepayers last Hay.