NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1056, 20 February 1911, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(By Telccraph.—Press Association.) -«- — • GLARING THISTLE CASE. FARMER FINED' .£5. ; . Ashburton, February 18. At Hie Magistrate's Court , Patrick Small, a farmer at Wheatstone, was fined .£5 for failing to clear thistles from his farm. Mr. Day, 5.M... said-it was the worst case in regard to thistles lio ever had before him, as the evidence showed tltat Small had actually threshed a wheat crop containing mature thistlo s?ed, thus giving means of distribution of the seed., • AUCKLAND BUSH FIRES. OUTBREAKS SUBSIDING. .' Auckland, February 19. Further advices from the country di& tricts show that considerable damage has been dono by the bush fires. A settler from Pomerangi, near Te Kuiti, states that the district is black. Five hundred acres of grass were burned and one hundred sheep lost. The outbreaks have in most cases subsided somewhat,, but there is 'still danger if the wind jises. The shortage of feed and water in many parts is causing ansiety. _ CHRISTCHURCH CITY ROLL. A VERY.MARKED INCREASE.. Christchurch, February 18. The main municipal roll for Christchurch has just with an increase of 47 per cent as compared with the 1803 rcll, the numbers being:-1909 roll, 11,008; 1911 roll, ■ 17,192. •■■•*'..' . FREE ART GALLERY VOTE. ... . Auckland, February- 18. The president of the Auckland Society of Arts (Mr. E; AY. G. Rathbone) ha= bPsn officially advised thatthe .£SCO voted' on the ■ Supplementary Estimates, for the benefit of free art galleries has boon placed to the credit of the society at its bankers. HEiVY LOSS BY FIRE. Auckland, February iB. ■ A fire this morning gutted a wooden building in Edinburgh Street, Newton, iVd by'M.'J. Bennett for storing, purdcJ-*, and owned by Caleb Wood. The itock was vriluwt at .£2OOO, and was insured for .£IOO. .•■"•'