NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1067, 4 March 1911, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(By Tolccraph—Prosa Association.! "KEEP YOUR EYE ON BAKU." EXPERT ON TARANAKI OIL. New Plymouth, March 3. Mr. J. D. Henry, the British pctroJctiin export, was ciitort.iinotl .it dinner last niglit by tlio Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, forty or fifty lending citizens attending. In the course of his responso to the toast of his health, lie recalled Charles Marvin's advice to the British people many years ago, to "Keep a sharp cyo oil Baku," and said when ho returned to London ho would adviso people to keep a sharp eye on the 'J'aranaki oilfields and those,of Now Zealand generally. Ho was convinced that tiiero is a great oilfield underlying New Plymouth, and extending over a much larger area than was generally supposed, only waiting capital and enterprise to develop. Ho urged the local Ijeoplo to get busy and to ally themselves with British capitalists, predicting that in fivo years the production of oil will bury gold out of sight. Regarding the proposed purchase of the 'J'aranaki Petroleum Company by his principals,'ho could only say that negotiations wero proceeding which lie hoped would bo successful.

Mr. Henry leaves for Auckland tonight, and takes his_ filial departure on Monday for California and Mexico,

ODDFELLOWSHIP. THE TARANAKI LODGES. Hawera, March 3.. The annual. district meeting of tho Taranaki Oddfellow lodges was hold at Hawcra yesterday, .Provincial Deputy Grand Master Bro. S. G. Burgess, Stratford, presiding. Various reports showed the lodges to be in a healthy financial position. The sick and funeral fund of tho lodges at tho end of tlio year was £23,062,25.1 Id., medical and management fund £454 os. Bd. Tho sum paid for sickness benefits for the first time in the history of tho lodges exceeded £1000, the amount liemg £1070—an. increase of £75 7s. Bd. for tho year. The amount paid for medical attendance and medicines totalled £1259 3s. lOd. Tho two funds showed an increase of £1434 19s. 3d. for the year. The total valuo of all funds is £2o,8!)2 3s. od., an increase of £1843 10s. 9d. Bro. S. G. Burgess (Stratford) was elected Provincial Grand Master, and Bro. J. W. Snowden (Manaia) deputy. RAILWAYMAN'S IDEA. JOIN LABOUR FEDERATION. Christchurch, March 3. Tlio Canterbury branch of tho Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants at its annual meeting discussed at length a motion favouring tho society joining tlio Federation of Labour, and ultimately decided that the matter should stand over till November.

AGAIN ELECTED. ■ Ashburtan, March 3. ■ At a meeting to-day tho Ashburton County Council again elected Mr. Hugo Fricdlander as representative on tho Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. Or Tuesday last Mr. Fricdlander resigned tlio chairmanship of the Hospital and Charitable Aid' Board in consequenccoi an action pending against him by Miv Henry Davis, tho Mayor, charging him with contravention of the Act, by supplying goods to the board exceeding ten pounds in value during ono financial year. Tho re-appointment was carried by five votes to two. r MOUNT PEEL RUN. Tirnaru, March 3. Mr. Buxton, M.l'. for Geraldine, r<y ceived a telegram to-day from tho Minister for Lands, stating that his 1 (Mr. Buxton's) representations regarding the acquisition of a portion of tho Mount Pool run for subdivision have been approved. This places in tho , hands of tho Crown nearly . r )0,000 acros of excellent pastoral land for disposal next year. It is understood tho v arrangement is by way of exchange" or extension of tenure of the other portion of tho run. LEVIN LOAN PROPOSAL! Levin, March 3. A proposal to borrow £1200 for extension of tho watermains in and beyond the borough was carried at a [Kill yesterday , by 127. to 21. CORONATION MEDALS. Invercargill, March 3. Tho successful tenderers ior tho 175,000 Coronation medals, ordered by the Government for distribution among school children, were M'Gruer, Thomson, and Co., of Feilding. ALCOHOL AND NATIVES. Levin, March 3. For having supplied liquor to Natives within a district proclaimed by Govern-or-in-Council as ono where liquor shall not bo supplied to Natives, Timothy Close was fined £2, and £1 on two charges, by Mr. Thomson, S.M. CHARGE OF STEALINC HORSES. Hamilton, March 3.

In the Supremo Court, before Mr. Justice Edwards, Herbert Parker, Lillian Stewart, and Arthur Smith woro charged with stealing and receiving horses at Otorohanga. Parker was found guilty on, two counts and sentenced to reformative treatment for five years. Smith was acquitted, and Stewart was granted probation for two years.