NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1071, 9 March 1911, Page 9

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

IBy Tclecrach-l'rcss Association.! « YOUNG ENGLAND ON OUR FARMS. THE SEDGWICK EFFORT. Hastings, March S. Mr. Sedgwick addressed tho, farmer:: last, night ou a scheme for introducing town lads 011 to colonial farms. He rend letters from the lad?, shoving how satisfied they were with the improved conditions of life after their experiences in England. The feeling we.s expressed by farmers present, that fifty up to a hundred boys'could l.'O placed in Hawke's Bay. Jlr. Sedgwick lectures at Dannevirka on Saturday, and next week in the various centres iu 'X'aranaki. He then goes lo Christchurch on March 2•_>, and visits the centres in the south. At Easter he hopes to have an opportunity to address tho Trades and Labour Councils' Conference in Christchurch on the effect 011 labour of organised and systematic settlement on tho land. CHRISTCHURCH PLEASAUNCES. WILL LANCASTER' PAEIC BE'SOLD.Christchurch, March S. Negotiations for the'sale of' Lancaster Park to the City Council are likely to be pushed ahead,, sportsmen being strongly of opinion that tho council is the. proper body to have control. The council, however, is offering only .CBOOO. and the Canterbury Crfcket Association, which owns the park, owes ,£IO,OOO 011 it. It is considered very probable that the parties will come to terms. The Domain Board is now considering suggestions for the expenditure 0f.,£1200 or .£I3OO raised by the recent fete. It has been decided to placo ,£2OO on fixed deposit as. reserve fund for future fetes, and to ask the Government to grant a subsidy cn the .£250 to be expended on tho Coronation celebrations; the remainder of the money to be devoted direct to the improvement of the park and gardens. 'SUNDAY REFRESHMENTS. WHAT NEEDED? WHAT UNNECESSARY?. Auckland, March 8. ' Mr. ICpttlo, S.H., giving reserved judgment in the test, case against the proprietor of refreshment rooms charged with a breach of the Police Offences Act in supplying refreshments 011 Sunday afternoon, said the courts, having, been driven' to hold that, it was a work of necessity, in the meaning 0!' Section 17, to supply meals in hotels, boardinghouses, and rofreshment rooms, no good end would b.l served by endeavouring to ascertain what number of meals or kinds of 'refreshments aro .necessary to- the'public and what are not. He dismissed the information.' INVESTIGATING A STRANDING. THE AFFAIR AT ICABAMEA. Wcstport, Jlarch 7. Tho. nautical inquiry into the strandiiig of the timber-laden scov; Zingara, at ICaramei 011 January 12, was. resumed.today, when evidence was given hy Captain Kemp, harbourmaster, and others in regard to the relative' positions of (lie steamer Mangapap.T'and- tlie-Ziugara;- the signals, and the state of the - weather. During towing operations, Captain 'JCe:iij> considered that n. mistake was made by Captain Fletcher, of the Mangapaiia, in not keening a straight course to the northward, instead of turning, as he did, sharply to-the southward, but added that Captain Fletcher was in the best position to judge whether he was-in such danger as to justify his cutting the tow 'rope. After addresses by counsel 011 be-' half of tho masters of l-otli vessels," and also 011 behalf of 'the harbourmaster, tho" Court reserved judgment, which wilt be delivered in the. morning. COPING WITH NATURE. . ' GISBOIiNE AND ITS HARBOUR. .. , .Gisborne, March 7. The'-'Harbo'ur'.Bdard 'yesterday decided to confer with :Mr. Holmes, ongincor-in-cliief, when he is visiting Gisborne, as to the best method of coning, with the range which causes trouble at the entrance to the inner harbour in stormy weather. . AFfEH 23 YEARS. New Plymouth, March S. A somewhat extraordinary divorce caso was heard, in tho Supremo Court : this morning. - The parties, named Neikeiy were married in Denmark, in ISGG, and afterwards canns; to Taranaki.- - Twenty-' three years ago the . wife ran away with another' man. ' There were 110 children, arid after a lapse of all these', years the husband seeks divorce 011'' tho.; ground ' of desertion. A docree nisi was'-granted.'- . ENGLISH WILD DUCK. Auckland, Jlarc'll.B. •A large consignment of English wild duck (mallards) 'has been sent to Cambridge. Tho birds liavo been presented by Mr. C. A. Whitney to the AVaikato A<s- - Socicty, and will be distributed by the latter in" duo course." '. ■ HOTEL HANDS. Dunedin, March 8. - Tho Hotel Employees' Union has filed an application -for three new sets of claims as to hotels, - restaurant?, - privatehotels, and boardingliouses. The wastes asked range, from .£t 10s. per week for chefs to X'l- ss. for general hands. A HEAVY LOSER. Gore, March S. A five-roomed house, occupied by A! R. Ferguson, and owned by Airs. Woodward, of Sydney, was dstroyed by fire early this morning.- Ferguson had a policy of <£33 in tho Northern Ollice 011 the furniture, and is a. heavy loser. Mrs. Woodward's insurance is not available.

HOLDINGS IN THE WAIKATO. , Auckland, Jlarch 8. There is considerable activity in the Waikato in.tho direction of tho acquisition of large properties by associations formed under tho Land 'Settlement Pinaneo Act. Arrangements have been completed for the purchase, of H. J. Greenslade's farm of 1070 acres at Ivainaki. The price is understood to have been c£l-l an acre. Mr. Greenslade. has purchased Mr. Isaac Coates's property at Hamilton, and resides there. . ■ THE HOUSEBREAKERS' PORTION. Dunedin, March 8. In tho Supreme Court this raorninv Joseph Sweeney, on three charges of housebreaking in' tho Ophir district, came np for sentence . Mr. Justice "Williams sentenced him to not less than five years' —indeterminate sentence. A LICENSE CONVERTED. Nelson, March 7. The holder of a bottle license . which will be o.xtincuished by ;thc legislation of last session, applied to the Licensing Committee for tho issue of a wholesale license. It was objected that the new license would increase the number Of licenses in the district, but the committee granted the application on the chairman's casting vote.