NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1090, 31 March 1911, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(By Tolcsrai)h.-Prcs3 Association.)

1 PORT OF LYTTELTON: 191011. DOCK A WHITE ELEPHANT. Christchurch, March 29, The annual report of the Lyttcliofi Harbour Board shows that after meeti"R extra expenditure amounting (o .£01,064, there mis a cash credit bnl. once of .SGMO nt tho end of the past year. The extra expenditure include! (innl payment for dredge, full payment lor (ho now Fruhliug dredge, alterations to jellies, reclamation works and tlivhis apparatus. It is expected that (he sale of the dredge Manchester will .ealise about ,£20,01)0. Sinkin? funds amount to Jt"0,312, wharfaw revenue in. creased by .i'SB3G, the total being ■£23,831)— a record for the port—while pilotage aw" port charges amounted to ,C2O,Gf7. Th« exports and imports increased by 00,27,' tons. 11l an address, Mr. Fricdlauder, (ho chairman, referred to the graving doct as a white elephant. It was not payiny working expenses, while the interest oi the first cost was JC63SV annually. Thi total Joss (o (he board in this connection had been .£'178,011. A RECENT ELTHAM FIRE. INQUIRY AND VERDICT. El'cham, March 30. _An inquiry was held to-day before Mr Kenrick, S.M., touching a lire that oc* curred at 2 a.m. on February 12 in a building owned by John' Routley, of Weh lingtoii, which was so damaged that il will have to bo rebuilt. The evidence showed that the fire started in a shop occupied by J\ 1;. Sanko, who had insurance of .£2OO in. the Now Zealand oilier on stationery and fancy-goods stock. A bundle of kindling wood was discovered in the debris under where the counte! had been. A verdict that the shon wa, wilfully set on fire by some tievson unknown was returned. "WE CALL UPON THE GOVERNMENT-" Whangarci, March 30. A meeting of the Hikurangi Miners' and Workers' Union carried the following motion:—"Wo l:eg to protest most emphatically against the action of the Government in ignoring the recommendation of the Federation of Labour re appoint/ incuts on thc.lioyal Commission dealing with the sanitation and ventilation of mines. We call upon the Government at once to cancel the appointment of the twe men chosen as representing the inines l and to appoint the two recommended by the federation in their stead. Unless thii request is conceded this union will 1« compelled to refuse to give evidence 1» fore the said commission." ALARMED BY OIL OUTBURSTS. Nov/ Plymouth, March 30. The extraordinary activity of the Tara* naki Petroleum Company's No. 3 well is causing some alarm among residents in the vicinity, some of whom are looking for houses moro remote. The roar of the. gas is heard miles away. Yesterday evening an enormous pressure burst an eightton boiler as though it were paper. There is great difficulty in controlling the oil and water. The manager expects greater developments, as the country at the bottom is favourable. SOUTHLAND PARAFFIN. Gore, March 30. An "Ensign" representative was shown samples of crude petroleum, the result of prospecting on the part of Mr. Kelly, at ttrydon. One sample ■ was rich ill paraffin and the other was crude oil alone. A large percentage of carbon iit the mineral indicates the presence of coal on the same 1 field.. The mineral closely resembles that which made the famous Scottish oil industry. It is considered that the discovery opens up wonderful possibilities in Southland. Reticence is observed in regard to (he find, hut it has been learned indirectly that three hundred acres have been held over for future development, SHORTAGE OF LABOUR.. Timaru, March. 30. ''Several employers here say there is a notable shortage of hands for factory work. A bootmaker suggested that this is due to .the limitation of apprentices. A clothing manufacturer says he can't get good hands, and sjooil shop assistants are also said to be difficult to find, MAIL MATTER BROACHED. Gisborno,;March 30. Tame Erana was sentenced to three, months' imprisonment for stealing (ho contents of a letter (a cheque for JM) he had undertaken to post for a fellowemployee, who was sending the money to his wife in Wellington. COPIOUS OTAGO RAINS, Dune-din, March 30. The drought has broken, copious rains having fallen since 9 o'clock "last night. The registered rainfall up to 8 this morn, ing was 17 points. Oamaru, March 30. Rain, lasting all night, fell over a considerable portion of the North Otaeo district. The weather is still dull and threatening. RIGHTLY ON THE ROLL? Christchurch, March 20. At a meeting of the LyttcKon Harbour Board this morning, the question arose as. to whether members of Iho board could object to names on tho board's electoral roll before tho chairman signed it. The board's solicitor gave it as his opinion that no. member was entitled to object—a position which members characterised as an extraordinary one. The chairman then signed the roll. The point at issue was. whether persons who paid for pilotage exemption . certificates wore payers of duoa within the meaning of the Act. A CHECK ON LAND BOOMS, Auckland, March 29. At tho monthly meeting ol tho Clcvodon branch of the Farmers' Union the following remit was ordered to be sent to the Provincial Executive:—"That the Government be urged to legislate in the direction of land agents' commission, so as to put a cheek upon land booms by laud agents and speculators ■. by compelling them to take out a license, as in the ca» of auctioneers." THE DROVER'S CRIME. Christchurch, March 29. In tho Magistrate's Court to-day, George Gordon pleaded guilty to theft of three heifers, and was comjuitted lo the Supreme Court for sentence. Accused is a drover; he had been taking a bij mob of cattle up to Conwav, picked up the heifers on the way, trucked them to Addington, and .had them sold en his own account. HARBOUR LEASES PUZZLE. ' Gisbornc, March 29. In releasing six sections of endowment land totalling 7SOO acres, the Harbour Board has been confronted with a problem as to whether it can limit purchases lo one section. The board's solicitor has advised that such restriction, cannot bo made. STATION BUILDING BURNT. Hastings, March 20. The' manager's house at Wuimarama station was totally destroyed by lire last night. It . was "owned V Mr. O. 1\ Donnelly, and occupied by Mr. J. Hart. The origin of the fire is a mystery. The occupants were away at the (hue. Insurances:—,£2o3 on the house (which was valued at X-tiiOV in (he Commerc:al Union; JlflO on (he furniture in tho Standard. Nothing was saved.