NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1127, 15 May 1911, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

_ (By Telegraph.—Pross Association.) ' 4VALUE OF SHARES. ACTION BY COMMISSIONER OF . -V : STAMPS. Auckland, May 13. Before Mr. C. C, Kettle, S.M., the Commissioner of Stamps sued the administrator/; in the' estate of the late Albert EdWard Bagnall for the sum of .£127 7s. Bd/ death "duties upon fully-paid £1 shares in Bagnall Brothers, Limited. No . .shares had been sold in the open market, consequently it was difficult to determine the value of the shares. A balance-sheet issued in 1909 showed that their , value had been assessed at -El 19s. sd; p6r share, and th 6 value of the company's assets were based' on the Government, valuation.

Counsel for defendants claimed that thelvalue of the shares could not be assessed from the balance-sheet, and offered to Accept £2 per share from the Department, for the whole .concern, and pay stamp duty. The Crown. Solicitor said that if the Government had to do that in every disputed case, they would want a ten million loan.

Mr. Cotter offered to accept £1 per share, for tho shares in dispute. The magistrate said that under the circumstances he must regard the bal-ance-sheet as representing the true value of the shares. He, suggested that they 6hould be properly advertised, and of.fered for sale by tender in the open •Counsel agreed to adopt this suggestion, and the case was adjonrned sine die. .. . UNDER THE DEFENCE SCHEME. '' ■ SEPARATE-.COMPANIES. ■ Auckland, May 13. Colonel Wolfe, officer commanding the Auckland district, /interviewed on the enbject of allowing Eoman Catholics or other denominations to form separate companies under the new defence scheme, said there was no provision in tho regulations for carrying, -the idea into-effect, but it had' tho approval of the 'Com , '' ai'ander of the New Zealand- Forces. As far as he ■understood the position, the arrangement was only to apply to cadet corps cotaposed«of :: lads-6f'irbm 14 to ig years_ of/age, not to the Territorials. The idea, was to allow any denomination, to form a separate'cadet corps from their owtt.number, provided there were enough boys, therein to constitute a company. He emphasised tho fact. that such. corps must bo free from-any suspicion' of sectarianism. .One -feature .that recommended such, an arrangement was the force it , would give in the matter of enrolment. He. did not see how the same plan could work with the Territorials. SPEECH BY HON. R. M'KENZIE. '-'• Auckland, May 13. The Hon. E. M'Kenzie, Minister for Public .Works, delivered a speech at TaunVarnuni- last night. Replying to Opposition critics, he said the Government had three millions in tho bank available for reproductive public works. He defended the succession duties under which estates under .£25,000 were exempt if left to, a .widow, child, or grandchild. The Government had recently transferred £800,000 from the surplus to tho Public Works Department. This would be available for necessary purposes of settlement Mr. M'Kenzie domed .that the Liberal Administration had increased taxation. ■ The contrary was tho case. The remission: of duties on. tea, kerosene, and other articles in general use had totalled a yery large 4um..• . . . ARRESTED HERE-OWNS UP IN V ■• TIMARU. _', . . " ' Timaru, May 14. The young man, Norman Ramsay, who was.; arrested in Wellington, pleaded SWw-.'to the theft.of three bicycles from dealers at Timaru and Temuka, one at Amborley, and. one at St. Albans. Ho was committed for sentence. His practice was to hire the machines for. an hour, and sell; , them to second-hand dealers at prices ranging from 255. to 50s. HIS SELF-IMPOSED ORDEAL. . . Invercarpill, May U. James b. Stirton, an endurance pianoplayer, fimshed i feat on Saturday night which it is-claimed, constitutes a world's record for endurance playing. Stirton whoso work was -supervised by a local committee, commenced playing at nine dclock on Wednesday morning, and by eleven o'clock on Saturday r.irht, he had teen playing continuously for 88 hours. \ Ho nmshed stroiigly at five minutes past . tloven, omidst prreat excitement on the part of some COO people who had assembled in the hall. Stirton, though a little haggard-looking, was apparently none the worse for his self-indicted ordfa'l and was warmly chesred at the conclusion of a brisk address to his audience. DRINKING BOUT-AND AFTER. ~ ~' ' „, Hastings, May 13. .Arthur Thomas, aged 35 years, employed at the Tomoana freezing Works, was found unconscious on Dr. Story's verandah with a- wound in tho throat, .it is understood ho had boon drinking' and committed the deed in his owii house; th«n, repenting, had wandered through . the street. His wife was absent from homo at the time. . Thomas is now in the Hospital. THE GENERAL AT WANGANUI, Wanganui, May 11. General Godley inspected the local forces on Saturday afternoon, when there was , a good muster of all ranks. The (.icnsral expressed pleasure at the bearing and appearance of the men. ' Ho was afterwards tendered a civic reception, and, in replying tc the spctch of welcome, pave some interesting information relative to the Haw military scheme. PRICE OF FLOUR. Dunedin, May 13. An advance of ton shillings per ton on the price of flour took place in Dunedin to-day. This is in sympathy with the weent riie in wheat. BRIEF MENTION. Timarii, May 13. Much mischief is complained of as boiug due to a grass grub iu tho pastures this season. Tho pest has become more noticeable since the rains.

•Importers are complaining of the inadequacy of the railway goods shed, which at times is &o crowded that great difficulty is experienced in getting at consignments wanted.