NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1331, 8 January 1912, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

IRy TclceraDli—Press Association.) . ;• $ .«., WHEN TO TURN TO? 0~- ■ •' '•— -' SUNDAY, BOATS AT AUCKLAND/ • • Auckland, January G. The Auckland Waterside Workers recently decided upon a course of action, in regard lo starting to work cargoes on /the southern and Sydney boats at mjd. night on "Sundays that is likely, if delin. ilely adhered lei, to' prove' decidedly in. convenient!to shipping and to the travel, ling, public, as. well as to''cause delay in the carnage of mails. The union apparently hi|M decided that the 'men should not follow the practice of the past,, alul of all ports, and have notified the .ship, ping eoinpanies'tlial, after the beginning of." tliis : yeari workers will not. turn" out till 8 o'clock on the Monday morning. THE BETTING MACHINE, Rotorua, January 8. The Totalisator Commission sat here to» day. F. ,S. Wootton, of Christchurch, owner of trotting horses,,,said he did nob bet, but favoured the totalisator before bookmakers. The revenue from the-ma-chine allowed clubs -to increase their stakes, which led ito an improved breed of horses. • The .machine was . a;.'fairer 'medium of betting," and mado for cleaner sport.' The short. events were run because the public wanted quicker and falter runs,' not for ilio purpose 'of affording additional facilities for gambling. Trotting dfd.not flourish without the totalisator. Bookmakers-flourished-despite the. law. The pure-sport of trotting would not attract pc'dple who wanted the facility to put a half-crown on. The second dividend assisted ; the "■ small bWner>; 'by ' recompensing him for nearly g'ettiiig' there,

; STATE BUYS MITCHffM. 'FARM. Ashburton, January 6. The "Ashburton Guardian" is ihfornicd on good-authority that the Government ■ has acquired'• for closer settlement ■ purposes il'r. Thomas Morlahd's v Mitchatii Eafih, .seven or-eight, miles 'from liakaia; and comprising 1700' acres'good 'cropping and grazing land. It: is'rumoured-that the'price*paid is £K' per acre. : - ' OTAMA FATALITY. Gore, January ,6. At the inquest on the body 'of; Jamof Cromb'ie,' aged 22, who 'was found with' a' bullet wound in his head at ; Otariia on Wednesday,'and died at'.the Gore Hospital oh Thursday night, the'.'jury'retufn/ cd an open : verdict." "• ''•'■''.'' thief'gaoLed. ■'-'.','..■•'■ ■' \ Gisborhe, January 6. Sydney Palmer was sentenced tb-thrca months' imprisonment on "two -charges of theft from a pawnbroker's shop.-in" which ho had been employed. The- Magistrate ordered. the money found on the accused to lie confiscated; and 'the amount' received from persons in Hawke's Bay in respect of several articles to "be refunded. TO BE TRIED HERE,. . , Palrperstp.n North- January 6. At the Polico'Court to ; day a.man/named - Harry y Hay -was ; charged ■' with stealing iS2B at Wellington, tho property/ of liobe.it" Biiclielo. The'police evidence was to'tho effect that accused was a room mate of Bu'chele, 'who had' -JG2B ■' in his pockets- on retiring. No^t k morning, when.he'awoke, jiis mate and money' were "missing. - .' A'censed was rcinanded to Wellington, to appear on January 8. ' • .

, DROWNED' in the grey.-.".. POPULAR RESIDENT'S DEATH. Grqyrnputh, January' 7. Yesterday nwrijing a. member of till! wharf repairiifg gang noticed a body floating in the river ■ which Was identified as that of James L. Dobgan, a well-known commission agent of this town, who has been missing since, llie night of December 23. It-was evident','from, where the body was. found, .that 'deceased felt into the river and„ in 1 his efforts to get out, got behind the. piles under'the wharf, an« was unable to get either'up or out. Al the inquest, held in. the afternoon, the jury returned a, verdict of accidental drowning, and added a, rider that, in their opinion, tho wharf was insufficiently lighted. Deceased was a.'" native, of Victoria and had resided on the coast for many years. 'He was 51 years of age, and was extremely popular. ALWAYS NEW DEMANDS. Dunedin, January 6. The Dunedin waterside workers Ear* issued their demands, which show a desira for a substantial' increase, although, on the whole, they arc much more reasonable, than Northern • demands, particularly Timaru's. On ordinary work they seek Is. lid. an hour; for overtime 2s. 3d., an. increase of-3d.; for handling coal they ask Is. 9(1. and 2s. Od., an' increase of lid.; for frozen nicat 2s. and 35., 'art increase of Gil. and' Is. respectively. The general conditions are soihewhot .similar to ■ the old, but;'regarding special holidays,' they ask double overtime-rates. FOOLING WITH REVOLVER. . Thames, January 7. A serious shooting accident occurred on tho steamer Wakatere. One of the saloou boys, Robert Rowlands,' °f Auckland, a-sk'ed aiio'ther lad,' Arthur Walding, for a 'clothes brush, 'and' Walding' opened ' a cabin mate's drawee to get. tho brush. Ho found a revolver and began fcolinc with it, not knowing that it-was loaded. Ho had pointed/ it at Rowlands's head, when it went off. The latter' is in Uie'hospital'in. n, critical-cpnditio'i. Raiding is nearly, distracted witli trrief. ' ' -