NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1374, 27 February 1912, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

tßy Telegraph—Prees Association.l ♦ MINING PROPERTY. ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE EIGHT OF PURCHASE. Wcstport, February 26. Arrangements were completed to-night between Drinks and l'arty's Millertoa Symlicalo nnd D. Zininu for tho right of purehnso of the pyndioato's Snowy Creek property, lionr Mluckwatcr Mines, for ,£36,000—.C15,000 cash awl .£IB,OOO paiil for shares. In the opinion of miners of lengthy experience, this is ono of tho best milling properties discovered in New- Zealand tor many years. The syndicate shares, which wore Felling last week at the rato of .£IOOO, lmve advanced to .£I2OO, with no, s-ller The syndicate is comprised mainly of coal miners.

arbitration court, Ounedln, February 28. Tho Arbitration Court will sit at Netf Plymouth on March 4, Christcburch on March 11, Wellington March 18, Napier March 27, Wangauui March 30, nnd lalnicrston North April 2. In Wellington, applications will be made' for increased wages and improved conditions for boot, makers and woollen workers, and for Dominion awards. Tho Court will also bo asked by merchants' assistants to form a basis for grouping the various occupations embraced in the reference.

CONCILIATION. Tiniaru, February 2G. The Conciliation Council sat hero to« day, to arrange a dispute between the hotel-keepers and tho hotel employees. The latter have a union, with headquarters at Christcburch, and the employers here desired that a separate union should bo formed for Tiiuaru, {is it was inconvenient to deal with Christchurch. Tho result was a modification of tho preference clause, to avoid or lessm tho inconvenience, A vote of thanks was passed to fir. Triggs, Commissioner, for tho satisfactory way in which he had. handled tho matter.

THOSE RECURRENT CASES. Auckland, February 26. Gwendolen Tompkins, a single woman, a°ed 35 vcare, who has been unwell tor .some time, died suddenly yesterday, hhe had been attended by Dr. Parkes for some dovs, and was apparently improving when, suddenly, she was taken seriously ill, and died before a doctor could reacli her. Dr. Parkes refused a certificate ot death, and a post-mortem revealed pregbut nothing to cause death.. An analysis of the stomach is to be made.

WANGANUI MAYORALTY. Wanganui, February 28. A special meeting of the Borough Council was hold twilight! to elect a Mayor in tho place of Mr. C. E. Mnckay, who has resigned. Mr. E. IS. Lifliton, senior councillor and Deputy-Mayor. unanimously elected to fill thei position for tho ensuing two months. Mr. Mackay announces that ho will accode to the requests to sock ro-elcction in April.

SUPREME COURT,

Auckland, February 26. 'At tho Supremo Court to-day, . two youdr mou, Thomas Gliiixlcs ucbstcr and 'Joseph Nicholls, were convicted 'on n charge of theft froiu tho. person. Both their records were distinctly discreditable. Nicholls was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, to bo followed by three years' detention, for reformative .treatment, and Webster was sentenced to one year's imprisonment with hard labour, and three detention tto . follow.'

BRIEF MENTION

Auckland, February 2G.

At Paeroa to-day a coloured man wa« fined .£ls and costs for keeping hquot for sale.

INTER-UNIVERSITY DEBATE.,, Dunedin, February 2ft. Tho subicct for tho inter-university debate at Easter is: "That Compulsory Military Training is in tho Best Interests of tho Dominion." 111 tho first debate Wellington will support tho affirmative against Auckland, and in tho second Otago will take tho affirmative against Canterbury.

LICENSING COMMITTEES. Timaru, February 2fl. The License and No-Licenso parties have agreed to avoid contesting the election of a Licensing CommiUco tor limaru by nominating members o£ tho present committee only.

DWELLING BURNT.

Christchurch, February 2G',

A firo occurred at 3.30 a.m. in an un. occupied eight-roomed house at St. Albans, owned by A. J. Marshall, Ivaikourn., Tho firo started in a cupboard under the stairs, and was confined to tho stairs and landing. The building was insured' for ,£l5O in 1 tho State Office. *

FOUND IN HARBOUR.

GRASS GRUB.

Auckland, February 20. The body of a man named Jnmcs Gilw bons, labourer, was found in the harbour yesterday. In a pocket of the coat was an unopened bottle of lysol. Gibbons left his lodgings three weeks ago. The landlord supposed ho had gone to Wellington.

Mastcrton, February ,2G. The Government Commission appointed to investigate tho grass grub visited Masterton last week, and inspected .several properties. 'They found tho grass grub very bad here, and in tho Woodville dish trict similar conditions existed.