NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1381, 6 March 1912, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

fßy. Telcsrrnph-Presa Afßo'liUlon.l « A NEFARIOUS BUSINESS. Auckland, March 5, At the Supremo Court, Susannah' JTnmblyn was found guilty of committing nn illegal operation at Kingsland in September. Prisoner was sentenced to seven yreirs' imprisonment Lilian Lung, p. married lonian, who had been fouiul guilty on Saturday of :i similar olVenco and had boon strongly 'recommended to mercy, was brought up for scntonco. SliO'Wns also sentenced to seven years.

■WATERSIDE WORKERS. Greymouth, March 5. At n meeting of Ihe drey waterside workers hold to-night 11 ballot, was Inkeiv whether to join tho Federation of' Labour. Tho result wns 90 for, 3(i against. Against the Arbitration Court 118, for 42.

PRESS ASSOCIATION. Greymouth, March 5. The delegates to the Press Association have had delightful weather in Groyinouth to-day, tlio lust of them left overland for Christclmi'ch. The delegated express themselves well pleased with the 00.1st. trip, mill are delighted at tliq prospects and progress of the district.

NELSON HARBOUR. Nelson,' March 5. Tho Nelson Harbour Board has decided! to carry out a .scheme of harbour improvement by deepening the channel at a cost of about .£5llOO if the Railway I)e----pnrtinpiit can he induced to provide deeper berthago at the wharf which it entails. (•, The Department declined to undertake the work, <in the ground that tho number of oeean-goiii" steamers working the port did not warrant tile expenditure. A l deputation is to wait on the Minister lo emphasise the necessity for the work, as the inadequate depth of the berth is militating against the progress of th« district. Tho improvement of i no channel, inside and outside tire entrance, was recommended by (he Eugincer-in-Cliief of the Public Works Department, and' the board contemplate an immediate start on the inside portion.

.AN ABORTIVE MEETING. Wcstport, March 5. A meeting of representatives of the coal* mine owners and the deputies at Westpert to-day proved abortive. The former staled that the demands of tho deputies could not be entertained. The miners' delegates meet the. mine-owners' represent (atives to-morrow.

THE HOTELS AT WAITAKI. * ' ' _ Waimate, March 5. The. Waitaki Licensing Committee resolved at its meeting 10-day that the police be asked to furnish the incoming committee with a special report on each hotel in tho district, as to structure, sanitation, and state of repair, believing that some , hotels are far from what they should be. Two complete tickets have been nominated for Iho new committee. One ticket proposes to compel hotel-keeppi-ii to bring their premises up to the standard of comfort and convenience required by (he Act; the other ticket is standing against, the issue of eondr tional licenses lor the Oamaru races,

A TRIAL BALLOT. Auckland, March S. At a trial ballot, the ratepayers of Takapuna, by a three-fifths majority, decided in favour of the Waitemata County Council taking over the Takapuna tramway and ferry services. The poll will now bn taken in the prescribed manner to test' the feeling of tho ratepayers. N

SUPREME COURT. Now Plymouth, March 5. At tho Supreme Court, before. Mr. Jus* tico Sim, 'Waller James Ross was found guilty of Ihel't and receiving, eontenen being deferred iml.il to-morrow. Thomas M'Uillan was fouiul not guilty of detention of postal packets.

RECENT DROWNING ACCIDENT. Hokitika, March 5. Tlip body of the Hov. Mr. Lock, one of the victims'nf the drowning fatality in I lie Hig Wangimiii liiver three weeks agn, was found lust evening two miles north of tho mouth of (lie river. Tho body is being brought to Ross, whero an inquest will be held to-morrow. Jlv. Lock ami his sister: were drowned while fording the river.'ATHLETIC SQUABBLE, Dunedin, March. S. Donaldson, the champion runner, is to have an opportunity of proving his statement that' tlio agreement he and Postle wore asked to sign to run in Dunedin was anvthing but a sporting one, tho Otngo Caledonian Society having decided to in> ptituto proceedings against both runners for alleged breach of agreement. Tho New Zealand Athletic Union avo acting with the Caledonian Society in tho ma*«. ter.

NEW WAIRAU BRIDGE. Blenheim, March 5. Tho ceremony of driving the first, /m'le of the bridge over the Wairau River, near Ronwick, on the lilenhcim-Xelson Main l!oad, was performed yesterday, in Ihe presence of a large and representative gathering. Mr. I{. M'Callum, member for the district, performed the ceremony in the unavoidable absence of tl\« Minister for Public Works. Tho length of tho bridge will be TIL' yards and the contract price is ,£10,!131.' Half of the cost is being barne by the Government and half by the local bodies.

"PRISON REFORM" PRAISED. Napier, March' 5. Addressing tlic Gniml Jury nt the Supremo Court, Sir lfulioii. Slout, conKralulalod (lie district mi (he fact of a considerable, iliiniiuitinn in the number of rases duriiiu: I lie 1 n>l Ilirec years. His Honour dealt at length with (ho success ntlrudiiur (lie jiri.-nn reform systoni. Mini wikl ho lipliovi'd (lie h;il)iliinl criiniiuil was iwo(!|iisiii(f lie cniilil not long , mirsuc ii criiniiiiil rarepr in Now Zμiunil. 'IVn prisoners came up for trial or sentence.

THE HAMILTON BRAWL. Hamilton, Murch S. Mrs. Momrty, liciui-oc of the frank'ton .lunctiun Hnlol, was lined ,C2O. and costs, and- her license was endorsed, liy Mr. ]x)ii!;hii:i!i, S.M., for alloivint; (IriinkI'lmcss mi flu , promises. Tim case arose} init of » brawl near the hotel in Xovnnibor, during which .Axel Snerlingc stabbed tlireo meu wilh a Unite.

BRIEF MENTION. Wcstport, March 5. A public meeting is being vailed to discuss grievances of (ho men in the. Wcstport railway workshups. Wcstport, March I. An cloven-roomed house, mviiod and occupied by Patrick O'Brien, ex-telcgraph linesman, was burnt down last; night. Insurances: On the building. .1500; on the. furniture, JJ2SO. Very lill.lc was saved. Duncdin, March i. A sharp earthquake shook was felt throughout Central Olago on Saturday night