NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1417, 18 April 1912, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(Br Telegraph—Press Association.)

SHOPKEEPERS PROSECUTED. ru i i Pahiatua, April 17. l.iKl't sinpK-Popors wero pro-rented .it the I ahialmi I olico Court to-day for failing to clow tiieir at C 'p.m. on J- ' . a, { '• "'I s till) dav befoio Onojl J; nil,'iv. Defendants pleaded Koilty, st-atii.K-that they Imd continued business until 9 p.m. no Thursday in order to dose their .sfinjjs f>n Knluiday, which they did, thereby giving their employees tho full lienelit of tho Easter holidays. J lII' Inspector of Factories explained that there was some feeling in tho matter, as defendants did not constitute tho majority nf the shopkeepers of Pahiatua. "Tliev liau plainly committed a broach of the Act. as they could only have continued business legally on Thursday evening bv presenting a requisition to * tho Mavor, signed by a majority. Tho case 'was brought as n lesson. Counsel for defendants said that llioy had done tho right thing in the wrong way. The magistrate recorded a. conviction in each ca.sc, ordering defendants to pay costs.

FEILDING FETE. [ , , , , Feilding, April 17. A garden leto was held to-day in aid ' of the funds of the Beautifying Society, and proved a great success. Tho profit's, which will reach .£2OO, will ho spoilt . in extending tree-planting opera!ions and in improving tho park. . WHALING STEAMERS. ' , Auckland, April 17. I The New Zealand Whaling Company's - steamers, Whnnjjarei, Whunguron, Jlawk, and hagle, passed through tho Suez Canal - on April 12. Tho Prince Geovgo left the • Homo port on March 7 for Russell direct, ■ and tho liakura left on April I for West- ; port, via Xatnl. "DOWN TOOLS." 1 _. . Dunedin, April 17. i fhcre is acute trouble in the Green Island coal district, seventeen placemen ! abandoning work to-day owing to the | owners' refusal to repair tho trucking roads. The union is not under tho Arbitration Court. .Steps are being taken to 1 obtain tho support of tho federation and kindred unions. It is possible a general striko may eventuate. COOL STORAGE OF ONIONS. Timaru, April 1". In April last year Mr. G. T. Dawson, storekeeper, sent into the cool stores here 20 tons of onions to be kept till September. The onions came cut practically worthless, and the owner sued the Cool ■Storage Co. for their value, jjllfl. A good ileal of evidence was heard, including that of the freezer and engineers. Sir. Day, S.M., gave judgment to-day for tho defendant company with cc.sts, on tho grounds that the onions wero not good keeping sorts and negligence was not proved, FLOATED OFF. Auckland, April 17. Tho cutter Mana, which ran aground on Coromandol shore yesterday, arrived at Auckland under tow to-day. The vessel's position was evidently not so serious as was at first anticipated, as she was floated off with the greatest of case, and brought into port with a full cargo aboard, apparently undamaged. FOUND DEAD. Dunedin, April 17. About 5.30 p.m. to-day John M'Coy, 55 years of age, who was lately employed on u farm at Enfield Mear, Oamaru, was found dead in bed in his loom at (ho Shamrock Hotel. Deceased came to town on April 1, and had been staying with a married daughter at the hotel. During that time he had been in good health. The cause of death is unknown at present. NAIL AND TROUSERS. Auckland. April 17. At tho Police Court, Mr. "C. C. Kettle, S.M., gave judgment for 10s. damages and costs (JC3 Gs. 3d.) against William Walker, New North Road, a nail projecting from defendant's premises having damaged a pair of trousers worn by a pedestrian. NAPIER LOAN POLL. Napier,- April 17. A poll was taken to-day on a proposal to borrow .£IO,OOO, in addition to previous loans, for electric tramways and lighting. Tho proposal was carried by a majority of 187, the voting being as follows-.—For, 568; against, 3SI. BRIEF MENTION. Blenheim, April 17. Charles Wilkins, a young man, was yesterday committed for trial on charges of forgery and false pretences. Auckland, April 17. i At a well-atteudcd meeting to-night it was decided to form a School Committees' Association for tho province of Auckland. i

Tauranga, April 17. William Hnrray, 53 years of ago, one of the most prominent settlers at Te Puke, dropped dead while chaff-cutting on his property yesterday afternoon.