NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1552, 23 September 1912, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

IST T«l«r»oh— Vitu Anoclatlta.l 4 CROSS PURPOSES? COUNCIL AND ITS ENGINEER. Dannevirko, September 21. A special meeting of the Borough Council was held last evening to consider the report of' the Mnyor on the drainage works and administration of the Engineer's Department, also to deal with the engineer's resignation, handed in previously and withdrawn since the adjournment of a special meeting a week ago. After hearing a report by the Mayor and one by the engineer (Mr. W. J. O'Donnell) the council permitted the engineer' to withdraw hit resignation, and another motion was then moved and seconded: "That the engineer's services be dispensed with in. terms of his 'agreement' with the council." The motion was not put. the meeting being adjourned for a week to give the engineer an opportunity of replying to t'ho Mayor's report.

SUPREME COURT. Napier, September 21. At the Supreme Court, Edwin James Ilnrmer was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for breaking, entering, and theft at Wairoa. A decree absolute was granted in the divorce case, Haywnrd v. Hayward, tho sequel to a bigamy case heard during tho present session. THE SMYTHE CASE. Masterton, September 21. ' At the Magistrate's Court this morning, Alfred Sniythe, alias George Ashton, pleaded guilty to stealing £\i from Sydney Gambling, and was committed to Wellington for sentence. fit was reported on Saturday that Smythe had' been captured by the police after an exciting chase during which he' sought refuge in the Papewai pa, where, however, he was somewhat roughly handled by Maoris.] FOUND W~THE RIVER. Gisborne, September 21. The body of an elderly man, Kenneth Matthews, alias Matheson, was found in the Turanganui River this morning. THE PENNILESS COUNTY. Whangarei, September 21. Owing to the very unsatisfactory state of the county's finance and the manner in which its affairs have been conducted, two councillors have resigned and others intend doing the same. Arrangements have not yet been made to finance the county. RABBITER'S DEATH. Dunedin, September 22. The police have received advice that Donald M'Lennau, aged' 32 years, died, suddenly at Rock-and-Pillar last evening. Deceased, who was a single man, had been rabbiting with a mate, and had not been, long in the district. He had been attended by a doctor several months ago. WRONG SIDE OF CAR. Invercargill, September 22. Frederick Smith, manager for Ansell's tailoring establishment; was the victim of a tramway accident on Saturday evening. Tho weather blinds on tlie tram were down'on the side on which passengers usually board the cars, .and Smith ran. to get on the car on the pole side,, while the car was moving. He ran into a pole,' and was thrown under' tjie car which' passed over his right leg, necessitating amputation above the -knee. i THE HOOP-LA GAME. Auckland, September 20. Mr. Cuttcn, S.M., this morning gave judgment in a case in which Carl Wachner was charged with playing'a game of chance. The police case was that Wachner ran in Queen Street an amusement saloon in which tho attraction which was a variation of the well-known "hoop-la" in which clients were invited, for a consideration, to fry their skill' in ringing, with light cano hoops, certain articles of jowellery to which thoy became entitled if they encircled them with tho hoops. Tho police held that the clients tried their luck, not their skill, in such a ease, contending that the game was one in which tho clement of luck predominated. ■ Tho magistrate, after having seen a demonstration of the game by an expert, decided that tho game wae one like" billiards—of mixed skill and luck. He instanced tho game in billiards known as "pool" as a similar mixture of skill and chance, and decided that tho element of ekill predominated in the game which was tho subject of the case. Consequently the game, in his opinion, did not come within the meaning of the Gaming and Lotteries Act, and the case was' dismissed,

"WORRIED FINANCIALLY." Christchurch, September 20. At an inquest regarding the .death of Tracy Wills, manager of the' Friendly Societies' Dispensary, the .coroner returned a verdict of suicide. The evidence showed that Wills, who had been worried financially, took prussic acid. ARCHITECT'S DEATH. > Marton, September 20. H. J. Edmnnds, aged 59, an architect, well known about Marton, was found hanging in a shed at Turakino yesterday. He had been about Turakina. a week, but had been missing since last Tuesday. • THE DEFENCE ACT. . Christchurch, September 20. The time of Mr. T. A. B. Bailey, S.JI., at the police court to-day was chiefly occupied dealing with a largo batch of prosecutions under the Defence Act. Most of the charges were for failing -t-D render service. Mr. Cassidy appeared for practically all the defendants. When the first case of failing to render service came, on his Worship said he would uphold Mr. Cassidy's contention made the other day that under the Defence Act men were to be drafted from the general training section to Territorials, and Parliament had to allocate the number of men required. Accordingly he could not convict any young man who had not taken the oath of fnilure to render service, but those who had taken the oath had waived their rights in respect to the Inatter and so could be convicted.

FATAL ACCIDENT. Gisborne, September 20. Mr. W. Walker, a well-known resident of Waipiro Bay, died here this morning as the result of v injuries received through a dray which he was driving to Te Puia on Tuesday toppling over a bank. In a statement before death, Walker said a sheep jumped out and frightened the horses. THEFT OF A HANDBAG. Rotorua, September 20. • Albert Saunders, a railway porter, was to-day fined jCS for the theft of a lady's handbag from a railway carriage at Bote rua Station. NEGATIVED. Invercargill, September 10. The Town Council to-night negatived a proposal by the Finance Committee to appeal to Mi. Andrew Carnegie for funds for a free public reading room. The council referred 'the matter back to the eor/mittee to see if the council would take over the Athaeneum and reserves. DANNEVIRKE SHOW. Dannevirke, September 20. The Dannevirke A. and P. Association decided to-day to extend the annual show to two days. It is to be held on February ■12 and 13.next on the new ground. Plan's wore approved for a grandstand, to cost .SI2OO. __^