NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1845, 3 September 1913, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(By .Tclejraph— Proaa Awoolation.) _ MOTOR POSSIBILITIES. BLENHEIM-WESTPORT ROUTE. Blonhelm, September 2, A convincing test of tho practicability of the proposed overland route between Blenheim and tho West Coast for a'daily motor service was made oil Sunday by two Blenheim residents. They oovered the distance from Blenheim to Hopo Junction (about 82 miles) in 7} hours. They described the road as one of easy grades, ajid capable of improvement up to. tho required standard at littlo expense. They confirmed a general opinion that there .-aro absolutely no engineering difficulties as far as a railway to connect tho Nelson and Westland systems is concerned. Speaking to a reporter, tho motorists stated that they had no hesitation in saying that, with certain bridging and road improvements, tho distance' to Hopo Junction could bo covered in 4J lioura comfortably. There would bo no difficulty in running from Blenheim to. West-port and vico vorsa in 8J lioura as an ordinary accomplishment. WOMAN ALLEGES SLANDER. Inveroargill, September 2. At the Supremo Court, before Siv Joshua Williams, Janet S. lipid sued David IlacDougall, of Gore, tor £500 for alleged slander. Tho case for the plaintiff was that slio was ongaged in August last as housekeeper for Alexander Anderson, a farmer, living in Gore. In November last Anderson received an account from MacDougall, who supplied him with milk. Ho considered tho amount excessive, and, in tlio course of a row between tho two men, MacDougall uttered the slander complained of. He alleged immorality , on the part of plaintiff and her sister. TBo plaintiff was not present, but subsequently Anderson told her that ho could not retain her services any longer, and she therefore lost her situation, and had also suffered in health. Tho ca'so is not concluded. NEW STOCKTON COAL SEAM. Westport, September 2. The Ngakawau correspondent of tlio Wostport "News" advises that work ill connection with tho development of tho now soam of coal situated in tho new eastern field of-tho Stockton mino commenced on Monday, when the company drovo into ono seam for a distanco of 6 feet, producing some fourteen or fifteen tons of clean, hard bituminous coal. The seam is from 12 feet to 18 feet in height, and is in direct connection with tho main haulago ropes. It is anticipated by tho company that this scam will swell tho present output to over 800 tons per day. Tho coal is equal, if not superior, to any. thing previously produced in tho district.