NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1987, 18 February 1914, Page 9

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(By Telegraph.—Pxees Association.) —9 — SPLENDID DEAL.

CKRISTCHURCH LOAN COUP.

Ohrlßtchuroh; •February 17. The whole'of the Christohurch £100,000 electricity loan was ■ successfully floated on tho-London raarhot at par, said tho Mayor.(Mr. H. Holland) to a reporter to-day.- "I 'cannot say as yet. what tho exact- net amount to tho council will; be) but 1 am quite sure- that the. council'has made a splendid deal. The Buecess of the loan certainly shows thQ wisdom of/the council in withholding tho issue until the money could bo raised on favourable terms.' At ono time wo were ofFercd'i£92 net, but, , by being in a.posi-. tioii to take advantage 'of tho favourable turn in. the money .nyirkot, wo got tho loan at a much better figure tlian that." , Tho Mayor added that the loan carried ' interest at the rate of 4j per cent. The total.amount of the loan was £120,000, but, nearly, £9000 worth of debentures .had already been sold locally. The balance of £11,000 would bo reserved for futuro.iss.uc, also locally, i The money would, not be wanted for a year or so, ' and'he^Jadno doubt that the debentures when .issued would bo readily taken up . for _trust investment purposes. AUCKLAND SESSIONS. THE FIUUD.S ON A POST OFFICE. , V : Auckland, "February. 17/. . The criminal sessions of the Supremo Court wero continued to-day. "A young Austrian, Stove Jurakovich, a. gunr- >■ digger,''was found guilty of carnal knowledge, and- remanded :for 6efitence. James Walsh, aged 25, 'formerly . an 'employee , in. tho Telegraph Department, and latterly a photographer at Rotorua,' pleaded guilty to a series of. counts of having obtained sums, of mprieyJamounting.to'£279.by.means of false pretences from the Postal Department, at Rbterua. It was"stated that restitution of the amount involved had been made. 'Prisoner was admitted to probation for two. years,: and ordered ' to" pay .the costs ;of the prosecution. Henry Nightingale, aged 30, a butcher, of Nortcote, • pleaded, guilty to assault, causing. actual bodily harm. A fine-of £o v.as imposed. , Georgo Harris was found guilty of attempted theft from, the person at Whangarei .racecourse. Tho case was .remanded; pending the bearing of a further charge. BAND DISCIPLINE. THAT.INCIDENT AT AUCKLAND... ';■..;, Wianganul,,February 17. The Wanganui,Garrison Band r .was Heartily welcomod home by a very large crowd; to-night.:. Conductor Wade, in • reply.'to. the Mayor's address of welcomei .said that lie, was. satisfied with, the. band's performance., at the Auckland contest. It had been reported in an Auckland paper that he said that Captain Bontley had placed a ..black' mark against his band's name for mis- ; conduct- in Saturday's incident. He warmly refuted this charge. The Wanganui Garrison Band, .he said, was one of the finest disciplined bands in New Zea|and;- His. band would never, play again in a North. Island contest under . Captain/ Bentley unless that gentleman did the honourable thing and retracted the unwarranted: imputation. The conductor did not comment on tho judging. CHAiWpiON BAND." ; . Chrlstchurch, February 17. The South' Canterbury Begiawntal Band, from Timani, which won the'EeseonShifild and..other. the ■ Auckland Exliibitidn.'cbn'testJ "".spent ■ a few , 'hours in Cliristchiireh this .morning, and ' gaye ; b, . shqr,t ;cq nxerfc jit tl;o'. band was ; wolcomed: ,by. the -Mayoiy .who. said. that/it: jiis, a'.'majter''of.-congrat.ulation; thai. ..Canterbury; .should send ;such .an efficient; band: to'• the'Auckland';.c<iKtest, The, province ought id be 'proud, of: its yoiing men. ". Thovictery was specially meritorious in view of the fact t.'iat, in Tiniaru, : bandsmen" had fewer facilities than, wero-afforded in. larger centres!." '.•■ ■.;._ Tlmaru, February 17..-, The victorious' Second- Regimental 7 Band was welcomed home ;.frbnV Auckland by a large cheering crowd at~ the' railway: station, where tho Mayor made. ■a. speech of congratulation. >'■• ■ / SHABBY ACT ALUECED. '.'■ . ' Chrlstcliurch, February 17. \ .-At; tho Magistrate V'Cpurt niom- , ing -Ed^ar,' John Blackburn Clough was charged with haying obtained': £3-3s. from -Messrs. and -Bridge on •■ January 12, and £2 2s;-fromMr. A.' J! Rattray, , secretary of the Metropolitan Trotting Club; by -meansof false )pre-tenoe-3, ho having falsely''represented that he was the secretaryof the liyttel-' ton Wharf: Labourers' Union, and was collecting donations for the-purpose'of ma-king a presentation to the president of; the , union, and also that the union desired, to collect a sum'of £50, --which!amount would bo subsidised, £1 for £1, hy tho Union Steam Ship Company. . PROVINCE RIVALRY. ' . Inveroarglil, February 17. . r At a largely- attended meeting of representative citizens this 'evening it was decided to form a Southland Progressive Society, the object being to further _tho interests' of-ilio province. A Provisional Committee was set tip to draft a constitution and to report to a future meeting. -It was mentioned that tho step was necessary, if only to counteract the influence -of the Dunedin Expansion League' which, :it was said, especially in regard to. tourist ..traffic, was ctldeavouring to mislead the people in other parts of New. Zealand and Australia'. '.■ ' 'T '\-, : ■■■■■ ■ ; TRYING LUMBER VOYAGE. Dunedin, February 17. Tlie schooner'lrmißard, which arrived from Columbia Rivet, this evening, after a passage of 70 day's, experienced some fairly, rough weather on , -tho voyaae. Several 'gales were experienced on; the run down tho American coast with the result that the schooner sprang aleak, a quantity of "water being shipped. . The. captain estimates that over 30;000 feet of timber had to bo-thrown overboard. .Tho leaks akb necessitated constant, pumping with a gasoline engine, and steam plant. On arrival here the vessel still'had some" threo feet of water in her hold. Owing to calms ■and contrary winds the schooner has taken about 20 days to come down tho coast.from East Cape. JOINT SHEARERS' BALLOT. ; ChrlStchuroh,. February 17_ Ballots aro being taken amongst members of the Shearers' Unions throughout the Dominion on three questions—(l) As to joining tho United Federation of Labour and tho Social Democratic Party; (2) as to amalgamation with the Australian' . -.Workers' Union, and (3) as to whether . members are willing to accopi £l.per 100 for shearing for a further term of threo.years. The result of tho votes will bo announced ot the end of.the month. TARIFF ON PIANOS. Dunedin,'February 17. The Hon. F. M. >B. Fisher to-day roeoivod a statement from piano importers in regard to certain difficulties* at present existing in tho matter of duty. The Minister promised togivehis serioils consideration to tho points raised on his return to Wellington. Thn Minister leaves for tho north on Thursday. MINISTER IMPRESSED. Dunedin, February 17. \ The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, as the'relulb of his first visit to Central Otago, mid he had been amazed at tho possibilities .of'tho district and. its facilities for close settlement. It- was to closo settlement, that he was inclined to look as the death knell of rabbits.-.