NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 11 December 1901, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

(JPKR PRKSS ASSOCIATION.)

The Returned Troopers. Auckland, This Day. The returned troopers were welcomed aud entertained by the Mayer in the Council Chambers. The members all stoutly deny any desire to part. The men, who came homo at the expiration of six months, state that a mistake arose through members of other Contingents joining the Sixth and wishing to leave at the end of six months, when their year's service had expired. Both contingents are in excellent health, the men enjoying the work.

Municipal Improvements. Napier, Dec 9,

At a meeting of th? Borough Council to night it was decided to make the abolition of the bell trap system compulsory through the Borough, and also to make tlie water closet system compulsory in all the new houses and houses erected during the last 12 months. The assessors concurred with the report regarding the Borough Council's decision in respect to the Government health officer's recommendatior. These provide for compulsory water closets in the Borough within the next two years, and when deemed necessary by the sanitary authority, the system is to be enforced immediately in thickly populated parts of the town.

"Tote" netting. Dunbdin, Dec 11.

In chambera to-day, Justice "Williams granted a rule nisi for a writ of prohibiti >n in respect to the conviotion of Peter Grant, this being a short process of appeal against the decision of Mr Carew, 8.M., and two Justices convioting Grant of betting at totalisator odds. Grant has taken preliminary steps for an action against the police for wrongful seizure and detention of his books in the recent raid. Supreme Court. Justice "Williams to-day quashed the conviotion of William John Ireland by C. C. Graham, 8.M., on a charge of vagrancy. His Honour said that the evidence admitted in proof of a previous conviction was, of course, not legal evidence of the fact of conviction at all. It was simply hearsay upon hearsay. The only evidence the Magistrate had before him as to a previous conviction was that of Detective. Campbell, who stated that he had Eeen recorded in the Police Gazette a conviotion of accused as an idle and disorderly person at Auckland on the 20th September, 1896. If the case had been before a jury it would have been the duty of the Judge, notwithstanding the evidence of Detective Campbell had been admitted, to have directed an acquittal. The Caversham Election.

J, J. Meikle, another of the candidates, for Caversham, addressed the electors to-night. He expressed himself as opposed to the Seddon Government, but would support Liberal measures. He would support a Government headed by Sir J. G. Ward. Mr Meikle is a resident of Wyndham, Southland. The More Men Fund. Wellington, Deo. 11.

The question of the disposition of the naoDey remaining in hand from the Wellington more men fund, (£475) raised when the Third Contingent went away, was discussed at a meeting ,'of the Chamber of Commerce to-day. It was suggested that the sum should be handed over to augment the Queen statue fund, but exception was taken to this by several speakers, who contended that the monoy should be retained for assisting some of the men who required help or the relatives of those who died. In reply to the latter objection the Mayor pointed out that the patriotic fund provided for such cases. It was finally decided to call a public meeting on Tuesday, when the resolution in favour of giving the money to the statue fund will be submiited, Stratford-Toko Railway. New Plymodth, Dec 10. The Stratford-Toko railway is making good progress. The engineer wired today that the first engine had arrived at Toko. The first sod was turned by Hon. Mr Hall-Jones on March 23, when he promised that the railway should be ready for opening on Boxing Day. Thero is every prospect of this being accomplished. _^__^__^__