SATURDAY’S TELEGRAMS.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 336, 10 February 1902, Page 1

SATURDAY’S TELEGRAMS.

(Per Press Association.)

AUCKLAND. The Devenport Coastguard Artillery have offered the Goernment two qualified Maxim gun detachments for the Ninth Contingent. THAMES. A meeting of the executive of the Thames Miners’ Union declined to approve of the action of the President, Michael O’Keefe, in asking for the removal of Judge Cooper, President of the Arbitration Court. The executive declined to sanction a requisition from the Waiiii branch for grants of £SO each to the leaders before, the Court, as these men drew a guinba per day. O'Keefe resigned his position as President. The meeting lasted twelve hours. 4 havv’era. in the District Court yesterday a libel action, Thomas v. was heard. Defendant’s son waji caned by plaintiff, master of the if ate school at Elthani, the result he B ji'' bruises "hich led defendant fo mote for an erquiry by the Bchol Committee. The Committee decided that the punishment was not excessive for the offence of disobedience, but the resolution afterwards published in a newspaper did not state the nature of the offence, and defendant said he wrote to the

paper in explanation, so that the public might not he left with the ’impression that the boy had been guilty of something more serious. Jn the letter hi: made use of the word “ brutality,” an! this was the subject of the action. The medical evidence was that the punishment was not brutal, and the Judge held that the letter was not privileged. The jury found for the defendant, with costs £4O, against plaintiff. Mr Skerrett notified that he would move for a new trial on the grounds that the verdict was against the weight of evidence. NEW PLYMOUTH. Ihe Railway Department has notified the Band Contest Committee that holiday excursion fares will be granted cn the Auckland, Wellington, Napier, New Plymouth, and Hurunui-Bluff sections in connection with the. contest in March, also on the Manawatu line. The Agricultural Department has decided to station oilicers at Auckland and Lyttelton to grade flax for export, T! Lyttelton grader will pay 'Tsits to Dunedin and Bluff when required, and Mr Fulton, the Wellington grader, ill have an assistant who will be available for duty in Napier, Wanganui, Picton and New Plymouth. CHRISTCHURCH.

Dugald Paterson, a Christchurch sharebroker, and formerly a member of the firm of Magnus, Paterson and Co., was charged at the Magistrate’s Court this morning with obtaining a cheque for £l2 12s from Allred Butcher, by representing he was authorised by the Leviathan Gold Dredging Company to collect deposits for preference shares in the company with intent to defraud. He was remanded for a week, hail being fixed in one surety of £SO. REEFTON. The .Westland Trade and Labour Council resolved to ask the Government to place a royalty on gold proceeds, to be applied to a sick and accident fund for miners, also to urge the appointment, of a Legislative Councillor to represent the West Coast miners. Other resolutions affirming the desirability of making rating on unimproved values compulsory, and. of reducing the age of old age pensioners to 60 years where the persons have worked for ten years undercirund, -"It also recommended ..that persons incapable of earnug a living should receive a pension equal to old ago pensions.1 HOKITIKA. The Land Purchase Board have decided to recommend the Government tc purchase Diedrich’s Kokatahi estate for close settlement.