NEW ZEALAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 341, 15 February 1902, Page 1

NEW ZEALAND.

(Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, last night,

The 'trades and Labor Council has resolved to forward to Wellington the following subject for the order paper of the annual conference to he held at Auckland : Food Trusts Bill, Coal and Land Nationalisation, Technical and Higher Education, Preferential Tariff, amendment of Conciliation and Arbitration, Press reform, to provide for a Daily Hansard. Sir Josepii Ward to-day proceeded to Onelumga. After inspecting the new school and various industries, he visited the Ninth Contingent camp at To Papapa, and opened the new post office at Onehunga at noon. He was subsequently entertained at a banquet by the citizens of Onehunga. Rev. Mr Evans, of Wellington, has been elected Chairman of the Congregational Union for 1903. The other officers were re-elected. The Union meets next year at Dunedin. It was decided that the minimum stipend for pastors under the Union should be £l5O a year. The following grants were made : Palmerston North £IOO, Newton £75, St. Clair £75, Napier £SO.

NAPIER, last night.

A decree nisi was granted in the divorce case of Mac Kay v. IvlacKay and Cameron, with £3OO costs against the co-respondent. WOODVILLE, last night. The tender of Dixon and McOallin, of Masterton, £3121, has been accepted for the waterworks contract. The engineer’s estimate was £3313. Six tenders were received.

WELLINGTON, last night.

In the Supreme Court Walter Clifford, for theft of a bicycle, was admitted to probation for twelve months Joseph Angus, who kept a refreshment booth at Trentham camp, was fined £lO at the Magistrate’s Court to-day, and his assistant, Laura Oolder, £5, for selling intox cants (a liquor which he called Imps) during the encampment of the Eighth Contingent. The City Council have agreed to accept a 10ft strip of land in Willis street, 157 ft long, from the Wellington College Governors as an equivalent for the Salamanca road site which it will now transfer for the purposes of the Victoria University College. DUNEDIN, last night. The Premier has accepted the invitation to a public banquet in honor of his distinguished Imperial services, 'l’he date will be about the first week in March, when the Ninth Contingent leave. The Rev. James Kirkland, late Presbyterian minister at West Taieri, I died suddenly this morning. A boy, for throwing lighted paper in the Hall-way Bush Post Office box, burning one fetter out of sixty, was I sentenced to twelve strokes of the birch rod.

James McLaren, committed for sentence for theft from a dwelling, was sentenced by Judge Williams to two years’ imprisonment, to take effect on the completion of the sentence of three months he is now undergoing. HOKITIKA, last night. The weather turned out wet for today’s functions. It has been raining since midnight, but there arc some slight indications of it clearing. The Premier and party arrived from Kumara at midday, and immediately after arrivaf he drove the first pile of the Hokitika river bridge of the railway extension to Ross. At 3 o’clock lie will lay thet foundation stone of the memorial to the men from Westland who have served and are serving in South Africa. At night he attends a banquet at Rime. Mr Seddon proceeds to Ross to-morrow morning, where he will be entertained at, luncheon. He afterwards turns the first sod of the Ross railway, and Miss Seddon lays the foundation stone of the memorial to he reared to the memory of Trooper J. K. Allen, of j the Third Contingent, who died in South Africa. A large social will he held in the evening. On Monday evening the Premier will he entertained at a banquet at Hokitika tendered by his Westland - constituents as a mark of esteem of the Premier’s Imperial works. To-day is being observed as a public holiday, but it is .feared that wet weather will largely, spoil the intended general display. The Premier and party arrived at 11.10, and were received with hearty cheering by a large assemblage. An excursion train brought a large number of visitors to town, including a strong force of Northern volunteers and cadets under Major Woolfe to take part in the ceremony of laying the foundation stone 91 the war memorial. A number of Masons are also arriving I to take part in the Masonic ceremony this afternoon. It is still showery. The Premier had a busy day yesterday at his old home at Kumara. He had a very hearty reception from the Mayor and Councillors, and in the afternoon opened the industrial exhibition and local hospital. At night he delivered a short address, and sunsequently attended a public banquet. The warmth of Ins reception was very marked everywhere. _ Driving througn Stafford and Goldsbrough to-day tne people accorded Mr and Mrs Seddon a homely welcome. Old friends garnered at air points. The Premier performed the pile-driving ceremony at noon. There was a large assemblage at the pile driving ceremony. The Premier spoke briefly standing in the rain. He referred to the importance of the work and the’ intention to prosecute the same to completion. He spoke hopefully of the future of the district with the opening up of country, concluding by driving tne pile. The bridge will cost £12,1)00. Cheers were given and short speeches made by the chairmen of local bodies. ONEHUNGA, last night. Sir Joseph Ward opened the new post office at Onelumga this afternoon. 1-Ie was entertained by the residents at luncheon, afterwards leaving for Hamilton and Cambridge. He returns to Auckland to-morrow night, and goes to Kaipara next Tuesday. There are now 500 men in the Nmth Contingent camp at Te Paipa. The North Island battalion 'is complete. Three men were dismissed from the camp yesterday for dirty behaviour in the camp grounds.