AUCKLAND SPECIAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 413, 12 May 1902, Page 3

AUCKLAND SPECIAL.

DAMAGES FOR TRESPASSING,

| Special to Timks. | Auckland last night. Tho attention of the Paeroa Magistrate’s Court was occupied all yesterday afternoon in hearing the case F. Cock v. J. Kennedy, claim £2O, for damages for trespass on complainant’s property by defendant’s pigs during the - past twelve months. Mr Porritt appeared for the complainant, and Mr Moss for defendant. After hearing the evidence of both parties, in which Kennedy admitted trespass on various occasions by the pigs, and Messrs Thorpe and Craig assessed the damages at £2 I Os, His Worship held that the land was not fenced according to the Impounding Act, but a complainant was not bound by the value of the damages done, and could sue for trespass at Is per day for each pig. He gave judgment for complainant for £lO and costs £3 16s. SYDNEY PRODUCE MARKET. Frequent reference has been made to tho effects of the terrible drought in Australia. A circular from Sydney this week contains the following :—“ The general tendency of the market seems to be up wards. .This is most noticeable in agricultural produce of all descriptions, maize and feed grain of all kinds having made phenomenal advances. With the continuance of dry weather an immense demand for fodder of all kinds must necessarily be experienced, as at present the prospects for winter grass are about as bad as they well can be.” THE PRICE OF MAIZE.

The commercial report of the morning journal states: —The Sydney demand for maize has temporarily fallen off, but there does not seem any quotable weakness in that market. Iu would appear that in a good many lines tho sharp advance has caused supplies to be attracted from distant parts of New South Wales, and even from other States, that had not thought of sending to Sydney in the ordinary course of events. We quoted from the Sydney Morning Herald a notice explaining that butter had gone back slightly from the almost famine prices of a few weeks ago. Maize has apparently been affected the same way, for during the week before last it is reported that 20,000 sacks arrived in Sydney from outlying places, which holders could not possibly have sent in with the interrupted means of locomotion except under the incentive of such unusually high prioes. We may assume that this cannot last long, but in the meantime it has blockod our business, and the 369 sacks by the Waikare on Monday were in execution of old orders. When the demand comes on again, all the old grain will be exhausted. A telegram from Whakatane explains that there is nono there, nor at Opotiki, and the same state of affairs has been reported from Gisborne, so that, apparently, the only stock on the coast is the small lot accumulated at Ohiwa. We have already reported that the new crop is both plentiful and of good quality, and this will soon be drawn upon, a trial lot having already arrived this week. The local demand could not absorb the 1300 sacks that arrived by the two steamers this week, the Terranora lot in any case being landed too late for shipment, and the price has declined, 3s 4d being accepted on the wharf for wholesale lines, but some holders have preferred to take into store and wait for the resumption of Sydney trade, rather than quit at that figure.

THE POTATO MARKET. The potato market has collapsed, owing to the over-abundant supplies. We mentioned a month ago that the scarcity then obtaining would disappear with finer weather, and the market is now flooded, Canterbury offers being received at as low as £3 10s f.o.b. On Monday tho price advanced ss, Christchurch merchants seeing that the rush of supplies was only of what had been held back, and would not be likely to continue. Local growers have also flooded the market, induced by high prices, and the best samples are now procurable at £4 ex store. Holders in Tasmania are reported to be firm in their prices, having full confidence in the Sydney market.

A BOROUGH LOAN. „ The Town Clerk of Hamilton has received notice from the Treasury that the £SOOO loan for the waterworks is now available. The works will be commenced forthwith.

AN ARBITRATION CASE. An arbitration case was commenced at the Thames Courthouse, for the purpose of dealing with a claim made by a number of Kirikiri Natives against the Kauri Timber Company for alleged injury to their potato and kumara crops through the overflow of the Kirikiri stream on April 8 last, wjiick overflow the Natives aver was caused through the Kauri Timber Company's timber-driving operations. The assessors in the case were Messrs J. L. Walton (chairman), W. S. Styak, and Levi Dodd. Mr E. Clendon conducted the proceedings for the Natives, and Mr E. Miller for the Kauri Timber Company.