NEW ZEALAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 424, 24 May 1902, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND.

O’er Press .Association.) VvAixtiAiNLl, last night, in the Ponce eoim tins moiling lour bookmascis were emug it: *nii trespassing on uie lawn oi urn Wanganui race cutir.se anu refusing to leave when asseti to do so. An adjournment was applied mr and granted on the grounds uiat important questions oi uuv were involved, the principle being whether the Wanganui racecourse is a pubiic reserve or not MAE TEUTON, last night.

It has been decided to hold the next hand contest here during tne week of February, it is stated that £2otl of tiie necessary £250 lias already been guaranteed. CHRISTCHURCH, last nigiil.

William Birdling, aged (>U years, who arrived in Canterbury in the forties, died yesterday at Lansdowne. Birdling was well known as a breeder oi shorthorn cattle, lie leaves a grownup family. The body of a well-dressed girl about three years of age, was found in the river to-day, about a quarter of a mile below the Carlton bridge.. It has not yet been identified. WESTPORT, last night.

The steamer Penart-li, 31 days out from Hongkong, has arrived to load coal for the Admiralty. INVERCARGILL, last night

The weather is very cold. Six inches of snow fell at Lime Hills during the night.

An unusual case under the Factories Act was decided by the Magistrate today. Defendant who keeps a fish shop and eating house, also used part of the premises for the sale of meat. This he removed on Wednesday afternoons, keeping his other business going. The Magistrate said all the rooms were on the same floor and had hut one entrance, and clearly formed one shop. As the case was a test one, he imposed a nominal penalty of one shilling and costs £2 10s. WESTPORT, last night. . Mr H. A. Levestam, at present engineer of the steamer Kennedy, was appointed engineer of the Harbor Board dredge Erskine. The appointment of signalman was held over. MR CARROLL’S MISSION. SUCCESS IN THE WAIKATO.

(Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, last night. The Hon. Mr Carroll lias practically settled the long-standing difficulty with the Waikato kingites. After the meeting closed at Waalii yesterday, ■ Mr Carroll and Maliuta had a long private conference, the Natives having approved of all the matters in dispute regarding the district boundaries being leit to the Minister and Mahuta jointly to settle. The result of the conference was that Mahuta consented to have a Council [ elected under the new Act to deal with the Waikato land, to have the village Councils set up as other tribes have done, and generally,to bring the Government legislation into operation in the Waikato. Mahuta conies to Auckland to-day twith Mr Carroll finally to define on the maps the Wai- ■ kato boundaries. There will be certain concessions on both sides. It is believed that Mahuta will be again invited to take a seat in the Legislative Council. OLD AGE PENSIONS, SWINDLING THE STATE. (Per Press Association.) WESTPORT, last night. A charge against a man of obtaining an old age pension while in the possession of £238 was dismissed because the information was not laid within six months. Mr Hawkins, S.M., regretted under the circumstances that be had no jurisdiction. He felt quite sure this was an exceptional case. Many were drawing pensions obtained by barefaced lying. It was an unfortunate oversight on the part of the Legislature that no adequate provision had been made to meet cases of this sort. He believed that the scandal occasioned through the robbery of the State by unscrupulous pensioners would lead to an amending Act next session. He knew of applicants who complained of the intricacy of the old age pension forms. The true root of that complaint was that the questions were too searching for people who wanted to defraud the State and yet run no risk. The present case was an example of this. The looseness of the 1901 forms enabled accused to conceal his banking account, but the alterations in the form forced him, by virtue of necessity, to disclose his banking account. Accused could thank the flaw in the Act for escaping the consequence of fraudulent misrepresentation. His Worship said he would advise the Crown to sue accused for the amount unlawfully obtained.