NEW ZEALAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1382, 17 February 1905, Page 1

NEW ZEALAND.

(Per Press Association.) Mangaweka, lost night,

A shop and dwelling owned by Sydney A. Pull was destroyed by fire. Nothing was saved, owing to the absence of water. The insurances on the building are £950, and on tho stock £350. The furniture, including a library, valued at £2OO, was insured for £2OO. Mr Pull estimates his loss at £IOOO above insurance.

, Wairoa, yesterday. An alleged gambling obbs, Police v. A. Beokett, permitting gambling on licensed premises at Frasertown hotel, was beard at the Magistrate’s Court. The information was dismissed.

■Wanganui, last night. An old resident in the person of Mrs Elizabeth Oxenham, aged 93, died at Wanganui yesterday. Deceased is Baid to have, arrived by the first ship to reach New Plymouth. She leaves a large number of relatives. She retained her faculties till the last. The Australian cricketers arrived from Auokland this morning, via Taumarinui and the Wanganui river. They wore delighted with the scenery alnd the trip. They left at noon for Wellington. Wellington, yesterday.

At the next meeting of the Victoria College Council Mr C. Wilson will move : "That the Council regrets the decision of the University Senate that degrees in divinity be granted, and oonsiders that it should not bo given effeot to until the Senate has oonsulted the Councils of the various University Colleges as to tbo wisdom of the new departure.” Mr Wilson, in giving notice, expressed the opinion that the Counoil, as tho governing body of Victoria College, had a right to approve or disapprove of an action of this kind. Tho executors in the estate of the late Jacob Joseph have banded to tho Victoria College Council L3OOO in Wellington City debentures, yielding & per cent, for the establishment of scholarships in terms of deceased’s will. The North Island members of the Land Commission met yesterday, and adjourned to Dunedin, where they reassemble on Friday. The Commission holds its first meeting for taking evidence at Inveroargill on Tuesday. A meeting of the Singlo Tax League condemned the purchase of land for settlement, and suggested an increase of the land value tax would destroy the land monopoly. A meeting of ladies, presided over by Lady Ward, decided to establish a ladies’ branch of the Wellington branch of the Navy League, with Lady Plunket as patron and Mrs Seddon as president. The dispute in the furniture trade haff been settled by a conference between the employers and men. This applies to the city and suburbs, not to country districts, where tho Conciliation Board will sit next week. The Executive Council is expected to meet on Monday to consider the recommendation to mercy made by the jury, which found Ellis alias McKenzie guilty of the To Awaite murder,