NEW ZEALAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1969, 3 January 1907, Page 1

NEW ZEALAND.

Press Association. AUCKLAND, Inst night, Mr Alex, Hose, who has been Collector of Customs at Auckland for nearly 15 years, and has boon in the service for 481- years, was presented by the ollieers of the Department with a gold watch on the occasion of his retirement on superannuation. Mr John Mills, who succeeds Mr ilose, presided, and bore testimony to Mr .hose’s long a'nd honorable connection with the service, which dates back almost to the inception of the Customs Department. A feature of tbo exports ! om Auckland for December is the record amount of butter handled, the total value of L9i>,457 for the month being no less than L 04,449 in excess of that for December, 1805, constituting a record for any month s shipments. The principal exports for the month are as follows: .Butter, JB,4s9cwt, 1,93,437 t cheese mOcwt, L 3149 ; oats, 246 bushels, LB2; wheat, 120 bushels, L 27 ; beef, frozen, 13, 1 09ewt., Xj20,49S ; mutton, 401 cwt., LG it ; pork, T-15ewt.. LoO.'i; phormium tenax, 501 tons, 1,15,984 ; tow, 9-1 tons, LB4S.

The Hons. Fowlds and- Findlay, accompanicd by Dr Hay, Assistant Hospitals, left for the South to-day, via Wangauui and Toumaranui Mr Fowlds will choose a site for a cottage hospital to bo erected this summer. Mr McGowan left for Wellington this aftc moon by the Rotoiti,

WANGANUI, last night. Ihe weather was beautiful for the holidays. Excursions and pie.nics were largely patronised. DANNENIBKE, last night. In the chopping competition yesterday, W- Weston broke the New Zealand and world’s records for a 15-inch log, underhand cutting, his time being 1.10. The previous New Zealand record was 1.33, and the world’s 1.13, WELLINGTON, last night. The Minister of Marine advocates an extension of the minimum cubic space per man in seamen’s quarters on board ship to 120 cubic feet, which is the same dimensions as was recently passed by tho Home Government.

•For tho year ended December 81st the Customs revenuo collected at Wellington amounted to ,£700,810 8s 3d, as compared with £681,650 17s 3d for the previous year.

BLENHEIM, latt night. For the annual Marlborough Regatta, hold at Picton, there was splendid weather, and about SGOO spectators. The results were :—Handicap Sailing: Emo‘Pah 1, Muritai 2, Scren 3. Maiden fours: l’icton 1, Blenheim 2, Star (Wellington), 8; Oil launch open race : Rongotea 1, Mahau 2, Thistle 3. Senior pairs: Picton 1, Blenheim 2. Oil launch : Rongotea 1, Arapawa 2, Louisa 8. Junior fours : Blenheim 1, Picton 2. Oil launch handicap : Merlin 1, / otoa 2, Tuatea 3. Maiden pails, clinker : Picton 1, Blenheim, 2 and 3. Youths’ fours: Blenheim 1, Picton 2, Star (Wellington), 3. Junior pairs, clinker: Blenheim 1 and 2, Picton 8, Senior double sculls : Star (Wellington) t, Picton 2. Consolation oil launch: Thistle 1, Benares 2, Bose 3, MUBCHISON, last night. Mr McNab addressed a public meeting here on tbe Land Bill. Resolutions were unanimously carried expressing thanks for the able and intelligent address. and expressing complete conlidence in tbe Ward Administration. In returning thanks the Minister said lie w&s agreeably surprised at tho large extent of bush land fit for settlement he had seen on his tour, and said he had no doubt if the fact were well known large numbers would settle upon it instead of going to the North Island, TI MARI'!, l ftS t night. The South Canterbury Caledonian Society’s sports were continued 10-Jay in fine weather, and in the presence of a large number of spectators. The entries were large, and in almost all events good sport was witnessed. The three-mile bicycle handicap was won by D. J. Plunkett, a visiting Australian cyclist. DUNEDIN, Jast night. The Customs revenue for Dunedin for the year ended December 31st was £435,017 against) £413,098 last year. The Ctago-golf championship was won by J, Smith,