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Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2022, 6 March 1907, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH, yesterday. The Methodist Conference was engaged yesterday in the work of • tlio various committees. Prior to luncheon tho Conforonce assembled for the purpose of hearing an address from the Hon. G. Fowlds, Minister for Education. Mr. Fowlds received a very cordial greeting .and was welcomed bv the President of the Conference. At the representative session it was agreed to divido tho Pitt street circuit, Auckland, into three circuits, to bo designated Auckland Pitt street, Auckland west, and Auckland east circuits. Tho division of the North Shore and Waitarn circuits into two circuits each was also resolved upon. A proposal to divide the South AVairnrnpa circuit was negatived. The Rev. 11. Bull, eonnexionnl secretary, presented liis reports on properties and deeds. He was heartily thanked and re-appointed. A ministerial session was held to confirm the work done in Committee last week. Tho Revs. M -A. R. Pratt, A. J. Seamer, B. J. James, and James Wilson were received for ordination. The several ministers on probation were passed in their several years. The Revs. 11. M. At ylio, C. Blair, and W. G. Maslin, students, were appointed for circuit work.

KILLING “POTTERS.” TIMARU, last night. Smithfield and Parcora have a few men killing potters. PREMIER AT PORT SAID. WELLINGTON, last night. Tho Hon. W. Hall-Jones received a cable message to-day stating that Sir Joseph Ward and party arrived at Port Said yesterday all well. the MASTERTON SENSATION. MASTERTON, last night. Inspector Ellison and Dr. F.vfe are here again, and the body of Miss Howell, tho internal organs of which wore sent for analysis to Wellington, has again been exhumed, but no information has been made jniblic by tho police.

BREAK-DOWN OF A SERIOUS CHARGE. PALMERSTON N., last night. At the Supreme Court John Maugban and Susan Cole, for atttempted abortion upon Agnes Maughan, about tho 20th July last, were acquitted on the ground that there was no direct evidence to attach them to tho crime. OBITUARY. ' DUNEDIN, last night. William Hunter, for many years manager of the Port Chalmeis branch of the National Bank of New Zealand, died suddenly this afternoon. He had been in poor health for some time. DOMESTIC WORKERS. WELLINGTON, last night. A meeting of employers of domestic servants was held in the city today, and an association was formed, it being understood that it was to be on an informal basis. The secretary of the Domestic Workers Union who was present, admitted that some of the claims were impracticable and subject to alteration wthout going to the Arbitration Court. FATAL ACCIDENT. AVELLINGTON, last night. AVliile stevedores wore placing the hatch coverings over No. 3 hold on the steamer Sherry this evening the steel cross beams slipped out of position, and fell with two of the men down the empty hold, a distance of 38 feet. Beard, an unmarried man, was penned below one of the beams and killed. John Usher had an arm broken and jaw fractured. He is also supposed to have suffered internal injury. THE GOVERNOR. AUCKLAND, last night. The Governor arrived from Rotorua .this evening. His Excellency had intended leaving in the Hmemoa on his northern tour to-night, but owing to official business his departure has been postponed till about Thursday. The Northern programme will therefore have to be curtailed. During the past fortnight the Governor has inspected the Main Trunk railway works, and visited several districts in the vicinity of Rotorua, a portion of Urewera Contry being visited during the journeyings. His Excellency will leave for the South immediately after his return to Auckland from the North.

MEDICAL EXAMINATION OF SCHOOL CHILDREN. DUNEDIN, last night. At a meeting of the British Medical Association to-night, the question of the medical examination or school children was discussed. The subject was introduced by Dr Mason, and representative school teachers took part in the proceedings, and expressed the sympathy of tlio teaching profession with the object in view, and a desire to assist the movement in every way. Mr Goyen, Chief Inspector of Schools for Otago, stated that he had been m communication with the healtn authorities, and the teachers would be called together to consider a schemo drafted by Drs. Mason, Ogston, and himself.

REFLOATING THE RAKIURA. DUNEDIN, last night. The party who have been down at Port jMolyneux endeavoring to float off the Rakiura had bad luck on Friday evening. On that occasion they had got the vessel actually afloat, when it became evident that the tackle in use might prove too light to hold the steamer against the running north-easter * « blowing into the bay, and that tht.icfore to haul her afloat might only mean having her dashed up on the beach again. They therefore deeded to leave her in her present Potion. Since then more tackle has been sent down, including 220 fathoms of 41-inch hawser. On Sunday evening only six inches more, water vas needed to float her, but the spring tides are now receding, and it "ill therefore be another week or so before next' an attempt is made to draw her off the beach.

INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL. DUNEDIN, last night. The Hon. Geo. Fowlds Minister for Education, visited Burnham in- I dustrial school to-day, and expressed himself as being thoroughly satisfied with the management of the institti- I tion. He admitted tliat certain ad- 1 ditions and alterations to the school buildings were required, and would recommend that the work should he done. He suggested that the boys might carry out the work themselves, not for the sake of economy, but for the purpose of giving the boys some practical training. He considered it was only proper that a school should bj some distance from a centre, hut he would endeavour to make arrangements whereby greater facilities would be given the teachers and attendants to come into town. He objected to turning the school into a prison, for a school should be so conducted that' the boys could understand that it was as much to their advantage to remain as it was to their disadvantage to escape. SUPREME COURT. PALMERSTON N, yesterday N in the Supremo Court an application for a separate trial of Jno. Mou/yjhan and Susan Cole, chuiged with yifyttemptcd abortion, on the ground*

that the evidence to be adduced by the Crown would prejudicially affect tho respective defences of accused, was refused ,nnd the ease is now proceeding. In deciding against the application, Judge Chapman said the ease was necessarily one of conspiracy or something analogous to it. The assumption must bo that the woman acted upon procurement of tho man, and was co-operating with him in tho commission of the crime. His Honor added that he had sufficient confidence in tho good sense and judgment! of the present-day juries that the present one would bo ablo to act on the portion of tlio evidence affecting each accused. PALMERSTON N., last night. In tho Supreme Court Thomas John Lesley, aged 33, was charged with on ISth February, carnally knowing Rose Lesley, his eight-year-old daughter, at Pongaroa ; also with indecent assault, llis Honor foibado publication of the evidence owing to its disgusting nature. Tlic jury, after three-ijuarteus of an hour, returned with a verdict of guilty oil

both charges. INVERCARGILL, yesterday. Tho Supreme Court was opened today by Judge Williams, who congratulated the grand jury that there wore only two criminal cases, neither of them serious. His Honor commented favorably on tho fact that there was so little crime in such a large district. The Court is now hearing a charge against a settler named Richard Lloyd, of shooting a cow belonging to a neighbor INVERCARGILL, last night. Criminal business was continued at tho Supreme Court to-day. Richard Lloyd, charged with unlawfully shooting a cow, and John Keating and Patrick Finn, charged with assaulting and robbing John Devaney, were all three found not guilty. 11l the former case the Judge expressed regret that the jury had been occupied so long on so trivial a matter. AVELLINGTON, last night. A motion has been filed in the Supreme Court on behalf of the Law Society to strike the name of H. S. Izard off the roll of solicitors. Izard is serving five years in gaol for misappropriation of trust funds.

ARBITRATION COURT. CHRISTCHURCH, last night. Over ono hundred slaughtermen were summoned to appear before tho Arbitration Court to-day in connection with the strike at Islington and Belfast. Judge Sim presided, supported by Mr. S. Brown, and Mr. R. Slatter. Intense interest was evidently taken in the cases, and the Court was crowded with rough, hardy slaughtermen and members of the general public. Mr. T. AV. Stringer prosecuted, and Mr. J. J- Dougall defended.

Mr .Stringer outlined the course of events leading up to the trouble. He submitted that there had undoubtedly been a strike, and called evidence. Mr. Dougall, in reply, said that there were a great number of men summoned, and no factious defence was being put forivard. That fact, he submitted, ought! to weigh with the Court. As regarded the general principle of the whole matter, he submitted that under tho circumstances in which the men worked they ought not t’o be convicted of striking. They were liable to bo dismissed at a moment’s notice, and they were never expected to give notice. As regards the legal aspect, ho submitted that the agreement of February, 1904, under which tho parties were working, was unenforceable by reason of the fact that proper formalities for its execution were not complied with He submitted that where an award or agreement had been entered into prior to the passing of an Act, the persons subject to that agreement could not be brought within the penal prosecutions of Section 15 of the Act. i : His Honor decided that an offence had been committed, and that the men should be fined, he submitted that Section 15 came within Section 101 of the original Act, by which the total amount of fines that could be inflicted under any award or agreement was limited to £SOO. If these men were fined the Court must take this limitation into consideration, remembering that there were cases su.l to come before the Court in connection with the matter now proee-u----ing He also emphasised the quiet and orderly behaviour of the men, who had committed no action which could bring them within the penal clauses of the law, apart from this Section 15 of the Arbitration Act. ' Honor intimated that judgn ent of the Court would be delivered at 10 a.m. the next day.