TELEGRAMS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2077, 11 May 1907, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

Press Association. WELLINGTON, yesterday. Many complaints were made during the recent municipal elections of persons entitled to vote having been struck off tho roll, and the Council has appointed a committee of investigation. Mr. McLaren, Labor representative, declared that the condition of the recent roll was worse than that of any he had ever seen, but whether that was due to any'body’s carelessness he was not prepared to say. The criminal calendar of the Supreme Court, which opens on Monday, contains a number of serious offences, including two or murder. One is against Claude Paget of the murder of a young girl, and the second against Matilda Morris, of Otaki, of the murder of her infant. Councillors Cohen, Smith, and Shirtcliffe have been selected to represent the City Corporation on the Fire Brigade Board, constituted under the Fire Brigades Act of last session. There has been heavy rainfall during the past 24 hours, the total registered being 1.24 inches. The rain has caused a slight flood at Island Bay, tram traffic being stopped.

WANGANUI, yesterday. At the Police Court this morning the licensee of the Masonic Hotel was fined the maximum penalty, £2O, for permitting drunkenness on the premises.

NELSON, yesterday. Heavy rain set in last night, and has continued all day. DUNEDIN, yesterday. Mr. Widdowson, S.M., gave a decision yesterday in an application for an order apportioning the cost of the infectious diseases hospital for Dunedin. He was of opinion that no order could he made on the present application, and recommended that proceedings be taken de novo. The application was dismissed without prejudice. Eight men have been sent from the Alexandra railway works to the GoreWaikaka works. More men will he sent to Gore as soon as the necessary accommodation in the way of tents is provided. An inquest was held yesterday touching the death of Elizabeth Mason, wife of John Mason, an employee of the Union Company at Greymouth. The evidence showed that deceased had been in failing health for some considerable time, and succumbed to heart failure. A verdict accordingly was returned. George Springer, of Cole and Springer, undertakers, died suddenly at his house last night of heart weakness, while a party was -being held there. CHRISTCHURCH, yesterday. Mr. Ell, M.H.R., has received definite information from the Acting Premier that the Government cannot see its way to alter the constitution of the Court of Inquiry set up to deal with the Bankside railway accident. The Court will consist of Mr. Bishop, Stipendiary Magistrate, and Messrs. Buxton and Beattie, officers of the Railway Department. The objectors to-the constitution contend that Messrs. Buxton and Beattie being departmental officers are interested, parties, and if they sit on the Bench with Mr. Bishop the men should also be represented. There is 6trong feeling in labor circles over the matter. The list of cases set down for hearing at the criminal sessions of the Supreme Court, opening on Monday-, comprises charges against 12 persons, of abduction, perjury, assault (2), assault and robbery (3), manslaughter (2), theft, and attempted murder. TIMARU, yesterday. The Tiinaru Harbor Board at a special meeting to-day decided to call t for tenders for the erection of an additional 650 ft. of wharfage, to provide accommodation for two more vessels than can he berthed at present.

HASTINGS, yesterday,

At the Magistrate’s Court John Raynor was remanded to appear at Wellington on Saturday next on a charge of obtaining a pair of boots, value 18s Gd, and £4 from John Ryder, of Wellington, by means of a valueless £5 note, on the Provincial and Suburban Bank, Melbourne.

WORKMEN’S HOMES

MASTERTON, last night,

A meeting was held to-night in connection with the establishment of workmen’s homes in Masterton. It was decided to form a general Land League, one of the objects being to approach the Government in the matter oi establishing workmen’s homes hero. -1 petition has been signed by sixty-two workmen who are landless and who are tenants, for presentation to the Government.

SLY GROG SELLING. ASHBURTON, last night. At the Magistrate’s Court to-day John Hunt pleaded guilty to a charge of selling beer and was fined £lO.

DISAPPEARANCE OF A TOURIST. DUNEDIN, last night. A correspondent informs the Otago Daily Times that a month ago a Scottish tourist left- Queenstown with the intention of traversing an almost unknown track from Queenstown, at the head of Lake Wakitipu, to Lake To. Allan, with barely sufficient food for the trip, which usually takes throe days. No word has since been received regarding him. The matter was placed in the hands of the police within a week or so from his disappearance, but so far as is publicly known no active measures have been taken, and his fate still remains a mystery. People have been lost in the same district for a longer period and eventually been rescued. EDUCATIONAL MATTERS. , INVERCARGILL, last night. 'Hie Hon. Geo. Fowlds was entertained at a social by the Southland Education Board and High School Board. The attendance was largely representative of educational inter- [ ests. Responding to the toast of his health, Mr. Fowlds pointed out that the expenditure on education last year was £835,147. It was quite possible that in future yeans a reaction might bo experienced, and in Ins opinion a strong party might seek to cut down the cost of education, to which the pruning knife might bo most easily applied. This furnished a strong reason why the present Parliament should do something more for the endowment of education, so that they would have assured reveune independent of the Consolidated Fund. On the question of instruction in agriculture in primary schools, ho said it was quite possible, to do much in that way. It would be left for secondary or technical schools, which ho hoped would be provided in various centres,

GOODS TRAIN WANTED. DUNEDIN, last night. • -The Dunedin Chamber of Commerce yesterday resolved to communicate vith the railway department with a view to securing a through goods train to Invercargill so that goods forwarded from Dunedin might be delivered more promptly.

THE CHINESE FAMINE. DUNEDIN, last night. The Outlook’s Chinese Famine Relief Fund has reached £IOB-1. The amount remitted to date is £9OO.

SCHOOL-TEACHERS’ SALA U iES. INVERCARGILL, last mglit. A deputation from the Southland branch of the Teachers’ Institute waited on the Hon. Geo. Eowhls today, to draw his attention to defects in the colonial scale of salaries. The principal objection was that the scale of salaries was based on average attendance. The Minister admitted that the system had not yet reached perfection. He pointed out that any scheme of local control made it less easy to have a general system of promotion. Parliament was never likely to accede to the proposal to annually increase teachers’ salaries while the school attendance was dropping. At the same time where, from causes beyond the teachers’ control, the attendance feu otf, the teacher should have an opportunity of transferring beforo any material diminution was made in his salary. Tho question of how best to arrange matters required careful consideration. He expressed his belief in the value of local interest in education, but was prepared to listen to anyone who might ovolve a better scheme. While continuing tlio present system of boards and committees, he invited tho deputation to work out a scheme of salaries and submit it. The colonial scale had enormously improved tho status and conditions of the majority of teachers in several ways. He did not think the decreases in proportion of males to females was due to salaries, but to the desire of women to earn a living, and to the fact that their wages had beon more largely inincreased. At the same time he did not deny sympathy with the deputation, and would be delighted if he could persuade Parliament to grant moro money for educational purposes. A member of the deputation said that the N.Z. Teachers’ Institute was engaged in drawing up a scale of.salaries for submission to the Minister. ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES. Press Association. NEW PLYMOUTH, yesterday. A young man named Percy Allen had his loot very badly crushed between a steamer and the wharf at Moturoa this morning, while frying to reach a dog which had fallen into the water. WELLINGTON, yesterday. A slight Occident occurred at the tunnel where the men are engaged repairing the Wainui-o-mata water supply, rain causing a further fall cf earth. Three workmen had narrow escapes, all being slightly injured. HOKITHvA, yesterday. The body of an elderly man named Robert Sweeney, a miner, of Woodstock district, was found floating in the Hokitika river this morning. Nothing is known as to the cause o. the accident, which it is believed happened last night. A young girl named Annie Brown in private employ, was severely burned last night by the accidental explosion of benzine in an outhouse who re it appears she had gone for a small quantity. She had used lighted matches close to the tap. A loud explosion was heard, and when the girl’s employers rushed out they found the shed full of flames, and the girl’s clothes on fire. She was carried out, and the flames smothered with blankets, but the girl was severely burned about the face, hands and body, and her condition is critical. The t'in ■containing benzine was blown to pieces as a result of the explosion.

CHRISTCHURCH, last night,

Tlie inquest was concluded to-day concerning the death of Henry A. C Ferguson, who was killed on the Halswell road on "Wednesday night through his trap colliding with s traction engine. The groom, Albert Edyvan, who was in' the trap with deceased at the time of the accident, admitted that both he and Fergusson who was driving, were drunk. He did not see the lights on the traction engine and. believed they had been placed there after the accident. The Coroner commented on the unsatisfactory and contradictory evidence given by the groom and a verdict oi “accidental death” was returned. WELLINGTON TRAM FATALITY WELLINGTON, yesterday. Motornlan Rae will be well enough to attend and give evidence at the adjourned enquiry by the Coroner today into' the Brooklyn tram accident Mr. T. Bell, one of the injured pas sengers, whose wife was killed, is still in bed at a private hospital, and cannot be present at the inquest. The conductor of the runaway car (Perkins) will also be unable to give evidence to-day. WELLINGTON, last night.

The adjourned inquest concerning the death of Mrs, Eliza Bell, the victim of the Brooklyn /tramway, accident, was continued to-day, the evidence being taken of the motorman. the conductor and expert witnesses. The evidence indicated that the brakes had not been properly applied. It appears that Rea first applied the magnetic brake to check the car’s descent, but it failed. He then fell back on the hand brake, but the cai had acquired such a sjreed that it failed too and third emergency brake could not avert a capsize. r i he theory of the ongineer-in-cliief and Government electrician is that or. starting down the kill the motorman had the reversing lover in the wrong position which had the effect of throwing the magnetic brake out of action. The motornmn, in his evidence, said he was nervous about taking cars over the Brooklyn line owing to apprehension about possible mishaps to the gear. The inquest stands adjourned till to-morrow.