GENERAL TELEGRAMS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2083, 18 May 1907, Page 3

GENERAL TELEGRAMS.

(Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, yesterday. Albert Edward AVight, a butcher, was charged at Pnoroa with having fed pigs with raw offal. The evidence was to tho effect that two inspectors visited defendant’s property on Alorcli loth, and found a number of pigs feeding on raw offal. There was also a dead pig and dead dog in tho pigvard. The defence was that tlio ofFal was carried into the pigyard by ducks. Defendant denied over having fed pigs on raw offal, but admitted a similar offence. He was fined £5 and costs.'

Two runaways caused considerable excitement and some damage on College Hill yesterday. Two drays, loaded with earth, were emerging from a new street, when tho leader of the first was startled by a passing tramcar. Both horses bolted down the hill and smashed into tlio other dray, which went too. The drivers, J. AViisoti and D. Camiuell, were unable to control the terrified horses. The first; dray was dragged a little distance down the hill, when tho horses swerved on to the footpath, the front of the dray crashing into a telegraph polo. The impact smashed the harness (liberating the horses, which dashed off down tho road), anil broke -and splintered tho heavy’telegraph post, snapping it almost in two. The other drayhad reached a curve lower down, and the leader pulled across on the footpath, dragging the shaft horse with terrible force on to the telegraph pole. The leader’s harness broke and it got away-, but the other unfortunate animal dropped dead, with its neck and back broken. A light trap driven by Charles Cuthbort got in tlie way of the dray, and the driver, thinking he could not get clear, jumped on to the road and escaped injury. Botli drays and horses were the property- of J. Lovett. Mr. Dyer, S.AL, fined James Johnston 10s and costs for unlawfully engaging a seaman contrary to section 38 of the Shipping and Seamens Act of 1903. ” A small penalty was - imposed, as the ca.se was brought chiefly as a warning against crimping, and in view of the" uncertainty as to the meaning of t.lie clause in question, which the Alagistrate regarded r(s somewhat-involved and ambiguous. Admiral Fawkes received a cable stating that the German warship Condor left Sydney yesterday, and arrives at Auckland at the beginning of next week.

DUNEDIN, y'esterday. In the case of Ralph Heywood, charged with leaving his motor car without reasonable excuse, Air. Hanlon contended that the by-law was bad. The by-law should have been for leaving a car or vehicle in the

street “unattended,” and not for loavisj the same without reasonable excuse. Mr. Widowson said the objection oeemed to be a valid one, but he; was disinclined to deal with the case in, an offhand manner, and would give judgment on Tuesday. The annual educational report shows that in 1906 there was a decrease of 328 in the number of pupils at' Dunedin schools. The average attendance of pupils for the whole education district was lower last year than for any year since 1883. due largely to the measles epidemic. Attention is pointedly drawn to the large increase' in the number of uncertificated or unlicensed teachers, most of whom are employed singlehanded in outlying districts. Of 464 adult teachers 13.8 per cent, do not possess the essential certificates of competence; The'opinion is emphatically expressed that the present age limit for free places at secondary schools is mischievous in its results. The inspectors complain that owing to the increase of work and changes in the methods the schools are inadequately staffed. At the Board of Education the Rev. P. B. Fraser moved : “That the attention of the Minister of Education be directed to the regulations of the Department for the conveyance of children by road or water to public schools, and that ho be informed that in the opinion of the [Board the regulations are unworkable; and, further, that the Minister be asked to consider the propriety, in lieu of the above regulations, of empowering the Education Board to make their own arrangements for the conveyance of children, or combining small schools, provided that every arrangement made be reported in full to the Minister, to impose such regulations as seem fit to him after he had before him the united experience of the Boards.’ 1, The motion was carried. Mr. Fraser moved: - That a committee, consisting of three or four members of the Board, together with inspectors, rectors of district high schools, -and representatives from each district high school committee, consider the present staffing and curricnlums of these schools, with a view of increasing their usefulness as the principal rural schools of the province, and report to the Board at an early date.’ The motion was carried. . , DUNEDIN, last night. At a meeting of school teachers and others to-day, it was resolved to lelebrate Empire Day by assembling the school cadets and boys of the fourth standard and upwards at the Triangle, to salute the flag and listen to addresses by members of the Empire League. WELLINGTON, last night. Archibald John McNeill, alias McDougall, was to-day sentenced, at the Police Court, to 6 months’ imprisonment for obtaining goods by false pretences. He was remanded to the Supremo Court to be dealt with as a habitual criminal. . "~ HOKITIKA, last night. A poll of the ratepayers of the borough taken to-day to-decide whether Hokitika should be declared a hie district under the Fire Brigades Act, 1906, resulted in 147 votes being cast in favor of the proposition ; and Id against it.