Interprovincial News.

Hastings Standard, Issue 204, 23 December 1896, Page 4

Interprovincial News.

There arc nine entries for tho intercolonial b;<nd conte-t at- the Wellington Exhibition, including two crack bands from -NVw South Wales. For the solo competitions there are no fuwur than ■jO competitors. A large number of trophies have been promised in addition to substantial prizes given by the executive. The Government has decided to dispose of the Levin State farm, and work will be found for the unemployed on bush lands. At the Christchurch Magistrate's Court yesterday A. B. Bishop, chemist, was lined £5 and costs for having sold poison to one Fearce who was not introduced by some other person known to linn. In the Wellington Supreme Court yesterday Justice Edwards gave judgment in'the case Roskruge, o£ Picton, v. Michael Ryan, of Pahiatua, and P. K. Watty, of Wellington, claiming £SOO damages for fraudulent representation by defendants of thg-cSkujgs of the Ter • >;y, (&-"Tiote 1, Picton, sold by •ftyan through Watty to plaintiff, and also for fraudulent misrepresentation of the value of the furniture, which was valued by Watty for Ryan. His Honor found that a letter which passed between Watty and Ryan disclosed in unmistakable terms that there was a conspiracy to commit fraud in the valuation of the furniture, xnid on this head gave judgment, for £G6. As to misrepresentation of takings his Honor held that the value w as fraudulently misrepresented to the knowledge of both defendants, and ho assessed damages on this count at £2OO, with costs according to scale. During the trip of the Te Anau from Wellington to Lyttelton lastevening an old tarpaulin in the lower hold was found to be oil fire, but the ilames were soon extinguished. Some cargo was injured by water, but otherwise no damage was done. In connection with the decision of the shipping companies not to use in future bills of lading for Dunedin, but only take cargo to Port Chalmers, an oiler has been received from the agent of Bucknell Bros., owners of the Africander, Zulu, and some ten other vessels, to run a direct line of steamers from the Home country to Dunedin. At Port Chalmers yesterday a man named Frank Brown was committed for trial for criminal assault on a woman.