INTERPROVINCIAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 224, 30 October 1878, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL.

fPKEBS AGENCY.") _. _ , Auckland, Tuesday night. The Board of Education Office has been burglariously entered and £75 stolen from the safe It is evident that whoever perpetrated the robbery niuat have had the key as neither the safe nor the doors of the building were forced, but there is no clue to the perpetrators. r At the Bank of New Zealand's half-yearly meeting to day the report shows a net profit for the half-year, after providing for bad and doubtful dependencies, of ,£83,280; balance of undivided profit last half, £4983;' total amount divisible, £88,263. A dividend of 15 per cent was determined on. The reserve fund will be increased by £25,000 Rod £8800 carriea forward, the £25,000 ad-

aition to the reserve fund making it now ±^0,000. Power was taken to issue the new shares so as<o make the paid-up capital one million, hut it is not intended to issue these shares before March next. The Directors report was adopted by the meeting. Mr atone and' the Hon. J. Williamson were elected directors. The President saidi— " When I last addressed you from this chair i I called attention to the circumstances which j would probably Conduce to continued high . offers by our foreign rivals for New Zealand deposits, and although their action during the past half year has been intensified in this ! direction 1 am pleased to think it has not been attended with any appreciable success in withdrawing capital from the colouy. The Banks which are locally interested have with ourselves been ready to meet any such action on the part of our opponents, and, much as we deprecate the existing high rates which are calculated to harrow enterprise and divert capital from ordinary channels, so long as the policy is pursued by others we have no other course than to follow in self defence. For the well being of the colony it m*j be hoped that there frill soou be a return to wiser counsels. You may rest assured, though ever ready to defend our interests, your directors will he equally ready to cooperate witb the otber Banks in the return to a wiser and more prudent practice. Business throughout the colony during the past half year has been exceedingly active and prosperous, and the rapid development o£ hitherto unproductive districts with the continued inflow of capital and labor afford good ground for believing that the steady progress of the colony will be continuous, and that then- will be ample scope for the profitable employment of the large resources of the Bank After a winter of unusual severity the southern portion of the colony has recently been visited by disastrous floods, but as yet no approximation cau be made to the probable damage, though there is reason to believe that individual losses will not be excessive. While sympathising with the sufferers we have s >ch confidence in the recuperative power of the colony as to believe that this misfortune will not appreciably affect the rapid progress of the southern districts. The following resolution was carried-.— " That this meeting authorise the directors at their discretion to issue 27,500 shares of £10 each at such premium as the directors consider equitable, and that such shares be first offered to the shareholders, the payment of the increased capital not be called up prior to the 31st March, 1879." There has been a melancholy accident on the North Shore. Oliver May's horse attached to a cart bolted and knocked over two children, sons of Mr Gerrard, bootmaker. One, three years old, was killed instantly, and. the other, six years old, was seriously injured. A burglary ha? been committed in the shop of Mr Messenger, fruiterer, when a number of pounds of tobacco and other articles were abstracted. The Parerora cleared for London to-day with a cargo valued at £23,623- She loaded in a fortnight. The Judge has refused a rule nisi to set aside the verdict in the case of McGee v. the Auckland Jockey Club. Leave was given to take the case to the Court of Appeal. Wellington, Wednesday. The Taranaki, which was to have sailed North at noon to-day, has been detained till to-morrow, for the purpose of taking the Northern members. It is stated that Parliament will be prorogued to-morrow by commission. Hokitika, Wednesday. The steamer Maori has brought up from Cos well Sound a splendid lot o£ marble in blocks of various sizes, and different shades of color. The report of Mr Munro of Duuedin who came specially to inspect the quarries is most favorably. Pie considers tbe quality of the stone of the very highest class, and the quantity practically unlimited. The shareholders have resolved to form a company and to proceed to open the quarries at once. A number of creditors are threatening to sue the Education Board, who are still without funds, and overdrawn at the Bank by several thousands of pounds. Chkistciiurch, Wednesday. Three farmers were fined at Eangiora yesterday for having unbranded sheep in their possession. The Government having replied in the negative to an application of the Hospital aud Charitable Aid Board for a sum to be placed on the supplementary estimates for this year in aid of the Benevolent Asylum the^ Board has appointed a committe of their members to draw up a scheme for the collection of a fund to carry out the object. During the past week the Acclimatization Society has distributed 13,000 young trout in various streams in the Northern districts. It was last night resolved at the Diocesan Synod to establish a Church Society for the diocese of the present Church Work Extension Association. Seymour H. Saunderg was yesterday sentenced to eight months imprisonment on two charges of passing valueless cheques. A third charge was dismissed it being doubtful whether the prisoner did not believe that he had sufficient funds in the bank at ; the time.