NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

Otago Witness, Issue 2814, 19 February 1908, Page 36

NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

AUCKLAND

The Inspector-general of Schools states in a letter to the National League that a scheme for the establishment of outdoor ranges for all public schools is under the consideration of the Education Department. The need of rain is being felt in the Auckland Province, the country being in a very parched condition. Water is very scarce in some of the suburban districts, and residents are getting supplies carted. ' Something of a record, as far as tho smaller towns are concerned, in the way of church fund collecting was mentioned at the meeting of the Auckland Presbytery this evening. It was stated that the "committee of the Waihi Church had undertaken to remove several petty debts by means of a collection, with the result that in three days the sum of £115 had been raised.

William Scott and Thomas Townstend, on remand under charges of highway robbery at Whangarei and breaking and entering at Waiapu, were before the court on the 13th, and pleaded guilty to both offences. They were committed for sentence at the Supreme Court.

A prsioner who came up for sentence before Mr Justice Edwards at the Supreme Court on the 12th inst., pleaded for his freedom in order that he might marry. " That is the last thing you should do," said the judge. " A person possessing criminal instincts leading him not only to one crime but to a. number, is not the person to get married, but the contrary. Unfortunately, these instincts are hereditary."

A number o,f orchardisfs, charged at tne Police Court on tb.e Mth with failing to eradicate codlin moth and one for distributing infected fruit, were fined 20s and costs. The magistrate stated that the act rendered them each liable to a. fine of £20.

Mr Hamer (engineer to the Harbour Board) has reported that the cost of widening Calliope Dock as suggested by the board would be about £120 000. or nearly &« much as a new dock. He thought he could devise a scheme under which, for an expenditure of £10.000 or £12,000. the dock could be altered so as to accommodate the Corinthic or the Powerful. Further consideration was left in the hands of a special committee.

POVERTY BAT.

David Johnson, labourer, was committed for trial to-day on a charge of horsestealing.

HAWKF.'S BAY

Three persons were chained at the Magistrate's Court on the 10th with using an explosive substance — namely, dynamite — to catch fish, and were fined £5 each and CO3tS

At the Magistrate's Court. Samuel Hill alias Ryan and Michatl Regan alias Hogan. both well known to the police, were committed for trial on a charge of brutally assaulting_ a man named Frederick Fox, kicking 'him and causing actual bodily harm. Bail was fixed at £200 each.

The -\aluation of the Borouorh of Napier for the year endirg March 31. 1909. has just b^cri completed. The anx>unt is £104,269, as compared with £93,071 for the previous year — -an incroasp of £6198. Last year's valuation of £98,071 was an increase on that of the previous - similarperiod of £6157. Napier wa« declared a. municipality on November 26, 1874. and the valuation for the year ended November 15, 1875, was £37.360. The valw of oroperty in the town has therefore increased by £66.909 in 34 years. "The Napier School Committee acceded to a request by ministers to be allowed to give Scripture lessons once a week in the State school from 9.15 to 9.45.

WELLINGTON

Tl.e Moeraki brought to Wellington about 50 Australian workmen. During the 7th a larre number called at tl c Employment Bureau of the La-bour Department, and between 25 and 30 were sent to situations, chiefly nawies. v.p conn try. Others desired to stay about the city for a few day* in search of employment The Public Service Co-operative Stores started in Wellington about two year' ago are to be closed. For :orae' reason or other the stores have never go." properly established on a succe^sf-il footing, and at a P.etlingof shareholders he'd or. the 7th a loss of £1433 during the oa«i *:x months was reported, makine a tota 1 10-s sirre tho society began of £2394 T' »-a« decided to voluntarily wmd up the «--. irtv. the nmmittee being «ive'_; now pi ' di pc-ie of the bueine*. 5 . as v go'vz "■r>ncr:n.

In rctja.d to thr> t •jon- n «noir^"?o'"i oomhu-tipn lui"ni ni'-o 1 r l • f •«• : f tie r'hristchur.-'i TTc--> t •'. Pv,.Y.--..- Ea-vtpr-fV.d. of V'.orc-a Co l ' -r "10 «•!<■ we of i 1 c expert" onsar-ed ;o '°;>oi! upon tl o alleged 6rjontaiiei-ui-> ir^'fM.-u of wool \ .-= as-1 fd on th-» l" !l r - 00-Vin .-Sort tl'e Lo v% a\ioui of the .Vit.-.g at C,,i,=fchu'-cK "Orp <.o no: caie to "ivo an op'Mon off-hand.'" le replied, "but ■.DpiT'tneovs rombusticn toes not seem 1o be m the lea-r probable." Tbe new DanneM'rke Hicrh S. hool vis onrned 0:1 the 12th by tl<e Eon C. Fowlds. m (he pr^encf of a largo p-at henna. TSe huil.l.'i'! < i h»ndso»ne brick one ail the to«a! o^itliv w"ll run into about =?3000. A commodio' « technical school is altariu-d. The PnliiK'rsmn Branch of the Maxtor Bilker-" A*-ociation held a mftine on the 12th, and unammou-fv agreed to -pl foi ea;-h oy coupon mil's, and bu\ei* of i-r.uooii" will be required to purchase for c&sh. They will eharae 4d for a 2!b leaf, and will erne baker»' measure of 13 to the dozen where purchase:-* <akn a do7»n or more Ica> c- at ; time. Al,A 1 , solutsh no Pvtentioi will be •nado, s*or*»keepe"*. hoteß boardinarhouses, and larsp and small ron-umcrs all cniinsr under the «amr regulit-r i« It 's exnei-t-ed that other w<n« around the di*-t'-ie*- will join in v. 'th this anangoment shortly. _ The- Rovernrnpnr intends 10 advertise in New Zealand. New South Wales, and Victoria for applications for tbe position of inspector under the Fire Brigades Act. Tho salaiv will be £500 nor annum.

The new Technics 1 School at Feilding. whj"h ha« oo«i r earlv £4-000, v. ill be openod by ihf 1 Minifcter of Education on March 10.

Mr Walter Fo^->pv. of tlio Manual Trjinii £• S'-'iool at Newmarket. Auckland, has b"eii annoi"ted to the position of director of tip Technical School at Feildmcf. and 6i»pTUSor of ipchiveil educit'on at the southern end of tl-c Wonaanui district Mr £fiS2fi( rgeently armed fiom London

Ah Ting appeared before the court ft Palmerston N. to answer a charge of smoking opium. Medical evidence was tendered to the effect that tho accused was In such a precarious state of health that it would kill him if opium were denied him, and consequently opium pills were prescribed. These the accused smoked. A fine of 10s wae imposed, the S.M. stating, however, that other Celestials in the town, need not construe the light fine ac an indication that they could smoke with impunity. The City Council has given the city-engi-neer authority to prohibit, if occasion arises, the use of water from the water mains of the city for the purpose of lifts, machinery, etc. — in fact, for all purposes other than domestic use. It is not intended to put the authority into effect at present — not until the water falls to 3ft below the level of the outlet. The company owning Athetio Park, at Wellington South, has deoided to invite tenders for the purchase of its interests in the property, which is held under lease for ! 63 years. Financial results are 6aid to be I the cause. Asked if the City Council was I likely to purchase the property for the ' citizens, the Mayor replied that the matter would be looked into. The scarcity of grass is causing widespread alarm. There has been practically no rain about Feilding since Christmas Day. The outlook is more serious than it has ever been before. Detective Broberg, the principal officer poncerned in the arrest of Matenga, t).e Maori outlaw, at Giebotne, has been granted a reward of £40 by the Police Department, and Constable Skinner £15. The tramway employees are asking for an advance in wages all round. The present rates range from Is to le 4d per hour. They ask for Is lid to Is sd. The total amount involved is stated to be about £2000 per annum. They also ask for an appeal board. The Marine Department has decided to erect a new lighthouse on the north-east coast of this island at Cape Brett. The light will be a flashing light of the first ordor. about 500 ft above the sea, and visible seven miles past the Cavallis to the northward and southward down to a. line drawn between the Poor Knights and the Three Gables. The light is expected to be installed within 18 months. Their Excellencies Lord and Lady Plunket and party veturned to Wellington in the Tutanekai on the 17th. They will stay in Wellington a few days before resuming their trip south in the some steamer. The party will visit the West Coast Sounds and Stewart Island. The Wellington Harbour Board has authorised the prosecution of works during the current rear to cost altogether nearly £120,000. The chief item is £43,000 in connection with King's wharf and stores.

MARYBOROUGH.

The Sargood Cup has been' finally awarded to tho Blenheim Rifles, whose «core of 90.6 per cent, is much above the next highest (76 per cent.).

WEST COAST.

A large whale, measuring 99ft long. 20ft wide, and so high that a man on horseback cannot see over it, was washed ashore at Commissioner's Point, six miles north of Okarito. "Viewed from a distance, it has the appearance of a stranded, dismasted vessel. A party of men are engaged securing blubber. A witness in the court a.t Westport. who appeared in the witness-box in a state of intoxication, was ordered into custody for contempt of court, and locked up all night.

CANTERBURY

The fac'.orv and offices of the Colonial end Foreign Agency Company were totally destroyed by fire early on the 11th jnst. The ii.fLrances were £5400 in the Alliance or the bui'dings and contents, and £400 m the- New Zealand on the building.

The seven firemen belonging to the steamer Papanui who were charged on rcma-d with broaching cargo of the value of £' ' were on the 12th committed for trial. Thr.. pleaded guilty. One man, who pleaded not guilty, said that as he was not implicated he would not inform, as he feared injury by the other firemen. The number of fitock passed through the Add ng-ton s a leyards in 1907 was 673,221 sheep. 25.116 pigs, and 27.078 cattle, bein? an increase on 1906 of 67.000 sheep, and a decrease of 2000 pigs and 1700 cattle. Oscar Kosub, a foreigner, with two aliases, was sentenced at Timaru on the 14th to 12 months' imprisonment for the theft of oat? from a paddock at Seadown. When arrested the accused bad on him a fully-loaded six-ohamber revolver and a dagger.

NORTH OTAGO

Follow mo; on the subdivision of Otekaike. the Oamaru Mail advocates the resumption for sp'tlement purposes of ihe Hakateramea Estate*. South Canterbury, the property of the N.Z and A. Land Company, compr.oinsr over 100,000 acres. The valuation of the boroujrh of Oamaru for rating purpo-^s has iust been completed, and the total indicates that, in snite of adverse conditions, due mostly to the dry reason, thp irluation is row £40,499, or £712 more tl'an last year. The increase is repiesented by new or improved buildings, and al«~o by a general slight advance in values. It is many \ears since »he valuation exopodod £10 000 and it is only about 10 jmis acjo that it was under £30.030. The imprcrwinpnt of t'lo Last few vear-. ha-i been maile in spite of a (substantial decline in the \alue rf some of the buildings formerly licensed as hotels