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Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9469, 11 June 1909, Page 5

At a large and enthusiastic meet* ing of citizens at Blenheim last night it was unanimously resolved to form a branch of the National Defence League. A butter factory in the Stratford district which was offered for its season’s output but declined to sell, 'figures out its loss at abont £SOOO. Mr Guthrie, M.P., has given notice to ask the Minister for Lands if he will amend the laud laws to extend:the right to the Crown tenants to elect two members to the Land Board instead of one as at present. Mr Buick, M.P.. is asking the Minister for Agriculture what st>ps are being taken to carry out the promise of the late Minister for Agriculture to establish the dairy school in Palmerston. Early this morning the discovery was made that the shop of O. Smith, draper, Cuba Street, Wellington, was flooded through the bursting of a high pressure tiHer. It is estimated that the damage to stock is between £7OO and £BOO. Sir Andrew Noble, presiding at the last meeting in Newcastle (England) of Messrs Armstrong, Whitworth end 00., said that the company vTonhi shortly be able to complete four Dreadnoughts per annum, with continuous orders. That was a productive capacity unsurpassed by any other shipbuilding establishment! in the world.

B, B. Russell, actor, sued Allan Hamilton at Wellington to-day for £IOO for alleged wrongful dismissal from his theatrical Company now at Wellington Opera House. The defence was that plaintiff was dismissed for drunkenness during a recent performance of “la tha Ranks.” Plaintiff emphatically denied this. Judgment was for defendant with costs. Alderman Abraham Leon Emanuel, J.P., of Portsmouth (England), who died in February, leaving estate valued at £34,368, bequeathed to the Portsmouth Corporation £ISOO to form a “Wedding Gift Fund.” The income is to be applied to purchase each year wedding gifts of furniture for three young women who have resided in Potrsmouth for five years and who are about to be married. Preference is to ne given to orphans, without religious distinction.

At a meeting of Ashbnrton Licensing Committee to-day applications were ;received for general licenses for six hotels at Geraldine, Orari. Ranigtata, and Arundel, which previously were in the Geraldine electorate, but which, owing to the alteration of the electoral boundaries, ate now in Ashburton district. Mr Raymond, appeared for applicants and argued at length in support of the applications. The committee held that under sections 8 and 38 of the Licensing Act read together they had no power to grant licenses.

Taranaki ’Education Board is in difficulties owing to several teachers having declined appointments for which they have applied. The Herald says: School teachers may talk till all’s bine about their grievances, but there is amongst them a sort of irresponsibility which finds outlet in the too frequent practice of declining positions for which they have applied and been selected; and in various other ways which the local Education Board has had occasion to point out more than once. In tho matter under notice, bow would it do to insist on applicants lodging a deposit as in the case of tenderers for contracts, just as a guarantee of good faith, deposit to he forfeited In the event of the teacher declining to accept the appointment?

Ex-Mayor Hislop and the Mayor of Wellington, Dr. Newman, ate engaged in a verbal dual about last year’s financing. At last J night’s meeting of tne Council Ui. Newman said the Oonnoil could not shut its eyes to facts, however ugly, but must work so that the finances could be put on sound business lines. He then mentioned that the overdraft oa 31st March was over £4fT,o9o f and the loan of £15,000 raised for abattoirs had been diverted to repayment of an old loan under another head* The large overdraft was explained by the Council pushing on with expenditure on works in sipte of the ratepayers’ rejection of loan proposals last February. Mr iHislop declared that the abattoir loan was not diverted, and the matter is still under dispute. The city’s revenue on general aooount for the current -f, 7* and, expcuaiiiire £141,4»i.