NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 312, 9 January 1908, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

Per Press Association. THE SHEARERS' TROUBLE. Palmerston N., Lant Night. Interviewed by a Manawatu Times reporter, a, well-known shearer of twenty years standing declared that there waa nothing In the shearers' demundi that competent men wanted. There waa no dem md on the part of the men for preference to unionists, limitation of learners, or the dagging clause. What the men did want was a fixed standard rate for shearers. No more desired tlm other regulations than did the sheep owners.

INVEROAIICiILL NEWS. Invercargill, Last Night. Messrs. M. Thomas and F. Hutchins hav« Ix'cn elected the Southland delegates to the biennial conference of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants at Wellington. The police returns show a considerable decrease in crime in Southland during Hie eighteen months since the inauguration of prohibition, as compared with the previous eighteen. Drunkenness declined from 209 to 149, and in only four ciifies wss liquor procured in the no-license area. I'OST AND TELEGRAPH RETURN'S. \S ellington, Wednesday. Following is a cumpaiativc statement of the business at the seventeen principal post offices during the period from December 17th to iMlu, liiuti and li)0i: Value of stamps sold—11)0(1, £17,181; 11)07, £11),8(14. Number of mail-bags handled, 31,098 and 4(1,707. Following is a comparative statement of the trallic at the seventeen principal telegraph ottices during the four days preceding Christmas Dayß of 1900 and 1907:—Number of telegrams forwarded —1906, 68,934; 1907, 76,995. Received, 71,833 and 85,212. Transmitted, 110,001 and 134,13-1,051.

ABSENCE OF RAIN, Wellington, Wednesday. The continued absence of rain has occasioned great destruction of crops and pastures on light soils. Some apprehension is beginning to be felt about autumn feed. It is feared Btock may be rushed on the market, causing a lurther drop in values. DOMINION'S FINANCES. Wellington, Wednesday. Sir Joseph Ward states that the Dominion's revenue for the nine months ended December 31 amounted to £6,307,100, as compared with £6,826,000 for the corresponding period of the previous year, the increase being 484,000. For the twelve months ending Decern- ! l>er the increase was £683,300. The increase, says the Premier, is exceedingly satisfactory, and indicates a remarkablo buoyancy in the revenue that has continued for so long a period. With anything like a proportionate increase for the balance of the year, the financial position at the end of the year will show a better result that at any time in the history of the Dominion.

DENTISTS' ASSOCIATION. Auckland, Wednesday. The Dentists' Association decided to hold the next conference in Wellington. The following officers were elected:— President, Mr A. Hoby; vice-president, Mr, Mantell; secretary, Mr. Hursthouse; treasurer, Mr