NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 316, 15 January 1908, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

THE MIDLAND RAILWAY. Per Press Association. ' Greymouth, Last Night. Messrs McLean and Sons, contractors, for the Midland railway tunnel, put 011 a gang of men to-day. fr the first time' to clear away debris from the site of the tunnels mouth. Tile operation, though equivalent in a sense to the turning of the first sod| did not. involve any ceremony. Although a good deal of preparatory work has been performed, there is necessarily a great deal still to be done, especially in connection with the supply of hydraulic power. Huts for the workmen are practically finished, and ready for occupation. A few visitors who happened to be passing the tunnel entrance to-day can boast o{ having seen the actual commencement at the western mouth of the Midland) railway tunnel—a work destined to greatly figure in the future historv ol New Zealand.

DEVELOPING westport coal. , , . Westport, Tuesday. Information is to hand from London o the l otation of the Westport Naval and Railway Coal Company, which is io develop a valuable coal area here. lie new Stockton Coal Company expeots to be getting out coal in July. Llectric traction will be employed at the mine. A large number of colliers is arriving to work in the Westport Company's mines, many from Australia. BUSH PRESERVATION. , ' Wellington, Tuesday. <lhe Government has decided to reserve certain areas of timber along the route of the North Island Main Trunk Railway line. A special report Is to be prepared on the subject. Mr. W. C. Kensington (Under-Secre-tary for Lands) has been instructed to report on the question of reserving certain areas of bush along the Wanganui

LIGHTHOUSE COMMUNICATION. ] Wellington, Tuesday, ine Government has decided to establish communication between the lighthouses off the coast and the mainland. A cable will be laid from D'Urville Island to Stephen's Island and on to Elmslie Bay. In the South the lighthouse at Centre Island, Foveaui: Strait, will be connected with the mainland, as well a« that at Puysegur Point,

UNIVERSITY SENATE. ' . Wellington, Tuesday. The election to fill the vacancy on the Senate of the New, Zealand University caused by the resignation of Professor' McLaurin resulted in the return of Mr. H. P. von Haast, barrister, of Wellington. The voting was as follows:—Mr. von Haast, 143: Professor Easterfield, 49.

WANGANUI HARBOR TRADE. j Wanganui, Tuesday. The exports sent from Wanganui last year are valued at £468,207, Of this amount wool contributed £335,194, the quantity of wool being 7.833,0451b. Frozen meat" accounted for £77,048, the output being 01,211cwt; the tallow output was. 878 tons, valued at £23,224; sheepskins 732,869, valued 1 at £22,782. The exports of white pine timber to Sydney totalled 1,460,162 superficial feet, valued at £4645. At the present time there are three sailing vessels in port loading white pine for Sydney. It is estimated they will ship over threequarters of a million feet. No butter or cheese has been sent through this port during the year, the output being shipped from Patea.

EARTHQUAKES AT ROTORUA. Rotorua, .Tuesday. Two pronounced earth tremors occurred thiß one at 3.7 and one at 4.18. The second was fairly sharp.

BRILLIANT METEOR. Auckland, Tuesday. A brilliant meteor appeared over the city about 10 o'clock hist night. Its bursting was followed by two loud reports representing thunderclaps. LIGHT IN TAURANGA. Tauranga, Last Night. The Borough Council to-night accepted a proposal from Kecne and Reid, \f Wellington, to light Tauranga with gas.