NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 48, 15 February 1908, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

THE WROUGHT. Per .Press Association, i'i'ililing, Friday. 'J he scarcity of grass is causing witle spread alarm. There lias been practically no ruin here since Christmas Day The outlook is more serious Hum it )uo ever been More. INSIIiAN'CE KATES. Uunedin, l-'iiday.

.Mr. Uolani, the lonil manager of the >.ew Zealand Insurance Co., speaking at a social, said lire insurance rates had been cut as low as possible, unui now that the companies were compclle I lu support Hie hie brigades, rales inii.sl necessarily go up. TIiA.UWAY .MEWS WAGES. Wellington, Friday. The tramway employees are asking for an advance in wages all round. The present rates range troni Is to Is -Id per Hour. The men ask lor Is l'/ s d to Is M The total anioiint involved is slated to be about JCSOOI) pet annum. Thev als i I ask lor an Appeal Hoard.

ATIIEE'I IC PAKE Full SALE. \Yelimgton. Friday, The company winch owns the Athletic Park, Wellington South, lias decided lo ' Hlvile tenders lor (he purchase of lt.s interest in the properly, which is held under a lease for 1)3 years. The finaiicial result* arc said to be the cause of the sale. Asked if the Cily Council wis likely lo purchase the properly for a citizens' recreation ground, Hie -Mayor replied that ue matter would be looked into. A POLICE.UAVS DUTY. Wellington, Friday. The appeal ot Constable 'Turner against the decision of the -Magistrate, who convicted and lined him for assaulting one Patterson, was argued bofore Mr. Justice Cooper to-day. The question was whether I lie constable had acted rightly ill arresting Patterson, who had used unjustifiable language "j the officer, and who was duly convicted and lined for so doing. The judge said the extreme course of arresting without warrant should be carefully scrutinised. In the present ease it was quite clear the constable had no justilication for the arrest. The appeal was therofore dismissed, but without costs, as respondent had brought all the trouble on himself.

A DANGEROUS TUIEF. Timaru, Friday. Oscar Kosub, a foreigner with two aliases, was sentenced to twelve month;' imprisonment for theft of oats from a pa'ddock. When arrested he had a loaded revolver and a dagger on him. THE OI'IUM HABIT. Palmerston N., Friday. Ah Ting appeared at the Court this morning on a charge of smoking opium. Medical evidence wns given to the effect that accused was in such a precarious state of health (hat it would kill him if opium were denied him, and consequently opium pills hail been prescribed. These accused hud smoked. A line of 10s was imposed. The Magistrate remarked that other Celestials in Ihe town need not construe the light line as an indication that they could smoke opium with impunity. SLAUGHTERMEN'S STRIKE. Timaru, Friday.

The strike at fareora Freezing Works has ended. The butchers resumed work this morning without gaining anything by their action. The man who was discharged for smoking was not taken on again. A VALUABLE CATCH. Hokitika, Friday. A whale measuring 00ft long, 20ft wide, and so high that a- man on horseback cannot sec over it has been washed ashore at Commissioner's Poinl, six miles north of Okarito. ALLEGED ASSAULT. Dannevirke, Last Night. Luther Martin Murray, at present under bonds aggregating £BOO to appear at the Napier sittings of the Supreme Court on three charges of sheep and horse stealing, was arrested at Mangatera Hotel at 3 o'clock this morning on a charge of assaulting n man named Thompson. It is alleged that Murray struck Thompson several times on the head with a stirrup-iron. Thompson is now in the hospital. It is uncertain what the ultimate effect of the injuries will he. Murray was remanded for eight days.

THE PREMIER IN THE NORTH. Thames, Last Night. The Prime Minister, Lady Ward, and party arrived at Thames from the upper goldfields, making the journey by motor car. They were welcomed by tlie Mayor, the county chairman, and representatives of local bodies. There were no deputations. Sir Joseph Ward proceeded to Pinko to witness the comprehensive drainage scheme now being undertaken by the Government, which is estimated to cost over ',£80,000, spread over several years. He was greatly impressed with the possibilities of the large area of land available, nearly a quarter of a million acres, of which the Government purchased 80,000. Upon his return in the evening he was entertamed at a public reception in Victoria Park, and subsequently at a social. Sir Joseph made a short speech at each function.

ALLEGED SLY GROG-SELLING w „ Wd'iriflton, Last Night. In'i!, * n M "«" ,t ™ t * l " Conrt to-a.iv, ■John Smith, a seaman, who had been boarding at Harriet boarding-hou" fl din-ton, was fined £lO and costs to. sly grog-selbng at the l,oardin«1.0,, 5 e. Notice of appeal was given. " 'Dn-vnl Ilarne and Marv Barric were charged with being occupiers of PVPjnwes ,n which illegal sales of li q L°, |'»<l taken place. The case was adjourned till the. appeal in the Smith case is decided. ORADIXG FLAX.

Wellington, LaM Night. A deputation from the Flax-millers' , Association waited on the Hon. R ' *™ a « to - Ja >'- Complaint was made that there was a lack of uniformity in ■ grading Bt different ports. It was si,.-,- ' gpstei that a sample hank of each grade shoiild be placed at each port, Thedepntal.on asked that the bonus previously oitered for an improved method of treating llax should be renewed. Several minor complaints about the (lax regulations were made. 1„ reply to the deputation, the Minister, speaking about the application for a bonus, said he did not "•ant to encumber his estimates with a urge sum of money which was bein" taken advantage of, but he would not place an obstacle in the way of a bonus again Mug offered if it were likelv to have the desired effect, A conference ol those people interested in the industry would no doubt result in a great deal of good, tie did not wish to see manufacturers being put to unnecessary expense and would consult with Mr. Fulton on lus return to New Zealand about the minor, matters brought under hj s notice, -the difficulty concerning grading could then be definitely settled. SHORTAGE OF WATER. Wellington, Last Night. The City Council has given the city engineer authority to prohibit, if O <H casion arises, the use of water from the water mains of the city for the pur* noses of lifts, machinery, etc.; in fact; for all purposes other than domestic use. ft is not intended to put tho authority into effect at present, not till the water falls to three feet below the level of the outlet.

INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE SETTLED. _ Dunedin, Last Night, the engineers' dispute came before the Arbitration Court to-day, when it was announced that an agreement had been come to. It is understood that the ai t,es have agreed to the award on the lines of the Auckland award, with the exception of the clause relating to sefcond-class engineers. There will be only one class of engineers in the award and provision will be made for a minimum rate of Is 4i/ s tl per hour. Provision is also to be made for a settlement ot matters in dispute by the chairman ot the Conciliation Board.

FEDERATING SHEARERS' UNION. Palnierston N., Last Night. It has been resolved to federate the bhearers' Unions of the Marlborough, Canterbury, and Wellington districts, and thus form a New Zealand Shearers" (Union, which will aim at the equalising ■of shearing agreements as far as local conditions permit, and securing uniformity of awards. A DISSATISFIED BODY.

Palmerston North, Last Night. The, local branch of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, who had decided to secede from the Wellington body owing to alleged neglect of "the district, but was prevented from doin" so by that body, met to-night, and passed a vote of want of confidence in the Wellington society, «xpr«ssin« its determination to break away from "it