NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 87, 1 April 1908, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

DECEASED PERSON'S' ESTATES. ' Per Press Association. Wellington, Tuesday. Two hundred deceased persons' estates were certified to tliis month for stamp duty. The largest was that of .Sir John Ilatl, £210,271. The next on the list were:—John Holmes (Canterbury) WiS.SOO, and Mrs. Christina tiallingall (Wellington) .£41,037-

WELL-DESERVED PUNISH M KXT. Christcliurch, Tuesday. Thomas Coulter was fined ,CU) and costs for carrying nightsoil in a spring trap used to carry milk to custodiers. He whs also lined £i for feeding swuie on uncooked ofTal, and ,tl for leaving offal within half a mile of the highway.

STEAMER BREAKS DOWN. Wellington, Tuesday. The steamer Lily left Wellington yesterday under charter to a syndicate to test the oyster Led in Cook Strait. In the straight her engines broke down through an accident, and the ve-ci had to lly signals of distress. The coastal steamer Manaroa was attracted and she towed the Lily hack to purl with some difficulty.

THE LANDS DEPARTMENT. Wellington, Tuesd.iy. Twenty officers of the Land and Survey Department will be retired on June 30th on superannuation, having reached the age of <JS. Included in the number are the following:—Mr. J. E. March, Superintendent of Village Settlement*; Mr Llewelyn Smith, chief draughtsman; the Hon. G. F. Richardson, draughtsman and computer; Mr. C. li. Shanks, chief draughtsman, Christcliurch; Mr. (J.'A. Read, receiver of land revenue, Dunedin; Mr. W. H. Williams, Crown lauds j ranger, Canterbury; Mr. (J. McKcnzie, Crown lands ranger, Otago; Mr. D. Campbell, Crown lands ranger, Southland; Mr. J. Barron, Crown lands ranger, Taranaki.

THE PREMIER'S MOVEMENTS. Wellington, Last Night. The Prime Minister (Hon. Sir J. '.!. Ward) returned from the North by the Monowai this morning.

THE MAIN TRUNK. Wellington, Lust Night. From to-morrow (Ist April) the Publie Works Department will extend the running of its train at the northern end of the North Inland Main Trunk Railway to Erua, four miles beyond Waimariiui, thus reducing the coach journey to fourteen miles.

VITAL STATISTICS. Wellington, Last Night. The birth-rate in Wellington during the past quarter was higher than in any quarter in the history of the city. The number of births for the period was 520, th e figures for the month ending to-day being 1(12. During the present year 266 marriages were celebrated in Wellington (85 for March), and there w»rc 100 deaths, 81 of which occurred during the third month.

VICTORIA COLLEGE COUNCIL. Wellington, Last Night. The following have been re-elected without opposition to the Victoria College Council:—Dr. Knight (Parliamentary representative), Messrs. F. P. Wilson (graduates' representative), R. MeCallum (Education Board representative), H. D. Bell (Professorial representative), and the Rev. AV. A. Evans (teachers' representative).

PROFITABLE MUNICIPAL ENTERPRISE. Wanganui, Last Night. The profits from the municipal gasworks for the year ended to-day amounted to £3OOO. The Borough Council's financial year ended to-day, and the Town Clerk tonight presented the balance-sheet. He was warmly congratulated on his achievement. THE PRICE OF FLOUR. Duni'din, Lnst Night. Advice has l>een received locally to the effect thai at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Flour Millers' Association to-day, the price of flour was advanced 10s per ton. The tariff now stands: Sacks £ll 15s; 100's £l2; 50's £l2 10s; 25's £l2 los. The shipping price is now £ll 10s, and Invercargill price £l2.

SCARLET FEVER. Duncdin, Last Night. Five children between the ages of nine years and 18 months have been discovered suffering from scarlet fever in a small three-roomed cottage in Dunedin. Four of the children were accommodated in one bed, which almost monopolised the floor space of the apartment, which has a low, sloping ceiling. The children have been ill Bincc last Friday weekThe dwelling is close to similar cottages, and unde* the circumstances isolation was impossible. The health officer (Dr. Fogston) reported the case to the chairman of the Hospital Board (Mr. M. Stevenson), who sent up a trained nurse. The nurse declined the case unless Hie patients were removed to move favorable surroundings. The children have been removed to the hospital for infectious cases at Lake Logan.

PRESENTATIONS TO A CIVIL SERVANT.

Wellington, Last Night. Mr. W. Thompson, for iU years on tne bead office staff of the Public Works Department, i s retirng upon superannuation to-day. His fellow-officers-prescnt-ed him with gifts. Appreciative references to the new superannuation scheme were made by Mr H. J. H. Bdow, UnderSecretary for Public Works, and others.

THE "RAILWAY REVIEW." Duncdiu, Last Night. At a special meeting of the Ot g' branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, a motion was passed recording the appreciation of the workdone by Mr. Hornsby as editor of the Railway Review, and expressing regret ut the loss of his services. The meeting also expressed its strong disapproval of the actions of a substantial majority of delegates at the conference, the' opinion being expressed that such actions were grievously injurious to the Society.