GENERAL TELEGRAMS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 157, 2 January 1912, Page 2

GENERAL TELEGRAMS

THE BLENHEIM BURGLARY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Blenheim, Saturday. Four men named James Brimer, Willi km Stephenson, John Wilson and James Heydon, the three latter belonging to the crew of the steamer Blenheim, were arrested last night in connection with the burglary at Houston's bond. Probably other arrests will follow. The bulk of the stolen goods are unrecovered.

DECEASED PERSONS' ESTATES. Wellington, Saturday. The estates of 1151 deceased persons were assessed for stamp duty during December, the largest being that of Mary C. Ireland, Auckland, £69,251. The Taranaki estates were John Vickery £1991, Alexander Gow £636. PICNICKERS CAUGHT IN FLOOD WATERS. Timaru, Saturday. The sudden rise of the Opihi river in *tihe small hours of Friday miorning caught 6ome picnic parties camped on the low level near Pleasant Point, and they had to wado waist deep to reach the bank after the tents were awash. The ladies, as well as the men, pluckily returned to salvage their belongings, but a good deal was carried off by the stream. The rain fell very heavily in the upper Opihi. The river at Silverstream and Fairlie was exceptionally high, doing much damage to roads and breaking away light stock and foot bridges.

CHILD'S MIRACULOUS ESCAPE. Timaru, Saturday. The two-year-old infant of Mr. and Mrs. Skinner, of the Shamrock Hotel, had a narrow escape from death under exciting circumstances this afternoon. The child was put to bed upstairs, the window being left open. She got out on the wide ledge and was about to fall, but took hold of a telephone wire and held on for some minutes, which seemed an interminable time to the onlookers. A man stood' beneath to catch her, and this he did when she fell, and landed her unharmed.

THE FOUNDER OF CANTERBBURY. Christchurch, Saturday. The ceremony of laying a stone to commemorate the farewell made by John Robert Godley to the Canterbury pilgrims at Pilgrim's corner in Hagley Park was held to-day, in the presence of a fair number of early colonists and other spectators. After Mr. John Durey had given a brief address, Mr. W. Guise Britain declared the stone well and truly laid. In doing so, Mr. Britain paid a tribute to the sterling qualities of the founder of Canterbury province and the great regret that had been occasioned by his departure.

——— ' "^i . DUiXEDIX FIGURES. ' V _ Dunedin, Sunday."

Hie Customs duties collected at Dunedin for the past month were:—Customs £35,389, beer duty £3625, gold exported 27860z„ valued at £11,122. Totals for the year are as follows:—Net Customs, £4441,062 (1910 £434,915); beer duty, £35,035 (£34,430); gold exported, 78,2570z., valued at £316,049 (7®,88302., valued at £319,094). The vital statstics for December are as follows:—Birth 127, deaths 52, marriages 108. Figures for the year are: Births 1763, deaths 816, marriages 790, The number of births for the year is the highest since 1884, the next 'highest being 1909, when 1744 were registered. The number of marriages for tlie year is a record since the office was opened in 1848. The previous record was 682, last year.