GENERAL TELEGRAMS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 193, 13 February 1912, Page 5

GENERAL TELEGRAMS

DRUIDS' CONFERENCE.

By Itltpaifk-TMM IwmUoii. rrv Marton, Last Night. lie Druids' conference at Marton today over 60 delegates being present. Grand President Wade, of Hastings, presided. Only routine business was dealtwith. Mr. Hayes, Registrar of Friendly Societies, and afr. Traversi, Government Actuary, arrived this afternoon. The Grand Lodge adjourned to meet them. Mr. Hayes said he had come to Marton prepared to a'ssist-the 'delegates. Mr. Traversi is staying for the conference in order to help the delegates in their deliberations., Mr:,Hayes said the wish of his department was to assist friendly societies, and both would do all they could to enable the conference to come to a decision on the questions of impoitance to be dealt with.

SLY GROG CONVICTIONS.

Ohristchurch, Last, Night. Frederick Jensen, a young man, was charged with selling whisky to John Smyth on February 11- without having a license to do so. He was also charged with being idle and disorderly and hav-' ing insufficient means of support. He pleaded guilty to the first charge. The Magistrate said half the trouble in the town from drunkenness was caused by these illicit grog-sellers. They were a nuisance to the community and to hotelkeepers. AfteT inspecting accused's record the Magistrate fined him £2O. He said the, law did not allow a sentence of imprisonment. A man with a record like accused's was a criminal, and he could not treat him leniently. The charge of vagrancy was withdrawn.

SUPPLYING LIQUOR TO A MAORI WOMAN.

Hawera, Last Night. A laborer named William Aden Reid was to-day fined £2O (afterwards reduced to £10) for having supplied liquor to a Maori woman. Defendant's wife was fined £5.

EXIPENSIVE CRICKET BALLS. Auckland, Last Night. At the, Police Court George J. Thompson was charged with unshipping 144 cricket balls without paying duty on the same. A fine of £dOO was imposed, to be reduced to £6O, which would be further reduced to £33 provided £27 worth of cricket balls not recovered were handed to the collector.

PUBLIC SERVICE CLASSIFICATIiON. Wellington, Last Night. The proposed classification of the whole of the Public Service reached almost its final stage to-day, when the nominal roll with actual classification of officers by name was published in a supplement to the Gazette. The roll contains particulars of the various grades, the number of officers in each, with their names, minimum and maximum salaries. Any officer has the right of appeal against his classification, and the last date on which application can be made to the Public Service Classification Board for reconsideration is March 15th.

TENTXERS ACCEPTED BY CABINET. Wellington, Last Night. Cabinet has accepted tenders for the construction of departmental offices at •New Plymouth, for eight cottages at Lake Collendge for use of power house staff, for the construction of station buildings at Glenhope on the Nelson end of the Midland railway, and the construction of a new post office, at Pleasant Point and a tower in addition to the post office in which to place a clock recently provided by public subscription.