LATEST TELEGRAPHIC

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 91, 22 February 1879, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAPHIC

1 ' '(per pkess agency.) Wellington, Friday. THE PRINTERS' DISPUTE. Tho Government consider the demand of the printers for an increase of wages as unreasonable at the present time, and have decided to employ no Society men in future, It is understood that all the printers ill Wellington intend to give a week's notice to-morrow or Monday. NEW MASONIC LODGE. A new Masonic Lodge, under the Grand Lodt;e of Scotland, and designated St, Andrews' Lodge, is to be constituted next Thursday. The dispensation has Been granted by H. F. Whitaker, Provincial Grand Master. THE TEMPERATURE, The highest temperature reached in New Zealand last month was, Christchurch, 89 ; Nelson, 85 ;. Auckland, 84; Wellington, 81; Dunedin, 78; Hokitika, 70. THE BRUNNER RAILWAY. A deputation consisting of Messrs Gisborne, Reeves, and Woodcock waited'-on the Minister of Works re Brunner and Amberley Railway. Macandrew promised that tenders would be palled for a portion' Tthe construotiorj frbm ei}cj). p} yvithiji ; yyreelfs, •. '

aotin^GOVM^^ Chief Justice Prendergjpat, was ..sworn in as officer the. Government at 3 o'cloct this - afternoon.. All the Ministers were present', ' Judge Johnston administered the oatli. ; ... • :

Baiciutha, Friday. SERIOUS COLLIERY EXPLOSION. ! LOSS OP LIFE.

; Between 8 and 9 .this morning the Kaitangata Coal Company's mine exploded. Edward Dunn was at the time entering tho drive With his horse, and they were both blown about 60 .yards .clear of the pits mouth. . The boy waa. killed. There are some 3G men inside the pit; none have yet been readied, though every effort is being made to get at them. Immediately upon the explosion, Mr Griffith, stationmaster, despatched an engine for Dr Smyth, who reached tho sceno of the accident within 15 minutes. Great excitement prevails. LATER. Seven bodies have been recovered from the mine, no hope is entertained of any being alive; all efforts are being made to obtain the remaining men, Thoso engaged in- the drive are suffering from foul air and exhaustion, and when brought out are in a semi-mad state. Oajiaru, Friday, THE HARVEST. - Very little grain now remaining uncut in this district; thrashing operations - are in full swing on tho grain, now beginning to come in. So far as it is .competent to judge at present the crop/is'more .than an averago one, while quality generally first class. Few transactions have yet-taken placo; wheat quoted at the low figure of 31 an advance in price now expected. Oats worth 2/6 to 2/8. SHOOTING STARS. Sub Lieut. Morris and volunteer R. Harding left for Christchurch at noon today en route to Nelson to take part in the rille matches at the New Zealand rifle association. Sydney, Friday. THE KELLY GANG. At the Assembly last night the standing orders were suspended and the Kelly gang Outlawry Bill passed .through all its stages. The Bill gives tho power of outlawry for crimes committed across the borde". Blenheim,' Friday. MARLBORGCJGH RACES. Jockey Club Handicap.—Grey Momiis, 1; Natator, 2 ; Banker, 3. Grey Momiis won by a length.' Hack Race,—Kate Coventry, 1; Harvester, 2. Ladies' Purse,—Grey Momu3,l; Kiwi, 2; Blue Bell, 3. Won by a length. Forced Handicap.—Rata, 1; Clarence, 2 ; Grey Momus, 3. Capital race; close finish between two first horses. • Consolation.—Doncaster, 1; Magnolia, 2; Trisen, 3, Melbourne, Friday, DEPUTATION. A deputation waited upon the. Post-' master-General to-day regarding the prohibition of the uso of code of figures in Cable messages to Europe, urging that such was an inconvenience to the mercantile community in the Colonies. The Deputy Postmaster-General promised to take steps to ensure the representation'of the Colonies at tho Intercolonial Telegraph Conference to be held in July next.

SHIPPING. Arrived—Avawata, yesterday, Sailed —Claud Hamilton. Sydney, Friday. COMMERCIAL. Brandy, Ilennessy'a case, 335; Hennessy's quarters, 9s 3d; kcrosine, Devoe's and Diamond, Is Bd, New Zealand wheat and oats, none in the market, Tobacco, twist, Is fid to la 7d; Adelaide flour, £l2 to £l2los, Ahlkuni), Thursday, A ROTTEN ROLL, The election roll of City West is said to be in an unsatisfactory state. The names of sevcralqualifiedelectorsliave disappeared, while 300 absentees remain on it. CAUTIOUS, The insurance companies manifest a disposition to do as little business as possible at present low rates, anticipating that it will not bo permanent. . THE TIMBER TRADE. The Auckland Timber Company's works are nearly completed, and will furnish employment in the manufactory to 120 hands,'and manipulate 150,000 feet of timber weekly. WHAT IS THE NUMBER OUT 1 Tlio number of lunatics in the Auckland Asylum is 191. A NARROW ESCAPE. Mr McGcc, a racehoro owner, in returning overland from Tauranga with horses had a narrow escape in the bush from fire. He had to gallop through the swamp in flames. Perfume, Skylark, and Forest Queen got severely scorched. McGee's arm and hand were severely singed, A letter in one of the newspapers accuses a schoolmaster under the Board of unnecessary cruelty in flogging pupils whilst figuring out an arithmetic exercise, Alexandra, Thursday, COURT NEWS. Tlio King's eldest daughter, Te Huia, with her aunt, To Munga, Manuhiri's daughter, are here on a visit to Major and Mrs Mair. This is Te Huia's first visit to any European. settlement. Tawliiao's sister and her husband, Teiti, and other notabilities, arc here, - Rkefton, Thursday, BAD BILL OF HEALTH. Typhoid and scarlet fever are raging at Boatmas. The hospital is full, and two or three fatal cases have already occurred. There is panic amongst the families. The Board of Health is taking vigorous precautionary measurers to check the spread of fever, Wespobt, Thursday.' A TRAGEDY. Charles Sibree, alias ..Yankee Charlie who was apprehended yesterday oil tlio confession of his wife, that (as was always suspected) he was the murderer of Costello up the Buller some years, ago, appears to have been thrashing his' wife, and in revenge she went straight to the police and gave a full.account of' the murder, brutal in its details,-. She , had helped to re-bury the body three times, to elude the police. A search was made for it at the time, but the police are reticent, and particulars cannot be got at, Later.—Mis Sibree's statement to the polico goes to'-show that Sibree struck Costello on. the head with an auger, then rifled his pockets of several bank notes, put the body in a canvas bag, and removed it to a hole made by an uprooted tree, and in the morning he shifted it into a culvert; but hearing search was to be made, lie again removed the body back to the hole in .which he had placed it previously, and covered it in. The circumstantial evidence against Sibree lias always been very strong. - ■ (

■ , THE TAUPO. • . Captain Worsp insurance surveyor,' proceeded to Tauronga to examine into the possibility of getting the Taupo off. : BUSH FIRES. Fires of a niost destructive character are at present raging in various parts of the country. The most serious ' at thoprcsent time is on native, land south of Kaikohe, near Hokianqa, where an extensive kauri bush is in flames. A. gentleman just returned from the district describes the fire as being a most'destructive character, involving the destruction of millions of feet of kauri and other valuable timber,' Gum-digger are supposed to have the conflagration by firing the fern. The Waikato district has also been' pretty well enveloped in either flames or smoke lately, miles of unoccupied land having been swept clear of fern, titree, and all kind of herbage. PIGEONING. A pigeon matcli has been arranged at Waikato for £IOO a-side, between Henderson and Bishop; another between Perkin and Hill. Timaru, Friday. The nominated immigration list dispatched from Timaru this month contains the names of 70 souls, of whom 55 are Irish 8 English and G Scotch. HARVEST. Harvesting is going on rapidly and threshing has now commenced in some field's'weather is fine. A GROSS OUTRAGE. Thomas Landley was committed for trial at Waimate to-day for committing rape 011 a little girl 4 years old named Annie Foss.