LATE WIRES.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 22, 2 March 1906, Page 3

LATE WIRES.

—o-o — GENERAL. The election for the vacant City of London seat resulted as follows : Mr A. J. Balfour, 15,474 ; Mr T. Gibson Bowles, 4,134. Majority for Mr Balfour 11,340. Mr Asquith, Chancellor of the Exchequer, stated in the House of Commons that an old-age pension of five shillings per weeek for 2,018,716 persons over sixty-five of age would require about £26,225,000. Mr Kingham, one of the missionaries killed, with his wife and two children, at Nanchang, China, was a native of Birmingham, and was working under the auspices of the Plymouth Open Brethren. Between September, 1905, and January of this year £34,000,000 sterling of gold left Russia. The depletion continues. Baltic revolutionaries, after shooting the watchman, robbed the State Bank at Helsingfors of 75,000 roubles. The murderers escaped. At the North London Police Court the Magistrate (Mr E. 8. Eordham) fined two tradesmen each 20s and costs for retailing as Irish and Scotch whiskies a mixture mainly consisting of a patent spirit. The Federal Old Age Pension Commission has submitted its reTh o Commission recommends various schemes for raising the necessary revenue, including a wages tax, duties on tea and kerosene, an absentee tax, unimproved values, a Government monopoly of the tobacco trade, additional duties on intoxicants and matches, and a tax on amusements. John Purvis Russell, who arrived in the colony in 1852, and settled in that year at Waingamoana, South Wairarapa, died in Wellington yesterday, aged 76 vears. The deceased was brother of Mr Purvis Russell, formerly

owner of Hatuma, whose death in London was reported a few days ago. An oldrage pensioner, Otto Hansen, has been missing from his home between Stafford and Goldsborough since Monday. It is believed he has made for the bush. On the night of Sunday, April 29th, the census of New Zealand will be taken. The last census was taken on March 31st, 1901, when the population of the colony was found to be 772,719, exclusive of 43,143 Maoris. It is estimated by the Registrar-General, Mr E. J. von Dadelszen, that the population of New Zealand will have increased by 116,000 during the past five years. The Dundin Trades and Labour Council have passed a resolution protesting against the proposed appointment of an electrical engineer at £7OO a year while other workers on the tramway B are poorly paid and the tramways are reported not to be financially successful.