TELEGRAMS.

fPE'jsSS ASSOCIATION.] ELECTORAL COURT WOMAN'S NAME STRUCK OFF THE ROLL. AUCKLAND; 20th November. At a sitting of the Electoral Court, before Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., this morning, a point of 'objection was taken to the name of Mrs. L. E. Humes remaining on the roll, on the ground that, having married an American citizen who had not been naturalised as a British subject, she had forfeited her national status, and could not vote. She had lived in New Zealand for four and a-half years, and was previously on the roll at Hamilton. Albert Humes, her husband, deposed that he had travelled pretty well all over the world on behalf of a firm whose headquarters were in Chicago. The Magistrate expreissed a wish that the case had been taken to the Full Court to get an authoritative ruling, as it was of some importance and of great interest. By section 10 of the English Naturalisation Act, a married woman was deemed to be a subject of the State of which her husband was for the 1 time being a subject. _ Mrs. Humes lost her 6tatus as a British subject when she married an American citizen. The Magistrate instructed Mrs. Humes's name to be removed from the roll. CRIME IN AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, 50th November. 'ln the course of his charge to the Grand Jury at the opening of the criminal se€6ioii6 of tlie Auckland Supreme Court this morning, Mr. Justice Chapman remarked that 'he found, from time to time, a considerable accumulation of crime at Auckland. "It is difficult to see what the reason is," he said. "Why, for instance, should the trial of criminal cases here occupy something like four weeks as a rule, whereas, further south, the cases occupy a week or a week and a half, or eveni less than that? I suppose it is due partly to circumstances—to what might be called anthropological circumstances —that the criminal classes may be ten der-skinned, and resort to a fine climate." His Honour went on to say: There may be other causes connected with the population and fcho far-back history of the .locality, but it is certain there is a greater amount of crime in Auckland than in other districts in New Zealand. NEW PHASE IN LABOUR DISPUTE TIMARU, 20th November. The loca' representatives of the shipping companies have replied to the request of the wharf labourers for a conference on the proposed new agreement (which raises wages and frames new conditions) that they cannot confer on any agreement outside the Arbitration Act, as it would not be binding. Some of the proposed conditions were quite unworkable.

The reference to the Act is allusion, to the fact that the union has cancelled its registration.

CABINET MEETING. CHRISTCHURCH, 20th November A meeting of the Cabinet was held in Christchurch this afternoon, and the expenditure of the'following amounts voted by Parliament was authorised:—Railway rolling stock, \ £40,000 ; roads and bridges, £16,000. The lowest tender for the erection of the Ohura post ofMce was accepted. The recommendation of the Petitions Committee in regard to the I Haynes case was brought before the Cabinet, and it was decided to go into the matter fidly after the elections were over. The Cabinet will then deal-Avith the recommendation. > AUCKLAND WOOL SALES. AUCKLAND, 20th November. The quantity of wool catalogued for submission at the first wool sale of the season this week so far totals about 6200 bales. DRAWING AGAINST PRODUCE. TIMARU, 20th November. The Chamber of Commerce - and the chief mecantile firms here have agreed that in the case of Dominion and Australian shipments they should favour "drawing against produce," produce being defined as anything taken direct from the soil; also that the present custom of taking Government graders' certificates as to equality and /f.o.b. weights be strictly adhered to. SADLY DISAPPOINTED. AUCKLAND, 20th November. At a large meeting of strawberry growers, held at Birkenhead, the following resolution was passed :—"That this meeting of fruitgrowers is sadly disappointed at the action of the, Minister for Railways in refusing the request of strawberry growers to allow soft fruits to be railed by the expressi to Wellington." AUSTRALIAN SQUADRON. ' AUCKLAND, 20th November. The flagship Powerful, which leaves for Wellington on Monday-next, leaves Wellington for Lyttelton on £jth December, and Lyttelton for Sydney on Bth December. The Encounter is due at Lyttelton tomorrow, leaves Lyttelton on Monday for Akaroa, Timaru, Dunedin, and Bluff, and leaves Bluff on 17th December for Hobart. The Admiral will make his headquarters at Hobart for the next three months. ENGINEERS AND "MINING COMPANIES WAIHI, 20th November. Representatives of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers conferred with the local mining companies to-day, with a view to making an agreement under the Arbitration Act to have the same effect as an award. The companies are now considering the proposals. CRIMINAL SITTINGS. AUCKLAND, 20th November. At the Supreme Court to-day EdwardMyers pleaded not guilty to charges of obtaining 5s by false pretences from William Wells, confectioner, and robbing a man named William M'Leod of £2 ss. The jury brought in a verdict, of guilty on both counts.. His Honour found from the police records that there were many previous, convictions of similar offences against Myers, who was sentenced to two years' hard labour, to be followed by four years' detention for reformative purposes.