SOUTHERN NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 80, 3 April 1906, Page 3

SOUTHERN NEWS.

—— —• 1 (By TelegrapU.—Press Association.) NEW DESTRUCTOR FOR 'WELLINGTON. -WELLINGTON, this day. j The committee of the City Council decided to recommend that the tender of j Messrs Heenan and Frotide, of Man- ' Chester, be accepted for the erection of the new refuse destructor, which the ratepayers recently sanctioned. The amount of the tender is £20,000. j EDUCATION BOARD APPOINTMENT. ' NAPIER, this day. Out of 103 applications the Education j Board appointed Mr. George Crawshaw, -assistant- secretary to the South Canterbury Board, to the position of secre- ! tary and treasurer of the Hawke's Bay Board. DISTURBANCE ON A CLUB'S COURSE. STRATFORD, this day. The stewards of the Stratford Racing Club, after a lengthy inquiry into charges preferred against five persons of improper behaviour by taking part in a disturbance on the club's course on the second day of the late meeting, dismissed the charge against one person, fined two others £10 each, one £5, and disqualified another for twelve months. OAMARU HOTEL VALUES. OAMARU, this day. At the Municipal Assessment Court now being held, several objections were made by owners of hotels which will lose their licenses after June. 30th. In every case big reductions were made by the magistrate, Mr. Keddell, in the corporation's valuations —one hotel from £208 to £116, another from £134 to £80, and others in proportion. BARROW HAWKERS. CHRISTCHURCH, Monday. Regarding the retail dealers' petition to the City Council for protection against the expected influx of barrow hawkers, the committee to which the matter was referred has reported that as it had no evidence that such an influx was j threatened, it had Tepliedto the petitioners that the matter would 'be considered when applications for hawkers' licenses were received. WANGANUI CUSTOMS RETURN. WANGANUI, Monday. The total amount of Customs duties collected at the Port of Wangamu for the year ending March 31 was £74,129, and constitutes a record, being £6406 more than the previous year's total. The duties for the quarter just ended amounted to £20,111, an increase of £2551 over the corresponding period of the previous j-ear. The duties for March were £7461, against £7030 collected in the same mouth last year. . TAIERI DRAINAGE COMMISSION. DUNEDIN, Monday. At to-day's sitting of the Taieri Drainage Commission evidence was taken in connection with the litigation proceedings arising out of claims made by settlers against the Otokia Drainage Board for damages through the alleged flooding of their land by means of work done by the Board. The evidence taken has been of an exhaustive nature, and the end appears to be distant. It is believed that the cost of sitting each day is about £70. A DUNEDIN ART GAI_LERY. $ DUNEDIN, Monday. By private canvass, mostly by Mrs. G. McLean, a sum of £2300 has been subscribed for the erection of 'the new art gallery. The Government has granted a site of a piece of land, which is not likely to be required for railway purposes, with the proviso that it may be resumed. It is anticipated that £6000 will be required for a suitable building, and it is now proposed to raise the balance by the issue of debentures, A SOLICITOR'S BANKRUPTCY, (MRISTCHTJR.CH, Monday. At an adjourned meeting of the creditors of F. H. Bruges, hamster and solicitor, held to-day, a motion wits adopted that the bankrupt should submit to public exaniination" before a Judge of ■ tbe Supreme Court, .