SOUTHERN NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 164, 11 July 1907, Page 5

SOUTHERN NEWS.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

•BA&_n.TLLE'S SUSPENSION.

WELLINGTON, this day.

The New Zealand Rugby Union has undertaken to guarantee the Wellington Union against any loss it may be occasioned through the suspension of Baskiville from entering any football grounds under the Union's jurisdiction.

EXPERIMENTS IN SPIRITUALISM.

TIMARU, this day. Annie Jackson, better known as Madame St. Vincent, was to-day charged with practising as a palmist. The "defence raised that the accused merely conducted experiments in spiritualism and thought transference. The case was dismissed.

EXHIBITION ESSAYS LOST AND FOUND.

CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Mr. W. G. Atack, editor of the Canterbury "Times," has been appointed judge of the literary competitions in connection with the Home Industries section of the recent International Exhibition. The essays were lost in Australia when Dr. Fitchett, the first judge, left for England, but were found again, and Mr. Minson, chairman of the Home Industries Committee, received them on Monday. There arc about 150 essays.

A LABOURER KILLED.

HASTINGS. Wednesday.

Daniel O'Brien, labourer, aged 50, a single man, was killed by a fall of gravel at Te Mata yesterday. The deceased was working for William MeGassin, contractor to the Hastings Borough Council.

JUNE EXPORT S.

WELLINGTON, Wesnesday.

The following figures show the quantities and values of the produce exported from the colony during the month of June:—Butter, 16,_6_ewt, valne £82,450; cheese, 14.040.wt, £39,766; beef, 44,65S cwt, £51,496; mutton, 157,845 carcases, £104,584; lamb, 386,895 carcases, £212,----845; oats, 1335 bushels, £193; hemp, 2760 tons, £75,255.

ALLEGED BANKRUPTCY FRAUDS.

WELLINGTON, this day.

James Rowan, who was recently arrested in Sydney, was before the Court to-day on two charges under the Bankruptcy Act. One information alleged that on June 22, at Wellington, within twelve months before the presentation of the bankruptcy petition, the accused quitted New Zealand, and took with him part of his property, valued at upwards of £20. The second information alleged that accused fraudulently removed part of his property, to the value of £10 and upwards. Accused was remanded till Wednesday, bail being allowed.

FIRE. INSURANCE LEGISLATION.

CHRISTCEUKCH, this day. At a meeting of the Christchurch Fire Board, the chairman (Mr. J. D. Hall) said that the Legislature had, by the Fire Brigades' Act, imposed a somewhat heavy burden on the insurance companies, and! the Government had, at the same time, entered into competition with them by means of the State Insurance Department. It was only a reasonable business proposition to assert that if the effect of that combination was to very materially reduce the insurance profits, there appeared to be a reasonable possibility of the companies withdrawing from the colony altogether, a proceeding which would entail somewhat disastrous consequences upon a Board which depended upon the companies for nearly half its revenue.

CARPENTER'S PERILOUS FALL.

NELSON, this day. A carpenter named Cooper, aged 30, had a miraculous escape from death at the Trafalgar Hotel, now under construction. Owing to the frost he slipped on the felting being laid on the roof, but caught the edge, and kicking out against the wall, fell down the fire escape •to the floor beneath, his further fall being prevented by sarking boards. Owing to his fall being broken by the wall, Cooper only broke his nose, as he fell face downwards. He was also much shaken.

ALLEGED PORGERY.

CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday. Two young men named Henry Cox and Cecil J. Wates pleaded guilty to-day to five charges of forgery, and were committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. A third man, John Downie Stewart, alleged to be implicated in two of tlie charges, pleaded not guilty, and was committed for trial.

MUSICAL COMPETITIONS.

DUNEDIN, this day. Mr Orchard will be unable to come from Australia to judge the music at the competitions owing to the illness of his wife. Mr Baeyertz has been appointed judge of the vocal as well as the elocutionary contests. A judge of the instrumental playing has not yet been appointed.

STEAM TRAWLER PROJECT.

DUNEDIN, this day. A Port Chalmers syndicate is procuring from Home a first-class steamtrawler, fitted with refrigerator and cool storage, with a view to trawling from Bluff to Lyttelton, and establishing depots at all towns along the coast. '

PAYMENT OF TEACHERS.

DUNEDIN, this day. The Otago branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute decided to recomnient the executive to urge the Minister for Education to pass a tentative measure this session, pending permanentlegislation, regarding the payment of teachers on a sounder basis than that of average attendance.

TRAM ACCIDENT IN CHRISTCHURCH.

CHRISTCHURCH, this day.

An old man named Charles Coombridge was injured to-day by a tram-car. He was driving a trap and was struck by a car from New Brighton. Coombridge b_in <T very deaf, as well as short-sighted, did not see or hear . the •____ m. _____ on *_. _he lias,

the car smashing into the trap aft a .eight angle. The horse was killed and the trap badly smashed, and the car also suffered. Coombridge was taken to the hospital, where his injuries were found not to be severe. His escape from instant death was miraculous.