SOUTHERN NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 78, 31 March 1908, Page 5

SOUTHERN NEWS.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) FIRE AT TURUA. ' THAMES, this day. Mr. Bagnall had an insurance of £200 in the New Zealand office on the house destroyed by fire at Turua as reported on page 3). He estimates the value of the building at £30,0. . Mrs. Kerby had no insurance. A CYCLIST KILLED. CHRTSTUHURCH, Monday. A man named J. Tcmpleton, of St. Albans, about 45 years of age, was knocked off his bicycle by a lorry at the Bank of New Zealand corner. He was taken to the hospital, but died shortly afterwards from the severe internal Injuries he had. received. i SUICIDE TO KILL PAIN. ASHBURTON, this day. On Sunday evening an inmate of the Old Men's Home named William Deare, who had been ailing for some days, stabbed himself in the abdomen with a knife while in agony through pain. He was removed to the Hospital, where he died last night. Deceased was 76 -years oi age. SOME BIG ESTATES. WELLTNGTON, this dayTwo hundred deceased persons' estates were certified to this month for stamp duty. The largest was that of Sir John Hall, £216,271. The next on the list were those of Mr. John Holmes (Canterbury), £63,500; and Mrs. Christina Ballingall (Wellington), £-1,937. The estates of deceased persons in the Auckland district certified to during the month include the following: Grace Cox £1373, Jane C Aiken £967, Catherine Priestley £867, Miriama McMath .£6OO, Eliza Blondford £587. LAND AND SURVEY ___________-NTS. •WELLINGTON, this day. Twenty officers of the Land and Survey Department will be retired on June 30 on superannuation, having reached the age of 65. Included in the number are tne following: Mr. J. E. March (superintendent of village settlements), Mr. Llewelyn Smith (chief draughtsman, Wellington), Hon. G. F. Richardson (draughtsman and computer), Mr. Wm. C. B. Shanks (chief draughtsman at Christchurch), Mr. G. A. Reade (receiver of land revenue, Dunedin), Mr. W. H. Williams (Crown lands ranger, Canterbury), Mr. G. MacKenzie (Crown lands ranger, Otago), Mr. D. Campbell (Crown lands ranger, Southland), Mr. J. Barron (Crown lands rangeT, Taranaki). STEAMER IN DISTRESS. WELLINGTON, this day. The steamer Lily left Wellington yesterday under charter to a syndicate to test the oyster beds in Cook Strait. When in the strait ncr engines broke down through an accident, and the vessel had to fly signals of distress. The coastal steamer Mararoa was attracted, and towed the Lily back to port after some difficulty. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Supt. Smith, who was appointed by the City Council to make a valuation of the city's fire plant in connection with- its transfer to the Christchurch Fire Board, ; - submitted a report to last night's Council meeting. The total amounted to £4750.

GORE, this day. Mr. Samuel Gealston, aged 74, died suddenly on his way to church at M»--taura on Sunday.