SOUTHERN NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 79, 3 April 1911, Page 6

SOUTHERN NEWS.

'(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DUNEDIN WAREHOUSE THEFTS. DtJNEDIN, this day. Mrs. Frances Elizabeth Bell was chaiiged in the Police Court this morning with stealing Dourton ware from the DJ.C. valued at £67. She reserved' her defence, and was committed for trial. On further charges of stealing soft goods, valued at £34 10/-, the property of Mrs. Dreaver; and soft goods, valued at 27 10/-, the property of the D.1.C., accused was remanded for a week. Frances Elizabeth Beatrice Bell, a daughter of the accused, ia now standing her trial on a charge of- receiving. RAIN IN CANTERBURY. TIMARU, Saturday. The drought has broken, tout not half an inch of rain has fallen yet. Mr. W. Talbot, chairman of the Farmers' CnGon, said to-day that the past month bad been disastrous to pastoral industry, The turnip crop had almost wholly failed on the low country, and grass -was very short. The wheat yield had 'been good, but there would not be much surplus grain for expert. "RINGING THE CHANGES." GISBORNE, Sunday. Two men named Robert Hunter and Edward Harrison, each with several aliases, were convicted on Saturday morning of attempting to defraud barmaids by means of a trick known as "ringing the changes." Hunter was sentenced to one month's imprisonment, and Harrison to six weeks'. The former was also sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment for obscene language. PORT OF LYTTBLTOSr. I C-GRISTCHUROB, Saturday. The Customs duties collected at lytI telton during 'March were £42,448, an increase of £5608 over the same month last year. The returns for the quarter show an increase of £ 12,612 over the 'same quarter last year, while for the year ended March 31, 1911, the total shows an increase of £58,052 in Customs duties, and of £467 in excise duties. HALF HOLIDAY POLE. WELLINGTON, this day. Scrutiny of signatures to a petition praying for a poll to be taken on tho half-holiday question discloses that the petition contains the names of more than ten per cent of the total number on the roll, so a poll will be taken at the coming municipal elections.