NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8479, 10 May 1893, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND.

(PRESS ASSOCIATION telegrams.) AUCKLAND, May 9. . At a public meeting to-night to consider the trades half-holiday, resolutions were passed in favour of compulsory closing at one o'clock on Saturdays. The Government have declined to grant the application of certain petitioners that the sentence of ten years' penal servitude passed upon Powell should be reduced. STRATEORD, May 9. A well attended meeting of ratepayers of the New Plymouth harbour district was held here to-day to consider the question of defending a teat case as to their liability to pay the harbour rate. The Chairman read the opinion of Mr Barleyman, solicitor, that a good defence existed. A resolution. wa_ carried appointing a Committee to take steps to test the validity of of the rate, and Mr Barleyman was retained to conduct a case in New Plymouth on Monday. WELLINGTON, May 9. The first case under the Land and Income Tax Assessment Act which has been brought in the colony came before the Resident Magistrate's Court to-day, when Dr. Cahill was fined the minimum penalty of £5 for failing to make a return of his income. A Gazette summoning Parliament for the dispatch of business at 2.30 on Thursday, 22nd June, was issued late this afternoon. In the case stated for the Appeal Court concerning the opening of Wairarapa Lake, judgment was reserved. All the cases are now finished, and the Court adjourned until Friday morning, when several judgments will be delivered. The Rev. Dr. Watters, of St. Patrick's College, was presented with 200 soys by the Catholic congregation to-night on the occasion *of his visit to France, where a general meeting of the Marists Society is to be held. The boys of the College also gave him a gold-mounted watch as a souvenir of his eight years' connection with the institution. At the Tailoresses' Union the Hon. _Mr Bigg declared that sweating was practised here, and that women were engaged to make trousers at 9d per pair, their wages being 2s 3d per day. The Liberal Association has decided to heartily support the Ballance memorial and forward a letter of condolence to Mrs Ballance,

Captain Edwin says that the present indications denote that the weather Will continue fine everywhere until noon of the 12th inst., when hard westerly gales may be expected at most places southward of Napier and New Plymouth. A meeting of the Executive to co__ider the fate of "Scott, who was condemned to death for the murder of Thompson at Waikomiti, will be held to-morrow. The Cabinet this morning passed the following appropriations :—Upper Makuri, North Wairarapa, £1000 for roads ; Otago Central, £5000 for further construction; Waitotara, £600 for roads; Porirua Asylum, £665 for heating apparatus. Mr Turnbull, architect, has submitted a report re ventilation of the House of Representatives. He admits that provision is made for the egress of foul air, but not for the ingress of fresh air. The alteration will be at once proceeded with for effective ventilation. In the Police Court to-day both chargepreferred by a second-hand dealer against Detective Ede were dismissed. OAMARtf, May 9. Mr John McDowell will represent the local Prohibition League at the Chicago Congress. DUNEDIN, May 9. Word has been received of the death in Edinburgh of Dr. Neill, formerly Medical Superintendent of Seacliff Asylum. It was recently announced that William Freeman Kitchen, one time editor here of the Globe, had died in Launceston, and later a death notice appeared giving acute inflammation as the cause of death. F. Temple Vane, a theatrical agent, who arrived here last week, bore a resemblance in many respects to the reported dead man. Tbe features were a good deal altered, the change being" made greater by shoving tbe beard and moustache, leaving only short side Whiskers, dyed black, but the voice and hand- writing were nnmistekeable. Though taxed with being Kitchen, Vane repeatedly denied this until cornered this afternoon.