NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 74, 20 December 1907, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(BY TELEGRAPH- —rRESS ASSOCIATION.) iNJiW CARGO STEAMSHIP SERVICE. ' Deceinbcr 19. Advices wore received to-day that Messrs. Bucknall Brothers, of London, have withdrawn from tha cargo steamship service betwuen New Zealand and', Canada, and their steamers, the Pondo and. Bucentaur, have been recalled to England. The service is now in tho hands of the!;Deir;of Ogil Company, Limited, under the' management of Charles Barrio and Sons, 'of Dundee,' whose lleet consists of the Den ' of' Airlie (5000 tons), Den of Crombie, Den of Kollv, Den of Mania, Den of Ogil (all 6000 tons), and Den of Ruthyeir (5000 tons). -The last-named steamer is now en route.to Wellington', and, alter loading there, will proceed, to Auckland, where she is expected , on. December 20. She is timed to 'leave ' Auckland on December 28 for' Vancouver via Honolulu. 'J be now service will be a monthly one; and the steamers will leave Vancouver ' arid Auckland at -fixed rates: '

!' RATEABLE VALUE OP AUCKLAND CITY. Auckland;, December 19. A report from tie City' Yahier read at tonight's meeting of tho City' Council stated that the rateable value of. tho city for the current • year was £47.4)690; 'There wdfe thirty supplementary valuations aggregating £14,46", and another to; be'submitted in February: Thisj with increases., on; ttie old land value, tho Valuer estimated .to bring the annual, increase up to £25,000 . rateable value; which was equal to a capital .value of about £.300,000. ' , ; WORKMEN FROM SAN" FRANCISCO. Auckland, December 19. Tho passengers by tho llanapouri from tlie Islands included sixty, workmen from San Francisco, via Tahiti, who'intend settling in New Zealand and Australia.-' _ 'They' state that contractors in San Francisco refuse to pay the wages demanded by the men in the belief that cheaper labour will be available later on. They complained that • paper money with which they were, paid for their labour • was dishonoured. . TJiey state • tliat workmen are leaving Sail in'largo numbers. , ' . " BOOKMAKERS RELEASED. '. Invercargill,, December 19. . Peter, and Michael Mdrrissej;, Iwho were sontenoed to, two months' ,impnsdnmont for trespassing on Wintori Racecoiijse,- and have" served -rather more than Jialf. the term,' were released 'yebtorday by direction ;df the Governor. • u .Vi •'.i '- FALLEN SOLDIERS' MEMORIAL. ; ' . Dunedin,' December .18. The Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Committee brought its labours to a close to-day,-and disbanded. It received V'soine'-;£1600, and after providing a marble memorial to fallen soldiers and ' commeriidratiye f'tablets for schools, had a surplus of £40.- . Half of this is to'be spent on a souveriir. to the hon; secretary'(Mr, G. Duncan).arid. the balance will be given to the Veterans' Home, Auckland. A DUNEDIN IMPROYEIIENT. Dunedin, ;Deceriiber 18. A poll was taken to-day ori, the proposal to raise a loan for the-completion; of widening King Edward Street,- South Dunedin, a thoroughfare rmmiiig from- the city, to Ocean Beach. The proposal was carried by 1221 votes to 106. Work - on. the section authorised is estimated' to cost £16,849, and when, completed will give a continuous streot from Normanby to Ocean Beach —a distance : of over live miles—with a minimum width of 66ft. • . ; , A NEW GOVERNMENT. SUPPORTER. Diinadin, fisceiribor 19. Mr. Thomas Mackenzie, who has, occupiedthe position of an Independent member since his election for Waihenjo on the death of Sir John M'Kenzie, amiotmcos -that in future lie will support'tho Ward Administration. ' i ■ ? 1 .-' . WOOL.SALE., .i:" Dunedin, December 1!). The first wool sale of .the Dunedin season was held to-day, when 4686 bales wero offered. Bidding for heavy and wasty wools' was lifeless, but for light conditioned wools it was brisk. Prices were much lowor than at tho oponing salo last season. Tho range of prices realised was:—Super half-bred, lid. .to 13} d.; medium to good, B|d. to 10jd.; inferior, 7d. to BSd.; super cross-bred, 10d. to" lljd.; good, Bd. to 9Jd.; r medium; 6Jd. to i -7Jd.; inferior, 5Jd. to 6id:;;'super long wool, ! 84*1. to lOd.; best merino,.,,tip to lljd.; medium to good, 9d ; to lOid;-"inferior, 7}d. to B|<l.; pieces, bellies, and locks sold, at a fall of 2d. to 2£d. • Nineties, sold by Donald lU'id and Co. on account of William Hay, of R6mahapa, realised 13} d: per lb'., a, record sofar for the season. - : . •'.' •