NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 126, 20 February 1908, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(by telegraph—ritESS association.) — 4 WOUNDING CASE. AN ALIEN SEAMAN FINED £5. ; Invercargiil, February 19. At the Bluff to-day Jacob Michael Harnen was fined £5, with' £2 6s. costs, on a charge of having wounded- Andrew Enidstcn, v.'itli intent'.to cause bodily harm ; Accused is a Russian Finn on tho Norwegian barquo Her-/ mes,-and the other man is a steward. Iha steward was drunk, and a brawl ensued, and. tho wound inflicted by accused was very slight. It was pointed out that' accused was an alien, speaking only a few words of English, and that tho matter would be complicated if he was kept in gaol till the ship sailed. Tho Court therefore acted summarily; the captain undertaking that' accused would not come ashore again. ■WEST COAST COAL INDUSTRY. LABOUR CONDITIONS AND THE PRICE. Wcstport," February 19. Commenting at the Westport Harbour Board meeting on the increase in tho price of coal locally, Mr. Foster, President of the Miners' Union and a .member of the Board, said the increaso appeared to be associated to tho "bank-to-bank legislation, but so far as that was concerned the increase was absolutely unwarranted. " - Mr. Colvin, M.P., stated that the mines were now turning out coal cheaper than over. ... , Tile Millerton Coal Miners' Union approved the Waikato Union's scheme for a federation of unions. . ARBITRATION COURT. Invercargill, February 19. The Arbitration Court was engaged-to-day in hearing a compensation claim,- Louisa Winifred Burterishaw . and Walter-. Rouse against, the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile. Appellants claimed £400 on behalf of thomselvcs and'other dependents of "Walter Rouse, deceased, who died" on .January 27 as tho result of injuries sustained by being struck by a-bale of cornsacks in respondent's store at the Bluff. Tho defence raised tho question whether deceased was only a casual hand in tho store,'also the question-; of tho rights of defendants..: The caso will bo mentioned again on Friday. " WANGANUI JUVER:' NOT TOO LOW ■FOR STEAMERS. \:

Wanganul, February 19. Members of the'Wanganui' Hirer Board, who .control the improvement of the upper reaches of the river and the preservation of scenery on Crown lands- abutting • on'tho; river, have just 'returned from a trip'of inspection. They speak' in terms of high- com* mendation •of the way; in which the river : service is being maintained despite'the. dry sea- ■■ son.' Further improvement^works'-are-to; bo. expected. ' ';'■;■'! '■ '/■' ;; ''• A rumour: circulated' in'th'e 'Hot Lakes: districts that the service, was about to -be sus- _ perided by reason of the low water is quite unfounded. The river has .only - fallen five inches since January 27. ■ ALLEGED' ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. Dunedln, February 19. What is supposed to be. a case' of. attempted suicide occurred, at' Mcmington tonight.' A man naiiicd aged about 40 years, while walking with a .com- , paniori.v apparently threw himself in ■ front of a moviig train.! He was not.seriously in-, jured.. Thomson received attention at 1 the hospital, 'aiid was'subsequently taken into' custody. . ... ~... . BURNED TO DEVTH Masterton, February. 19.' .A house.was burned down late to-night a# Mauricevilie, and a man named Walter Mortisori was burned to death. There are no particulars. - v ;' « ■" TIMBER LEASES-COMPULSORY WORKING; . " ■ Invercargill, February 19. The Political Labour .League has adopted a'resolution by a committee oil sawmill areas to the effect.that.the Government be urged to pass legislation . compelling leaseholders of bush properties suitable for sawmilling to begin working them within a reasonable tiine, or to forfeit their right to, hold such areas. ■ > . NAPIER WOOL' SALES.' ' ' Napier,. February 19. .The.third wool sale of the season-was held to-day. The catalogue was a small!onb, and' the. wool offered was perhaps the worst conditioned lot • ever offered at a Napier sale, being, very dirty and'dingy. The prices were \ slightly lower, than those, ruling, at -recent sales. ■ . : SECONDARY EDUCATION-TRANSFERS. ". • Auckland, February 19. •• Under theV;present'.regulations,. the win-. ■ tier"of; a scholarship or.of. a. free place-may choose to attend a secondary, school, a dis-trict-high school, oi; a . technical, college, but, having once been enrolled, he cannot transfer from one, class to. another, should,this course bo desired .at .the end -of', the- first 'year. . The Education Board to-day decided to reiomniend-.to the Department the desirability • of making- facilities for transfers' in this matter. . : ■' AUCKLAND SUCCESSES.'. . ' ■ Auckland, February 19. ' The Auckland Grammar School won four out of the ten University - scholarships open to - the whole of the Dominion. ' '. . . ' NEWS IN BRIEF.' ' Westport, February 19.' The Hokitika, Greymbuth, Reefton, Dennistori, Jlillerton, and Westport Volunteers ■hold an encampment, here at Easter.• •. ' j Woodville,' February 19.. At the Police Court yesterday. Joseph Hannon got, seven" days' "imprisonment; for.-, rag- . rancy. ' Hugh Hamilton,. alias Thomas Esdale, . was committed; for trial on a charge • of indecent assault on a child four and a half year's;of ago; Hastings, February 19.- , A Hawke's Bay Amateur Boxing Association has been formed with headquarters at Hastings. Officers will be elected at a meet .ing to be held on-the 25th irist. 1 " Auckland, February 19. Sir Joseph Ward opened the, Rotorua carnival, which promises to be most successful.