NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 170, 11 April 1908, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(Br TELEOtUPH—FEES! ASSOOIIHOII.J ■ : THE INVERCARQILL TRAGEDY. ■" MRS. BAXTER DEAD. ihiteroarslll,, April 10. • This morning tho death occurred at the hospital of Mrs. Baxter,' widow .of the man Baxter, who on Wednesday morning attacked ea'cli member of his family' while they were asleep, killed three of. them, and then com-mitted-suicide; : ' Phyllis, aged 11 years, •. still remains in an unconscious condition,-and there is.Kttto hope of her recovery. ..... . The ; six-weeks-old ' infant, i whichitwaa thought would pull through, is becoming ' worse. '. , - ... CASH COUPONS. DISSATISFACTION EN, HASTINGS. '•' Hastings', April 10. . Bakers' conponß or-th6 cash syßtem art meeting with staong public. disapproval, owing to the bakers demanding f ouiponce cash from customers who -declineto use coupons which are sold at Bs. 6d. a dozen. Last night a largely-attended public'mooting unanimously resolved, in favour ■of caah as against ! credit wherever practicable, and expressed the opinion that the purchasing power' of cash should equal that of coupons;,also that the. bakers should accept each- others coupons. The meeting also discussed the price of coal, and resolved to urge the Government to establish a. State depot at Hastings, the price being lis. Cd. per quarter ton, ai against 7s. 6d.. in Wellington. CLAIMS FOR DAMAGES. DEFINITION OF " ACCIDENT." i . Core, A!pril 1(K At the Gore Court yesterday three claimq totalling £400, were made against ■ Joha Dickson, farmer, Otama.' The claimants' wero employees of defendant. In August last year, everyono ill Dickson's honso, numbering ten,. including, four workmen, : were laid .. asido through being attacked by vomiting. Tho doctors diagnosed tho cases as' arsenical / poisoning, and it was then found that's tin containing a preparation used for killing Californian thistle, which had been 'hanging ; . in a storeroom by a wire, .had fallen, througS the wire rusting, and had apparently roachedtho food stuffs and caused the trouble. One claimant; for £200 had'lost the power of his limbs, and was .still unable : to' work, and' some • of, the family were . still under tho doctor's care..'Counsel for claimants ; argued that the accident , came within ; the .terms of tho. Workers'. Compensation Act.;. Counsel • for the defence submitted-that the cases-must fail, as the claims had not been lodged' within four months. He-further argued that'there, had been no' accident, andi that if there .had!' been-it was not one arising out 'of OKlinary employment, • and that employment must be ■the cause before claimants could recover; further, that if they could recover, all thai oould be claimed was half wages.; Counsel for claimants hold ttiat" the claims were not -' prejudiced by failure to givo notice, . and argued that the poisoning came within the definition of " accident." Judgment was reserved. ' HON. a. FOVVLDS. '' r Dunedfn, April 10. The Hon. G. Fowlds visited'a number of institutions in Duncdin to-day, including tho Salvation Army Maternity Home, the Carnegie Public .Library, and'the Art Gallery, the Early Settlers' Hall, and St. Helen's Maternity Hospital. • A.t the last-namod . institution he conferred with tho matron regarding necessary alterations and improvements to bring the institution up-to-date. ■ ■ A conference between the Minister, and representatives of local bodies ?was\ held to:-« consider the question of the drainage of the Kaikorai Valley. Tho local bodies, could not \ 'agree as to the remedy'for the present'state' of affairs, and the, Minister indicated the probability of the; appointment of a Government Commissioner to .-decide the matter. .... Mr. Fowlds left for Gore this' evening. ; ; EXPORTS' AND CUSTOMS DUTIES.' - Blenheim, April 10. Tho exports from the Picton 'and Wairan harbours for the year ended March 31, 1908, ; totalled £326,910,' compared Trith £318,224 for the preceding year. Despito the-sugar and : cotton goods remissions, tho. Customs duties for tho port of Wairau were'greater in -1907-8 than in 1906-7, tho figures; being £11,984 and £12,025 respectively. ' Jewish method; OF SLAUGHTERING. Auckland, April 10. ,' Rabbi Goldstein, of Auckland, protests against the idea;, as " stated by, the Christchurch Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to, Animals;, that the-Jewish method of kill-.. . ing. cattle is necessarily, cruel, contending that'it causes less,'pain-than any other. '' . CARGO OF THE. STAR OF JAPAN. Duncdin, April 10. !In connection with the; stranding of th« Star, of Japan, the local. agents state that ■ ■the cargo consisted, of 'general . 'for Melbourne,' Sydney, Auckland, Napier, . Wellington,, and'-Bluff, but none for Lyttet ton or Duncdin. . , . • : ; . ' : : THE CANTEEN QUESTION. : : Ghristcliurcll, April 10. Tile officer commauding the district, afte! consulting' the, - officers of tho lied ana Blua forces on the. question; has decided to have/ a canteen l at the- forthcoming -Easter manoeuvres. . -v. \ " ' Duncdin, April 10 :> At the Easter Volunteer ■'■manoeuvres' in Ofcago a '" dry "• canteen will be installed, which means that no intoxicating liquor mil be supplied from -it. ' ' ■ ; . - \ : CARPENTERS'- STRIKE.. : • ! - Westport, April 10. , •• '• Tho places of the carpcnters who struck at' tho Westport-Stockton Coal .Company's works have.been, filled by other mqnv