NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 221, 11 June 1908, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(BY TEtEGIIAPH—PBESS - •

HOME FOR GIRLS. NEW SALVATION ARMY INSTITUTION. . , Dunedin, June 10. tt official opening of the Salvation Army Homo for Girls at Middlemarch took place t Ar 10 Tras *'' le P ro P e rty or the , lato Mr. Gillies, from whose executors it was' bought a, few months'ago by Colonel Knight on behalf of . Commissioner M'Kio for £1750. The purchase money was raised by general subscription. The sum in hand'at present amounted to something like £3000. .The Hoiiie, which is situated within easy distance > has an orchard and 17 acres » of land, stables, etc. It will bo used for rearing destitute or neglected children, and children will bo received from parents who are not able to look after their offspring, but who are willing to pay for their, main- ' tenance. ■ The home is for girls only. At the . end of the week _ there , will be fourteen inmates, but there is room for 35. Some have been transferred from the Wellington Home. The ages of the girls .range from three to thttteen. Sevonteen will bo the age limit.. Iho officer in charge is Adjutant Woodford, who is assisted by Adjutant Burgess, Ensign Humphries, and Captain Coombs.. The house has eleven large, airy rooms, each of which, has a fireplace and is lighted \with,-acetylene gas. A fino water supply is provided. The Home was officially opened by Mr. ,D. Reid, M.I ..and speeches were also delivered by the 5 ,e . v - W. Saunders, Colonel Knight, and Mrs. Colonel Fisher.

ALLEGED LIBEL. ' v JUDGMENT FOR DEFENDANT. ' ~ ~ Tlmaru, June 10, • Ati the District Court to-day an action was heard by Judge Hazolden arid a jury , of four. Mrs. Simons, proprietress of a'tearoom, sued, the wife of Dr. C„ E, Thomas , for £200 damages for libel contained in an anonymous letter addressed to I\ W. 1 Burnley, a customer of hers, to her. care. The letter, written in a. disguised, infantile , hand, stated that some woman it. referred; to was , no :good. . Mrs. -Simons .had- received-'a day or two before, an anonymous' letter warning her that she would : get into trouwith " that man." Each showed ; tlia letter to the other. Burnley' produced two letters, written to him by.defendant about the time, of the alleged libel (February last); to enable the experts (Charles Edgar, , of the Lyttelton. "Times" engraving depart-ment,-and J. H. Miller,, clerk) to compare the anonymous letters with these/ and they were of opinion that all four were written by the same porson. No witnesses' wero called for the_ defence, counsel saying he would not subject 'the'defendant to'the indignity of denying what he believed to be a trumped-up charge'instigated by Burnley, a man who had been treated' with most unusual kindness by defendant, j He suggested to the jury that Burnley had concocted the letters himself.. The jury,, found for : the defendant on' all issues, and judgment went accordingly, with costs'. Mr. Hanlon, of Dunedin, appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. S. P. Raymond for defendant.. ■ ( SCHOOL COMMITTEE RETURNS. ■ Chrlstohurch, June 10. ; The Education. Board- decided this morning that perspns, such as railway employees/ rliving in huts not -on wheels, for which they paid rent,-were householders, for the purposes of. school committees elections, and were entitled to, vote. SEDDON MEMORIAL AT ONEHUNGA. ; Auckland, June 10. • • The contract for the erection of the Seddon ■ memorial monument- at Onehimga was signed this morning.'. Mr. W. Parkinson is the contractor, and the price is about £500. The", contract, is,.to be completed in October. It 1 is proposed to lay the foundation stone during the visit of : the American, fleet' if possible. . , , : ,-

'. TEACHERS' CERTIFICATES'. , . Auckland, June 10. • • Discussion turned at the meeting of the Auckland Education Board to-day on the question of the relative values of 'teachers' certificates gained in and beyond Zealand. Mr. Mackenzie, in bringing ,up the subject, moved that: the, Chief Inspector be asked, to report, on the. matter. Teachers with certificates gained in the other countriea were (he, said) reported in New Zealand as uncertificated, - and he thought they should be.' informed just what relative values those certificates should possess in. the Dominion. The plan-might also be useful for New Zealand. teachers in other colonies. / Several members remarked that only the InspectorGeneral could supply this information, and it was decided to apply accordingly.

MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE REMITS. n . . Christchurch, Jiine iO. The City Council last night adopted additional remits for the Municipal • Conference Among them were recommendations that the hour of closing of loan polls should be more clearly defined; that at local elections a vote shouldbo recorded by striking out'the name of candidate not desired, instead of placing axross against the name voted,for; that tho district electors' roll of a borough should bo used for .all elections and polls, the borough authorities contributing to the cost, of the rolls; that councillors travelling -oh council business should have travelling expenses paid that the 10 per cent, charge on overdue jrates should' be' made part of the. rate after six months,, and 14 days after, the. rate, foil' due; that the Municipal Corporations. Act should, be amended to prevent the laying'out of private' streets' without the consent of the council;, and. that efforts should;,be made to improve the machinery, of I elections. CHRISTCHURCH. MUNICIPAL A FFAIRS. Christchurch,'June .10. \ ■ Thirty-nine 1 building permits were issued by the city surveyor 'during May for' buildings valued at £53,840,. tho fees on which totalled £60. '."'.During May,' 11,075 .head of 'stock were slaughtered at- the' Sockb'urn Abattoirs,. and only 16 Sve're condemned: 'The iiumbcrs of beiists slaughtered and condemned were s as follow (the totals of condemned beasts being in parentheses):—Cattle, 1143 (11); sheep, 8041 (3); lambs,- 840 (0); calves, 444 ■ (0); pigs, 607' (2).

DOCTOR v.' COUNTY COUNCIL' CLERK. ' ■ Auckland,. June 10. : ; In a slander action brought by Edward Ycates, medical practitioner) against Ernest M'Leod, clerk of the ffokianga County. Coun- . oil,' claiming £500 damages-for alleged slander,; Mr. ; Justice Edwards awarded £150 damages."... , The slander complained of was an alle-' gation that Ycates had improperly reported certain .cases of infectious diseases.- His; Honour thought tho allegation of fraud was. negatived by Yeates' explanation, and. de-\ fendant ; should have satisfied. himselfr by stating the facts without alleging fraud. THE ■ WAIR.AU' SEAT. ' '

— Picton, June 10. It is stated on good authority that the Hon. C. H: Mills does not intend contesting Wairau or any. other seat at tho. forthcoming election. Several names are mentioned, as those 6f intending candidates, namely, Messrs. M'Artney, Frank Shaw, and John Duncan. The last-named stood at the last two elections in tho Opposition interests. It has boon publicly stated that ho will not contest ■ tho seat again, but the retirement of Mr. Mills alters the situation.:

CIVIL' SERVICE PENSIONS. , . Auckland, Juno 10. At tho meeting of .the Liberal and Labour • Federation to-night tho following resolution, moved' by tho President (Mr. P. J. Nehomey) was carried That the Governmorit bo asked to legislate to the effect thai ex-civil servants, who aro receiving a pension of £200 and upwards, bo debarred from em. • barking in any public business, profession, or calling, thereby entering, into competition with business men who' are: not fortunate * enough to be the possessors of civil service pensions. • ~ .