NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 239, 2 July 1908, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(BY lELEGHAPH— PKESS ASSOCIATION.). — ? ■ CHARGE OF MURDER. accused found guilty of ■MANSLAUGHTER. Nslson, July 1. The chargo of murder at Westport was , concluded late to-night, when the jury returned a verdict of guilty of manslaughter against the accused. Olaf Halinon and' Anders Andersen. Both prisoners addressed Wio Court maintaining their innocence. lhey had not known Bourke, tho murdered man,, they said, and Connelly,' the princinal Crown witness, they only became acquainted with since,the trial commenced. Mr. Justicc Chapman said'the accuscd had been convicted, oil the corroborated and unshaken testimony of Connelly, of a. brutal crime. Anderson, tho older of the two, was the llioro guilty in that ho stood,by and did not attompt to restrain Halinen, who kicked deceased after ho was on the ground. The sentence of tho Court was that each accused be kept to hard labour for seven . years. FLEET WEEK ARRANGEMENTS. Auckland, July 1. It has been dccided to hold a. Maori 'encampment at Orskei, Auckland, during "fleet week." It is expccted that thera be a l argo gathering of Maoris-from " the Kaipara and other districts on that occasion. The big war canoe will be manned for displays on the harbour by crews from this encampment, and it is now - proposed \t-juf. as so very many of the officers and sailors will be unable, to visit Rotorua contingents of the Americans should bo conveyed _to Orakoi, where opportunity will bo provide'd for seeing the Maoris at home, and for observing many . of their traditional customs, it being probable that a comprehensive programme of hakas, poi dances, and other ceremonial items will ba drawn -up. • MAYOR v. COUNCIL. Qannevirke, July 1. Last night the Mayor (Mr. Ries) addressed the burgesses on the recent judgment of the Supremo Court, in which a.writ of mandamus was granted to compel him to .put-certain motions in the Borough Council. By a largo majority, those present declined to support a proposal to take tlie case to the Court of Appeal. PRICE OF BUTTER. - Dunedin, July 1. The Taien and Peninsula Milk Supply Co. has notified that from to-day the price of buttor will be increased to Is. 23d. per lb., less ;d„ discount for cash. The price to tho ordinary consumer will be Is. 4d. The increase, is due to the scarcity of supplies and tho high prices ruling in the outside markets, : together with the largo demand in London, where the whole of the supplies are reported to have been absorbed a week or so ago. ' FATAL TRAP ACCIDENT. ■ ■ . □annevirke, July 1. An accident occurred this afternoon .by which Mr. C. Barker, a woll-knotfri settler ofßcdclilTs, Canterbury, recently resident in--this district, met his death. Deceased and Mr. Averill, manager of the Maugatoro Station, were driving home, when,the horse ,shied. Both were thrown over an embankment. Mr. Barker was not seriously injured, but being a sufferer from heart disease succumbed to shock. . EMPIRE-CADET SHOOTING COMPETITION. i m , Oamaru, July 1. The North School Cadets, to whom was delegated the duty of -representing the'Do- • minion in the Empire cadet shooting competition, • fired to-day in , weather that was' none too favourable. The conditions were , t seven shots kneeling and seven a .t 25 yards, with miniature rifles. The possible is 1120, and the North School team put on 736 at a 6-inc-h target.

SIRENS AND FOGHORNS. , ■ _ Cftristchurch, July 1. At a special meeting of the Lyttelton Harbour Board to-day the following'by-law was ' adopted*. "That no steam whistle, or siren, or foghorn, shall be sounded on any vessel (tho Lyttelton Harbour Board's tug ex-, cepted) navigating the waters of the port of Lyttelton, or when lying alongside any wharf in the said port, for ; the purpose of summoning or 1 signalling to workmen, or passengers, or any 'persons whatsoever, or for announcing the arrival or departure of any vessel at or from any such wharf in the said port, but such whistles, sirens, or foghorns may be sounded within the said waters for such purposes only as may relato to.the navigation of such vessels." AUCKLAND ORPHAN HOME. \ Auckland, July 1. The trustees of tho Orphan Home'report that the necessary amount', has been sub-, . scribed to enable them to receive the £1000 conditionally promised by the late Arch- ' deacon Williams. . INSURANCE RATES. ' ' • Reefton, July 1. The Insurance Companies trading here are imposing an extra, five.shillings per hundred insurance on premises using electric light on the ground that it is not properly installed. The State, Office is an exception. There is bitter feeling in town, and it is pointed out that not a single fire has been caused by the electric 'light, which has, been . installed for 30 years. • A proposal for' mutual insurance'is ' gaining ground. A public meeting will be called for Friday to discuss '..the situation.

PROHIBITION AT INVERCARGIEL. ' Invercargill, July 1. At a meeting in connection with the second anniversary of the carrying of prohibition, Mr. T. Taylor, of Ch'ristchurch, spoke. , Tho meeting resolved to express appreciation at the substantial benefits derived from the abolition of licensed bars,' and to urgo the adoption of No-license upon the electorates. A resolution was also carried expressing appreciation of the satisfactory police administration in lnvercargill and the magistrates' exemplary punishment of offenders; further, that brewery licenses be brought under the ordinary licensing laws, arid "be subject to the No-license vote and to the same restrictions as all other forms'of license, and that tho licenses be in the hands of Licensing Committees. BOOKMAKER v. RACING CLUB'. Dunedin, July 1. At the Supremo Court to-day Mr. justice Williams was asked to make absolute au order of prohibition in respcct to the conviction of Henry Clegg on a charge .of - wilful trespass on Wingatni Racecourse on. February 19. Argument showed that Clegg was considered "undesirable," and it was contended lie became a wilful' trespasser in ' refusing to leave tho course when ordered to do so. His Honour held that as Clegg's original entry was lawful ho only became a trespasser on being warned, and a further warning was necessary to make him a wilful trespasser. Tho rule was made absolute with costs against the club'.' '. •■«

THE FLAX TRADE

Auckland, July 1. The wet weather has resulted in a general slackening of work at the flaxmills in the Auckland district, one reason being that the swainp lands arc/undor water and the cutters cannot get to work there, and an r other that there has b»en no opportunity for: drying fibre. During the past month only 467 bales (about 116 tons) of dressed fibre have passed through the grading store at Auckland. At present prices on tho London market' this represents a value to' the millers of about £2700. -With bcHiy, pri'-os ruling it is expected that the output will increase considerably during the spring months.