NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 452, 10 March 1909, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

III! TEI.EGIIAI'tI—I'UF.SS ASSOCIATION.)

DENGE FOC.

STEAMERS DELAYED. Cliristciiurcli, Mar.cli 9. Tho calm weather, coupled with the warmth of tho past low days, lias been responsible for a dense, fog along the coast since Saturday last, and consequently steamers have been delayed. Last night there was a thick log in Lyttclton Harbour, and outgoing steamers were lost to view after passing Officer's J'oint. Tho frequent sounding of their whistles could bo heard as the vessels "I'elt" their way out of port. Tho Kittawa, which arrived yesterday evening from Ureymoutli, met with thick fog banks 011 her v.a.v clown from Capo Campbell. Tho turbine ferry steamer Maori, which left Wellington at 8.5 p.m. yesterday, encountered the fog about midnight oif Waipapa Point, and was steaming through it right up to Lyttelton Heads. It required extreme caution in navigating the vessel, and sho had to be slowed down frequently. The .Maori was two hours bohind time, and arrived in port at 8.45 this morning. She, was, of cotirso, too late to connect with the iirst express, but this was a matter of little moment when the diffi- ' cultics of navigating the vessel, and tho responsibilities of tho masted, who was 011 tbo bridge all the way down, aro taken into consideration.

A POINT IN LAW.

WHAT IS "FORMING" A ROAD? Invorcarglll, March 9. The trustees of the late J. T. Thomson, in a suit against tho Southland County Council, asked for an order interpreting Section 116 of the Public Works Act, 1908, and dcclaring : whether plaintiffs wore liable to he called oil to gravel certain roads laid out by them iu tho subdivision of suburban land in Invercargill. I'laantiffs alleged that they wero bound by law to form the roads, but not to gravel them, and' defendants contended that tho meaning of the word "form" in tho Act was to make the road, and finish it by gravelling. The judgo hold that there was a distinction bctwoen tho words "forming" and "gravelling," when used in connexion with roadmaking, and interpreted, the section in favour of plaintiffs.

A SHEEP CASE.

Invcrcargill, March 9. At the Supreme. Court to-day, the Wallace County Council appealed against tho decision of tho Magistrate in the case of Alfred Coster v, tho County Council, in which the Magistrate had awarded £50 damages and £6 , 18s. oxpenses alleged to have been incurred by Coster through tho loss of sheep, such • loss being the result of negligence on tho part of the county workmen m' having failed to repair a fence opened by them .in connection with road construction. Tho grounds of appeal wero that the Magistrate. • was wrong in holding defendants guilty of negligence, and that there was no evidence to show how the sheep wero lost, or'to justify the Magistrate in holding defendants responsible. The appeal was allowed, and : costs £10 10s. ; '

TECHNICALITIES IN GROG GASES.

Inveroarglll, March 9. Mr. J. S. Neavc, barrister, moved for-tho issuo of a writ of certiorari to rcmovo tho conviction against Frank Polf for sly grogselling into tho Supreme Court,'with, a view to having it quashed.' The ground ofapplication was that the of Wio sunmons was unreasonable, in that it was sened on Poff's, wife during Polf's absonco ill Duncdin, 'so that Poff could not bo advised of issue of summons, and did not hoar; of it until the day of the trial, and tliol- only after ho had "been convicted. Tho iud£o belli that, as tho case came beforo tho magistrate, tho latter wa^,. justified in supposuij thai Poff, knew all"about it. Tho application was refused.

IMMIGRATION.,

. Duncdln, Marfh 9. The Dunedin Painters' Union lasi evening passed a resolution expressing tic opinion that all assisted immigration .should, ecase at onco except in rcspcct to tlii wives and children of persons who sailet prior to June 1, 1909, and have settled in the Dominion. Further, that the Gove-nmenfc bo urged to take some steps as will'ensure the workers of the Old Country ant Australia being advised that the ' sujply of workers in the Dominion is greatly inescesß of the demand. -

COSTLEY HOME.

Auckland, Mardi 9. ' As a result of a private inquiry, tta' committee of tho Costley Home rccomncnded that the manager bo reprimanded fo).having used intemperate language to tie inmates, and informed that .while the board has no objection to' members of tlii staff training for races on the grounds caro should be taken that this does \not iijwfere with their duties, and that no\ spoci.'l .tliet should be allowed. • The report was aldpted by tho board. .

OYSTERMEN'S STORACE SIT&

I ' Invcrcarglll, jUiici 9. Tlio committee appointed by /the ;Blu(F Harbour Board to confer with tbi oyst-o-mcn re a silo for the storage of oysJfers repirted to-day. Tli.ey recommend that ')'« loard grant leases of sites at £1 annum lor a period of 14 years, the exact' location tj bo approved by tlio engineer: ai| d sites and structures io bo subject i<? the approval of tho Marino Department.

MR. T. SEIJPON, M.P.

'flokitika, March 9, ' Mr. T. Seddon, MJ-, who was unable to visit South Westliuw during the electica campaign, is now. i«uriiifj that locality, and is being well received and entertained. Oa Friday, at tho ivl ur f- s t of tho Minister for Public Works, h will open a largo bridge over tho AYatan® River just completed, ami will be entertsfrod by tile settlers after theceremony.

I a folding bankruptcy.

' •' Feildlng, March 9. A moot/® of creditors in tho bankrupt es-' tato of V' AVhishaw way hold to-day. Tho stufcmcnt showed unsecured creditors C2;)r2,'*curcd creditors £29,413, and value of scci\™. es (estimated) £39,134. Bankrupt was f/nmined at length, and finally a committty' w ,as set up to' assist the district offioisl assignee in making a valuation of tlio prertrty.

KEYSTONE DRILL.

I Duncdin, March 9. J. The long-looked-for Keystone drill arrived . m.Naseby yesterday afternoon, and attracted a great deal of attention. In nppearnnco it is much like a large cliaiTeiitter, but voir much heavier, and when fully equipped with boiler, rods, and pipo will weight about eleven tons. ClsScnio, March 9. In tlio Supreme Court, Victor Munn was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment lor forgery.