NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 484, 17 April 1909, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

1 IBT TELEOBAPH—VBESS ASSOCIATIOK.J ♦ ' ' (Br TBtIOIIArn—PIIE3S ASSOCIATION.) ': •■ - n ~ —;—* -;' >. INCREASING VALUATIONS., TOO MUCH TAXATION OF LAND. ' '' • ' ' Auckland, April 16. ' At a meeting of the Farmers' Union to-day, the president (Colonel Allen Bel); drew at-, tention to the continual increase of valuations ojf land by the Government. If this went on much longer,' tlioir freehold land would not be worth nolding. Thoio was too much taxation of land, and it, was timo for farmers to organise and protest against tho present system of rating which played into tho,hands of the land speculator, and was iniquitous and unfair to tho fanner. He moved: "That the executive take eteps to hold conferences of farmers at suitable places thioughout tho province for the purposo of considering the advisability of bringing influence to bear upon th 6 Government to get the present valuation_ system changed for one more practical and the farming community." Mr. Dye seconded tho motion, which, after was carried. I ALL-RED MAILB. ' Auckland, April 16. Ine Hon. J. A. Millar, in. an lntorviejr regarding the cablegram received this morning, said it simply meant there was no chance of Australia going into the All-Red service outlined by Canada It must affect Now Zealand to a considerable extent, cause tho amount of subsidy proposed to be rccoived from Australia will not be forthcoming, and will require to bo b*rfle *y Great Britain, Canada, and New Zealand. There is nothing m the proposals, as submitted, that tho steamers shall be owned by the Governments, Tho Commonwealth has already entered into a mail arrange-' ment for which sis vessels aro to bo built, and there is httlo chance of Government undertaking construction in connection \s ith' an All-ltcd i service. „ AFIRE AT KAWAU ISLAND. 1 Auckland, April 16 A two-storey boardinghouso on Kawau Island was burnt to tho ground to-daj'. The building was situated opposite the iale Sir Geo. Grey's residence, which, however, was unharmed. No further details are available / PRISONERS TRANSFERREDr , Chrlstchurcli, April 16. Fourteen prisoners 'were transferred from Hokiti'ca Gaol, now to be closed, to Lyttelton ' Gaoi, tKs afternoon. , The 'men wore taken in >a special earnage from Hokitika to Otira, by special ,coach from Otira to Broken River, and by special trftm to Lyttelton in charge of an escort of police and warders. 'Ihoy behaved in an exemplary manner. ,_ PRICE OF BREAD.' v / Duno'Jin, April 16 The cash price of bread lull bo raised to 7jd. the 41b. loaf from Monday nest. Palmerston, April 16. Flour is up in Paimerston £1 per ton. Tho price quoted is now £12 10s. tier ton Loc.il bakers are raising tho price of biead Jd. per loaf. EX-BURNHAM BOYS , IN COURT. ~., „ Naplor, April 16. iwo ex-Btirnham bojs, \\illiam Doicen and Ernest Dorecn, who,were sentenced to four months' impitsonment for theft at Wairoa this week, appeared before tho Court to-day charged with stealing clothes and boots from two hotels ,Tho.T pleaded gurltv, and were committed to Wellington for sehfconco. J BURGLAR INTERRUPTED. . , , ,\ invcroargill, April 16 . .A.i.burglary at l the Farmers' Cc-operative! Stores Inst night ma interrupted bv a 1 passer-by, who saw a light, and informed the police, two of whom went to the front end back of the building, but being un.'ile to get in, one '.sent to the station for assistance. In tho meantime the thief escaped tearing a heap of goods just inside the front door ,*