NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 511, 19 May 1909, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

CBT" TBLEOBAIa—JTEBfIS .42S0CZl£X0X) -eg —9 —: —jg^. (SATISFACTORILY SETTLED. A SERVANT GIRL'S OONFESSIOH.. y ' . Auckland, May 1&. ••■ Tie action brought by Dr. Thomas Stuaifc of Dauranga, against Dr. Edward Bewosaad his wife, also of Taunanga, for £601 damage* for ftllogod slander, has boon satisfactorily Bottled. In announcing tho fact at the Supreme Court to-day, Mr. Rood (for dofoa- '. dants) said the terms, of tho settlement required explanation. Tlio statement of claim sot out that, plaintiff was slandered by dofondant's wife by saying,in effect that plaintiff had been imposing his attentions! on her ' servant girl. The latter had complained to Mrs. Bewes that she had been followed about ' by Dr. Stuart, who was a single man, and • >■ . eventually began to produce letters'purporting to have come from Dr. Stuart asking her to make an appointment with him. ,'S!i» matter became public talk. Ultimately tho girl, when taxed, confessed that throughout the whole proceedings she had misled Mm.' Bowes: that alio had never boon molested by Dr. Stuart; and that the letters sho baa' produced purporting to bo from Dr: Stuart had been written by herself. "Hie terms of settlement wore that defendants wero to pay plaintiffs costs, and they expressed regret that Dr. Stuart should have Buffered irwn any statements mado. , i '■, # r . NAPIER HARBOUR.. '"'..' PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS. Napier, May 18.' >At the meeting of the Napier . Barbour Board to-day replies wore received from three engineers, Messrs. J. Blair Mason (Dunodan), Cyrus Williams (Ohristohurch), and J. E. Maxwell (Wellington), submitting terms for reporting on &e harbour schonios. Mr. Maxwell intimated that he considered a joint report unsatisfactory, but would bo prepared "> .to make a separato report. Tho board decided, "That the offer of the three engineers bo i accepted, and that they bo appointed to report on tho present breakwater and Mr. Georgo Nelson's innor harbour scheme; that tboy. bo. informed that while a joint would bo preferred, tie board would have ■ no objection to their reporting'separately, and that the board would like tho throe engineers to visit Napier at'tho same time." The board also fixed tho order of reference' to tho engineers. ... In a letter read at a meeting of tho Napier Harbour Board to-day, Messrs. Hud- : dart', parker and Co. 'stated that tho masters ' of their boats visiting Napior'had sent in their opinions on the completion of the breakwater. Thoy considered that if the break- .." water was completed as proposed by Mr. Marohant, tho board would have a harbour ■ of sheltered water free from tides or ourrantsi.as good as any in Now Zealand, with plenty of room to manoeiivro the •■ largest • ships likoiy to oomo to Napier. OUR LATEST LOCAL INDUSTRY. 1 .AN AIRSHIP. • ' ; '.'" AuoKland, May 18. ' A.locally kvented airship is to beoxbi« bited at the Auckland A. and P. Associa-. . tion's exhibition', next week, provided that tho trial, which is to bo made next Friday, is attended with', satisfactory results. Tho inventor is Mr. Barnard, and it is stated that tho trial made some time.ago was sufficiently, gratifying to warrant a'patent boing taken : out.

PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS. Wanganui, May 18. At tho annual mooting of tho Employers' Association to-night it.was resolved: "That this association is- strongly opposed to, tho now": phase of preference to' unionists as. lately laid down by^tho,.Arbitration; Court,' and pledges" itself to'oppose tho same' by' everymoans in its power. Wo are satisfied that a very largo, proportion of the workers of' New Zealand are not members of aunion, and that they have strong objection to joining any union. Tho employer is tho only person competent to judge who is capable and worthy of employment by him." It was nlso resolved to hold* ah "industries week" at the time of the boat' raco. '■ \ A DEBATING SOCIETY AND DEFENCE. ._', Tlmarii, May 18. A debate on the subject of military trainingj conductud by the Timaru Debating So- j cioty, last night, was attended by 140 persons. The following motion was carried! by a largo majority:—"That this meeting urge upon the Prime Minister the desirability of appointing a lioya'l Commission to formulate and present' to Parliament' a scheme for national defence, eliminating therefrom unnecessary, objectionable, and oppressive' features of conscription." OAMARU WANTS MORE COURTS. Oamaru, May 18. ' After discussing the question of tho abolition of District Courts, the local Chambci of Commerce adopted. a .-esolution declaring that it'was imperatively necessary that four civil sittings of tho Supremo Court should be held at Oaroafu in the year, instead of"-.'. two, as at present, as, unless some such provision be made, great 'inconvenience would; bo experienced both in regard to civil actions and bankruptcy : proceedings; It was decided to communicate tho resolution to the Minister, for Justice. ... AUCKLAND BAKERS' AWARD. V Auckland, May 18. The Arbitration Court award in tho bakers' and pastrycooks' dispute provides that time worked in excess of ten hours oa any one day shall bo paid as overtime, irrespective of whether the worker has worked forty-eight hours in the week. Provision j is made for undor-rato worsers and preference to unionists, with compulsory membership of tho union. In the country award a sliding scale of • wages is retained, and workers may bo boarded on their employers' promises, at a rate not exceeding los. per week. The country clause is to apply to places fifteen miles beyond Auckland Post Office, but Poverty Bay is "excluded. TYPHOID EPIDEMIC. Dunedin, May 17. ■ The typhoid epidemic at Alexandra baa' not yet been stamped out, and two mora cases were reported on Saturday, ouo.bonig a woman.who gave birth to a child three weeks previously, and who had not been outside her own premises sinco her confinement. Ten cases have been reported and ono deatli has occurred. Inspector Gladstone (Public Health Department) made an inspection on. Saturday, and reported that all' tho : dairies oxcept one were m a satisfactory. condition. Tho surroundings of tho suspected dairy were in a filthy condition, and it.was believed that this dairy was tho cause of the outbreak. The water-race from which tho town supply was derived was in a dirty condition. Two cases of diphtheria have 'also been reported, and in connection with this matter.lnspector Gladstone advised, that tho local sanitary inspector should insist on fowls being kept away from dwelling-houses and on drains from houses being kept thoroughly clean. Tho local Borough Council has decided to carry out. a number' of improv«ments in sanitation, recommended by Mr. Gladstone. STOPPED. Auckland, May 17. Last week an infant was found abandoned at Newmarket. \ Tho investigation of tho .- case wns entrusted to Detective M'Mahon, and as a result of his inquiries,' a- Mr. and Mrs. Houiniston, passengers from Auckland h.v tho Maitai/ have been stopped at Suva, and, at the instance of tho Charitable Aid Board, are to bo returned to Auckland on a charge of having abandoned their child.