NEW ZEALAND NEWS

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 280, 7 August 1909, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS

IDy ABBoclatloD.l THE RABBIT PEST, , ' . Napier, August 8. ■a \a . m< * tln E of the committee of the Rawkos Bay Agricultural- and Paetoral fjKiety at, Hastings .to-day. Mr. L.- H. » ifirl' c, " u ™? n of the Hawko's Day Rabbit Board; referred to a statement mado by Mr..A. C./Bennett at the board's last mooting, as to tho, increase of rabbite w.abi V"^» fi M .area ' norUi' of Napier.. Mr.. M'Hardy, said' Mr, Bennett;; had declined to name- the, places- where he asserted' he had noticed_ an increase in rabbits.- The- onlj place tliat other members ;could, imagino was - meant was the, Blarbard range, which was pry difficult country. 'Every effort W being made to cope with tho pest there, Jh« wjnttr had been very favourablo to raWiite; but as soon as tho spring'had fairly fcftt in-the board was determined to clear them.ok. Persons reading Mr. Bennott't statement, might conclude that there had been a k-rribic influx of rabbits, but. suchwas not the .case Although, tho.weathoi.'. ni fa^u f <yJ an increase of rabbite, and although financial stringency had - made it difJicult to get owners to" do the"work, yet the past year had been a very successful one, more especially in inland Patea districts. At to tho board's inspectors,-they were very' good men, did their'work well, ' and ttie board was very much indebted to them'. A vote of thanks to Mr. M'Hardy, and of eon-' fidence in him as chairman "of the Rabbit 1 Loard was carried unanimously. It wai decided to make - representations to tha Department of Agriculture urging it to clear the land south of the Weber fence of rabbits.

ALLEGED FALSE DECLARATION. Christchurch, August 6. At the Police Court, John William Smith, a young man, was charged with making & ' false declaration before a justice of the peace. Peter F.' Dunne, billiard saloon, keeper stated that in May last he had ar- '"' ranged with accused, who .was a professional boxer, to train him for a match* against Griffin, and they had taken a house' at, "NewBrighton for "that purpose. On July 7, in , witness's billiard saloon, accused produced ! two pawn tickets and asked witness to lend ' Mm some money on them. Witness advanced him £2 10s. On the night of July 9, the night after the fight, witness went. to •'- Grand's pawnshop to get the medals, and was told that Smith had taken them away half an hour previously.' Fredk. Plummer, ■ assistant in Grand's pawnshop, stated accused had come to the shop and told him that he bad lost his tickets. Witness told him he would require a declaration to that _ effect- signed by a J.P. Accused shortly afterwards returned with the declaration (produced), .and had then been handed the incdals.' William Barnett, J.P., gave evidence as to signing a declaration as to the ' loss of the tickets. Accused pleaded not' guilty, and w.as . committed for trial, bail - being allowed, himself in £25, and one surety.". of £25. : ~■'■ -~>!,■■•:-■•' ■-.-.-.-: ■:-'-.■ v AOTIOH FOR A PENMY. . "Vv :! .Auckland, August 8. ..■„ \ Considerable dissatisfaction .has been expressed by.a.number of tramway passengers : at the practice of the-Auckland Tramway ,Company, in charging an-extra halfpenny to >- through passengers for the Queen Street . section during tho present alterations at the Wellcsley Street turning, it being contended ;: that some system could: be adopted by which the.tickets,of such passengers as have now,-, to alight where t the tram-lines are being , altered ..could be recognised by the- con--ductors on-the second car boarded. By way -j of testing ;the question, .Mr. Frederick : : \ Major .Downes has .commenced an actionagainst the Tramway; Company, claiming the sum of. one penny, alleged, "to have been .illegally charged _in Queen Street.. The hear- - : jng of the case is set down for August 19.

WRESTLING., : Stratford,' August 6. ! A-wrestling'match' took 'pace' here lasl ; j evening -botween'Lewis S. Robertson, late of ' Scotland,' and W.-T. Coltodge, "of Auckland,;' ' ■ for. the light-weight' obampionshipof 'Now'''- : Zealand and, a stake of ! £2O-. aside! 'It' re-'i T " •suited uv favour of Robertson'after "amost'-' evenj. exciting contest. "The conditions were 7 catch-as-catoh-k»n ' style; first two ' pin ! -falls.".. The first fall was gained by Collcdgo, in'' 21min.; the second >by Robertson in sJuiin.; ; and the third by Robertson after 45;.min- v Aites' wrestling; ' Robertson scaled : losk;7lb., . Collodge stripping at 10st. ■ There was ap-. pareutly little to, choose between the men in ;point of merit, and the'contest was an exceptionally fine exhibition of wrestling. REPRESENTATION ON HARBOUR It .BOARDS. ■i; •'■-'"' ' Dunodln, August 6. ~ At the annual-meeting of the Chamber oi . Commerce to-day the question l of • represeii-' tation on Harbour Boards was discussed,'' and the .'following motion was carried:— "That this chamber is of opinion that'repro-' ! ,sentation:on Harbour Boards is in the* inter- ' ests of the mercantile community; and that . the executive bo instructed to mako such re- ' u presentations in.the matter," to tko proper' " quarters, as-rniiy bo'necessary. '.-„'; CRJGKET ABOVE A VOLCANO. ; :.'■>- Chrlstchurch, August 6.. ; ■■'"•. In the course of-, a lecture, afc Canterbury ■ College on the subject of ' volcanoes ', and v ; earthquakes. Dr. Marshall showed a picture of the Auckland cricket ■' ground. ; That ground. ho-said ; was the.crater of a volcano., which hod been active'in recent geological periods. Yet Aucklanders played cricket on top of that volcano, and took. all eorta of chances,, and they, would probably- bo- surprised/and indignant if-some, atcrnoon they '.-/. went .skyward.;.. ;-. ~ .••■./■• v :■.-.■,•'.' THE MANAWATU SCULLING COURSE. .. Foxton, Apgußt.6.;. ■; . Mri Si. MessenaMias lodged'.£2S with Mr... Homblow, editor 'of the . "Manawatu Hex- y ald,"'Foxtdn, as a deposit for G.'Whekh, of >■■' Akarba, to, row G. Day, 1 of .New.' South. -.; Wales, ,for the championship of Now Zealand,, and £200 , on. the. Manawatu ~ River, at. Foxton.;. ■'~'.',. ... -.■':■ ; COSTLY" MOTOR ACCIDENT. ;!; . ,''■;,';.','' , Chrlstcliurch, August 6. '-.'. ,',.'. " Mr.'..Justice^'Denniston gave judgment/ to-./' day.in.a/case, Georgo Selbio, v. Jp,hn Cecil;. Manchester and Shaw,', claim £1000,:. damages arising out of 'a' trap _and motor'' accident at Timaru.: After reviewing the evidenoe, his Honour i decided that one of", / the- defendants. musfr'.be' struck 1 out, '■ leaving' ■''' plaintiff to elect which. Judgment was given for £400 against'the other.'

AN AEROLITE. ' ;j .", '"'.'. r Hastings,, August; 6. ,';:, /Mr. .Glazebrook, . a., farmer,, of Clive, and.-, eipht qthors, watched .an aerolite for ; . ,18 "., ,' mmuiesj '..until-it disappeared off Kidnappers.', Cape, Thoy\describe it as, a, bright having the brilliancy,,of a star.. It kept,,the same/direction,, but roso. and fell liko ~ a bird in flight. They attribute, it'to some...' ; ; atmospheric phenomenon..;. ■-, -^■~ ... .'. r a'rate-paying; record; ; ■;.( ■'..> Waitara 1 , August 6.. ■< ..:' ■ Something of a record in /rate-paying xras •,,,(. ■put up nt Waitara yesterday.'.The Uorbugh rnto was struck on Wednesday evening, and by •■ 9,80 o'clock yesterday morning £130 -of- ■ tho current-rate hadbeon paid. • This docs "• not; look much! 'like scarcity ■of ; money 'so : far as this 1 town in concerned, and should' ;i about establish a 'record ' for ' early rate- ; paying, /' 'y, -■'■ ,• ■'■.- ..".;: ; _,' '.'■',. 7^ ': NEWS IN BRIEF. ;\ V ','""■ "'.,' Dunodlri. August 0.. :; Owing to representations made;; by ■ "tho., .'informant,.' tho proceedings to ©xtradito V Loighton, a tobacconist, from; Sydney bavt;" been abandoned. ".' .. . ,\\,'.;-/;:'/. • :,.. ... .-','" ;'-'. '..Chrlstohuroli, August 6. '.;'.'■ A motion for anew,trial in tho caso of. Stringer,v. Norton will be hoard-at ,tlio Su- ;', promo Court on Wednesday rooming next,, , John \\ r hitford,.on- a charge of bigamy,, was remanded until Wedneßday', bail being' ~ ,allowod, himself in £100 and two sureties ol. ■:■■