NEW ZEALAND NEWS. (By Telegraph Press Association.)

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1029, 19 January 1911, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS. (By Telegraph Press Association.)

•THE OTAGO HINTERLAND. PARTY'S TRAVELS IN LONE SPOTS, , r _ Gore, January 18. Messrs. Grave (Oaraaru), Talbot (Grey, mouth), /ind Lyttle (Gore) have returned from an exploration of Fiordland, extending over throe weeks. They sueeecded in finding a practicable route from Milford bound to Lake Wakatipu. The route was really, discovered last year, but on' this occasion a new track was found over Grave Pass, cutting 1200 ft. off the ascent and removing other disabilities. The pass rises to a height of 5000 ft. By the newroute .a tourist could .journey from Lake Te- Anau.to Milford Sound, thence by Grave's route to Lake Howden, joining the Grcenstone-.route to Lake' "Wakatipu. In fiords there are some. magnificent views over mountain scenery, notably Mt. Tukoko, rising to a height of 9042 ft., praoticaly from sea-level. On Saturday tho party.ascended: the .summit,of Mount Balloon, 6000 ft., being tho first to do so. The mountain was, attacked- on the northern ridge,-and it proved a somewhat hazardous undertaking, jthe surface comprising loose rock to:a great extent. The asojni and descent were made in one day.- -

METHODIST INDEPENDENCE. . .A FRIEND IN THE PREMIER. Christchurch, January IS. The' Revs. C. H.' Laws and S. Lawrt waited on Sir Joseph Ward to-day and asked his personal assistance ■in the promotion of legislation to secure the independence of the Methodist Church in New Zealand. They explained.-that thtf matter -would require Parliamentarysanction. Sir Joseph Ward assured ths deputation that he would ha. hpppy to •assist tho movement. He saw no difficulty in tho way of providing the necessary machinery. • WHITE MAN'S CASE COLLAPSES, " TWO MAORI WITNESSES: Wanganui, JanuaryMß. | At the Magistrate's Court to-day,. aU action was brought-.against a Maori for assault. A circumstantialacco.untof.tho alleged occurrence .was given -by" the plaintiff, a white.man, and he called two Natives to support him. The :Katives, however, had in -the meantime. evidently come to the conclusion that they knownothing of the affair, and professed entire ignorance. The case had to he dismissed, without prejudico to any subsequent action. MIDLAND RAILWAY INQUIRY. . Christchurch, January. IS. The Departmental inquiry on Tuesday by Mr. W. S. Short, Assistant . UnderSecretary of the Public Works'Departl merit, iuto the complaints of tho co- ' operative workers on the Midland, railway, was open to reporters, and lasted three hours. Mr. Short also spent a'considerable portion of the .day ingoing over tho works and inspecting l the tenti and work in respect to which complaints of inaccurate -measurement were made. Later on Mr. Short remarked-, that-the main question and real trouble was- the rate of pay, and that was a matter- entirely in the hands of the Government, Several complaints of inaccurate measurements had been made, and these, Mr. Short said, would be investigated, and, if possible, adjusted. Complaints regarding tho reduction of. the rates at which contracts had been taken'would'also be investigated and adjusted where possible. Investigations to-day by Mr. Short disclosed- the. fact-that the .tents appear'.to bo ui> to the standard specified in. the contract. He will report to the Minister as to ivhether the tents are good enough lor the climate. ,

RESIGNATION AND RESENTMENT." Wanganui, January. 18.. At a meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board to-day, the re'signa- • tion of Mr. G. • Carson was received as tha result of tlia .Tecent Municipal. Corpora-, tions Amendment Act. ' The new'Act'was , •styled "rotten legislation," and a"resolution was passed expressing the board's disapproval of the Act, whichi it was, contended, had a tendency to put'Ayork-into. the hands of inexperienced men, • and deprive the public of the services of many valuable workers. THE DAY OF HIS, MARRIAGE.' Auckland, January 18. A man named Geo. Rickards, 25 years of age, was found iii his bedroom to-night .with a wound in his throat, inflicted with' :a n-..:0r. Ho was to have been married to-, day,-and is said to-have been „in some trouble which prevented the ceremony from taking place. He will- bo chargedwith attempted suicide. ■ THEIR EMPLOYMENT REGISTER.. Napier, January'lS. The Inspector of Awards proceeded against a local firm of bakers, claiming ifilO for breach of award in failing-to give preference to a unionist. Evidence slowed that the employment book was'badly kept, and on this point the case was di»« missed.

ALLEGED'SHOOTING AFFAIR, Invercargill, .January 15..... The police were informed'to-night that at Wairoto,' near Otautau, a man had. fired two shots at a young .woman. Th» matter is being inquired into.

. FALL FROM MOVING TRAIN/ 1 " Greymouth, January 18. ■J. Finera, caretaker of the Waltham School, Christchurcli, while standing on the platform of a carriage on thp Otira esnress last night, slipped and-fell. The railway officials, finding an unclaimed, bicycle, communicated with surfacemen and tablet porter at Brunner, who found: Finera groaning in a water-table. Thej. attended to him last night, and brought him to the hospital this morning, whers lie was found to be suffering from shock and bruises, but be is progressing favour, ably.

POLICE RAID. 1 Invercargill, January IS.' A police raid was made to-night on .pre* mises in Gore, and a quantity of liquol found buried in a yard adjoining th( house. ■