Page 4 Advertisements Column 5

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 131, 30 November 1904, Page 4

The conference between the Minister for Lands (Hon. T. Y. Duncan) and the Commissioners of Crown Lands and members oi Land Boards will commence at Parliament Buildings to-morrow. The conference is a preliminary to the sitting of the Lands Commission, which the House decided last session should be set up" to consider the cwsocitution of Land Boards, the tenures upon wnich Crown lands may be obtained and occupied ; whether the residential restrictions are too exacting and require relaxing, as to the working of the present ballot system, the roading of Crown lands, and so on. That Commission has not yet been appointed, but it is considered that the conferenco which will commence to-mor-row may result in some valuable suggestions being made, and be of great assistance to the Commission in conducting its enquiries. Ratepayers in" the new Borough of Mirainar met for the first time last evening, when they were addressed by six of the nine candidates who are to-day contesting the six seats available on the new Council. The first Mayor of the Borough (Mr. F. Townsend) presided, and also spoke regarding the requirements of borough, mentioning that he had a scheme in mind for better communication with the city, which he thought would meet their views. He did not anticipate heavy rating ; there was no reason why they should pay anything like what they had paid when under the Hutt C6unty. The candidates who addressed the meeting were Messrs. J. Brodie, H. E. Richards, C: J. Crawford, T. W. Witt, T. Wardell, and G. V. Perry. Messrs. E. J. Searle and W. C. Stephens wrote that they had already circularised the ratepayers. There was catechism, and also criticism, on the part of the audience, and the meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the Mayor. The polling is taking place to-day. A fireman on the Paparoa named Thomas Fanning, was this morning charged before Mr. J. Collins, J.P., with having assaulted George Henry Hall, near the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel last night, and robbed" him of a few shillings. On the application of Sub-Inspector O'Donovan, the hearing of the charge was adjourned until Monday. James Carney for a second ottence of drunkenness was fined in default forty-eight hours' imprisonment. Two other inebriates were convicted and discharged. A meeting of the Wellington Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association was held last evening. Mr. Angus Donaldson was appointed to . represent the Centre on the New Zealand Swimming Council. A sub-committee was set up to revise the rules of the body. The secretary was instructed to write to the delegate to the New Zealand Council asking (1) for information as to the Humane Branch (2) re allotment of championships," and the Government grant. The opinion was expressed that the subscription to the New Zealand Council should either be reduced or waived, now that the Council receives Government aid. The Centre expressed its admiration of the conduct of Air. G. Hay for his gallant act in saving lives at Napier on Sunday last, and hoped that the action would receive due recognition. It was resolved that the secretaries of affiliated clubs be requested to submit a list of defaulters of the preyious year on or before 30th August each year. Mr. T. Shields again offered his sarvices to the Centre for teaching school children life-saving and swimming. The secretary was instructed to ask the Education Board for the necessary permission. The Compensation Court, consisting of Mr. Justice Cooper, the Hon. T. K. Macdonald, and Mr. J. G. Wilson, assessors, resumes the hearing of the Flaxbourne Estate case at Blenheim to-morrow. The estate comprises 56,000 acres, and the owners claim £410,000 from the Government for its resumption. Dr. Findlay and Mr. Stringer having withdrawn from the case in order to act for Captain Seddon in the Seddon-Taylor libel case, which is to be heard at Christchurch next month, the Crown ' will be represented by Mr. Sim, of Dunedin, Mr. M'Callum, of Blenheim, and Mr. D. M. Findlay, of Wellington. Messrs. Skerrett and Johnston (Wellington) and Conolly (Blenheim) will again appear on. behalf of the claimants. In the Supreme Court this afternoon, before the Chief Justice and a jury of foui-, of which Mr. W. Boyd was foreman, Annie Jane Townley, 'wife of Clarence Henry Townley, Walter-street, Wellington, brought an action against Harry Smith, chimney sweep, also of Walterstreet, claiming £200 damages for slander. The plaiutiff alleged that on 26th and 27th July defendant used language to another person reflecting on the character of the plaintiff, a,nd the defence was a denial of the' allegation. Mr. Wilford appeared for plaintiff and Mr. Hindmarsb for defendant. The case is proceeding. Hurunui is an electorate which is happy in possessing a Parliamentary representative (Mr. A. W. Rutherford), wlose bonhomie apparently ia only exceedel by his wealth. Accordingly, Mr. Rutherford's honorarium is a matter of small moment to him, and he has been dealing with it in a fashion that has evoked this enthusiastic little paragraph in the Cheviot News: "Mr. Rutherford, M.H.R., is distributing his honorarium with a lavish hand. He has already given the sum of £40 to the various School 'Committees within his electorate for prizes for the best all-round boys and girJs in each class in the diffeient schools. He has also donated large sums to tho football and athletic clubs, anS has not forgotten the churches." In "the interests of public decency," the Lyttelton Times, after eulogising Mr. Rutherford's long-established reputation for ' benevolence, drops the following heavy brick on his toes : " Every representative has special calls to meet, arising directly or indirectly out of his position as a public man, but it would be altogether improper l for rival candidates to compete against one another for votes by offering ao much a year to the clubs and societies and 'churches of the electorate. If Mr. T. E: Taylor, for example, let it be understood that £300 a year would b> available for distribution so long as he jepresented the City of Christchurch, it would be our duty and the duty of the public to enquire whether he was not breaking, the law regardiug corrupt practices." There were two mishaps in coinection with the rowing of the heats of the Star Boating Club's senior double soills yesterday afternoon. The boat v- which E. Pickering and F. A. Barclaywere rowing against A. T. Bendall and t. F. Richardson capsized, and the rac was abandoned. A foul occurred between the boats in which Bridge's and Brndall's crews weie rowing, and the race wil have to be rowed again. C. E. Bridge <»nd T. Haiaer beat R. L. Evatl and E. A. Killick by three lengths, and C. E. Dowland and T. R. Hickson defeated D. W. Duff and J. Hamilton rather Risily. The Ohiro H»me will be open for public inspection aext Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. Writing t-J their Wellington agents — Messrs. W. M. Bannatyne and Co. Limited — under dale 19th October, Messrs. John Dewar and Sons, Limited, of London and Perth, say: — "You will, no doubt, be as pleased to hear as we are to tell you that wo have just been notified of oar success in obtaining the Grand Prix, wnich is the highest possible award over ad competitors, for Scotch whisky ,ac tiie St. Louis Exposition, 1904. This is just one more addition to the already long list' of awards we have received, wlicb goes to prove the superiority of our whisky over all others." — Advt..