LATE COMMERCIAL.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 133, 2 December 1904, Page 6

LATE COMMERCIAL.

TIMARU WOOL SALES. [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] TIMARU, This Day. Ihe first wool sale of the season opened hero this morning with a cataloguo of 584+ bales. The wool came forward in good couidition, and visiting buyers expressed appreciation of the excellent way it was displayed in the wool stores. Representatives of leading Homo and Continental manufacturers were present, and the colonial mills wore well represented. The sale went well from start to finish, and practically every lot was disposed of. The keenest demand was for crpssbrecis, which brought up to ll^d. General prices ran as iollows: —Super half bred, 10c! to Hid; medium do, 9£d to lOd; inferior do, Bid to 9jd. Crosfbreds sold at from par to a halfpenny lower than halfbreds; and merinp sold at from 9£d to 10id, but there was little offering for bellies and pieces, tha highest prico being BJd. NAPIER, This Day. The prices obtained at tho local skin sales yesterday were the highest recorded for many years, as much as BAd being obtained.

A new crime is said to have been created by the Legislature of New Zealand. At a conference of Road Boards held at Ashley, it was stated that it is now illegal to sell grass on roads, to cut it, or to allow cattle to eat it. A member of Parliament who was present at the conference said he thought this law had been passed, but owing to'the rush at the end of the session he could not say how the law stood until he received a printed copy of the statutes he had helped to pass. An interesting exhibit is on view in the windows of Mis. A. R. Judd's fancy goods emporium; Manners-street. It consists of a model of a British battleship, constructed of forged steel by Mr. Judd, and is as complete a thing of its kind as could well be desired. The guns and mountings and the deck fittings of a warship are all in evidence, and when the model is in full working order tomorrow night the* guns will be fired at frequent intervals, smoke issuing from the weapons and the funnels, and the display will be made as realistic as possible. ' The Secretary of the New Zealand Chess Association, Mr. J. A. Connell, has received word from the Secretary of the Oainaru Chess Club that amaigernents are well forward; for the Championship Congress, which is to open at Oainaru on Boxing Day. The prizes will probably be the same as those offered at the last Congress. It is expected that there will be about fourteen "competitors for championship honours, two less than last year. Messrs. Mackuy, Brown, Friberg, Sandford, Connell, and W. E. Mason (the present champion), who competed last year, probably will not be in evidence on the coming occasion, hut their absence will in a measure be compensated for by an additional aspirant, from Christchurch not yet known, and Messrs. Clellan, Hamer, Kelling, -and possibly, Elliott (Palmers-ton North). Entries close on the 12th inst, so there is still plenty of time for waverers t0 make up their minds. John Kilmartin, an elderly man, this afternoon appeared on remand, before Dr. A. M'Arthur, SJVL.'to answer a charge of having killed Michael Foley on the 19th November, thereby committing the crime of manslaughter. Mr. M. Myers prosecuted, and Mr. Wilford defended. Counsel for the defence intimated that as accused would eventually be tried in the Supreme Court he was prepared, in order to shorten the proceedings, to accept the evidence given at the inquest concerning tho death of Foley. This course was adopted, and the evidence was read over to the witnesses, and signed by them as correct. It was alleged that on the night of the date in question, Kilmartin and Foley were walking along the western side of Victoria-street, when, after a short altercation, Kilmartin knocked Foley down. The latter was taken to the police station in an unconscious state, and subsequently removed to the Hospital, where he died. Accused reserved his defence, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial at the February sittings. Messrs. Sidoy, Meech and Co. advertise their usual Saturday sale of furniture and effects, drapery, etc. Tho salo commences at 1.30 p.m., in their rooms, Mannersstreet. They also advertise several properties for sale and to let.