INTERPROYINCIAL.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 28, 1 August 1907, Page 3

INTERPROYINCIAL.

A wool-sorting class in connection with the Ashburton technical classes is to b& started in Ashburton this week.

Alfred Stuart, who was drowned at the wreck of the scow Surprise at Tairu* last week, was a son of the late Captain Stuart, of the s.s. Rosamond, and Drother of Mr J. Stuart, chief officer of tho barque Hazel Craig.

There is a great demand on the West Coast for hardwood timber for railway works and other purposes, and there are orders in hand for upwards of two thousand piles and a large quantity of hewn timbor. At the present timo there are loading at the Clarence River, New South Wales, tho barques Hippolas ana* Daniells, and the auxiliary Darquentine Rio Loge. All these are expected to leave for Groymouth during the week.

The wreck of thn Addenda, at Te Kope, Wairarapa, is now being broken up for the timber that is in it.

The Chairman of the Feilding Firo Board estimates that the insurance companies doing business in Fielding will have to contribute £5 14s per cent, of their premium income towards the maintenance of the Feilding Fire Brigade.

Last week saw the completion of tho tunntl in connection with the drainage outfall at Lawyer Head. To pierce a tunnel of 860 ft through solid rork was necessarily a long and tedious job.

A good deal of sickness of a more or less serious nature prevails amongst the Maoris at Ruapaka, in Pelorus Sound.

The- Gisborne Racing Club made a profit of £647 Is on the recent steeplechase meeting, notwithstanding that£he stakes showed an increase ,of J0155 over the previous meeting. * N

While blasting operations were gfting on at Mount Roskiil, Auckland, an exceptionally heavy shot was ,fired, xnd stones flew all over a house in the vicinity. One great mass went Tight through the roof and fell on the ceiling abovo the diningroom. Several smaller piecen of stone went through two windows in the drnwingroom ; smashing great holes in three panes of glass, and then dropped oil to the carpet. Fortunately no one was injured.

It is a remarkable fact (says the Greymouth correspondent of the West Coast Times) that the vagaries of the Greymouth bar seem to entirely "control business matters. When the bar is unworkable business seems io be dead, and then when the blockade is raised all seems to bo rush and bustle.

In discussing the small birds nuisance at the conference of ivlanukau local bodies, several speakers spoke strongly on the damago done by quail in spreading noxious weeds, especially blackberries. It was pointed out that quail wero protected, and that it wa6 hard that farmers should have to suffer for the benefit of sportsmen. The meeting eventually decided to request that quail be included in the small birds nuisance:*

A record haul of frost fish was made at Bowcntown, Bay of Plenty, a f&w days ago. One party of men secured eight and another four.

The Hastings Standard reports that Mr. D. E. Davis, who recently purchased Chesierhope Station, has resold the property to Messrs. Ferney BrOB., of Tangoio, at a profit of over £6000.

Ah Young, who was fined £7 9s 6d at Palmerston on Monday, for i aiding and abetting opium smoking, refused to 'pay the lino, and was taken to Wanganui to servo a six months' sentence.

At the inquest at Napier on the body of William Henry Mooney, the jury returned a verdict of found drowned, but there was np evidence to show how doceased got in the watci,

The infectious diseases' hospital question resulted in another abortive meeting at Dunedin yesterday, the various local authorities not being ablo to agree. The ' principal exception taken was with reference to the- apportionment of contributions as submitted by the district hcallh officer, nnd several of the more distant of the bodies claimed to be excluded altogether. A motion by Mr Stevenson (representing Taieri County Council), approving the district health officer's recommendations, was carried by a large majority. The chairman, however, pointed out that this, to be effective, must be unanimous, so the whole ouestion will bo submitted to the Stipendiary Magistrate again.

A deputation from Helensville waited on tl.e Auckland chamber of Commerce a few days ano, asking for co-operation in urging a diversion of the railway by way of West Auckland to ehorten the distance to Kaipara district. It also asked for the chamber's assistance to get fuller recognition by the Government of the value of the hot springs at Helensville, and in having further lmprovo.ments effected. The president (Mr. AlI fred Nathan) promised tlie co-operation hoi tho chamber.

One case of bankruptcy has be-en recorded in tho Wairatapa during July. For tho year ending to-day, there have boon oight cases, as nine for ths preceding twelve months.

Settlers at Fitzherbert West have decided to cntcrtnin Mr. Lionel Wallis, cx-presidont of' the Manawath A. and 1-*. Association, and a very 'old resident of Fitzherbert, before he departs for Auckland, where he intonds residing.

The contractors for the new dock at Port Chalmers (Messrs Luttrell and Scott), have commenced proceedings against Mr. Thomas Begg, of Anderson's Bay, in respect to a ' contract f or tho supply of stone from the Anderson's Bay quarry to the works at Port Chalmem.

At a special meeting of the North Canterbury executive of the Farmers' Union the following resolutions were carried unanimously: — That in view of the large annually recurring surpluses any increase in direct taxation is unnecessary. That the proposal to differentiate between' tho owners of city properties and the owners of country land 6to the greats' disadvantage of the latter is at once anomalous and unjust. That no further increase i in the graduated hind tax should. be imposed unless it is accompanied by a corresponding increase in tho income tax.

Thore is a good deal of misapprehension concorning the' liability to rates of lands field' under the Bush and Swamp Aci, 1903. Recently the holder of a seotion represented to the- clerk of 'the Clifton County Council that ho did not consider himself liable for the MhniMokau road special rate, on account of the tenure of the land. Mr. Vaughan replied that section 2 of the Bush and Swamp Act, 1903, provided that this land should be exempt from General rates levied by a local body," but did not apply to special rates levied as security for loam under tho Local Bodies Loans Act. The section in question having been included in the special rating area, has become part of the security mortgaged" for the raising of tho loan, and it is not exempt from the special rato. Thi,> fact should W better known nmongAt Crown tenants upon this jsarticular ternue.