TELEGRAMS. PRESS ASSOCIATION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 29, 4 February 1908, Page 3

TELEGRAMS. PRESS ASSOCIATION.

CROP PROSPECTS IN CANTERBURY. CHRISTCHURCH, 3rd February. &inre the extreme heat experienced last Wednesday, when the thermometer stood at 95 in the shade, there has been a, pleasant change in ths weather, cool days and nights taking the placo of tho formed almost unbearable heo.t. The showers which fell towards the end of lasf. v.-eek havu h.i<l a beneficial effect on the gardens and g^een crops, which have revived considerably during the last few days. The rainfall, however, was not nearly sufficient; for the rapo and turnip crops, ' which requiro 24 hours' steady ram. ' Exports from the , country districts show that the grain crops are all threshing out. unexpectedly well, heavy yields being reported from all. parts of tho province. The quality of , tho grain is uniformly good 1 , and unless there is 'a great change in the weather conditions during the next three weeks, the average quality should be equal if not superior io that of recent grain coming on tho market. Holders show no disposition to accept, prices bolow 4s 2d to 4s 4d for wheat, and 2s Id to 2s 4d lor oats — both at country stations, sacks extra. A NEW TURRET STEAMER. DUNEDIN, 3rd February. The ■ Union Company's new turret steamer Koromiko reached Fremantle on Saturday. The damage sustained in the Tun from Liverpool to Capetown was •slight, and was 1 repaired at small cost. After discharging a' full cargo of phosphates at Fremantle, the Koromiko proreeds to Bunbury to load a full cargraf hardwood Mr New Zealand ports. A PRESENTATION. DUNEDIN; 3rd February. Mr. o. A. Walker, senior counter clerk in the . telegraph office, on the occasion of his transfer to Christchurch, was presented by the local staff with a Eurse of sovereigns, also with ai handag for his wife. , WELLINGTON SYNDICATE INVADES AUCKLAND. - AUCKLAND, 3rd. February. Evidence -of ths rapid increase in ths value of property in tho environs of Auckland may be gained from the fact" that a property of 388' acres, part of the One Tree 'Hill Estate, has been sold for £78,000 by Sir John Campbell to ' a Wellington syndicate, which intends to subdivide .'for building purposes. ■OTIRA TUNNEL: PROPOSED CEREMONY. HOKiTIKA,,3rd February. Mr H. Quayno, chairman of the Midland Railway Committee' of the Canterbury Chataber of .Commerce, has written to, the Westland Railway League, suggesting that, there should be,,some public ceremony to mark the commencement of the Otira tunnel. A communication has ajso been sent to the contractors on tho * subject and it is likely Mr. M'Leai^ will confer with Mr. Quayne afc^Chxistchurch this s week. About a week, ago Mr. Seddoty M.P., as^ked . the,- Premier, if, when paying his projected- visit to the" Coast next March, hfi could take part in a function of the character now proposed, and Sir Joseph. Ward stated to tie member for Westland that it would give' him great pleasure, to do so. The Westland Railway League is now in communication, with local bodies in the Buller, Inangahua, Grey, and Westjand ( districts, enquiring if they , will cooperate. „ INTERCOLONIAL FARES RAISED. • " •, DUNEDIN, 3rd February. '< Owing W-thV increased! cosVof 1 b'unkcr coal, the Union Company" has increased intercolonial fares 'by ten shillings for saloon and five shillings for steerage passengers, as from to-flay. -.AUSTRALIAN . CRAPES IN 'AUCK- • . • LAND. - AUCKLAND, '3rd February. The first shipment/ of Australian grapes by the Mokoia this morning constituted two tons of black Hamburg and muscat Hamburg "and ' Chascelas 1 berries, "smaller than the Isabellas grown in the. open in this province. The grapes we're sold at auction to-day, and realised an average price of threepence per pound. OTAGO HARBOUR- BOARD. DUNEDIN, "3rd February Tho biennial nominations for the Ota go Harbour Board closed at ,noon' to-day. For Dunedin City, Messrs. Duthie- 'and Rattray were re-elected 'unopposed, and the Hon. T. Fergus was xe-elected^as re preservative of tho Chamber of' Commerce. Mr. ' Gow was re-elected as representatives of the hill suburbs,' and Messrs. Allen, M.P., Demaus, and Wat«ni, jur.., for Port Chalmers. . For.'Du'nedin and Sfc. Kilda (one - representative) Messrs. Bullock ,(tie retiring member) and Shacklocli'were nominated and for North-east v Valley and West Harbour (one representative), Messrs. Barclay" (the retiring member and - Green ■ are ■ the candidates. THE FLAX INDUSTRY. AUCKLAND, 3rd February. The quantity of flax graded at Auok- ' land during January, 1908, was 3635 bales, OT 627 tons, of" an approximate • value of £14,600.' This represents an increase of twenty-five tons on the figures for' January of Jast yearAUCKLAND GAS COMPANY. AUCKLAND. '3rd February. At the meeting of, the Auckland Gns Company to-day it was decided that the price of gas be reduced by .'id per 1000 cubic feet. A 'dividend tot the halfyear of 8s 6d per share, representing £15,351, was authorised. ' " SUDDEN DEATH. AUCKLAND, 3rd February.' Mr. Thomas Taylor, aged 63^ a settlor residing at ie Papa, was loading grain this afternoon, when he lell, and expirod almost, immediately. nc is believed to have suffered from heart affection. DEMAND FOR LAND. OAMARU, 3rd February. Applications for Otekailce sections having to be in by four o'clock, 'the Land Board staff here was kept exceedingly bu&y all day taking applications and- deposits. In all 699 applications were lodged' at Oamaru and Dunedin for forty-nino farms or runs. The examination of applicants will bp proceeded with at once. The ballot is expected o:i .Friday. MAORI RELICS. AUCKLAND, 3rd February. Ail addition has been made to the Maori collection in -the Auckland Museum by the well-known Rotorua guide Maggie Parukura, who has always taken considorable interest in the relics there. She has forwarded two ancient and elaborately carved mouthpieces far a taha or calabash, which was used by the Maoris for holding preserved birds. These calabashes in olden times were extensively used by the natives, especially in the interior, and more particularly in the Urewera district, where it was quite a common thing for great .lumbers of pigeons and tuis to bo slaughtered each season, and to be preserved in fat for winter use or for feasts. WAGES OF SLAUGHTERMEN. INVERCARGILL, 3rd February. A conference between slaughtermen and representatives of tho Southland Freezing Works was held this afternoon and evening to review a draft agreement defining wages, conditions of work, 1 etc. Nothing is finally fixed yet, but every-

thing goes smoothly. It Is the. practice of those concerned to hold theee meetings nurl conferences. The men affected do various kinds of work under different conditions, and the. task of airiving at an arrangement satisfactory to all parties is not easy. It is understood, however, ' that tliie has been done. TEGISTRATION TO BE CANCELLED. DUXEDIN, 3rd February. As an outcome of ths dispute between the "Wharf Labourers' Union and tho employers a meeting of tho union was h<?ld to-night to consider the question of cancellation of registration under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act. The meeting was attenflod by over ninety members, ' and it wns unanimously" decided to cancel the rogistiatiou. SUNSTROKE. INVBROARGILL, 3rd February. Miss Milford Gray, aged twenty-three years, suffered a sunstroko to-day at blulf, and was sent to the hospital. CRIME IN THE DOMINION. [Br Telegraph.— Special to The Post.] DUNEDIN, This .Day. At,, Auckland Mr. Justice- Edwards deployed the fact that no diminution of serious crime was apparent in tho Dominion. This cannot be said to apply to Dunedin, for the whole of last year there were only thirty-nine cases, while in ono of the other centres there were as many as thirty-ono cases at ono sitting. For tho quarterly criminal sessions beginning here on the 17th inst., J there is only ono caso to date that has I been sent for trial. \