COUNCILLORS FORFEIT THEIR SEATS AN EXTRAORDINARY POSITION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 48, 26 February 1908, Page 6

COUNCILLORS FORFEIT THEIR SEATS AN EXTRAORDINARY POSITION.

[Bt Telegbaph. — Spkoiai, to The Post J AUCKLAND, This Day. An extraordinary position of afl'aira was revealed at the meeting of the Newmarket Borough Council last evening. Immediately on the conclusion of the reading of the minutes of the previous meeting, prior to the usual confirmation, Councillor Kinder rose to a point or order, remarking that he had heard that one or two of the councillors had lost their seats by default in consequence of .non-attendance. He desired to know if such was the case. The town clerk intimated that the report was quite correct, as councillors E. Davis and D. Seed having failed to attend for four consecutive ordinary meetings, or to apply for leave for such occasions, were no longer entitled to their seats. The Mayor (Mr. F. Bennett), pointed out that one of tho two councillors attended the last meeting and that several resolutions had been passed in hi» name, he not being at the time a legal member. It was unanimously decided that th« minutes should not bo confirmed. Th» council then took the business of last meeting again, the resolutions passed thereat being ono by one again placed on tho minute book. NOTES FROM DUNEDIN. ♦ "THE FINEST SCENERY IN THE WORLD." [By Telegraph. — SrEOiAx to The Post J DUNEDIN, This Day. The new Post Office at Roslyn— opened yesterday afternoon by the Hon. J. Millar—cost £1350. Mr. R. Orr, of Caversham, was contractor. The proposal to hold the country , bands' annual contest in Lawrence th& year has fallen through. In all probability tho BluS will be the town 1 selected. The Hon. J. A. Millar, w"ho leaves for Wellington to-morrow morning, intends to return to Dunedin at the beginning of June, when he will address his constituents. Probably ho will pay another flying visit hero on departmental business six weeks' hence. A party of tourists who visited the West Coast Sounds in the Hinemoa, oa her quarterly lighthouse trip, came overland from Miiiord to Te Anau. They speak with enthusiasm of the grandeur of scenery which one British visitor, who had travelled extensively over all quarters of the globe, declares emphatically to be "the finest in the world.". Milford was seen under varying aspects of sunshine, mist and heavy rain, tho latter causing hundieds of tremendous cataracts to pour from precipitous cliffs, whilst the same rain caused the Sutherland Falls to be seen at their best. The view from M'Kinnon's Pass down tha Valleys of Clinton and Arthur wove declared by the visitor previously referred to to be a facsimile of the famous Nerdda 1 Valley in Norway. Dusky Sound he describes as more beautiful and Milford as grander than any Norwegian fiord. The Milford route is greatly ip creasing in popularity. KILLED IN A TUNNEL FATALITY a"t TAIHAPE. [BT TELEGBAPH. — PItESS ASSOCIATION.} TAIHAPE, This Day. An elderly man named H. Johns was Hilled in the Taihape Tunnel by a late train last night, and horribly mangjed. It is supposed he was walking through on, his way homo to his section, when he was met by the ' train' from the Wanganui sculling match. .The body was discovered by a ganger this mor ing An inquest will be held. MINISTERS ON TOUR. ♦ [BT TELEGItAPH.-~PRBB3 AB3OCIATIOH.J REEFTON, This Day. The Minister of Lands arrived new last evening, and gave a short address to a crowd in the street, thanking them for the reception. He stated that he roalised the great possibilities of the districts on the West Coast, and the need of better railway communication. The Minister also promised to do his best to increase land settlement in the district a& tho railways proceeded. This morning Mr. M'Nab visited tha hospital. He left for Westport later. Regret was expressed at the short stay of the Minister. KAWAKAWA, 25th February. The Prime Minister (Sir J. Watd) wafl most cordially received on his journey from Whangarei to Kawakawa to-day, the district turning out from far and near to bid him welcome on his first visit. Before leaving for Russell this , evening he delivered a public address , to Kawakawa residents, during which he indicated that railway communication with Whang&rei would be established before very long. The present distance between rail-heads is some eight miles. Sir Joseph was accorded a vote of , thanks and confidence. serious allegedTssaillt. I FIVE MEN ARRESTED. [Br Telegbaph.— Special to The Post.} AUCKLAND, This Day. i During the past few months the re* sidents of Otahuhu have been complaining of the disorderly conduct of a i few of the passengers who journey from . i Auckland by the late train leaving towa at 11 p.m. On Saturday evening a pas- , senger was assaulted and an unseemly i disturbance was created on the train. , When the train had almost reached New- , market, five young men who were ap- ■ p.irently somi-intoxicated, attacked a ■ fellow passenger, named William Joseph • Wintero. It is alleged that they seized ! Wintero on some pretext and dashed him against the window of the carriage, the glass being smashed. Wintero went out on the platform, where he was again i assaulted. At the Glasgow Freezing ■ Works the train stopped and tho victim of the assault was obliged to get off. ' Finding himself pursued he ran along i the railway track and after going some ' distance he fell down a culvert between 1 tho rails in an exhausted condition. • The five men, it is asserted^ camo up ■ and after using some abusive language • towards him, dragged him off the line ' and the train passed immediately after- • wards. A little later the men de- ' camped. W intero has since been in the hands I of a doctor. Tho police at Otahuhu took • the matter in hand and five young men • wore arrested in connection with the occurrence. They were brought before the ) court at Otahuhu this morning and rer manded.

It was reported, at a meeting of the Hutt Valley Coursing Club last night, that there was every reason to believo the New Zealand Coursing Association would grant permission for the club to hold a meeting on 18th and 20th April next. The ground at Trentham, whereon the club's courses are to be run, is no win good order, and there is every prospect of a successful meeting eventuating. Mr. J. L^opdell, of Hawkes Bay, was appointed judge, bj last night's {nesting,,