TELEGRAMS. [PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

Evening Post, Volume LCCVI, Issue 126, 26 November 1908, Page 2

TELEGRAMS. [PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

THE GEEAT Bj\T! TO CHUECH UNITY. AUCKLAND, 25th November. Expressing his views upon a letter from the Anglican Church proposing a church union, a Presbyterian minister, the Eev. A. A. Murray, of Sfc. Andrew's Church, said he did not think there was the slightest hope of union so long as there existed a leaning towards ritualism in Lhe Anglican Church. This was the great bar to unity. The Presbyterian General Assembly had, he said, so despaired of a union that it had disbanded the commitee set up to confer with other church committees on the question. A union must be on evangelical lines. A Methodist opinion, voiced by tlio Eev. Georgo Bond, chairman of the Methodist Synod, was that a fraternal spirit was frrst necessary. This was the difficulty rather than denominatibnalism. Fraternity might culminate in an organic union, but the time for the latter had not yet c<?me. ILL-TREATMENT OF A GIRL. DUNEDIN, 25th November. At the Supreme Court to-day the case against George Edwards Smith and Charlotto Elizabeth Smith, charged with having ill-treated a girl under the age of sixteen years in a manner likely to cause her unnecessary suffering, was continued. Other counts alleged indecent assault. The male accused, in addressing the jury, denied the allegations of improper treatment. He said the chastisements inflicted on the girl were land and firm attempts by himself and his wife to do their duty to God and the girl herself. The jury returned a verdict of guilty, and sentence was deferred. ALLEGED OFFENCES ON CHILDREN. DUNEDIN, 25th November. Benjamin Barker was charged at the Supreme Court to-day with criminally assaulting a girl nine years of age. The case was not concluded when the court rose. \ James Wood, changed with criminal assault at Duntroon, was found not guilty. THE POWER OF. LABOUR. AUCKLAND, 25th November. The annual meeting of the Auckland JLmployers* Federation was held this afternoon. Mr. Miller (vice-president) reported on the proceedings of the conference of employers at Wellington. He pointed out that they had the Labour party opposed to them, and this party was led by men who were working for their own gam -and influence more than for the ' lasting good of the people they were supposed to represent. They were working on the ignorance and credulity of the working men. He went on to contrast the energy displayed by the Labour party m the Dominion with that displayed by the employers' associations, and said the latter were not doiir' enough. Employers knew that the men were happier and worked more pleasantly before there were any labour unions in New Zealand. Mr. Goldie referred to the substantial majority gained at the election by the Hon. J. A. Millar, which he said should I do -much to remove the fear that any- I body who opposed the Labour party was bound to go down. On the other hand, Mr. Rosser, of Auckland, who i was able to plunge the whole country I in commotion by waving a red flag, had lost his deposit. That showed that Labour was not the power some people thought it was here. TO .SOLIDIFY THE LABOUR VOTE. AUCKLAND, 25th November At a meeting of the Auckland Trades and Labour Council to-night, it was derided to join the New Zealand Federation of Labour. .Mr. "W. Pleydell gave notice of motion to the effect that a committee be appointed to report upon the advisability of appointing an organiser to solidify the Labour vote, of the Dominion. HOUSE DESTROYED. DUNEDIN, 25th November. ■A four-roomed house in Cargill-street, owned by .Mr. G. Morrison and occupied by Mr. J. Barton, was destroyed by -fire this morning. The insurance on the building is £275 in the National : furniture, £135 in the South British. CH'RISTOHURCH TRAMS. CHRISTOHUaCH, 25th November. The Christchurch tramway traffic returns for the -four weeks from 12th October to Bth November inclusive, show that 862,46^ pao&engers were carried, as against 882,757 for a similar period last year. When sundry small receipts are added, the total revenue for the period amounts to £7420 12s 4d. The operating expenditure for the same period is £4195_ 15s 3d, which leaves a net profit of £^214 17s Id. From this amount must be deducted interest, sinking' fund, ana depreciation, which amounts to £2763 7s 2d. The net profit is therefore £550 15s lid. The deficiency for the current financial year to dale is £2356. A PERJURY CHARGE. ItfVERCARGILL, 25th November. Tho case in which David Cochrane, ercretary of the Southland Frozen Meat Company, was charged with perjury ■ m connection with the recent suit brought by Watson Bros, against the compaay was concluded to-day. Cochrane was committed for trial. RESIGNATION OF A COUNTY ENGINEER. CHRISTCHURCH, 25th November. At to-day's meeting of the newlyelected Selwyn County Council, a letter was read from the council's engineer (Mr. A. Donald Paterson) which slated : "Owiug to the somewhat unsatisfactory relations existing between the council and myself, I beg to tender my resignation as engineer to the council. This will enable the council to obtain tiib services of another engineer who nidy ccc eye to eye with them on proposed schemes. I ehall be glad to be relieved i of my duties as soon as comenienl, and. if pi'Siibla, by the end of the year." After a lengthy discussion il was agreed to acctpt the icsignalion, 'and give- Mr. Paterson three months' salary, allowing him to decide when he fchou'kl leave. It was also agreed lo call for applications for the position ol engineer to the council at a sal-iry of £400 per annum. WORE IMMIGRANTS. AUCKLAND, 251h November Some 152 second class passengers ficni j Engkmd in lived by the Federai-liouklei'-Shiio liner Dc\on, which reached Auckland to-day from Liverpool. These aro described us of a pailicularly good class, j and include a lurgo proportion of farmers and farm labourers. The following are the bookings to the various ports of the Dominion: — Auckland 39, Wellington 73, Lytteßon 8, Port Chalmers 19, New Plymouth 6, We&lport 5, Oamaru 1. Of the total for all porlh the various trades aro represented a,« follow: — Domestic servants 6. farmers 20 farm labourers 3, joiners 2, enginemen and drivers 8, carpenters 5, tailors' machinists 3, labourers 2, mechanics 5, butchers 2, turners 2, moulders 3, draughtsmen 2, clerks 3. There were also one each of the tollowing : — Fire man, giocer, traveller, printer, painter, bricklayer, wool-sorler, patternmaker, wardrobe dealer, cycle-maker, cabinetmaker and jeweller. Mr. Shan<ighan, officer in charge o f the local Labour Bureau, stated that of the immigrants for Auckland only nine were assisted by the Government, the other thirty being unassisted.