TELEGRAMS. QUICKER MAIL SERVICE NEEDED FEUDING FACTS. AUCKLAND-GROWN WHEAT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 133, 12 June 1909, Page 9

TELEGRAMS.

QUICKER MAIL SERVICE NEEDED

FEUDING FACTS.

AUCKLAND-GROWN WHEAT.

CHRISTCHURCH GAS COMPANY. rBT TEWCRAFH.— SPECIAI TO The POBX.I CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. There ■was a good deal of discussion in Christchurch yesterday in regard to an announcement that the Christchurch. Gas Company had decided to increase the price of gas on the basis of sixpence per 1000 feet, making the price 5s 9d net. The increase will not be made directly, but will be brought about by means of a reduced scale of discount for prompt payments. It has been decided to revert to the old rate that was in force at tho beginning of 1906, and the change will be made on Ist July next.. ' Mr. R. C. Bishop, secretary of the company, was seen by a reporter, and enquiries were made from him in regard to the reason for the decrease in discounts, but he said that lie had no information for publication, except that the reversion had been made on account of the large continuous increase in the cost of coal wares and other items. Enquiries, weie made amongst coal dealers as , to whether a general rise in the price of coal had taken place lately or was contemplated, and also as to ■whether the small consumer would be affected. It was stated that there had been no change, and most of the dealers seen said that it was not even contemplated. It had certainly not been considered as far as household consumers were concerned. The Gas Company apparently uses large quantities of Australian coal, and as there has been some increase in freight it is probable that the company is paying more for that coal that it did formerly. The company is not treated in the same way as an ordinary customei. Its coal transactions are in the form of contracts whose provisions, of course., are private matters, and have not been disclosed. In regard to wages, enquiries failed to show there has been any increase in that direction. Mr. A. Patterson, secretary to the General Labourers' Union, states that general labourers are paid Is an hour, which has been the rate for years, and the. stokers and cokers are still working -under an award which has been in operation for some time. It is stated, indeed, that the company has greatly reduced its wages sheet by the introduction of automatic appliances.

iJBt Txleskaph. — Spewaii to Ths Post.) AUCKLAND, This Day. The need far a quicker and more regular mail service between v New Zealand and Great Britain is evidently forcing itself upon English business people, and an Auckland firm ihis week received a communication from London upon the subject. Portion of the correspondence in question stated : — '"Sales for these parcels were posted to yon on 29th January and 12th February, and we are surprised that our letters of tlie former date had not reached you on 17th March. The mai> arrangements between this country and the Dominion will never be satisfactory until a fortnightly service, via Canada or America, is established, so that letters should get through with some certainty in four or five weeks."

(By Tklegbapii. — Special to The Post.] FEILDING, This Day. '"Frosty nights and fine clays" is the weather report foi the veek in this district. Like the Government, the Feilding Borough Council is setting its house in order, with a view to curtailing expenses. Asked for a report, the engineer (My. Roche) stated that the borough improvement works now in hand would bo completed in six months. It is thought the borough can then get along without an engineer, and it was decided to give that officer six months' notice. There is a &trong hope lh.it Mr. Watkin, a New Zealand teacher, who >s now completing his art course in London, will be the successor of Mr. Fossey as director of the Feilding Technical School. Mr. Fossey goes to the Napier School. When ho comes up next month to open the new courthouse here,' it is hoped the Attorney-General (Dr. Findlay) will bring up one of his popular lectures to deliver in the evening in aid of the funds of the Technical School. St. John's Anglican Church and Sun-day-school were unfortunate through the destruction of the schoolroom by fire yesterday, as the choir girls lost their surplices and caps, the Sewing Guild much work, and the school its harmonium and library.

(Bt TmjtGßAi'H. — StecijJj to Tbs Post.] AUCKLAND, This Day. Auckland, up to the preseut, has never been regarded favourably as a wheat-growing province, the majority of those qualified to judge considering that the climatic conditions are so conducive to the appearance of rust in wheat that its culture is next to _an impossibility. Yesterday, howevei, a r/ress representative was shown a splendid sample of - Tuscan wheat grown at Harapepe, in the Waikato district. The wheat was sold to an Auckland firm of millers, who stated that it iniUed with .better results than the best Canterbury sent North this season. The recent season in the Auckland province was not by any means exceptionally favourable to wheat-growintj, yet the sample shown is entirely free from rust and 'of splendid milling quality. ImEsa A3SOOIATJOH.I A STRANGE CASE— CHARGE OF ! ATTEMPTED MURDER. WANGANUI, 11th June. A very singular case has occupied the Supreme Court during the past two days. The circumstances are to the following effect :—: — On s 22nd February last two men, Amos Chatfield and Frederick Garlick, left Ohutu for Taihape, a couple of miles distant. They were intimate friends, and Garlick accompanied Chatfield at the latter's request. They intended to return home in time to do the milking. About 8 o'clock at night Garlick led Chatfield's horse home and declared that he had thrown Ghatfield into Hautapu river. Ke was evidently drunk, and his actions during the next hour or so were of an exceptional nature. He reiterated that he had killed Chatfield, and threatened to kill Mrs. Chatfield, whom he wanted to come in a cait and look for her husband. Eventually Garlick got his gun, and about 10 o'clock was shot through the shoulder, the bone being shattered and the flesh torn away. Witnesses declared that the wound was selfinilicted. While Oarhik was terrorising the village a party had gone in search of Chatfield, and found him lying amongst some shrubs, about fourteen feet down the bank of the river. The shrubs had stopped a fall over a precipice seventy feet deep. He was dead drunk, and did not waken till alter he was pulled on to the road. The hats of botb men wore found lying on the road, and there were marks as of a man having baen dragged .acjoss thp yoad ta His. £c£ft-fif .tbeJauk.

In court Chatfield stated that when he and Garlick reached Taihape they had some beers, but left for home quite sober, both being of temperate habits. Garlick bought <a bottle of draught whisky, and this they drank going along the road.' Chatfield had two drinks and then lost consciousness, knowing nothing more till awakened by his rescuers. Garlick, in giving evidence on his own behalf, said that Chatfield got so drunk that he fell off his horse. Garlick pulled him to the side of the road, out ol danger, and Chatfield then rolled over the clift. Garlick tried to pull him up, but could not, and then, at Chatfield's suggestion, went for the cart and Mrs. Chatfield. From that point mina was a blank, and he knew nothing of his subsequent actions at Ohutu. The jury retired at 10.15 to-night, and after half an hour returned a verdict of not guilty on the charge against Garlick of attempted murder. The jury subsequently found Garlick not guilty on a charge of intimidation and attempted suicide, holding that lie was not in a rational state of mind. Accused was then discharged. ASHBURTON WINTER ®HOW. ASHBURfTON, 11th June. The sixth annual winter show, under the joint auspices of the Ashburton Agricultural and 'Pastoral Association and Poultry Society, opened to-day in favourable weather. The poulfciy division included the South Island championship event, thero being 23 championships on this account. Poultry entries totalled 869, or 394 in excess of last year, while, in the agricultural division, the total was 677, as against 585 last year. In the poultry division white leghorns were very strongly _ represented, and brown leghorns, minorcas, and all classes of wyandottes, with black Orpingtons, were also numerous. Indian runner ducks were a feature of the division, while in pigeons, the tumblers* and magpies' pene were the best filled. In canaries, the chief breeds represented were Norwich and Yorkshire, while the entries in the juvenile classes were almost double those of last year. The agricultural division, though roots* and garden produce made a somewhat weak display, was satisfactory, the fat slock being very fine. There was keen competition in the farm and dairy produce sections. MOTOR-CAR AND PROMISSORY NOTE. FEILDING, 11th June. A case in which W. Clarkpon sued A. Porter for £100 on a promissory note in part payment for a motor-car, concluded last night. The defence was that the defendant was drunk when he signed the bill, and therefore was not responsible. After a lengthy hearing, the magistrate decided that Porter was not drunk, and gave judgment for the plaintiff. ASHBURTON LICENSING COMMITTEE. CHRISTCHURCH, 11th June. At the meeting of the Ashburton Licensing Committee to-day, applications were received for the renewal of the licenses of the following houses : —Star Hotsl (Rangitata Bridge), Arundel (Geriildine), Commercial (Geraldine), Crown (Geraldine), and Orari —which previously were in the Geraldine electorate, but which, owing v to the alteration of the electoral boundaries, are now in the Ashburton district. The committee decided that it had no power to grant the applications. CHILD'S BODY FOUND—ARRESTS. • DANNEVIRKE, 11th June. Some days ago it was reported. that the body of a fully developed male infant was found in jthe vicinity of the Woodville railway station. Some investigations lave been made by tho police, and to-day a man and woman were arrcotcd in the Dannevirke district. They will appear at the Woodville Court to-morrow. TAKING WHISKY INTO OAMARU. DUNEDIN, 11th June. Mr. Justice Williams heard a motion to quash the conviction by Mr. Hutchison, S.M., of Albert Bond, for taking whisky into Oamaru. It was stated that on 15th February the police laid an information against Bond, charging him that he gave an order to one O'Brien (publican), for a case of whisky, which Bond took into the no-license district of Oamaru without giving to O'Brien a, statement in writing of his name and address. Plaintiff prayed for prohibition from further proceedings upon the conviction, on the ground that as licenses were in existence in the licensing districts wherein the offence was alleged to have been committed, the Magistrate was wrong in point of law in convictiug Bond. The point at issue is through the alteration of the boundaries ol the Oamaru electorate, which, until the period expires, now contains licensed premises within its boundaries. His Honour reserved his decision. NATIONAL DEFENCE. WANGANUI, 11th June. At a largely attended meeting of the local branch of the National Defence League last evening, including a large number of ladies, it was decided to form a women's branch and Red Cross corps. It was also decided that the citizens of Wanganui should provide a championship rifle challenge belt, and a team shield to be competed for annually by the primary school cadets throughout New Zealand. The meeting was very enthusiastic, and a large number of members Avas enrolled. BLENHEIM, 11th June. At a large and enthusiastic meeting of citizens last night it was uncnimously resolved to form a Blenheim branch of the National Defence League. HAWERA, 11th June. Mi. R. M'Nab had a crowded and enthusiastic house last night. At the close of his address a resolution was unanimously carried affirming that any system of national defence worthy bf the name must recognise the absolute necessity of military training and marksmanship for every able-bodied adult o£ suitable a-ge, and that Parliament should be asked to legislate accordingly.