NEW ZEALAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 86, 20 April 1901, Page 1

NEW ZEALAND.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, last night. The second instalment of £IO,OOO of the City Council’s loan has been fully subscribed. A portion of the slimes stolen from the Waihi battery some months ago was removed on Tuesday last from its hiding place. The Riverhead Paper Company has declared a 5 per cent dividend.' A private cable records the death of Mr Alfred Rathbone, the London correspondent of a number of Australian and New Zealand papers. Mr D. Goldie, the retiring Mayor, was last night presented with an illuminated address by the City Council, highly eulogistic of his work. Hawera, last night. At a meeting of Waimate Plains ratepayers yesterday it was decided to promote a petition to the Government against the new land valuations as excessive and unequal. , Wellington, last night. The judges appointed to Award the prizes offered by the Government for designs of cards of invitation to public functions during the Royal visit, have sent their award to Cabinet. They recommend for tho first prize No. 12, Auckland, second, No. 32, Dunedin ; third, No. 3, Wellington. Of tho next in order medal prizes go to Wanganui competitors. The Premier leaves for Melbourne on

the 27th inst., to take part in the opening of the Federal Parliament. Mr Seddon states that the New Zealand Parliament will meet for the transaction of business on Friday, 28th June. Following are tho awards for designs, of invitation cards at the official receptions to the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall in

tho four centres: First prizes, 15 guineas; W. H. Young, Star Office, Auckland; second, 5 guineas, W. Sears, Wellington ; third, 5 guineas, R. Hawridge, Dunedin. The following receive prizes of 2 guineas: A. D. Willis, Wanganui (2); R. Mclntyre, Dunedin ; W. Gulliver, Auckland; C. Kitson, Christchurch.

A contract for the supply of one hundred and twenty thousand bronze medals for distribution amongst school children in commemoration of tho Royal visit has been given by the Government to Mr G. T. White, of Wellington. The Waihi Board of Conciliation resumed to-day. The Union asked to be allowed to add two clauses to their claim

—no Sunday labor except where indispensible, and wages to be paid fortnightly in cash.

It 13 surmised that the recent census will show an increase in the Maori population of the colony during the last five years.

During the time the Seventh Contingent were encamped in the neighborhood of the Upper Hutt, some of its members lowered the Danish flag floating over the residence of Mr Jensen there, mistaking it for. a Boer flag. Subsequently the officer apologised, and the new Danish Consul informs Jenson that the Government had apologised to him for the affront to the flag. The ’Frisco mail agent reports that there is no plague at San Francisco, and the steamer left there, and also Honolulu, with a clean bill of health. All the mails were disinfected with sulphur and carbolic during the voyage. The San Francisco mails were kept separate from those of the United Kingdom.

Dunedin, last night.

Mr G. S. Munro, of Dunedin, has purchased the assets of the General Exploration Company at Westport. These include the Rochfort and Bendigo sluicing claims, and represent an expenditure of ;£60,000. It is intended to dismantle and abandon the Bendigo property, and push on the development of the Rochfort claim and adjoining terraces. The final stage in a long-standing suit, Mills v. Isaac, was reached this morning, when Judge Williams gave judgment on a motion by Trustees relating to costs of certain proceedings. Costs wore awarded as against the Isaac family.

A NEW FISH STORY.

A TOOTH IN THE CABLE. [By Telegraph—Press Association.] Wakapuaka, last night. Much to the relief of the Cable Company’s officials, the cause of tho last fault in the cable, which the Recorder repaired some days ago, has been definitely ascertained. On the passage across to Sydney,the electricians on the ship closely examined the piece of the cable which they cut out, and found a fish bite had nearly cut the wire through. ■ Half-au-inch of tooth was firmly embedded in the core of the cable, which was lying in 330 fathoms of water at the locality of the fault, and the cable officials state that such an occurrence is most unusual at that depth. From one point of view, the discovery is extremely welcome, inasmuch as it shows the rooky ledge which it is known oxists at the locality of the fault does not present quite such dangerous characteristics as at first attributed to it.