NEW ZEALAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 123, 4 June 1901, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, last night,

The Four-in-Hand Company treated S 5 tons for £514, the Hauraki 100 tons of general quartz and 331 b of picked stone for £350, the Irene 75 tons for £126.

An Alliance temperance meeting was held in Albert Park on Sunday. The attendance was 3000. Beferenco was made to the Grand Hotel fire. The Chairman, the Kev. Mr Kelly, said no doubt there would be a strict inquiry into fire escapes in every hotel in New Zealand. A resolution was carried asking the Licensing Committee not to grant an extension of licensing hours during the Eoyal visit. The Chairman said that for the first timo in 15 years he had noticed that the consumption of liquor in this colony had diminished one-half. He had been in Wellington 11 months, and it was the most drunken city in the colony. At a large meeting in the Opera House last night, Mr Fowlds, M.H.K., presiding, a resolution was passed as 'against the extension of hours to hotels during the lloyal visit. To-day a welcome breakfast, was followed by a business meeting.

In the Supreme Court Louis Bollind was sentenced to 10 years’ hard labor for an unnatural offence on a boy. Ex-Judgo Martin is defending Archibald McKee, charged with the theft of a gun. His Excellency the Governor was a passenger by the Waikaro, which arrived from Sydney to-day. An eight-year-old boy, stepson of Mr George Pratt, who was badly scalded by falling into a boiling spring at Botorua, is dead.

The Alliance balance-sheet for the year shows a credit balance of £9O 10s 7d, the largest in the history of the Alliance. The amount to debit liquidated during the year was £412 7s sd. To secure this satisfactory financial position the aggressive work of the Alliance had suffered somewhat, but the work of organisation is said to be steadily increasing.

Woodville, last night. Messrs Fairbairn, landlord of the Post Office Hotel, his son, and two friends were poisoned. last night through eating tinned fish. • They had herring and tomato sauce, and about 10 o’clock were

taken ill. One victim, Mr McGee, is very bad, and the doctor was only called in in time to save his life. There was a great improvement in the condition of all this morning.

Dunodin, last night. Alexander Anderson, aged about fifty, while walking along the railway line near Deborah Bay tunnel yesterday afternoon, fell from a bridge on to some boulders in the creek below. He was brought into the hospital, where it was found the man was paralysed from the shoulder downwards, and it is feared his spine has been fractured. Anderson, who is a platelayer on the railway, also acted as watchman at the Waitati Cliffs.

The beautiful meteor which fell at about 8.10 last evening excited much attention among the crowds parading the streets who observed the sight. The path travelled was from high towards tho zenith in a westerly direction to eastwards.

Wellington, last night. Mr Frank L. Biss, traffic manager of the Union Company, Wellington, has been promoted to be manager of tho Dunedin branch.

The Sonoma, which left Auckland for San Francisco on May 13th, nine days late, arrived there on the 31st, eleven days behind time-table date.

The Mariposa, with London mails of 18th May, left San Francisco for Auckland at 10 a.m. on May 30th, which is her due date under tho altered timetable.

The Agricultural Department, at the request ol' the War Office, is making an experimental shipment of five tons of cheese to South Africa. The cheese camo from Kaupokonui factory, Mamaki. The Police Commissioner, Mr Tunbridge, tours tho colony with tho Boyal party.

The stallion Danger Signal will bo sent to the Dunedin Winter Show, and will bo placed on exhibition a day at Timaru and a day at Oamaru on the way down. Two other Government stallions will bo sent for a time to Momahalti.

The War Office reports that the two steamers building for the Government for submarine mining purposes at Auckland and Wellington will be ready for delivery at the end of August.

The old-established business of William Patrick has been acquired by Mr Hastic, of Taieri. Invercargill, last night. A meteor of extraordinary brilliancy shot across the eastern sky in a southerly direction shortly before eight o’clock on Saturday ovening. The moon was behind a bank of clouds, when the gloom was suddenly dispelled and the place lit up almost as bright as day. Before passing from sight the meteor burst into many hued fragments of dazzling light. A young man named McNickle, employed at Erindale, was killed on Saturday by a tree falling on him. Timaru, last night. The bookstall at the railway station was broken into by larrikins between Saturday and Sunday. It is supposed they were after tobacco, but nothing is missing. While investigating the matter early on Sunday, Mr Markus, the stationmaster, let slip a heavy shutter, crushing two of his toes badly.