NEW ZEALAND

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 535, 1 October 1902, Page 1

NEW ZEALAND

(Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, last night. 'An old man named William Porter an express man fell off a cart in town yesterday afternoon, and died at the Hospital at. midnight of a fractured skuli. A private cable from Capetown states that the Premier and the Coronation Contingent will arrive in Auckland on October 25th. WAIPAWA, last night. The Ilatuina branch of the Fanners Union has passed a resolution requesting stock auctioneers to pay for purchase by cheques drawn ori local banks or to . add exchange to those drawn otherwise. CHRISTCHURCH, last night. At the inquest on the child, Rudolf Kelly, who was badly burned as the result; of his night-dress catching lire on Sunday morning, a verdict of death from the shock was returned. The grocers’ dispute started in the Arbitration Court this morning. The claims of the Union are : 40 hours to constitute a week’s work ; counter hands to he paid £3 10s, £3, and £2 10s, according to position'; provision hands £3 and £2 10s ; carters £2 10s and £2 5s casual laborers Is 3d per hour ; overtime, time and a-quarter for first two hours and time and ahalf afterwards, double rates on holidays ; preference to Unionists ; apprentices one to three .journeymen for each firm, to be indentured for five years, and the pay to range from 5s to 30s. James Maher, licensee of ihe Oxford Hotel, at the Magistrate’s Court tiffs morning, was'lined £lO and costs, for keeping a barmaid employed after 11 p.m.

WELLINGTON, last night,i

The Supreme Court was occupied today with a case of some importance as affecting tiie question of residence on Crown lands under lease in perpetuity. Tiie Land Board fdrfcited • the lease of Fairfield Thompson, on the grounds of non-compliance with the residential conditions. Tiffs decision will be appealed against. WESTPORT, last night,

For having un-Customed tobacco in his possession, a young man was" fined .£(!, treble the -value of hie goods. Tiie tobacco was purchased from tiie China collier Mercedes.

GREYMOUTH, last night

In connection with the vawmillers’ dispute, a conference was held here yesterday afternoon, when terms were come to in regard to prices, which remain as heretofore.

The Tyneside Colliery Company are erecting bins and screens. The mine is clear of water, and in good condition, with a large quantity of good Loal in sight. Owing to the backward state of'the bins and screens, it will be two months before coal is in the market.

There are a large number of unemployed in the district, and they propose to call a public meeting to urge the Government to proceed more rapidly with the State coal railway. HOKITIKA, last night.

hi the Supreme Court in tiie case of Rex. v. Gregory, the case for the Crown closed tiffs morning. Mr Guinness, for 'accused, applied for a remand till Thursday to enable further evidence to be obtainable from Murchison. His Honor consented to tiie adjournment. The case of I-lilicir v. Jacobs, a charge of common nuisance for erecting a bjuildiiig on the public highway, is now proceeding. AUCKLAND’S EPIDEMIC. AUCKLAND, last night.

An extraordinary epidemic of sickness is prevalent here, and seems rather on the increase. The symptoms are acute diarrhoea, vomiting, cramps in the legs and lower part of tiie abdomen, intense thirst pointing to the sickness being of toxic origin. When questioned as to the immediate cause, medical men can only state that so they arc baffled in this respect. A circular was iysued yesterday by Dr. Makgill, District Health Officer, to all medical men in town, asking for detailed information to enable tile Health Department to thoroughly investigate the matter. Some are of the opinion that tiie sickness lias been imported by returned troopers, but one medical mao asserts that none of the troopers had anything like tiie same symptoms.