LATE TELEGRAMS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue 9303, 20 March 1907, Page 7

LATE TELEGRAMS.

[PRESS ASSOCIATION. 1

AUCKLAND, March 19.

A syndicate has been formed for the purpose of taking up land in the King C<mi)try to prospect for gold, and in a short time to go in for thorough development work. Prospecting has been carried out and a reef located on Maori land. Although some fair specimens) of ore have been cbtaaned, quartz }ias not yet been opeaed up to test tihe value of the stone. The capital of the venture has beer, fixed at 52800 in 140 shares of £20 each.

WELLINGTON, March 19. Referring to the Meditieraanean f luit fly in New Zealand, there is not yet any great ground for a scare, but there is sufficient tjo warn people that they roust give notice of the pest as soon as they observe it. There is a very good chance of stamping out the fly before it can get a grip of the dountry, and th© Departments officers will ■resort to all possible remedial means. "We will have to take very drastic measures," said Mr J. D. Ritchie, secretary for Agriculture, £bss morning. "The destruction of all fruit from infected orchards is an imperative necessity." Owing to the slips on the line the express train from Napier, due at 7.20 last night, did not arrive' till 2.30 o'clock this morning.

WANGANUI, March 20.

A lad 12 years of age, son of Mr Preston, licensee of the Aramoho Hotel, was drowned this morning in th© river near the railway bridge. He -fell in the stream while attempting to catch, driftwood coming down in the flood.

TTMARU, March 20. ' At the Pareora freezing Works this morning five more strikers resumed work, making 18 in all who have started. It is expected thai the balance will resume work to-morrow.

At Smithfield works 51 butchers are wtorking, and everything is' going smoothly there.

NELSON, March 20.

Considerable damage was done by fire at the Port Hall, us(ed for mission services and other purposes. The origin of the fire is a mystery, but a. drunken man was seen near the premises earlier in the evening.