NEWS ITEMS.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 279, 3 December 1907, Page 2

NEWS ITEMS.

The Auckland Islands t'rmn which the sailors of the wrecked Duntlouald were rescued are about 4UU miles due South of Stewart Island.

In the Divorce Court, Auckland, Mr Justice Dennistou grafted decrese nisi in Stanley Henry White v. Caroline White, desertion; and Mary Burns v. -Thomas Burns, adultery.

November was one of the driest months on record in Napier. The total rainfall was only half an inch. There is still no sign of a break, and farmers are becoming anxious.

A boy named Hector Morrison, aged 8, a son of a settler at Waihi, Tarauaki, was caught in the belting of a milking machine on Saturday, and was so badly injured (his limbs being broken) that he died yesterday.

The danger of cleaning gloves with benzine was illustrated again in Wellington when a Mrs Taylor, living in Daniel street, severely burned her arms and hands through the benzine catching fire while she was engaged in this operation.

Mr L. F. Ayson, Chief Inspector of Fisheries, who has just returned from inspecting the Otago salmon hatcheries, states that all the salmon are growing well, and the general condition of the hatcheries is highly satisfactory. "Outdoorfarm labour is infiuately better and healthier for a girl than domestic service," said Mr W. Lowrie, in his evidence in the Farm Labourers' dispute at Ohnstchurch. •' I would recommend a girl to go to a farm rather than to domestic service."

The Ashburton County Council have decided to accept the offer of the Telegraph Department to provide a clerk to sleep at the Ashburton Telephone Exchange, and answer calls after midnight for medical attendance for £32 5s for the first year and £20 per year thereafter. A Woodville authority says that in one of the largest factories in his district the output of butter will not be as great as it was this time last year. The season was very late in starting. Hβ forecasts a great shortage of butter in the Dominion this season, and expects to see the present high prices maintained.

Nine of the bookmakers sentenced to imprisonment recently at Christchurch, and who were first offenders, have had the remainder of their sentences remitted by the Governor. Mr McGowan, Minister of Justice, has recommended his Excellency to remit half the sentences of others who were sentenced at the same time.

Talisman Consolidated has declared a dividend of one shilling per share, payable on December 21st. The total paid in dividends is £165,000. Waihi Company paid a dividend of 3s 6d per share yesterday, the total paid being £2,839,432.

At Dargavilie Edward Mulhern, aged about nine years, while bathing in the Kaihu Creek on Sunday afternoon, being unable to swim, got out of his depth and was drowned in the presence of his mother, who made a determined but ineffectual attempt at rescue. The body has not yet been recovered.

The following quaint composition is a copy of a Maori's will, recently proved in the Auckland Supreme Court:—"i" (here follows name of testator) "i perfectly sane Leave Horses and Land, all that belongs to me to" (here follows name of beneficiary). At the foot of the document there appears over the signature of one of the witnesses the following:— "i See putting him name over the stamp.''

At Masterton District Court, Alexander Reside, who was summoned as a juror, did not appear. Mr C. A. Pownall, on his behalf, said that he had been called out to Akitio—-a long distance away—to take delivery of a large and valuable consignment of stock for the Company he was employed by, and that as the delivery was in pursuance of a contract, Mr Reside had eleoted to ask the clemency of His Honor, and take the risk of not attending. He was fined £1.

A tangi en a huge scale commenced at Moawhango yesterday over the remains of Edward Arani, a rangatira.who owned much land there. Arani died at Wanganui, and his remains were bropght to Taihape on Thursday evening and placed in a large building, where a crowd of Maoris held an impromptu tangi. Natives from near and far are attending the function, which will be the largest ever held in those parts. Joseph Henry appeared yesterday before Judge Denniston to be sentenced on a charge of having forged a telegraph money order. The prisoner said he stole the money to get married. His Honour said that he could not grant probation except in cases of previous good character, and he deferred sentence for this evidence. ' The inclusion of swimming as part of the school curriculum by the London County Counoil has met with unqualified success. ' Out of the 104.087 children attending these classes 80,105 were girls. Many of the schools have their own contests, but the London Schools Swimming Association, to which a large number of the schools are affiliated, holds an annual competition in the autumn of each year, when certificates for proficiency are given to every boy who can swim 100 yards, and every girl who can cover fifty yards. Thursday's Dunedin Times states that Lionel Terry, on arrival at Lamb Hill, last Friday, was hatless. and clad only in shirt, trousers, and 1 sandals. A resident offered him a hat and then a cap, both of which were politely but firmly refused. He quietly told them who he was; also that he had made his way thither from Seacliff across some rough country, including the Silver Peaks. Hβ was tired, he said, ot the monotony of Seacliff, and intended to take a fortnight's change. The fact of his having traversed such a difficult stretch of country in a few hours did not seem to strike him as being a feat. He partook of some food, and walked away up the road. Another resident, anxious lor an interview, attempted to head him off, seeing which Terry turned asiae into a gully, and disappeared as unexpectedly as he had arrived. It is rumoured that Terry was seen in the neighbourhood of Waipiata on Friday morning.