TELEGRAMS.

North Otago Times, 25 May 1908, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON. May 23. The inquiry into the ro.Ymt five on llio Joniu commenced to-day. Captain Carter, in ;:ia ovidenoo; said llw sto.v mev was not materially damaged, not •:uch as to effect her sen-going lies. Jm reply to n question ns to ivhether lie lmd formed uny| opinion ns 4o iho origin of tlio fire, witnesi 9.\id that eliminating Iho theory as to spontaneous eomlwalionj lie could only suggest, as tlieio were two or thvod bales of llnx with steel tends romi-.i them, that sonio of tliESQ.Jjjinds mijlil have buret nntl thrown a- spar't iIHW'; iomc particularly favo'rab.e porfon'of tiro fl«x, He added that it was ni't-i possible that wax matches were ii>ti'olucod into the ship's hold, as men Wo not searched, but smoking did j not go on in the holds, I

May 21. The Prime Minister (Sir J. G, Ward) will make a Taranaki tour hesinning on Monday. He will visit Patea, Eltham, and New Plymouth.

The Hon. 0. Fowlds, Minister for Education and Health, left- for Auckland yesterday morning, and will address the electors of Grey Lynn during the week. Aii the Rugby 'matches were postponed yesterday, owing to" the bad weather. The information for keeping liquor for sale against Herman Ligurd Pearson, fruiterer, oi Wellinuton, who last w celt was convicted and fined for selling whisky without a license, was dismissed by Mr Hiddell, S.M., to-day in his reserved judgment. At the hearing of the cliai'BO, Mr Wilford had submitted on behalf of defendant that there v/ns no offence under the Licensing Act of 1881. Section 15!) of that Act, said his Worship, made the selling or exposing for sale of any liquor which the defendant was not licensed to sell, m offence, and provided a penalty for acli act, but the section did not veer lo keeping tor sale ns nil olTencein any way. Section ISli empowered any nspcctov of polico to issue a search warrant for the detection ami seizure of liquors kept for sale contrary to iuw, and again section 187 provided wiat in the event of the owner or occupier of any premises being convicted oi exposing or keeping- for sale any liquor which he was not authorised to e'.l, the liquor so seized should be for:'eitcd, This section seemed to imply that kcepinir liquor fov sale by an unlicensed person was an offence, but in no part of the Act was such a fact actually slated. It v was clear the defendant kept liquor for sale without a u'ense, but ns the Act, in the opinion of his Worship, did not make this nn offence, he could not be convicted. The information was dismissed.

GISBORNE, May 23. Tho Arbitration Court litis con-'lud-■<l its sittings nnd tlic incmVers ot lie Court will lcavo tor' Wellington to-morrow. In the waterside workers' ■lisputc, the workers' representatives nsked -thai the rate, should ; - ennin a,-: it prosnnt. The fudgo commented on the fad ilmt the workers had iclisturbcd the present arrangement, which w<is by the Un'ion'B dedre to have both the local comiianio? on the samo basis. Tho Court indicated that the rate for handling lambs must be reduced and directed that n conference foe held on the\ subcel. The Court dealt with a mimic.' of (breaches of awards of a minor diarac-t-er,

CIHRISTCHURCII. May 2-1. At a mass meeting of tlie 'tramway company's employees this morning it was resolved in send deputation to the Board asking that the outside'.person recently appointed ticket inspector over their heads' be retired, also to rosiest a continuance of the system mtil recently in vogue by which tuirilus monies brought in by conductors should be placed to their credit, nnd tscd as a set-off against any subsequent deficiency. The Hoard recently dee dwl to abolish the system of crediting surplus to conductors, and compelled the men to pay all delicicnycs out of their own pockets. A resolution of sympathy was passed with the Auckland tramway employes.

WAXGANUI. May 21. Fahcy's dontli was c.\us\l by Amhum crushing him, Tim horse struck the lop of tlic hencoop, nml Fnlicy slipped out of the saddle on to the woodwork. Arahurn tlicii turned a somersault and foil upon the jockey, fracturing his, skull and injuring him Internally.

NELSON, May 21. An unfinished five-roomed house on Britannia Heights, (ho property of B. .Jones, was totally destroyed by fire last night. The building was insured in the South British Office for £3OO,

MASTEItTON. May 21, It was intended to entertain the British (cam at dinner on Saturday nioht, but owing to satisfactory arrangements not being come to with tlin caterers, the proposal had to be abandoned. The visitors were driven to Papavni, near Grey town, to-day, and received a welcome from a largo body of Maoris,