LATE TELEGRAPHIC.

New Zealand Mail, 21 February 1901, Page 36

LATE TELEGRAPHIC.

AUCKLAND, February 18. At the -Dargaville fire on Saturday, when the Kaihu Hotel was destroyed, James Carmody, a pensioner, was burned- to death in his bed. Other inmates escaped in their night-clothes. Nothing was saved. The servants had a narrow escape. Two** boarders named Carry and Gemmell were badly burned, and were removed to th£ hospital. The insurance is unknown.

An inquest was held at Clive to-day on the body of Joseph Davis, labourer, who was killed on Friday evening last by a dray falling on him." A verdict of accidental death was returned.

AUCKLAND, February 19. As regards the joint-purse proposal in connection with the Pacific cable mentioned in a recent message from Australia, the Hon J. G. Ward says that, personally, he is of opinion that the proposal is unsound. It is most unbusinesslike for the contracting countries to talk about a joint purse and fixing the proportions the Pacific and Eastern Extension cables should respectively receive before they are in a position to know what business the Pacific line»"will acquire. There is, he adds, no need for precipitate action.

The Premier and the Hen. J. G. Ward were engaged in transacting departmental business this morning. At noon they witnessed the departure of the Imperial troops. The Hons. T. Y. Duncan and J. McGowan left for Rotorua this morning, in order to make arrangements with reference to tree-planting at Waiotapu.

A meeting of the Cabinet w r as held, at which there were present Messrs Ward, Duncan and McGowan.

The expenditure of £2OOO was authorised in connection with new works at the Rotorua baths.

The question of purchasing a farm at Papatcitoi for stud and experimental purposes was held over until a full meeting of the Cabinet. The returns of the valuations of city property for 1901 show that the total ratable value is £352,177. The total v alive for the. year ending February, 1900, was £329,162, and the values of the present year show an increase of £23,015. Tins represents, on a basis of 2s 3d in the £, an increase of £2935 in the annual revenue of the city. Another case of infant abandonment is reported by the police. At about ? o’clock, this morning the dead body of a newly-born female infant was found in the gutter in Union street. •. • GISBORNE, February 18. The tonnage of vessels in port on Saturday aggregated 20,000.

The schoolhouse at Muriwai .was totally destroyed by fire last night. GISBORNE, February 19.

A native woman named. Harata Paratiti was charged at the Police Court to-day with having unlawfully killed one Taini Rawhi on 25th November last. The case is one of alleged tohungaism. It was shown that deceased had been treated by Dr Hughes, for typhoid fever, when the accused came along and guaranteed to cure him in a couple of days. Her treatment was immersion in the surf on the beach. He was left in a tent, the nights being cold and wet, and was given occasional drinks of flax water, and dieted on shark and sting-ray. He died in two days. Accused was committed for trial* NAPIER/February 19. . At a meeting of the Napier Harbour Board to-day Mr F. W. Williams-,.- was appointed chairman. The Hon J. D. Ormond had refused to accept nominal tion for a seat on the Board' The members unanimously expressed high appreciation of the valuable services rendered by the late chairman during his eighteen years’ tenure of that position. A deputation, representing the Board, and consisting of the chairman, Messrs J. V. Brown (Mayor), H. Williams, S. Carnell and A. L. D. Fraser, M.H.R., was appointed to wait upon the. Premier upon his arrival on Friday with reference to the Western Spit protective works, and to ask when the money voted by Parliament for the work will lie available-

NEW PLYMOUTH, February 19. At a public meeting hold this evening it was decided to form a Borough Ratepayers’ Association, on the lines of' the association in Wellington. ; The Harbour Board decided to-day to obtain a report from Mr Napier Bell on the proposal to cut a hole in the breakwater. In the meantime Mr Bell strongly advises the Board not to tomb the mole.

WANGANUI, February IS. At the Presbyterian Assembly, on the motion of Dr Elmslie, seconded, by the Rev J. Paterson, it was unanimously resolved to forward an address of condolence to the King. The matter of church insurance was again left in the hands of the committee. The thanks ofi the Assembly was accorded to the retiring law adviser, Mr W. S. Reid. Petitions regarding gambling were circulated and! protests made against Sabbath desecration . Gratification was expressed at the union of the Free and United Presbyterian Churches of Scotland. The Rev J. White read the report on the Sunday School teachers' examinatioris. WANGANUI, February 19. At a meeting of the committee in connection with the recent visit of tire Imperial troops, it was reported that there was a surplus from the function, of £79 over aud above the! expenses, which amounted to £159. The committee decided to invite the Indian troops to visit the town.

PALMERSTON, February 19. Mr Sherratt, licensee of the Longburn Hotel, was fined £2 and costs yesterday for refusing to admit the police to his premises.

A young man named Parker, a recent arrival from Hawke’s Bay, is believed to have been drowned in the ! Manawatu river on Sunday. He went to the river to bathe, and has not been seen since. His clothes were found on the river bank. The police are dragging for the bodvGREYMOUTH, February 19*. In the Foley’s Extension “ salting *' case, now being tried in the District Court, several witnesses swore that Lawson was at work all day on the date he was said to have been at Greymouth buying gold at the bank. The Trades and Labour Council has passed a resolution asking the Government to make clauses in the Mines Act regarding shafts to mines more explicit. The Coal Commission is taking evidence at Brunner to-dav. CHRISTCHURCH, February 19. At the Magistrate’s Court to-day, William John Wilding was committed for trial on a charge of attempting to murder his wife with a razor, and also with attempting suicide by cutting his throat. Henry Bowie Kirk, who was some time ago committed for trial for converting to his own use £295, the property of his employers, Messrs G. L. Beath and Co., the well-known drapers, and whose case was thrown out by the Grand Jury against the Judge’s instructions, was again brought up on the same charge at the Stipendiary Magistrate’s Court today, and was again committed for trial. W. Burnip, landlord of the Criterion Hotel, was charged to-day with serving drink after hours. It was contended on his behalf that the beer which the constables saw drunk a.t 11.30 p.m. had been served before the closing hour, fine case was dismissed. CHRISTCHURCH, February 18. A few weeks ago a publican at New Brighton was charged by the police with Sunday trading in giving more than, one drink to a traveller. The Magistrate dismissed the case, but now the police are appealing against the decision. At a meeting of the Lioensecl Victuallers' Association to-day it was decided to engage counsel to oppose the appeal. < . . *

' At the C.J.C. Midsummer Meeting Mr G. G. Stead won £ll6O out of atotal stakes of £2020.

The president of the Journalists’ Institute has received from the Chief Justice an acknowledgment of . the motion of congratulation and thanks passed by the council of the institute at its last meeting. His Honor writes: “Would you be kind enough to -convey to the members of the institute -my warmest thanks, and say that I always felt it a pleasure to be in any way connected with journalists and l the press. It is thirty-five years since I wrote my firstleading article for New Zealand papers/" The president has also been advised by Dr Findlay, of Wellington, cf his acceptance with pleasure' of the position of honorary counsel to the institute.

At the opening -of the civil sittings to-day Mr Fisher, on behalf of the Bar, congratulated Mr Justice Denniston on his return. His Honor briefly replied, expressing pleasure at his return to the colony. OAMARU, February 18. The weather is now perfect for the harvest, which is in full operation. Samples of new grain received, are excellent. The yield is expected to fee generally good. The Conciliation Board sat yesterday DUNEDIN, February 18. The criminal calendar next week consists of ten charges against twelve prisoners, including the charge of manslaughter at Cromwell against the dredgemaster of the Central Electric Dredge, tli© Otararua stabbing case, and two charges of criminal assault.

At Tapantii, within the Clutha prohibition district', Mr Stratford, S.M., was engaged in hearing further oases of alleged sly-grog selling. James O’Dowd Was first charged with sollihg liquoi>onSunday. “The principal witness was a man named Fearnley, employed by the police at police pay, but combining with it travelling for Messrs Wrigglesworth and Binns',* seeking orders for photographs.' He. deposed to ordering four drinks for the Rev Tosswill, Dallas (in Government employ),- O’Dowd and himself. Mr ' Tosswill denied having been served on' the • night in question. Dallas’s evidence Was, i somewhat hazy, and he could not say what drink he had

or what the others had, or whether money was paid : but he said lie saw something like coin on the table. After the defendant had explicitly denied the evidence of Fearnley, the case was dismissed. A second charge was laid, .uid will be heard to-morrow.' There are in all six informations. A little girl named Katherine Sitamrock Hunter, aged eleven months, has been drowned in a tnb in the scullery of her mother’s house at North-east Valle*-. DUNEDIN, February 19. Slv-grog selling prosecutions were proceeded with to-day at Tapanai. George Dunnett, of Kelso, was convicted and fined £4O and costs, or a month s imprisonment. The information against McCann was dismissed, and the hearing of fresh informations laid yesterday was adjourned. It was stated that McCann would only allow one stranger to enter his bar at a time, and always locked the door behind him. Fearnley and Williams, who were in the police employ, o-ave evidence a.s to being supplied with drink. Williams (who was at one time in the Deeds Office at Napier) fixed no definite date. For the defence evidence was given that on the day stated by Fearnley. McCann had gone away fishing from an early hour till late at night.