TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1676, 13 April 1904, Page 20

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

AUCKLAND, April 7. A number of suspicious characters Who bad been under observatioh by the police for several weeks left Auckland this morning, probably owing to the exemplary punishments recently imposed upon vagrants. There Avas quite a stir on the departure of the Avest coast steamer for the south yesterday, OAving to a raid Vy the police upon a few passenger® travelling under assumed names, in connection with offences in this.district. They were searched and alloAved to proceed. During the passage of the barque Northern Chief from Newcastle to Aucklan.l, an able seaman named W. Kassens, aged 19, step-son ot Captain George Kassens, the master, fell'from the topsail yard, and Ava® droAvned. The sea Avas too rough to attempt a rescue. A daring robbery took place at the Royal Hotel, the thief or thieves getting aAvay Avith a cash register Aveighing a wt., which contained the takings for the day in one of the private bars. The Customs duties collected in Auckland during the quarter ended March 31st amounted to £171,657, of Avhich the sum of £lllO avcs under the preferential tariff. The total receipts from all sources for the quarter Avere £187,456, an increase as compared with the same quarter last year of £10,561*. Auckland, April 8. The, mail steamer Sierra on her outward trip to San Francisco has a full passqjnger-list, many being bound for the World’s Fair at St. Louis. The booking list Avas full seven days ago. The Sierra takes 57 tons of NeAA T Zealand exhibits, in charge of Mr Donne, Superintendent of the Tourist Department. HAMILTON, April 7. The King Country police have adopted a riOAV Avay of dealing Avith sly grog-selling. At the Magistrate's Court at Te Awamutu, a number of charge® were laid against persons under the Maori Councils Act, 1800, Amendment Act 1903, for introducing liquor into a Maori kainga. Questions as to the jurisdiction of a Magistrate and of a Maori Council Avere discussed at length. These being the first cases o: the kind to come before a Court no de cision has yet been given. HAMILTON, April 8. The Magistrate sitting at Te Awamutu, after hearing further evidence, adjourned the charges of introducing liquor into Maori kaingas until next Court day. GISBORNE', April 7. Captain Skinner, of the schooner Aotoa. reports sighting a barque a long distance off land this morning, Avith her fore and main topmasts apparently gone. xnAPIER, April 7. A curious position has arisen in connection Avith the Clive River Board. Being unable to agree* upon the electon of a chairman, the whole Board resigned. The police have been advised that the man Milne, who Avas lost in the bush on the Rotorua-T'auranga road, has reached home, none the Avorse* for hi® exposure in the open since Sunday. HASTINGS, April 8. The Hawke’s Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Association passed a resolution against a proposal to bei discussed at the next meeting of the Rabbit Board, suggesting an amendment to the Rabbit Act, so that the Avhole question of rabbit inspection be vested directly in the hands of the Board’s officers; further, that steps be> taken to get a. Bill passed under which the Rabbit Board may obtain convictions against, persons persistently neglecting to destroy rabbits on tlieir properties. The A. and P. Spring Slioav has been fixed for October 19th and 20th. The flood in the lower Papakura district yesterday caused much more loss than was feared. One mob of 500 sheep was SAvept aAvay. The flood quickly subsided. , WANGANUI, April 7. Gardiner won the clraAights championship. Hilliker was second. WOODVILLE, April 7. A sitting of the Maori Land Ocmrt was held here to-day before Judge Batham, Avith Mr Hone Heke as assessor. -Two of the most important cases Avere settled out of Court, and the others will occupy the Court until to-morroAV. An appeal case* before the Chief Judge is expected to commence to-morroAV afternoon. At the County Council meeting this morning, the question of cost of upkeep of the Ngawapurua rail and road bridge Avas considered. The Raihvay Department has levied half the cost of upkeep on the Woodville and Pahiatua Counties. Both bodies object, and the following bodies will noAV be cited before the Commission to show cause why they should not be compelled to pay a proportion the cost —namely, Woodville Borough and County, Pahiatua Borough and County, and! W eber and WaipaAva Counties. WESTPORT, April 7. At the District Court to-day, the case Lobb and the Westport Coal Company v, Richmond, an appeal from the decision of the Magistrate, Mr Kenrick, awarding the respondant £lB Avages. etc., Ava® heard. The appeal Avas* dismissed Avith costs. In the case of alleged slander, Allen v. Peterkin, a claim for £25 Is, plaintiff Avas nonsuited. CHRISTCHURCH, April 7. Information was received by the police authorities to-day that a map Avhose name v r as stipposed to be Quane, had been killed last evening on the Midland Raihvay works, near Staircase Gully. The body of the man Avas found at the bottom of a steep bank with the skull smashed. The case is surounded Avith circumstances Avhich are someAvhat suspicions, as the man ie said to Have been quarrelling with some companions on the train just before the accident. CHRISTCHURCH, April 8. Amongst the exhibits sent by the Government to the St. Louis Exposition was a collection of wheats, oats, rye-grasses, clovers and cocksfoot; also specimen sheaves of wheat and oats. The collection was got together by a local firm of seedsmen at the request of the Tourist Department. ASHBURTON, April 8. The Ashburton County Council has decided to hold a special meeting to discuss with chairmen of local bodies a proposal to abolish Road Boards.

TIMARU, April 7. The new freezing works built at Pareora by the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, oAvners of the Belfast and Fairfield (Ashburton) Avorks, were formally opened this afternoon. The works are situated seven miles south of Timaru, alongside the railway, and close to the sea (into Avhich the drainage is delivered), and there is an excellent water supply. The buildings occupy about tAVo acres, and are of concrete and brick, and in respect of the arrangements for convenience of Avorking, are believed to be superior to any other works of the kind in existence. The slaughterhoAiso is fitted for 64 ■> butchers, and it is possible to deal Avith 5500 sheep per day, Avlvile tlxe cold stores are capable of holding 100,000 to 120,000 sheep. Power and light are distributed throughout the Avorks by electricity. .Six hundred and fifty acres of land have been acquired, and a toAvnship for the Avorkmeu laid out. The Avhole outlay Avill run well into £IOO,OOO. All the buildings Avere erected, and most of tlxe fittings put in position xvithin nine months. About 800 guests Avere present at the luncheon. Congratulatory speeches were made by several visitors, and admiration expressed at the up-to-date character of the buildings and machinery. DUNEDIN.'ApriI 7. Mr J. C. Williamson is understood to have arranged with Mr George Ed Avar ties for the production in London of Mr Alfred Hill’s opera “Tapu.” Cecelia Furk, a boardinghouse keeper, pleaded guilty this morning to a charge of selling liquor in the no-license district of Port Chalmers. Defendant and her husband occupy Die premises formerly used as the Mai’ine Hotel. Two coastables in plain clothes drove up in a trap, had breakfast, and were afterwards supplied Avith whisky and beer, _for whica they paid. Defendant was fined £2O >nd costs. Three other informations dealing with the same day were Avithdrawn. Mr A. L. Herdman, M.H.R., addressed the electors at Naseby last might, and was accorded a vote of thanks and confluence. The Rugby Union ha® called upon the managers of the teams which visited Christchurch at Easter to furnish reports upon the" conduct of the team®,especially upon the northAvard journey, and to reqxxest the District Traffic Manager at Christchurch to supply copies of any reports from raihvay officials bearing on the matter. The union has appointed Mr E. S. Ailson secretary. Special to the “Mail.” CARTERTON, April 8. Next 9 ha® just been received Avhich leads to the belief that tAvo young men, Harry Cadwallader and Owen Udy, Avere drowned last night whilt attempting to swim their horse® accross the Ruamahanga river. They left the Bush Hotel for Poratalii, Avhei-e they had a metalling contract rear the residence of Mr James Wall, at 3 p.m. yesterday. This morning ..their horses Avere found on the hank of the river, bxxt there Avas no trace of the men. It is supposed that the young fellows attempted to* take a short cut to Poratalii and tried to cross the river Avhere there Avas no ford. Yesterday morning the Ruainahanga' did not shoxv any signs cr being affected by the rain, hut it rose suddenly in the afternoon, and at the spot near where th© horses AX'ere found :t Avas running half a mile Avide. The river banks are* nOAV being searched. Hie river itself Avill be dragged as soon as it subsides. Harry Calwallader is a single man, tAventy-nine years of age, and bonx in Carterton. He is Avell-knoAvn in athletic and sporting circles, and is a prominent Wairarapa representative footballer, and with Tilson Bros., is recognised as one of the best horsemen in the district. Udy is nineteen years of age and a son of Mr John Udy. of South Carterton. Later. One of the men employed metalling at Poratalii rode into Carterton late this afternoon and stated that neither ladxvallader nor Udy had yet reached camp.