TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1682, 25 May 1904, Page 31

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

AUCKLAND, May 23. The Supreme Court was occupied today with cases arising out of the Kingsland tramway accident. Four cases were set down, the claim by Miss Emily Davis for £IOOO and that by Alfred and Elizabeth Oaley for £3OOO having been settled out of Court. Victor Davis Parker, aged twenty-three, claimed £505 15s for injuries received whilst a passenger in one of the company’s cars. This was not one oh the Christmas casualty cases. Plaintiff was travelling on top of a car when a trolly-pole fell, breaking plaintiff’s leg in pieces. The responsibility of the company was not disputed, the question of the assessment of damages being the point at issue. The jury awarded the plaintiff £IOO damages, and ordered costs against the company according to scale. When the Court resumed after tins luncheon adjournment, Mr Cotter, for the company, stated that in the case of John Young Hogarth v. Tramways Company, a claim for £IOOO damages for injuries received in the Kings]and accident, a satisfactory settlement had been effected. DANNEVIRKE, May 23. Torkel Olsen, aged sixty-one, a settler of South Norsewood, died suddenly on Saturday afternoon. Deceased was found in the milking-yard by one of his sons lying on the ground insensible. Efforts to restore animation failed, and death supervened two hours afterwards. TIMAiRU May 23. A man aged about forty years, name unknown, was found on the roadside near Winchester on Saturday in an unconscious condition. He was removed to the Timaru Hospital, where lie died the same day without regaining consciousness. An inquest was held to-day, when the medical evidence went to show that death was caused from pneumonia of the left lung and inflammation of the membranes of the brain. Deceased had been lying on the roadside all Friday night, and his right arm and leg were paralysed. He only had a shirt on when found. There was nothing about him to reveal his identity, but a handkerchief in one of bis pockets bore the name of E. N. Downs. Deceased’s clothes looked liks those of a greaser or fireman. THAMES, May 23. Deputations waited upon the Hon J. McGowan to-day. The Council of the School of Mines recommended that the examinations for the Bchool of Mines scholarships should be made easier, as they were now too difficult. As an alternative it was asked that candidates, instead of being compelled to obtain 75 per cent, of marks in all subjects, should be treated as successful if an average of 75 per cent, was obtained. The Minister promised an answer after giving the matter more consideration. The question of securing a grant for the erection of a new high school was also brought before the Minister, who promised to bring the matter under the favourable consideration of the Minister of Education. The present building is twenty-six years cld. The Borough Council brought various matters, mostly applications for grants, before Mr McGowan, who said that the present vote from which aid could -be given had already been expended, and until fresh appropriations were made Government was unable to give definite grants. CHRISTCHURCH, May 23. A meeting of about three thousand electors was held this evening to consider the position of Newtown and Bruce, and the following resolutions were carried: “That this meeting of Christchurch citizens desires to express its sincere sympathy with the residents of Newtown and Bruce in view of the results that must follow' the decision of the Privy Council in the Newtown licensing case; that this meeting further expresses indignation at the three-fifths votes of the electors m ’Newtown and Bruce being nullified through petty trivialties. and calls upon Parliament to pass as an emergency measure such.legislation as shall validate the licensing polls in Newtown and Bruce or provide for immediate second polls therein, and also the necessary legislation by way of amendment of the .regulation of Local Elections Act as shall prevent the will of the people being similarly thwarted in the future. The speakers were Messrs T. E. Taylor, S. Bilcliff, Revs T. Fee, R. S. Gray and Dr Erwin. DUNEDIN, May 23. The criminal sittings of the Supreme Court opened this morning before Mr Justice Williams. Donald McLean, w’ho had pleaded guilty in the Court below' to making a false declaration under the Land Act. w*as discharged on the understanding that he should come up for sentence if called on. Lloyd Evans, alias James Harry Evans, was brought before the Court as a person who had broken the conditions of his probation. He was charged with perjury and fraud in February last year, and w'as admitted to probation for twelve months on the understanding that he paid <£4s costs ii> curred by the prosecution, by weekly payment of five shillings. Only £8 3 6d had been paid; and the man had not reported himself. The Judge said prisoner's failure to report and"to make any payment since January-last showed, that he had no real intention of carrying out the conditions of probation. The Probation Act. was not to lie played with in that w'ay. A sentence of six months*

imprisonment was passed. • Robert Malone was found guilty of robbery with yioleh.ee. Sentence was deferred. William Baker was acquitted of a charge of ' robbery. Entries for the Otago A. and P. Society's winter show total 736 as against 696 last year, despite the fact that there are no duplications in the entries, as there was last year in grain, seeds, etc., where the same exhibits were entered in tha farmer and open classes. The cheese entries number 61, as against 56. but the butter entries have fallen from 106 to 57. There is a great increase in the entries in roots. The directors of the Donaghy Pope and Twine Company have declared a dividend of 8 per cent, for the year. The amount collected for the British and Foreign Bible Society Centenary Fund now totals =£B76 17s. Mrs Elizabeth Cane, aged 41 years', wife of a miner, attempted suicide at Bluespur by cutting her throat Avitli a carv-

ing knife. The wound is very severe, and fatal results are anticipated. Special to the “Mail.” ROTORUA, May 20. The railway station does not present the scene of bustle it did some weeks ago/ The hoard of boarding-house proprietors are not there rubbing their hands 'with keen satisfaction as they do whebvthh express rumbles into the station; with its heavy load, of tourists and holiday-seekers; The few arrivals on the evening train now clearly show that the ; busy, traffic is over for* a month or two. ■/; . / It - is not. long • since all the coaching ..firms of Rotorua amalgamated. into a coinpahy ; / styled • the Rotorua Motor Obaching Gompany. It is understood that i firin’ in-a large way will commence in Jiine running an opposition line of inbtor-cars and coaches.. This no doubt Will' bring , about, a:* great reduction in fares/:,'/ /Elhe floating ef the Oil Launch Company, jias : induced the Steam Navigation Company to reduce the lake fares considerably. The Hamurana Spring trip

| dropped; from five shillings to one shilling | in about three days. ! The Public Works Department is pushI ing ahead with the new drainage scheme. ' This is one of the most urgent and necessary requirements of Rotorua, and there will be general satisfaction when . the system is inaugurated. i A very interesting feature is being added to the native village of WliakareI warqwa, in the shape of a model native pa. The pa is yet in an unfinished state, j but the many Maori carvings already [ erected are inciting great admiration. | When completed, if, should be of especial i interest to> visitors. . Sportsmen are paying a good deal of attention to the surrounding country, and judging by some of the bags are | having some excellent pheasant shooti ing.

Amongst the visitors now in Rotorua are Sir John See, Premier of New South Wales; Hon. W. P. Crick, Minister of Lands, New South Wales; and the Hon. Seymour George, of Auckland. MASTBRTOIN, May 23. It is expected that about forty delegates will be present at the annual conference of the , Wellington provincial district of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, which commences here tomorrow. Forty-four notices of motion are set down on the order-paper, but despite this fact, the delegates confidently hope to gqt through the business by Wednesday night. \ To-morrow night Mr J. C. Cooper will deliver a lecture in the Town Hall, under the auspices of the Masterton branch of the union. On Wednesday evening the local executive and members will tender a .complimentary banquet to visiting delegates. The order of business for the conference, which opens at 10 a.m., is as follows President’s address and report, financial statement, election of officer-beavers

and delegates to colonial conference, and notices of motion. Outside the summary of the orderpaper printed in the "Times” last week many matters trenching deeply on politics will -be dealt with. Three different branches are urging the conference to express its approval of Mr Massey’s proposed amendment to the Land Act, to give e\ r ery Crown tenant the right to acquire the freehold. Then there is the following plain and pointed motion from Cheltenham, “That the executive make a levy to provide funds to fight the elections, and tlntt every member of the union be urged to make a block vote for the selected man.” __ Another branch wants the conference to protest against preference to unionists. Matters dealing with timber-cutting rights and OroAvn tenants’ grievances will also be brought under notice. Eketahuna

asks that the provincial conferences be abolished, and colonial conferences with increased representation substituted.