WITHIN THE DOMINION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6325, 27 September 1907, Page 7

WITHIN THE DOMINION.

PRESS ASSOCIATION. COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. , DUNEDIN, September 26. At the Police Court yesterday a young man named Brnest Edward Cuthbertson Maxey was charged with having tempted to set fire to a shop at Kaxkorai Valley. Tho evidence showed that on tho I2fch inet. a fire broke out in a room at tho back of tbo shop, a sofa and chair being in flames. On the 11th inst. a fire broke out in tho shop amongst some paper bags. Both fires wore suppressed before much damage was done. On tho occasion of the second fir© accused was said to have been drunkAccused was committed for trial

THE HULK BLACKBALL. CHRISTCHURCH, September 26. Operations tor raising the sunken hulk Blackball were to be begun by the Blackball Coal Company this morning. It is intended to raise the bulwarks so ae to be above the surface of the water, to cover the hull between the bulwarks and the oofler-dam with specially prepared waterproof canvas, and to remove about 300 tons of the coal by means of the Harbour Board’s Priestman , dredge, bo aa to make clear room for the pumps of the Timaru suction dredge, the use of which it is, hoped to obtain in order to get at \the remainder of the 1300 tone of coal in the hulk. DIVORCE. CHRISTCHURCH. September 26. A" decree nisi was granted yesterday on the wife's petition In the divorce case of Powers v. Powers. The respondent was recently sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for ’an offence on a little girl FLOWER SHOW. CHRISTCHURCH. September 26. The spring show of the Canterbury Horticultural Society was' opened this afternoon in the Coloseeum. The entries, although not outnumbering those of the Exhibition shows, yet constitute-a record for a , spring show'. The exhibits were particularly fine, and the show was successful .in. every respect. COTTAGE HOMES. CHRISTCHURCH, September 26.. At, a meeting of the Charitable Aid Board yesterday notice ot motion was given—" That the Board take into consideration the question of the building of one or more cottage homes.” LAND FOR SETTLEMENT. OAALARU, September 26. I\>r the eleven sections comprised in the Airedale estate' recently acquired by the Government for closer settlement there were 416 applicants. All the sections were applied for. Of the eucceesful applicants* seven were local men and one each fi*om Temuka, Makikihi, Timaru, and Seadown. RAT N IN’ THE WAIRARAPA. MAS TEUTON, September 26. The rainfall in the Bush district during the past few days is reported to have been phenomenal, and around the Pahiatua county there has been a flood, the water in some parts rising to the fence-tops. MUNICIPAL GASWORKS. MASTERTON, September 26, A poll was taken to-day on a proposal to raise a loan of £I2,QOQ for gasworks, building, plant, etc. The proposal was carried by 110 votes to 51. Little interest was manifested in the poll, as’ out of over 1000 persons on the roil only 161 voted.

SHY-GROG PROSECUTION. DUNEDIN, September 26. ’ At Palmerston yesterday, John McGregor, a Dunback boardinghousekeoper, pleaded guilty to two charges of sly grog-selling, and was fined £4O in oil and costs. From the statement made by the Crown it appears that systematic trade was carried on during some eight or ten days A plain-clothes constable was living on. the premises. A subsequent raid unearthed a small quantity of liquor. 1' ■ TJU.C-A. BUILDING FUND. CHRISTCHURCH, September 26. The Y.M.C.A. Building Fund hqs reached a total of £10,487, £258 of which was collected to-day.