NEWS NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7023, 11 January 1910, Page 5

NEWS NOTES

A passewr on thl - Taruwern. accidentally jumped info an oi>oil bunker manna lu in lli'.> di'ck of that vessel yesterday and severely cut his head.

The sum of Jt.'iOl wat; taken on tlio city tram earn on Saturday, itn increase ■>! J;ll on tlio corresponding day last year. On Sunday tin; receipts totalled £'li?l, an increase of JL'-fJ.

With Urn continuance of tlio hot neither fires aro becoming numeri.u6. Yesterday the service* •■!' tlio l-'iro Hrignde -were required on two occasion* —ono at 12..'!8 p.m. to a grass lire at Thane road, jtoseneatli, and tin- other at 1.2-1 p.m. at Sutherland road, Mnrniiui.

Tlio Eov. George liudd. of i-'eilding, was takou seriously and suddenly ill at an early hour on Sunday morning, and was unable, to occupy his pulpit (bays tlio "Star". The Key. I'eter Jnm* filled tho cap and preached in the drey Btreot church at both ino-ming and evening sorviccs. The doctor pronounced the trouble to be- appendicitis.

It is probablo that investigation will bo made this evening at tho meeting nf the management committer of the Wellington Cricket Ai~ociation regarding alleged miwoiidu."t of certain members of tho Wellington rcpreaeiitativo team ivhioh visited Auckland at Christmas time in an attempt to capture the Plunket Shield.

Tho first evening meeting under tho nuspices of the Wellington Amateur .Athletic Club will be held on tlio Pa .-in Reserve on Wednesday, January llith. Three races will bo decided over distances of half a mile, one mile, and liaiyda. 31c.mljer.-j of all clubs uto eligible to compete. Entries close on tho lath inst. Tha first event will start at G. 30 p.m.

Threo bores havo been put down on the Ilomebiisli estate, to test the ground for further seams- of coal (telegraphs our Christehureh correspondent). The tests wore lu.ghly succcsstul, threo seams being struck varying from -1-ft to 7ft Gin in tniekne.-,-. Tho Minns are located near the tramway track to the present mint), and tha working of these presents no difficulty.

At a meeting of the Wellington Swimming Centro last night indignation was expressed at tho council merely " receiving " a. protest from the Wellington Centro with regard to the allocation of tho Now Zealand championship meeting. It was resolved :—" That in terms Df a resolution forwarded the council this centre has no intention of nominating any representatives to compete at the championship meeting at Auckland next month." .

A Finn who arrived last weok from Sydney by the Moeraki was unable to pass tho education test, and was therefore sent back to Australia. He made several desperate attompts to establish proof that ho was not illiterate, but failed every time, though a young countrywoman of the now arrivul, who re-sides in New Zealand, tried to get the Finn to use his best endeavours. A striking illustration of the value of life assurance as an investment -is afforded in tho case of the late Mr Samuel Hordcrn, of Sydney. In 188-1 he took out a policy in the A.M.P. Society for .£IO,OOO. The annual premium was J.'liSs 8s -Id, and upon it premiums amounting to X 7135 8s- 4d were paid. The bonus additions amounted to JJ7017 la, and the total amount of the claim payable was £17,0-1,7 Bs, or XV'MI 19s Sd more than the total premiums paid. Tho assurance of .£IO,OOO was thus actually procured at a total outlay of JUSH 0s -kl.

There is at present no by-law in the borough o£ Lower Hutt controlling the speed of motor cars. The Mayor (Mr 11. P. Bunny) stated at tho meeting: of the council last evening that tbero would be a. serious accident shortly unless some stepa were taken to limit the speed. The pace at which some cars travelled was appalling. One councillor suggested that it would bo a. matter of extreme difficulty to enforce a. speed by-law unless they had something in the nature of police-traps. After & desultory discussion tho subject was dropped without any definite action being taken. That troublesomo and elusive beacon the Jackson Head light is about to be removed and a more reliable illuniinant substituted. Tho Hinemoa, which is duo at Wellington to-moi-ix>w morning from her round cruiso to tho southern lighthouses, will leave on Friday morning for Jackson Head, taking a party of men, under ehargo of Mr Eraser, to carry out instailla*ion of the Pbitsch ens light. Thie Hinejaoa. will toko a skip's boat and an oil launch. Tho party will bo landed on the mainland at Cape Jackeon, where they will form their camp. Tho Marino Deportment has been notified that the old light hai? been, relit, Dut it will be displaced and a temporary light fitted up until the new beacon, is established.

Cross Creek, formerly tho busiest railway centra on tie "VVairarapa line, has propped from its important place. The big staff has undergone many chances and reductions during the last few months. Siberia, as the railway-men call the Eimutaka incline station, has not, however, been completely wiped out, states a corresnondent cf the ''Railway Review." Owing to the ac«j nisi Hon of the Manawatu, tho great etream of traffic from Haw.ke's Bay province and from Taranaki now passes over the Manawatn (ho continues), No longer the snorting Fells wind their weary way up the centre-rail to the rounds of the clock. Mo more we see tho old familial scene of black grimy dungaree-elad men exchange shifts in the early mornings, too done up to exchange greetings. Even tho o'd Fell Seems to relish tho change. A remarkable sight was witnessed by tho passengers of the A.U.S.N. Company's steamer AVyreema on the passage tfrom Brisbane to Sydney. Captain Meaburn reported that when : n -the vicinity of the _ North Solitary Island, the sky at the time being cloudless, and the wind light from the south-east, what appeared to bo hugo volume& of sirtke were observed about five miles distant to the east of the vessel. The sight caused several of the passengers to remark, "There's a ship on fire." Closer examination, however, showed that »t was B. water-spout. Although at first its appearance was black it gradually rose in a. perpendicular form, getting raven lighter in density, and the sky overhead becoming gradually darker. The phenomenon continued for about a quarter of an hour, when its connection irit'i the eea gradually diminished, and it finally cut off from the ocean. The cloud drifted inshore, whore doubtless it broke in a downpour. Captain Aleabim remarked :—"Although • I have witnessed many waterspouts in the China seas and Australia, I have never seen one start ■in such a peculiar manner." The anxiety caused by the reported predicament of the Wellington yacht Byron, which was in rather close proximity to nocks in Tory Channel on Saturday night last, was allayed yesterday morning, when tho little craft sailed gracefully through the heads *nd safely anchored in tho boat harbour between 10 and 11 o'clock. The Syren, with five persona on board, got into difficulties close to tho North Head of Tory Channel shortly after leaving To Awaite for Wellington. Tho wind suddenly dropped, nnd the yacht, being caught by tho tide, drifted helplessly along, gradually nearing tho rocky shore. Another Wellington yacht, the Ngaira, endeavoured to render assistance, but the occupants had to turn their attention to ensuring their own safety. Tho Ngaira got safely away, and arrived hero on Sunday morning. It was at first thought that tho Syren had been badly damaged. This proved to bo incorrect. _ She got away from her dangerous position without sustaining any damage, and took (thirty hours in crossing tho Straits. When closo to Island Bay tho wind dropped and the Syren, drifted back to Tongue Point, dropping anchor in thirty fathoms of water. A fishing launch towed the yacht to Island Hay, and she sailed in from there, those on board being none tho worse for- their exposure.

Stuart Walls, an ex-em ploveo of the Bank of New Zealand, pleaded guilty at Oamaru yesterdav to forging and uttering a cheque for XWO. Ho was committed to the Supremo Court for sentence.

Statutory meetings of contributors to tho Wellington Ladies' Clu-istiau Association, the Convalescent Home, and the Society for ReLief of tho Aged .Needy will be held in .\-.j. 'i committee room of the Town Hall next Thursday afternoon for the election of trustees.

.Tames 3lc.Govern pleaded guilty at N.i.pior w-torday to eight: charges of falso prelcnces by selling tickets for au alleged art union. The prisoner, it appears, obtained a permit to hold an. art union, and had sold nearly a thousand tickets. A sentence of three months was imposed on each of three charges, the sentences to bo cumulative. Tho Dune-din Commercial Travellers' Association, by a large majority, decided not to fall in with the two northern ussociaitiou.s' schemo for a New Zealand federation, and reaffirmed tlmt the be.st way to promote a federation vvould be for tlio Auckland and Wellington associations, to have a conference with the object of completing tho chain of organ-L-atioin throughout Australasia. The Lux Light Company wish it known, that the Lux Incandescent Kerosene. Gas Lamps give the Cheapest and Most Urilliaut Light on Earth. See Te Aro House, Hates and Lees', Wardell Bros.', Lcydon and Co., Caterer and Carey, E. Pearcu and Co., It. Hannah and Co., Petone \Vorkshops (where Lux replaced the latest devices in lighting). Houso Lumps !i& Gd. Lamps up to 2000 candle--power. 3",, 37, 39, Old Customhouse street (back of Opera House), Wellington. *