TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXV, Issue 9793, 19 March 1908, Page 4

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(Pek I'rk.ss Association.) WELLIXGTOX. March IS. Up to the present 124 burnt-out settlors in t!:e Wellington land district have been supplied with grass seed by the Government, or with orders to get it. The amount represented is £5468. In the Blenheim district 15 applications have been granted, representing £I4OO. The negotiations with regard to securing Mr Strang's house at Palmerston Xorth as a residence for the Governor while Government House is -being used tor Parliament have not so far been successful. It is understood that the house is not large enough for the purpose. l.'eorge Herd, a married man. 39 years of age. fell down a stairway while working at his trade as a plumber at Newtown, lie is now in the hospital, and is being tvan ted for severe injurv to the spine. Referring to the action of the Hawkes lay Kdui.-a.tion Board re Bible in schools, the Maniu'.er of lilm:a.tion thinks- that the system of Scripture lessons in State schools must have led to a misapprehension in Napier. hi Xelson the Bible i» in schools to some extent, but the Bible lessons are given in extra hours. The ordinary times for subjects prescribed by statute are olsierved. and scriptural teaching is done outside the State time, and chi::!ren a.:e u.,t obliged to attend the clasps. "That system." added the -MinisU;\ "Lis bec-ii adopted in ri'veral jikiet-ci. and 5.s izr us I can see it does not contlict with the Act f.o long as definite hours a/re given to seeu.hr instruction. The requirements of the Act are complied wich. and leligious lessons are given by voluntary aria'ig-.-ment outiidc ordinary school hours. Tii." result ol the votii.g'at the recent .-':..:: ion ot m=mi>rs of the Court of Arbitral.on w.v: follows:—Mr M'Cullough. 12c uiii.-vns, comprising 12,260 meniU-isj .\l.- Slater. 110 unions, comprising 15,55j meni' n-z. If. h iwever, informal votes are added, which include railwav votes, the retail it as lollov.=,:-Mr M:o(diougli 141 luiioius. comiirisiug 16,041 nieinl.-is; Mr .Slater, 119 unions, c-oniprising l'Lool members. The local newspapers express surprisethat the Government lias not prose. uK-i! those who have been aiding and al.citiue. the Blackball strikers. It is staled thai a difficulty has arisen in dealing wit!. Tiade find l.aW Councils who aid and alk-t strikers, because they are jiot corporate l/odies. and it is impossible to identify the officials actually responsible The Ministerial journal ventures the- opinion that if the Employers' Asoeiation were guilty of deliberately inciting brea< lies of the law. means would speedily be taken to determine the responsibility, and adds: ""It is just as well to indicate to the Governnient that its present policy of masterly inactivity is meeting with adverse criticism right along the line. The unsympathetic" attitude of the neighboring mining unions towards the Blackball strikers is conclusive evidence of the utter baselessness of their claims, and of the fact that their appeal to sympathy and support is bogus. The present emergencyis one that calls for vigorous action, and such action, if further delayed, will seriously prejudice the law and its administrators." The Dominion is equally severe in its condemnation of the inaction of the Government. DCXEDIX. March 18. About 640 cases of Adelaide grapes were put under offer to-day, but the prices realised were considered anything but satisfactory. Grapes in good condition realised 5(1 to 4jd. and choice up to sd. The low prices realised are attributable to the large consignments received and excessive supplies of local fruits on the market. It is fully anticipated that when the Australian growers are advised of the small prices received they will cease sending slupments to Duncdin. as they have advised that anything under 5d per lb cannot give them any return. An eight-roomed " dwelling house at-Xorth-East Valley, occupied by Andis Wickland, was destroyed by fire yesterday morning. The parents -were absent, and the house was in charge of three daughters. The building was insured for £2OO and the furniture ?or £IOO in the London and Lancashire Office. For some time past £2O per month has been regarded by the Marine Department as the ruling rate of pay for chief engineers on steamers within the Dominion, but instances have come to light showing that a lesser sum has been accepted. A case occurred at Port Chalmers to-day. where the chief engineer on a steamer had 1/tvn working under a special agreement for £l6 pel" month. The Government held this agreement to lie invalid, and the engineer in question will base to be paid £2O per month in future. At a meeting of the Education Board 10-dav reference was made to the overcrowding of Eoiburv School. The Chairman (Mr T. Mackenzie, M.P.> said the final development after nine months' communication with the Departinent on ihe subject was a letter stating that the ln-:.r,eetor-Ceiier.il was coming to lhmediu and would enter into conference with the I , Board's Inspector, and -see whether th. re was anv scheme by which the over-crowd. ing might Ik? mitigated. The opinion was fitrongiv expressed that the .Minister anJ the IVpartnient were opposed to Education Boards, and were attempting to undermine their power. 11l the case under discussion the iJepartno-nt took action onlv after representations had been made direct by the Committee. The following resolution was carried unanimously:—

"That the Hoard express profound surprise at the Department's k-ltei, and enter ltd emphatic protest against the needs of the lltag., Edneatimi diMrict being subjected t.Mhe will and <!ictmn of a salaried official as an encroachment upon the authority of the Hoard as representative ..t the people of the province."

CHRISTC'IU'RCII. March 12. At a meeting of delegates from thi? Christchurch. Ashburtoii, and Kaikorai Hands, held tliis evening-, it was decided to form a South Island Brass Bands Association, with its headquarters at Christ, church. The Compensation Court concluded ttie he<arinz of the Culverdc.ii estate actiuisitioi:- case to-day. and judgment may '>e given on Monday next.

At'CKLAXI). March 18. Since December last, when the present outbreak of typhoid or enteric fever occurred, there have been no fewer than 137 cases reported in the city and suburbs, and owing to the severe type of the disease The percentage <if deaths has been unnsuallv high, there having been 13 fatal cases." However, since the recent heavy rainfall the number of cases reported is decreasing almost daily. At a meeting of the Management Committee of the Auckland Rugby Union tonight it was decided, in reference to the lintish team's itinerary, to urge on the Xew Zealand Rugby L'nion the advisability of forgoing "the two island matches and substituting test matches, making throe in all. In some education districts the teachers have been called upon to defray the cost of postage of (juarterly returns and similar matter forwarded in accordance with the regulations. In a circular received at the meeting of the Auckland Board to-day, the Minister (the Hon. Geo. Fowlds) expressed the opinion that such a charge, trifling though it might be, was opposed to the" spirit "of the Education Acts, which assumed that teachers should be paid in full. He therefore suggested that it be fairer for the boards to pay this correspondence. The secretary (Mr V. E. Rice) stated that when the franking privileges were abolished the board arranged that ali letters on purely school business should he posted without prepayment of postase, the amount be : ng made on delivery. The circular did not therefore refsr to the board. It was decided to inform the Minister of the principle adopted. DAXXEYIRKE. March 18. At the Dannc-virke Athletic and Cycling Clnb's sports to-day, in the firemen's twomen coupling events, B. Nuttali and H. Drinkwater put up a New Zealand record (A 53sec. The previous best record for this event is said to. be the Xew Plymonth team at ihe Exhibition with 35 4-sth sec. XEW PLYMOt'TfT. March 18. The Supreme Court criminal sessions opened to-day before Mr Justice Edwards. Albert Hugo'Korth pleaded not guilty to false pretences by means of a valueless cheque at Stratford, but was found guilty, and sentenced to 18 months' imprison- < merit, and ordered to the habitual offenders" prison at Xew Plymouth, he having a long record of previous convictions. ft'andv Birch, albs Brown, alias Johnson, j | pkaded not guilty it, the theft of a sad- i :

die. bridle, and breastplate. He is an old offender, and was sentenced to two years' hard labor. A. J. Stewart pleaded not guilty to a charge of common assault on Detective firodham and assaulting with intent to commit actual bodily harm, and was found guilty and sentenced to three months' hard lal'ior. Lenard Copestake, a lad of 16, came up for sentence for forging and uttering a cheque at Inglewood. On account of his youth, he was admitted to probation for two years, and ordered to pay the costs of the prosecution in instalments. Lady Plunket addressed a largely-at-tended meeting to-day on the protection of infant life, and outlined the scheme as advocated by her in other centres. Medical men also spoke, and the hospital nurses gave- a demonstration in making humanised milk. There is every likelihood that a society will he formed here. WAX(.4AX CI. March 18. At the ajiriu.il meeting of the Wa-nganui Caledonian Society to-night a motion was passed in favor of seceding from the New Zealand Athletic Cnion, the opinion being strongly expressed that the Society should be in a position to run its meetings independent of outside control. GKEYMOUTH. March 18. There is nothing new to report re the strike at blackball. Kverything is quiet in tin; township. The miners intend to hoiU a meeting to-morrow to further consider the podtion, but from present appearances a settlement is far distant.

N A BIER. March 1. The representative cricket match. Waiiarapa v. Ilawkc-'s Pay. was concluded today. Ila ekes hay winning by 340 run:;. Tiie lmvil team ili their second innings declared their innings'closed with the score at 267 for two wickets—Fen-ton. (not out) 101. Bailey 71, Hawke (not out) 15, Ix-ing the ehiet scores. Waii-arapa in their second tunings could make only 46—Ca.rrojl 17, and Bedmr.nd 10 lic'tng the highest contributors. WAIBOA. March 18. .». 1 -ad.:.! dr.iy capsized on ilsdriver. Tiros. liiic.ii! :.: I u'riroa. I)ilh>n's sun. in trying to cvtri.aie his father, had his thigh, br.,k. n. Hillon, senior, died in hospital.