TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXV, Issue 10017, 7 December 1908, Page 1

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

I (Peb Press Association.) WELLINGTON. December 5. The Arawa, which arrived this morning, brought 330 passengers, of whom 218 were in the third class. Of these 129 were assisted immigrants, 20 being farmers and six farm laborers. There were also Id domestic servants. Thirty-five of assisteds were children under twelve. The combined capital possessed by the assisted immigrants is £1769. Two seven-roomed houses in College street were' destroyed by fire on Saturday night. Both were owned by Mr John ■Scannal'l, Wanganui. One was occupied by Mrs Garbatt, and the other by Mr Charles Perrit. Both dwellings were insured in the Commercial Union otlice, one for £2OO and the other for £3OO. The insurances oil: the contents are unaseertainable. At 10.15 a fii'e broke out in a sevenroomed house at Kelbmne, occupied by Mr Albert. Byrne and owned by Mr Thomas Lyons." No water was available, and everything was completely destroyed. The furniture and effects were insured in the Manchester office for £2OO. Thy building was uninsured. Inquiries in dairy produce circles show that there is no prospect of the local price of butter (top brands) dropping below Is per lb wholesale and Is 2d per lb retail on this side of Christmas. Butter buyers for Home have taken all they could get up to March next, and that at from 11-id to ll£d. The low prices on the Lou don market therefore do not affect the companies who have made their contracts, and so secured themselves, as the great majority of them have done. In view of this fact suppliers of the local market cannot see their way clear to come below llgd per lb. There is a considerable amount of inferior dairy butter to be had at a lesser rate, but the New Zealand palate is more fastidious than that of the English butter eater, who does not mind a milled article with a bit of a "tang." Mr Cyril Ward, eldest son of the Premier, was married on Saturday to Miss EJeaiior Davidson, neicc of the late Mr Aloysium Macdonald, at the Hill Street Basilica. A large number of guests afterwards repaired to the Premier's residence, where the wedding and the silver wedding of Sir Joseph and Lady Ward were celebrated.

DUNEDIN. December 5. A few minutes after the arrival at Mosgiel of the train which left Dunedin at 1.15 p.m. Engine-driver John Major walked' into an outhouse and shot himself through the head. Death was instantaneous. Deceased' was about 52 years of age. He had been in the railway service for 30 years. Insomnia had troubled him lately, and being unwell he was relieved of his usual express duty and put to mncn easier work on short journeys. In one of deceased's pockets there was a note containing this message : "Give my watch to Tom M'Conncll, my old mate, who looked after me in my trouble." . Splendid weather prevailed yesterday, when the cricket matches were continued'. Dunedin beat Albion by 25 runs on the first innings. The former made 169 (Wilson 93) and Albion 144 (Drake 50 not out) and 69 for two wickets (Williams 33 not. out). Carjsbrook B beat OpDho by 170 runs on the first innings. Carisbrook compiled 332 (Adams 103 not out, Austin 54, and Drumm 46), and Opoho 162 (Casey 47). Carisbrook A beat Grange by 38 runs on the first innings. The former made 210 for 9 wickets (Rutherford' 67, S. Foster 61 not out), while Grange made 172 (Ogg 44, C. Peal 41 not out). The following team will represent Otago against Auckland in the Plunket Shield match: Austin, Ayles, Downes, Fisher, Howden, Hopkins, Siedcberg, Torrance, Williams, Wilson, Wordsworth; emergencies—Rutherford and C. Beal.

CHRISTCHURCH. December 5. At the public school sports the cadets were reviewed by Lieut.-Colonel Hawkins, officer commanding the district. Addressing them after the march past Colonel Hawkins said he was extremely pleased at the manner in which the parade had been conducted. There was a fine future for the defence force of the country, and if the same standard were maintained as that which he had witnessed, the Dominion would have nothing to fear. Mr Hardy, M.P., on behalf of the Minister for Education and the Board, of Education, thanked the officers for the display, of which all were proud. Mr W. Lowrie, the retiring director of Lincoln Agricultural College, will be presented with an illuminated address by the Farmers' Union at a picnic to be held at the college on Thursday next. AUCKLAND. December 5. At the Police Court to-day Albert Krnest Trail appeared in answer to a- charge of having committed bigamy on July 16th, 1902, at- Coromandel. _ Eleano:.' Kelly, a married woman, said that in March, 1890, the accused was married to her sister. The latter was about 15 years of age at the time of her marriage, but she and her husband separated some time after. Witness' sister was still alive. Chief Detective Marsaek said that on November 27 he charged the accused with the present offence, and he said, "1 thought there would be something of this." He went on to say that he did not deny his first marriage, but did not call his second alliance bigamous, for his wife had been away from him for ten or eleven years before he married his second wife, and before the second ceremoir- he was told she v;as dead two years ago. Ethel E. Kerwin. the woman he married the second time, said she had heard his first wife was alive, but he could not believe it, thinking that if alive she would have made some enquiry about the children. Accused told witness that before he married Miss Kerwin. a solicitor tol 1 him it was all right. The accused was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. He reserved his defence.

GISBORNE. December 5. Replying to the TTnstines Chamber of Commerce, which requested the co-opera-tion of the Gisborne Chamber in the matter of pushing on the claims of the unopposed Napier-Gisborne railway executive, the latter body last night resolved—"That as our own railway to Motu requires all our concentration at present this chamber cannot see its way to agitate for the other line in the meantime." A memtier brought up the subject of steamer service between Gisborne and Wairoa. The matter will be discussed at the next meeting. NAPIEB. December 5. A meeting of the newly constituted Hawke's Bay South African Volunteer Association was held in Napier on Saturday night, when rules were adopted and officers elected. The Ambulance Saturday collections totalled £2lB, and some smaller amounts have vet to come in.