POISON IN THE CAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1847, 15 April 1887, Page 11

POISON IN THE CAN.

'• i 5-^ •'/' ' ;' ■■" Auckland, April 7. ■^Witjh; 4 reference to r the 'poisoning of Ihak& rHakuene, M.H.K", Archdeacon states that Sajjurd.ay last a .^arty; of. Maori ,clergymen,, .the Ifeys.-Renata,-Honer Papahia,-and Rrikene Paereta, and also Ihaka <Tetai,-M.'H.R.',- and' Revs; Q. \Valpole and W:Beatty were^ invited : to' lonbh' with" him. Amongst the food was a\beefsteak pie, aud some compressed corned beef was made into haricot steak, and was eaten the same evening without any ill effects, thus proving thatpoisonfnfj- was due to. defective tinning. The • remnant of 'haricot was added to the beefsteak pieinfejtt^day.^ • The .-.four .Maoris, Mr Walpole,' .Mtfßeatfcy, and Mrs Clarke, .wife of Archdeacon Clark'ej partook of the dish on Saturday night." About hide hours afterwards, all with the exception of.-Mr Beatty»were taken violently ill, the symptoms being purging' and v&miting. Mrs Qlarke; appeared most seriously affected, although Blr Walpole also suffered* a great deal. •Last night Mrs Clarke was still very ill,' although the doctors- consider she was nearly out of danger. ><Mr Walpole is almost well again. Archdeacon COJarke attributes "the "poisoning to the .preserve^! meat having been twice cooked. 2 sThe doctors Tiyho attended.the patients have refused <to give information tatthe press. "-• • ■ - Reuata Tongato, a Maori .minister, died at Mongouui this morning from the "effects of Sating tinned naeatat Auckland on Sunday last. He was minister residing atcPeria, near ■ Mongonui, fora number .of" years. ITp,till this' morning Mrs Clarke's life was considered in daDger, Wt she is nov? apparently getting better. -■ ■' ! . -," •■• Apiilß. - An inquest was to be held to-day. The Rev. Mr Walpole, one of the parties who was seriously ill, although not yet out of danger, is progressing as well as can be expected. The Auckland doctors are' divided as to" the explanation of the affair. Dr Mackellar thinks that the cause of poisoning was fermentation' of.: the nieat, a thing that would be sufficient to account for the symptoms. If the tinned .meat got slightly decomposed before beiug cooked a second time gases would have generated, aud being unable to escape owing Jo the crust of the pie, would have caused the meat s to become poisonous. April 11. Rupere Paerata died yesterday at Russell,being the third victim of the mysterious poisoning affair. • THE BANKRUPTCY ACT. .sThe annual return of the transactions in bankruptcy in tho district of Otago for the year ending December 31 last has been kindly placed at our disposal by the official assignee (Mr J. Ashcroft), and from it are to be obtained some j interesting facts with regard to the operation of the Bankruptcy Act in this district. The following table explains itself : — - j

Shillings and pence havo been omitted. , Dunediu includes Queenstowu, where there is no .deputy-assignee. The cost of administration for the province was £7118' 5s 10d. 1 , The~ preferential claims are included in the amount paid for dividends. The reason of th 3 large' ■ amount of preferential claims (over £11,000) in the Dunedin district last year was that the assignee was carrying on several businesses, the intromissions connected with which wefo.over £8000. • There has been' a steady increase in the num* ,ber of 'bankruptcies during the three years of the act's • The number of petitions iv 1884 wae 190 ; in 1885..238 ; and last year, 262. 'Of debts proved the amount was ; In 1884, £156,104; iv 1885, £121,812;- and in 1886, £173,539. Theassets realised: In 1884, £30,872; in 1885, £37,248 6s lid ; in 1886, £57,917 18s 4d. The dividenfls-paid in the three years were: In 1884f-£16;323;- in 1885, £30,089; in 1886,£52,992. From this comparison with previous -returns it will be seen the dividends have improved at a much more 1 rapid "ratio than' the . debts jarovedandthe-'assets realised, during the whole -period the act has beVnin force.' •! LABOUR EXCHANGE, i At- the adjourned meeting of the Government Labour Exchange Board, held on the 7th inst. - The Chairman' - ( the Hon. W. H. ,JReynolds), . explained • that it had been . decided k> print .4000 " application forms for employment to be sent to the principal post .offices throughout Otago; also to print 1000 posters informing the 'public of the labour exchange; and further, 2000 circulars to employers , of; labour.' .' . jr - ■ .The* following circular addressed by the.chairman W employers Of labour explains the object of thfe r exchange.. The ' Board' is to meet every i alternate Thursday at 1 l"a ,tr '. :— ... A.Board.bf Advice under the auspices of the Government was appointed on Ist April inst. iv con nection, .vrith.vtlte Labour Exchauge.. already in existence ; in the immigration. Office, Dunedin, with a view. to extend its usefulness as a medium between •employers of labour arid the working classes in the 'PHoyiiioii^ districts: of Otago and Southland. Iho .-board Js strongly impressed with tho idea that if farmers, 'runbolders, mining companies, county councils, and 'other employersof labour interested themselves in employing such labour as they requ!red frqm.tirae-,fco ; time through means of the , exchange, 'tjhe rates of wages would be equalised, a Jarge number ot men .would be employed, and the cry jof-the" unemployed, so 'damaging to the good name of. the colony, would to a considerable extent ,be stopped.'.^l take the liberty, therefore, of appealing to ydu for your assistance and support in reudering the ' exchange; a 'success; and nothing shall be wanting on therpart of the board and its secretary (Mr Cp^iu Allan) to promptly -meet jour require--rodnts as they arise. "..

03 •43 5> •31' Jl • S Punediu Invercargill ... Uaroaru „. Lawrence 104 £103,939 £35,891 £34,805 122 (50,849 12.&53 10 697 29 7.5J3 8,231 , 6,811 T ■ 3AO<3 941 687 TotalsI 262 I £173,530 | £57,917 | £52,992