WELLINGTON

Otago Witness, Issue 2463, 29 May 1901, Page 56

WELLINGTON

Sir James Prendergast leaves by the iSonoma for London to attend the conference on the subject ot setting up an Imperial Court of Appeal The Commonwealth has appointed a delegate, but his name is not mentioned in a communication received.

Repoits of the Maori census enumerators ■s-how a great impro\ement m the condition of the Native lace dm ing the past few years. The Maon*. geneially speaking, are more cleanly in their habits, and consequently are more healthy, and most of the enumerators are convinced that the visits of Native medical officers and stricter compliance with the sanitary la.ws under the Maori Councils Act will biing about still further improvement. In most of the dis-

tricts the Natives are mere industrious than they were, drunkenness is le*s prevalent, and the death rate has decreased In neaily every large di&trict theie is a much greater numiber of young children in proportion to the adult population than at the previous census,.

Some days ago a Chinese charged with indecently assaulting a girl, 14 years old, ■was before the Wellington S.M., when it was announced that L.c had been mairied to the girl. Counsel for prisoner contended that the latter was now an incompetent witness.

The Chief Justice deliveied judgment this morning in the case of the Commissioner of Taxes v. the Australian Mutual Provident Society, a special case to settle the question w hethei life assurance companies are entitled, like the ordinary taxpayer, lo deduct as outgoing m income returns 5 per cent, on the value of land used for the s-ole purpose of busine«s. His Honor held that on the construction of the statute a life assuiance company could not claim the same deductions as the oidinary taxpayer, but must pay on the gross income.

Mr Smghston, a Canadian, has accepted the offer of the position of instructor in cheese-making under the New Zealand Governfhent, and will airive by the next trip of the Sierra.

Xcw regulation* under the Land for Settlements Act aie gazetted. It is aKo announced that the Woikevs' Compensation foi Accidents Bill monies into loive on Junt 7, and regulations aie published.

A meeting of the Paln:er«ton North A. and P. Association on .Saturday decided to extend this yeai's show to three day The prize money was increased to £1200, against £1100 last year.

Tl ere was a pecuUar case in the Magistrate'^, Court on Monday. Two young men, George Ke'ly and Eduaid Creaky, were charged with indecently assaulting and 10bbing a woman. Clara Aphn Accoiding to tlu evidence, accused went to the v, oman's hou'-e on pietence of being policemen in quest of stolen goods, and reqnned her to divert herself of clothing in order to be searched. On leaving they took a ring and the sum of 6- as cainagc f.'ie. but these were subsequently ictuined. Accused were committed for tnal.

What is behe\td to be the best .'rtcisn well m the olun\ his been htiuck on Mr J II 11I 1 Walker's pmpeity at Aiamoho. \Yangmui. The well is 575 ft deep, ith an e^umaUd iltn\ oi ~709 pei uiinule,

which is equal to, if not more than, the present borough supply from the lakes,. The Railway department has leceived advice that the Rakaia, Gothic, and other steamers are bringing 234 -waggon*, for the Hurunui-Bluff line.

A young man created some sensation at the Central Police Station on the 2ls,t by strolling in and calmly announcing that he had murdered his father. He told a long circumstantial story of alleged ciime, and was detained while detectives hurried off to the scene. Ib was found, however, that the man's intellect was deranged, and that there was no truth in his statements. The police Bfpt him in custody as a lunatic.

The Premier slated at Otaki on the 21st that the Local Government Bill will be introduced during the coming session, and that a conference of local bodies w ill be held in Wellington in the fir^fc week of the se&bion to consider the measiue.

A wedding which created considerable interest in Jewish circles took place to-day in the Synagogue, when Leadi, second daughter of Rabbi Van Staveren, was married to Mr Jacob Harris.. The ceremony was performed by the biides father, and there was a very large attendance of co-relig)onists and others.

The Government have under consideration a suggestion by the National Dairy Association that the zone system of charges be applied to the carriage of dairy produce.

The Otaki railway station was broken into or .Saturday, and an attempt made to blow open the safe with dynamite. The explosion did not quite fulfil its- purpose, but th,} burglars got safely away. The four stud henses selected in England for the New Zealand Government by Mr Gilruth arrived by the Gothic, in charge of Mr Douglas', a. veterinary surgeon. The animals were landed in splendid condition. They are: Danger Signal, a 10-yeai-old •Shire stallion, selected as a present from Rotli.schild's famous stud ; the two-year-old Shire colt Hertfordshire Boy ; Single Stick 11, a fo\u r -year-old chesnut hunting ,«iie, purchased from the Langton Stud Company, Yorks ; and an Arab stallion, acquired from Sir Wilfred Blunt in Suirey. Danger Signal goes to the South Island.