LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2675, 21 June 1905, Page 66

LOCAL & GENERAL.

His Honor Mr Justice Williams held a ci\il sitting of tho Supreme Court on Wednesday, the oase brought before his Honoi* being that of Gay v. Perry and another, an action arising out of a dissolution o£ partnership. Mr Sim appeared for plaintiff, and Mr Hosking and Mr Bruges for defendants. Tho main issues of the action Having been decided by a previous judgment, several minor points were dealt with by the court. The matters his Honor was asked to settle were some disputed items in the partnership accounts, Mr Gay's claim for salary from February 1 to August 15 (when the partnership was dissolved), and the question of costs. After argument; the plaintiff's claim that certain charges, amounting to £431, made by tho receiver for horse hire and rent of boiler, were excessive was upheld by his Honor, who ordered a reduction to £292. Judgment was reserved on the other two points.

The usual weekly meeting of the Benevolent Trustees, held on Wednesday afternoon, was ntencled by Messrs R. M. Clark (chairman), A. Tapper, W. Talbtoys, J. Thomson, W. Burnett, U. Wilson, and the Hon. H. Gourley. Thirty-seven applications'* for relief were dealt with, and accounts amounting to £212 10s 3d passed for payment. A donation of books was received from Messrs Smith and Smith.

Mr C. C. Graham, S.M., will hold hia inquiry as to the validity of the late licensing poll at Port Chalmers on Wednesday next (June. 21), probably at the Magistarte's Court, Dunedin.

A special meeting of the. Outram Town Board was held on Tuesday evening to open tenders for the lease of one acre of a reserve for grazing purposes. The chairman (Mr Snow) sent an apology, as ha had to go to Dunedin to attend a meeting of the Education Board. There were present: Messrs Chisholm (in the chair), Rutherford, and White. The tenders were as follow:— Mr John S. Niehol, £5 Is; Mrs Braun, £5 11s. Mrs'Braun's tender, being the highest, was accepted.

A sketch model of the head of Sir George Grey, in plaster-of-paris, by Mr F. J. Williamson, sculptor, of Auckland, has been shipped to Wellington. The Statue Committee, in a letter to the Premier, asks that the model be placed in the Parliamentary Lobby or Parliamentary Library, among past New Zealand statesmen. The value of the model is £50.

The Mount Benger Mail says: — "We understand the local Heriot-Roxburgh. League intends to circulate a petition asking the Minister of Publio Works to continue the Heriot extension towards Roxburgh. One of the reasons set forth is that it was never intended, when sanctioning the extension to Edievale, that a terminal station should be made there. The majority of the residents throughout the district have just lately signed a petition in favour of the Lawrence route, only a few refusing to do co." ■VAn interesting trial of " mortite," tho new military and naval high explosive invented by Mr Adam M'Cracken, was made on Tuesday afternoon at Deborah Bay, at a safe distance from the Taipo Factory. Some shells had been manufactured by Messrs A. and T. Burt, weighing 191b each, and the bursting charge used was 7oz of mortite. The steel of which these shells were made had a breaking strain of 32 tons tensile strength, and it required a pressure of 2400 tons to burst it. The trial — which was carried out by Mr Smith, the manager 1 of the Taipo Factory, in company with Mr G. L. Denniston (chairman), Mr H. L. Tapley (secretary), and Mr Adam M'Cracken. (inventor) — was entirely successful, one of the shells being shattered completely — ■ especially at its base, where the steel is thickest. The fragments of the shattered, shell, or as many of them as could be collected, will be placed on view in Mr Jacobs's shop window at the foot of High street, and it is intended subsequently to send them to Wellington, with a view to bringing mortixe under the notice of the Defence Department. The local Taipo Syndicate has a one-third interest in tha manufacture of mortite.

The total number of packages of fruit imported into New Zealand during the year ending 31st March last wa6 587,177, against 573,398 packages for tho previous season. Wellington received 211,913 packages, Auckland 343,4-58, Christchurch 60,811, Dunedin 62,553, and Bluff 8442. The quantity condemned was 42,431 packages, against 40,887 packages during the 1903-4 season. At Auckland 25,082 packages were condemned, Wellington 10..032. Christohureh 4567, and Dunedin 2760. The reason that Auckland shows a much larger condemnation is because the greater portion of the Island fruit is examined at that port, there being no facilities in the Islands for fumigation. The principal poets are scale, fruiti fly, and codlin moth. The percentage condemned was not so large as in 1903-4, the quality of the fruit imported showing, on the whole, an improvement.

Sir F. Treves paid a visit nearly 12 months ago to the battlefields in the Far East. Sine© his return to England, he has never hesitated to speak of the excellent knowledge of the Japanese doctors. He was present recently at the annual dinner of the Japan: Society. In proposing the toast of tho evening, he said that if anyone wanted td see the last thing, the most ingenious thing, and yet the simplest thing, in the equipment for war, they would find it in Japan. Moreover, many of the problems which concerned! European armies, and which were a terra*

©f war in European countries, had been Bolved, or were being solved, by Japan. Among the many determinations of the British army authorities when they went fr to war was one, that the sick should be kept down to 10 per cent. The Japanese aimed at 1 per cent., and they got it. He was certain that in a few years we should 6ee in Japan one of the most remarkable schools of surgery in the world, and for these, among other reasons, that the people had infinite patience, and tenderness, and lightness of touch. Moreover, they had no nervous system. The word "nerves" was nob known in Japan. "0" eends us 10s for the " Mrs Boardman Fund." Sir J. G. Ward, Minister of Railways, accompanied 'by his private secretary (Mr B. Wilson), arrived in Dunedin on Thursday by the second express. Sir Joseph proceeded south on Thursday afternoon. On Monday afternoon the hon. gentleman laid the foundation atone of the Otema bridge over the Mataura Kiver. The ceremony in connection with the foundation stone of the Winton Post Office has been indefinitely postponed, as the- building is not in a very advanced stage. On Monday night- Sir Joseph addressed a meeting of the electors of Awarua at .Winton. 1-- ~ The /Alexandra- "Herald states that the Railway Department is now' busily engaged in transferring its. sheds from- Chatto Creek to Alexandra. The site for the station presents a busy appearance, the erection of the buildings for the workshops, etc.," being ' speedily pushed on. The work on the line is also going on apace, and a batch of men are now engaged excavating , just above where tbo railway crosses the Manuherikia for the last time. The Right Hon. the Premier, referring to A rumour among the inner circles of political life, and recently brought under our notice that efforts had been^made by Mr Seddon to induce Sir Joseph Ward to accept the position of High Commissioner, informs us that "the statement is utterlydevoid of foundation and incorrect, and there is not a particle of truth therein." Mr Seddon continues : " I never, directiy or indirectly, induced' Sir Joseph Ward to accept the position — never, in fact, even mentioned such a thing to him, nor he to me, — and I ea.nnot imagine what could have given rise to such a- statement, or even inference thereof." Last night Sir Joseph also informed a member of our staff that the statement is incorrect. , "It is quite without foundation," proceeded the Minister. "I hare not- at any time' been an aspirant for" the position of High Commissioner. I neither sought it nor" expected it, and the Premier has at no time endeavoured to induce me to -accept the -position., I' think it is only fair, apart altogether from Mr Seddon and myself, 'and in the interests of Mr Reeves, that that 'statement should he made." The Orchard and Garden Pests Act has now been in operation for about a year, »nd, according to the Government Biologist, it has already had a good effect, as numbers of people who had previously taken little or no action in controlling diseases amongst their orchards have commenced systematic spraying. There are, however, some orchardis-ts who have done nothing in this respect, and, in the interests of the fruit industry, next season they will have to comply with the conditions of the act, in regard to the administration of which the Pepartment of Agriculture has been lenient, in order to enable growers to make themselves thoroughly acquainted with its provisions. The staff of inspectors throughout the colony is somewhat limited, and it is not therefore possible to examine every orchard, but with the co-operation of growers, especially those who are conducting their orchards from a commercial standpoint, the department hopes that ere long a considerable improvement in the condition of the orchards will be effected as a result of the operation of the act. " An extraordinary occurrence was witnessed in the western sky at sunset in Auckland recently, and crowds of people stopped in their journey homeward to discuss the phenomenon. The setting sun illuminated ilie horizon, lighting up here and there nccab and small masses of stormy-looking clouds grouped in a most exquisite picture, and .right in the centre of the picture there suddenly appeared what many people declared to be a comet. It was a most prominent object in the western sky for over 10 minutes, becoming increasingly noticeable until there seemed to be an explosion in its centre, after which the singular apparition expanded and grew dim, eventually melting away. A great many people were excited about the affair, but the probability is that the phenomenon was merely the result of exceptionally stormy conditions in a cloudy atmosphere set off by the brilliant reflection of the setting sun. One gentleman described the effect somewhat originally as "like a streak of lightning frozen." Another witness said he first saw what appeared like a ball of silvery fire fall earthwards, at about 25 minutes past 5 o'clock, and it left a tail similar to that of a comet, which at first was vertical, but subsequently canted over into a horizontal position, and died away in about 15 minutes. "There are two instances in Alpine history where the glaciers have given up their dead," writes Mr C. E. Mathews, of the 'Alpine Club, to The Times. "One was that in which three guides attached to Dr Hamel's expedition of August 20, 1820, were lost in a crevasse on the Grand Plateau of Mont Blanc. In accordance with the bold prediction of Professor J. D. Forbes, who tad calculated jvith gxssi M elision the rale

of motion of the Glacier dcs Bossors, the bodies were found at the foot of that glacier on dates varying from August, 1861, to June, 1863, and the head of one of the victims was actually identified after an entombment of 43 years. Tho other wa& that when the remains of Captain Arkwright, who was lost near the same spot on " October 13, 1866, were ' discovered in August, 1897, after an interval of 31 years." Mr Mathews holds that there is no likelihood of the remains of Lord Francis Douglas, lost in 1865, making their appearance in this way, as was recently expected. If entombed in a Matterhorn glacier they should have appeared ere this. It is believed that Lord Francis fell into a rocky fissure, whore his remains must still lie.

We have received the following subscriptions to the Mrs Boardman Fund : — Mrs M. Ritchie, £1 Is; J. M. W., ss. , The Rev. Canon Mayne acknowledges receipt of the following additional subscriptions: — M.,£l; W., £1; Sympathy, 10s 6d; Mr Roach, 10s; Interested, ss.

The Hon. Sir J. CJ. Ward, Minister of Railways, visifced the winter show on Friday afternoon, being _ conducted over the various departments by, Mr- James Hazlett, and left for Invercargill in the evening.

With reference to the statement made by the Premier at Moig;el regarding a southern magistrate who had entered the political arena '- and denounced some of the actions of fcbe Ministry, the North Otago Times says: — "We now learn . that the statement Mr Seddon took exceotion to

was a -jocular-remark at a semi-private function which the Premier had magnified into an attack on the Government, so that he might have a tilt at the corrupting influence of the Opposition on the magistracy."

A meeting of settlers interested in the construction of the Gore-Waikaka railway was held at Waikal-a on Thursday (says the Southern Standard). It was stated that promises to take up 350 out of the necessary 500 shares had been made, 200 having been promised in Gore and Invoircargill and 150 at Waikaka. The chairman stated that; one dredging company had promised to take up shares, and it was suggested that the other companies in the district and also the School Commissioners should be approached in the matter. It was decided to make another canvasa of the Waikalca district, the opinion being expressed that 100 more shares would be taken up if such a course were adopted.

There is (says the New Zealand Times) a movement on foot in the North Island, which is receiving sonic encouragement froni' prominent members of the Farmers' Union, in the direction of petitioning Parliament .to amend the land laws so as to give Crown tenants rlra right of appeal to a judicial court in the 1 €ivent of a dispute between them and the Land Boards. It is. felt to be a hardship that the decisions of the Land Boards should be final, as many cases crop up which must bs considered from the standpoint of eqviity as well as of law.

Mr Frank Dillingrham, United States Consul-general at Auckland, who. is now on a visit io America, interviewed on arrival at San Francisco, said: — "Our trade with New Zealand has increased greatly during the years I have been in the Antipodes. When I first wenit to Auckland as Consul-general, eight yeara ago, the value of American exports was 1,500,000d0l a year. They have increased at the rate of nearly a million a year, and now amount to 8,000,000d0l a year. Just how American trade with New Zealand will be affected by the New Zealand tariff, whioh went into effect a few months ago. is difficult to say. Under tho new tariff England is given a distinct advantage over all other foreign countries. Still, New Zealand will have to buy heavily from the United States. All of their agricultural maohine.ry and most of their mining machinery comes from the United States, as -well as all of their tobacco, and many lines of manufactured goods like boots and slioes."

The following have been elected as a School Committee for Rongahere: — Messrs John W. Gent, James Dawson, James Stephenson, Dugald M'Coll (re-elected), and George Buna (re-elected). The committee met afrervrarda and re-elected Mr George Buna as chairman and secretary.

The grave of the Maori chief Te Rauparaha (says the Now Zealand Times) is in a very neglected state. A large briar bush has grown rank over everything, and the iron railings are broken down, the wood on which they rested being quite rotten. The tombstone, a slab of elate, is in a good state of preservation, the inscription being quite legible. It is in Maori, and translated reads:— "This as sacred in. remembrance of Te Rauparaha. Died on the 27th of November, in the year of our Lord 184-9." It is not known certainly whether Te Rauparaha's body was actually buried in this grave. The story is that on the night before the burial the men of the tribe filled 1 the coffin with stones, and carried the body away to the island of Kapiti, the seat of To Rauparaha's power, where ifc was buried in a c-ave. Nobody living to-day can, or will, say where the body is.

The growth of the Negr Zealand woollen industry, and of the Wellington Woollen Company in particular, formed the subject for some comments on Tuesday evening by the president of the Wellington Industrial Association (Mr J. P. Luke), who congratulated the community on the possession of so important an industry, so capable of extensioiii tTJi© colony had 1C ffiooiifa l^fee.

which employed 1693 hands, and paid £112,000 annually m wages; the value of tlw> material used or operated on by these mills annually was £196,081, the total value of produce, including iepa>rs, £559,382. The figures for the iron trade showed that engineering was ncck-and-neck with woollens, comparing the number of hands, amount of wages, and value of work operated on. Speaking generally, and apart from the We'iington Woollen Company, tbei president said that as our woollens were protected up to 25 per oont. it was a pity they did not gel manufactured in this colony all the work they possibly could in preference to sending away for it.

A 14- years' lease of Rocklands Station, about 25 miles from Outram, was offered at auction by Mr W. E. Sessions at the Crown Lands Office on the 13th. The station contains 76,020 acres, and the upset at which it was offered was £4-00 per annum. It was knocked down, without competition, to Mr Allan Boyd, the present lessee, at the upset.

By proclamation published in the Gazette of June 8 Anderson's Bay is constituted a town district, under the title of the Bay Town District. The election of the first Board of Commissioners has been fixed by the Governor for Wednesday, July 5, and Mr William Gordon is appointed returning officer.

Sir J. G. Ward, Minister for Railways, visits the Waihemo electorate on Wednesday, when he will receive a number of deputations. Sir Joseph has supplied Mr T. Mackenzie, member fcr the district, with the following time-table of his movements: — Palmerston, 9.30 a,m. ; Tumai, 12 noon ; Waikouaiti, 12.30 p.m. ; Hillgrove, 3 p.m. ; Hampden, 3.30 to 4 p.m. Sir Joseph then proceeds to Oamaru, and visits Waimate and Fairlie.

Private advices received in Melbourne from the band of Christian Israelites who left Melbourne under the leadership of "Mary" and '•Benjamin," 86 in all, announce their installation at the headquarters of the sect at Benton Harbour, Lake Michigan, America. According to the rules the married people are to be separated, and all are to live a life of celibacy while preparing to meet the Saviour on his second coming which is expected in 1916, or perhaps a little sooner. The Australians aroused great curiosity at Benton Harbour. They were welcomed with a brass band and procession, and entertained at a vegetarian banquet of 16 courses. It is stated that the party took away £37,000. which was sunk into a common fund.

A prisoner escaped from the Dunedin Gaol on Sunday morning in a most unaccountable manner. The inmates had been attending divine service, and shortly alter they had been marched back to their respective quarters it was reported tl^at Richard Clark; who was' before the court on the 15th inst. charged with attempted suicide, was missing. Several warders and members of the police, force were immediately sent out to look for the man, and one of the warders came across him in Moray place after he had been out about an hour. He told the warder he was on his way to church. No trouble was found in taking him back to the gaol. Clark, who is 45 years of age, was remanded for medical examination, and since his appearance in the Police Court he has been seea by two medical men, as a result of whose investigation it is understood he will be committed to an asylum. How he managed to escape is a complete mystery, but it is supposed that he must hav-e mad© a hasty exit at an opportune moment by a sidedoor.

The number of patients admitted to the Dunedin Hospital during last week was '<!3, the number discharged 21, and the total remaining in the institution at the end of the week 102. Three deaths occurred during the week — viz., Michael Hickey, John Caple, and Jane M'Dermid. '

At St. Paul's Cathedral on Sunday the Most Rev. the Primate ordained as deacon the Rev. Thomas C. Burgess, who was trained at the Anglican College, Lincoln. Canon Mayne assisted at the service. Referring to the large area allotted to each clergyman in this province, the Primate urged that the ranks of the clergy should be considerably increased. At one time in England he had had four riergy wlia special functions in one parish. A petition which had been largely sigr-ed prayed that he should appoint in the city a priest to look after the spiritual and physical welfare of young men such as had been provided in the Home Country. The Primate held that the church had been punished for neglecting fields whioh were recently occupied by the Salvation Army and other agencies,.

The thing that most impressed Mr A. D. Willis, M.H.R., for Wanganui, during his recent visit to the Old World, so he told an Auckland Star reporter, was that New Zealand was not advertised enough in England. Our colony is too much confused with Australia in the English mind, and the people hav-e got the idea that New Zealand is in the gam© chaos of labour troubles as Australia — the impression ha-s got abroad that th© colony is dominated entirely by the Labour party. At the same time our material products are increasing in popularity, more especially our lamb— everybody wants New Zealand lamb in London now. Mi* Willis spent some time in Germany and was astounded lo see the intense activity in manufacturing there. Everywhere could be seen stacks of chimneys belching forth smoke. He visited ManjekfisJigr^ and wag highly impressed with the

extent of its docko. The place was the most gc-ahead in England, he thought, and there and \in Liverpool the people were 'keenly alive to the necessity of meeting the competition of the outside world.

A new method of teaching the teachers \\as recently approved by the Victorian Minister of Education. This, is a scheme for irstructing in evening classes the pupil teachers employed in the schools of the metropolitan area. Instead of these teachers receiving instruction at tho end of the day's work from the staff teachers of the schools at which they are employed, as at present, they have been invited to attend at the Continuation School on two evenings of the week and on Saturday mornings. It is considered that as the instruction will be imparted by specialists in the various subjects, a higher state of efficiency will be attained. About 300 young teachers have signified their willingness to attend.

The Countess of Warwick stated recently, in reply to a facetious criticism which she took seriously, that, owing to the entail law, she could not avoid remaining a large estate owner, while promoting her newlyacquired Socialistic principles. There was no actual inconsistency — or, at anyrate, it was not an inconsistency for which she could be held personally responsible. Upon this an amusing comment is made by one of her ladyship's tenants in Essex. " The remedy is simple," he "Why not apply Socialistic principles to her own affairs? She cannot distribute her lands, but she can do the next best thing, either let us live rent free, or distribute the profits fiom her rent revenu-e among vs — her colleagues!" Her answer to tfiis friendly advice is awaited with much curiosity.

An interesting paper upon the curious ways in which the most important and apparently carefully-guarded political sscrets are disclcsad by accident, carelessness or otherwise, appears in the Monthly Review from the pen of Mr Michael MaoDonagh. One of the greatest political sensations of the last century was occasioned by the announcement of The Times, on the 4th December, 1845, that Sir Robert Peel intended to propose the repeal of the corn laws. Quite a pretty fiction was invented by way of explanation, and was generally believed in at the time. It was to the effect that Mr Sidney Herbert, a member of the Ministry, was dining with the Hon. Mrs Norton, one of the beautiful Sheridan girls, when he incautiously let fall the intentions of his chief. At a later hour of the evening the iady drove down to The Times office, told Mr Delene, the then editor, the momentous piece of news, and was rewarded by a cheque for £500. The story was all iroonshine." Lord Aberdeen, a member of the Cabinet, with the full knowledge and approval of Sir Robert Peel, gave Mr Delene the information himself. Mr Morley, in his "Life of Gladstone," mentions that while preparing the Home Rule Bill of 1886 he was asked for a draft of it by Mr Parnell, for communication to hall a dozen of bis confidential colleagues. The request was granted, subject to pledges as to secrecy, and the draft was duly returned and the pledg-es faithfully fulfilled. Subsequently recalling the incident to Mr Morley's recollection, Mr Parnell said : " Three of the men to whom I slowed the draft were newspaper men and poor men, and any newspaper would have given them a thousand pounds for it. No wonderful virtue, you may say. But how many of your House of Commons would believe it?"

A mishap occurred to the engine of the first express from the north on Monday, as a i*esult of which fch© arrival of the train at Dunedin was considerably delayed. When the train reached Glenavy it was found that the engine would not keep up steam, and a stoppage had to be made until another engine could bo sent from Oamaru to bring the train on. The train reached Dunedin at 7.45 p.m. — rather more than two hours late, — but the remainder of the service on the north line was not interfered with, as the crossings were altered to suit the occasion. A train was despatched from Dunedin to Balclutha at 5.45 p.m., but the late express for Invercargill did not get away until 7.4-5 p.m. — exactly two hours late, — the latter having beenfdetained to suit the convenience of passengers by the express from the north.

Speaking at Winton on Monday night, Sir Joseph Ward stated that at a later date he would give an address in some part of the colony, in which he would deal with railway matters only, and he had no doubt his remarks would be of interest to employers and to the ordinary service as a whole.

It is hoped by the Postmaster-general that in a short time be will be able to grant a number of applications for telephones, which are much needed, in the outlying districts of the colony.

Mr W. G. T. Goodman, as representative of Messrs Noyes Bros., is at present preparing plans and specifications for the Auckland City Council in connection with the utilisation of the destructor in generating electricity. The success which has attended the combined destructor and pow«r-generating plant at Christchurch, which was installed by Messrs Noyes Bros-., has caused the Auckland City Council to follow the example thus set. Unfortunately, the Auckland Council paid no heed to the advice tendered before proceeding with the erection of the building for a destructor to decide whether a combined destructor and power-generating plant would be installed, and as a result Mr Goodman, on his visit there, had to advise that a considerable number of alterations w«re necessary in coAftecjiiog with, th© furnaces^ flues, and

building, and these are now being carried out. Mr Goodman has also been engaged to report upon the proposed electric tramway between Wellington and Petone.

Sir Joseph Ward has promised to visit Southland during the session in order to be present at the inauguration ceremony in connection with the dredger MurihikuTHe will also open the Otama bridge and lay the "foundation stone of the new- post office at Winton on that occasion.

The following new regulation respecting teachers' salaries is published in last week's Gazette.: — "(6) In any school graded on the Ist of January of the year 1905, ot of any subseqiient y-ear, as having not ovei 25 in yearly average attendance, if at tli€ beginning of any subsequent quarter il appears that the average attendance hai increased by five for the quarter or threj for the two quarters immediately preceding, the salary for such subsequent quarter shall be paid on the average daily attendance for the four quarters immediately preceding the quarter for which the salary is to b< paid; and for each quarter thereafter -until the 31st December of the same year J .h> salary shall -be paid "on ' the average dailj . attendance for the four quarters ims&e- , diately preceding the quarter for which tin salary is to be paid : Provided that nothing in this clause shall operate or be construec . to reduce the salary payable at the begin- . ning of the year."

From his remarks at Winton on Monday ■ night it would appear that Sir J. G. Ward does not see eye to eye with the Premier on '■ the question of the abolition of the Legislative Council. Sir Joseph is^a believer in the bicameral system, and holds that if any reform is made in the present system of appointment it should be in the direction of giving the House of Representativesthe right to elect the members of tho Upper Chamber.

A very strange divorce suit is being investigated in Sydney. The petitioner is Herbert David Crocker, who is claiming a divorce from his wife on account of her misconduct with one, Harry Bedford. The extraordinary feature of the allegations is that the wife had been acting a double part. It was stated that she made out to the co« respondent that she was sister-in-law of the petitioner, and looked after his two children, who had been taught to call her aunt;, that sho carried -on a correspondence with* Bedford, as if she were an unmarried) woman. Petitioner,- it- was asserted, hadfnot the slightest idea of his wife's behaviour until he came across a letter addressed to "Miss Maud Marks." He questioned his wife about the matter, at which she became very angry, but admitted she had been.' introduced by that name to a German, who had proposed to her, and she had accepteJ him "in fun. Petitioner reasoned with hia wife, told her she had acted very" foolishly,! and that the fun would have to stop. He offered- to get rid of the German lover h* a straightforward way, but she asked him - to leave the matter to her. Co-respondent, : it' was elicited, is not a German, but "a gentleman of colour." He was variously referred to as a native of India, and af Spaniard, but as he has not entered an appearance, his nationality has not been definitely decided upon. The judge made an order that certain portions of evidence were not to be published.

According to the journal of the Department of Labour for June the number oB men employed on railway construction under the Public Works Department is 2052, o£ whom 1317 are engaged in the North Island! and 735 in the South Island. In the North Island 992 men are engaged on the Main Trunk railway, and in the South 277 are working on the Midland railway. 190 on the Otago Central, and 20 on tho Catliu's line. The Roads Department at present provides employment for 2042 men. 1704 working in the North Island and 338 in the South Island. Of the latter number 73 are working in the Otago district. It will thus he E-sen that our of a total number of 4094 employed under the two departments 3021 are engaged in the North Island, as agains* 1073 in the South Island.