NEWS SUMMARISED.

Otago Witness, Issue 2785, 31 July 1907, Page 52

NEWS SUMMARISED.

Jhe .Tamway employees in Dunedin, Christchuroh, Wellington, and Auckland have petitioned Parliament asking for certain joncessioris to enable them to teke adV&Tltage of ohea>p railway fares. At a meeting of the Dun«din Fire Board Mr F. G. Cray (chairman) and Mr Arkle were appointed delegates to attend a conference in Wellington as to amendments of the Fire Brigade Aot and the working hereof. At a conference between the honorary rangers and the General Committee of the Dunedin City Council it was resolved, in vaew of -She destruction that still goes on by the .lighting of fires, etc., to ask the Government to appoint an additional constable, sc as io permit of one constable being always detailed to patrol municipal, scenic, arid other reserves with a view to obtaining the conviction of offenders. Mr R. Chisbolm, president of the Dunedin Photographic Society, gave a lecture on July 29, the subject being "Round the World with a Camera." By means of lantern slides, showing views token by Mr Chisholm during hie recent holiday tour, the lecturer kept the close .attention of. hw audience. Among beautiful historic pictures was that of Flodden Field. A.n inquiry was held on the 27th inst., before Mr C. C. Graham, 8.M., at the Dunedin Law Courts, touching the drowning of Joseph Thomas Hughes on the voyage of the schooner Waratah from Lyttelton to Dunedin. The magistrate mentioned that +he question was whether uhere was sufficient protection on the oraft. Hughes wae supposed to have been- in the jralley at the time, #rhen a sea, broke on board and washed him out on the lee side und«r the rail, there not being sufficient orotection to prevent him goinjr overboard. Evidence was gavem by A. A. Nealson, Carl Ostroom, and Oil Johansen, seamen on the WaTatah. a» to the sea breaking on board and washing Hughes overboard. Timber wae thrown overboard. «od when last »een ieoeased was lying with his arm straight out over, a plank. The boat was not lowered, : as the sea was too rough. After further | evidence, the inquiry was adjourned in order to take the evidence of the captain. In the House of Representatives the Dunedin and Suburban Gas Company Empowering Bill *raa read a second time, and referred to the OommiW*e on Private Bills. The Prime Minister remarked that as there was £80,000 of British money invested in the venture the eonjpanv should receive reasonable treatment, and should get fair value for any portion of its plant .-aken over in the City of Dunedin. Tbe Mayor of Auckland hae sent a communication to the chairman of directors of the Auckland Electrio Tramway Company askinjr If the comi»Jiy is prepared to negotiate for the sale of the whole of ite interests in. ihe Auckland elective tramways to Jk^iocal Tramways Board; and. if so .-upon what basis can the price to be paid be assessed. By Cablb. The Maheno had a tempestuous passage on the lest trip to Sydney. Forty-five sheep died en Toute. The appointment of Sir George Sydenham Clarke as Governor of Bombay is popular in Bombay. The death of. the Rev. Mr Watsford, the grand old man of Australian. Methodism, is announced, at the age of 97 years. Thj English Board of Education ha* stopped rifle-shooting in the Eyneford and Shorebam public elementiary schools. Victor Booth, the Oamaru pianist, has obtained the Macfarren gold medal and th© Westlake prise at the Royal Academy of Musio, London. The Metropolitan Board of Works (Vie.) has accepted an offer of the Australian Mutual Provident Society to purchase £300,000 worth of debentures. For the year ended June 30 ,he New South Wake railway revenue shows a gross increase of £474,000 and the tramways an increase of £57,000 as compared with the preceding year. There bis been a remarkable decrease io the prison population of Victoria in 15 years. The proportion of prisoners to rpulottan bag decreased from 1 in 619 to in 1229.

At his own desire, 3Jr Winston Churchill will pay his cost of living and transport, except for the Government transport, during his East African -aid Uganda tour. The Sydney butter market is In an unsatisfactory condition It is heavily jver-stook-ed, and the arrivals are still increasing. Large quantities are being placed in cold storage. At a meeting of New South Wales country fiourmillers it was decided to form an association. It was ako resolved to discontinue the ahsurd practice of selling for forward delivery beyond three months. The Executive Committee of the New South Wales Immigration League has passed " a resolution of confidence in Dr Arthur, whose extraordinary letter on immigration was recently published. The South Australian Marine Department has received a Jeport from the lighthousekeeper at Penguin Island, in Rivoli Bay, stating that the island is crumbling away through erosion of the sea at the rate of four inches a month. Heavy landslips are occurring. Sir John Forrest does not approve of Sir W. J. Lyne's suggested scheme for seeding- Commonwealth news by way of the Pacific cable for publication in the European papers, because -the news so ient would be- tinged with the views of the Government. There is a political crisis in Queensland. When Parliament was opened by commiseion on the 23rd inst. the members of the Labour party took their seats on the Opposition crocs benches- A- meeting- of Government supporters was called for the 30th, when it was -expected that the Government would resign, recommending that Mr Philp, the Opposition Leader, be sent for. The Sydney "Health Officer discovered 72 tins of opium floating near the Heads. They evidently had beer dropped overboard from an Eastern-going steamer with a view to evading the duty. Two Chinamen were seen in a boat in the vicinity, apparently with the intention of picking up the tins. The gold yield of "Victoria last -year was 772,2900z. valued at £3.280.000. The dividends distributed by pold-mining companies amounted to £485 T OOO, an increase of £33,000 on the previous rear. The coal output was 160,600 .tons, an increase of 5500 tons as compared with the preceding y-ear. A judgment obtained asrainst the Sydney Daily Telegraph for libelling a candidate at a recent election by classifying him as a Socialist has been set asid*> by the Full Court. The Chief Justin held that the judge in the lower court should have determined that there was no evidence upon which a rational verdict for the plaintiff could be found. ' The plethora of Liberal candidates and the possibility of extensive -yote-splitting at the forthcoming State election in New South Wales are caueing the Government anxiety. Mr Carruthers (the Premier) appeals to the electors to heal their dissensions and to close up their ranks against the Socialistic Labour party. LATE NEWS. It is probable that last year's Anti-bet-ting Bill will be reintroduoed this session. The death is announced in her ninetyfirsfc year of Mrs Milne, a very old resident of Southland, where she has resided since her arrival with her husband in 1865. She leaves 43 grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren. The coal mine owners of Otago are forming an association witih a view of meeting the demands of the workers. A conference between the two parties is likely to take place at an- early date. The Government hay« abandoned che idea of the compulsory acquirement of the Te Ohu Estate, Hawke's Bay, the property of Mrs Matthews. Three old residents of Neleon died on Tuesday— namely, Mr Jesse Hounsell (aged 75), Mr George Eves, of Spring-grove (aged 75), and Mr Frederick Taylor, late of Collingwood and the 58th Regiment (aged 81). James Peacock, ion of Mr Peacock, builder, Mangaweka, was killed at Ohakune, on the North Island Main Tmnk railway, by the capsizing of a dray. James Arthur., single, 28 years of age, died at hia parents' residence, North-East Valley, on Sunday night from injuries sustained at Cavereham on March 6. He was employed on the railway duplication works on the date of the accident. Mr J. F. M'Beth, chief postmaster at Christchurch, retires on September 30. His successor will be Mr S. P. Stevens, now phief -postmaster at Nelson (formerly of Dunedin) Mr Senn, assistant inspector of post offices, will be promoted to be chief postmaster at Nelson. At a representative meeting of delegates from local bodies to consider the question of nn infectious diseases hospital, the Mayor lof Dan«din presiding', it was resolved — "'That the basis of rating of the various local authorities as compiled by the District Health Officer, as set forth in his schedule, is fair, and that the same be approved of by this meeting, any error that has occurred in estimating the population to be corrected." The next step is consideration by Mr Widdowson, S.M., of the schedule allocating the amounts to be paid by each district. Three thousand of the troops of the Sultan of Morocco are surrounding he country inhabited by the Harkmass tribe, in order to oapture Raisuli. It is reported thai Mr Lloyd-George, president of the Board of Trade, next session proposes to municipalise the London docks. Reuter states that while lecturing on Sooialism at Winnipeg Mr Keir Bardic, M-P , had bis hat, vest, and tobacco pouch stolen. Six hundred Belfast policemen left their beats while on duty, and demanded higher wages and better pensions. The Commis- ( sioner promised them a decision on Saturday. All the soap libel litigation against the Harmsworth papers in London, Manchester, Glasgow, and Leeds has been settled. It is understood that Mesam Joseph Watson and Sons obtained not less than £50,000 damages. Good views of the comet reported by cable have been obtained by Sydney astronomers, though only one tail is observable. This probably ifi due to the fact that it is viewed from an angle in southern latitudes. The comet is visible to the naEed eye early in the morning as a hazy etar of the third magnitude. Ton Greek bands, equipped by wealthy Greeks, with the Greek Government's connivance, and commanded by Greek army omoeiv, are systematically exterminating the Bulffars. in order to include the dis1 trieta of Monastic Seres, and ITipVUfl.

within the Greek national sphere. The Porte has energetically protested against the action of the Greeks. Eleven hundred bootmakers, who are on strike at Raon-I'etape, France, when marching in procession through the streets, jommenced rioting. The polioe tried to prevent them junctioning, in pursuance of an invitation, with the Paper-makers' Trades Union demonstration. In the struggle several troopers were unhorsed, and a captain of the gendarmes was severely injured. The chasseurs finally charged the rioters, one striker being killed: Fire devastated Coney Island, a popular New York resort, 11 miles south of the city. The damage is estimated at a quarter of "a million sterling. A sudden change of wind prevented the destruction of two million pounds' worth .of property. Two thousand people have been rendered homeless. Tweiwyeeven.-~ firemen sustained injuries.