NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

Otago Witness, Issue 2785, 31 July 1907, Page 27

NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

AUCKLAND. The court was occupied on the 24th in The S.M. Court was occupied to-day in hearing a claim brought by Schneidemann Bros., tailors, against Mrs Alfred Nathan, for 12 guineas, value of a costume ordered by and delivered to defendant, together with costs of certain alterations. His Worship said that the real question was whether the costume fitted, and he would look through the evidence and give his decision later. The costume was sent backwards and forwards half a dozen times, and it was alleged that it could not be made to fit. The case aroused much interest in society circles. - The Ohinemuri district 6uffered much from the gale and floods on Saturday and Sunday. 20th and 21st. The river overflowed its banks on Sunday, and the main street in Paeroa was like a mill race, and the lowlying land was deeply flooded. Many residents removed from their homes in vehicles. The water drained off with the ebb tide early on Monday morning. Horopito township lots were sold at auction on the 24th by the Hon. Kennedy Macdonald (in conjunction with Mr T. Mandeno Jackson), the prices ranging from £20 to £155, according to size and position. The City Council has written to the Auckland members pointing out the increased expense to local bodies by increased duties being levied on cast-iron pipes. At a meeting of the Trades and Labour | Council on the 24th it was decided to invite ' all the unions affiliated to subscribe towards assisting the Sydney Coal Lumpers' Union in its contest against the employers. x The council also discussed the tariff, and decided to ask the Minister of Customs that a duty be placed on all printed paper bags coming into the colony, also that all imported printed matter bear the printers' imprint. j At a largely-attended meeting at "Whangadei on the 24th Lnat., when there were present representatives from most of the outlying districts, it was decided to form a company styled tho Whangarei Co-opera-tive Dairy Factory Company (Ltd.), with a nominal capital of £5000 in £1 shares. Five hundred shares were taken up at the meeting. Two young men named David Walter Sullivan and Donald Wilson were committed for trial on the 25th on a charge of assaulting a fireman named Hugh Mullins, with intent to rob him. Alfred Henderson, a middle-aged man, with several aliases, was, on July 26, charged, before Mr Dyer, S.M., with having forged a cheq-ue on the National Bank on Juno 19, 1905, and uttered it to Benjamin. M'Kerras, who acted upon it believing it to be genuine. The cheque was returned dishonoured, with a notification that Uieie was nq account in the name of

Charles E. Grant, the person purported to have signed it. Accused was committed for trial. A deputation from Helensville waited on the Chamber of Commerce on July 29 asking for co-operation in urging a diversion of the railway by way of West Auckland to shorten the distance to Kaipara. The deputation also asked for the chamber' s assistance to get fuller recognition by the Government of the value of the hot springs at Helensville, and having further improvements effected. The president, Mr Alfred Nathan, promised the co-operation of the chamber. The half-yearly meeting of the Auckland Gas Company declared a dividend of 8s per share, absorbing £14.429 12s, and carried forward £5969 ICe 3d. A young man named Reginald Henry Dempsey appeared at the Police Court on July 29, charged with forging a cheque for £15 11s 6d on the Napier branch of the National Bank of New Zealand in the name of R. H. Douglas, and with having uttered it to Edward A. Shrimski. The accused was committed for trial. To encourage the Volunteer School Cadet movement, Mr John Hunter Brown, of Whakaki, has given £200 to be invested for all time, the interest to be devoted to oaah prizes for shooting competitions by the Huramoa Mounted Rifles and the Wairoa School Cadets. | POVERTY BAT. At the Native Land Court at Gisbor.ne a framed portrait of Sir Donald M'Lean, a former Native Minister, was unveiled. Sir Donald purchased the, site where Gisborne now stands. Several Natives spoke, extolling the wise administration of the deceased statesman. The waterside workers are forwarding s ub- ] soriptions to relieve the distress caused by j the Sydney coal lumpers' trouble. . I A poll to constitute Gisborne a fire dis- \ trict was carried by 49 to 7. TARANAKI. j The amount subscribed to date for the memorial on Maryland Hill to the soldiers who fell in Taranaki during the Maori ' war is £250. | At the annual meeting of the North Island Poultry Association at New Plymouth, the remits from Hastings, Woodville, New Plymouth, and Manawatu were withdrawn or negatived. The exhibitors at j the Manawatu A. and P. show were dis- i qualified. Mr C. Goodson, of Hawera, was elected president. i The Inglewood and Moa Petroleum Comi paniee have everything ready to commence boring operations, and will start in a few days. WELLINGTON. | At a jaublie meeting held on the 23rd a | branch of the National League of New Zealand was formed in Wellington. The Prime Minister, speaking in support of the proposal, said he believed the National League movement would have the effect of impressing upon people the fact that — not in a spirit of jingoism, but in case neces- | sity arose— they should gain in times of j peace that experience Which would enable j them to fight for their country and King. Personally he would do all he could, publicly and privately, to mould public opinion in this direction on sound and politic lines. At a meeting at Palmerston N. a resolution was carried authorising the Borough Council to take a poll to borrow £10,500 for works as follows: — Purchase municipal buildings, £2500 ; alterations to library buildings, £1550 ; street improvements, £4250; street lamps, £200; cycle tracks, £100; riverbank protection at Esplanade, £1850; and £2550 -for protecting the river bank at Kokowhitu. -, William James Pollock applied to Mr Riddell, S.M., for leave to lay an information against Arthur Beeson for defamatory libel under the Criminal Code Act Amendment of 1901. The application wae refused without prejudice, on the ground that his Worship was not satisfied that Beesou is a man of no substance and unable to pay the damages of a civil action. A Chinaman named Leo, of Martinborough, has gone bankrupt, with liabilities of over £1000 and an estimated deficiency of £300. He attributes his bankruptcy mainly to hi 6 unprofitable partnership with a Maori. They began business two years ago with a capital of £28. At the annual meeting of the Ma-stcrton A. and P. Association on July 27 Mr J. D. Cruickshank was elected president for the ensuing year. A motion was carried that members' and ladies' tickets be withheld from all members whose subscriptions for the current year arc not paid. The profit for the last year amounted to £100. There was a strong outburst of feeling 1 at Marton on Saturday night between 10 o'clock and 12, when a crowd numbering about 200 hooted Constable Fitzpatrick for his action in the recent licensing caee at the Marton Court. Stones and eggs were thrown about. Several windows were broken at the police station, which at the time was occupied by the constable's wife, i who was naturally much alarmed. Two local residents who endeavoured to reason with the mob were hustled and quickly silenced. Constable Fitzpatrick was shouldered out of the way several times. Much credit is given to the constable for his selfrestraint and plucky bearing in what alrhost amounted to a riot. The Feiiding Star says that a writ has

j w TUV T? \. Barton, late been issued by Jfc E. j^ tampanvV against the Bank of Australasia, claiming" money/alleged to be due in connection with the relations and the transactions of the bank with Richter, Nannestad, and Co. and the timber company, and also on account of the directors of the timber company conjoined as co-defendants.. J3ie case will probably be heard at the September sittings of the Supreme Court in Palmerston. North. Tho Minister of Lands has given instructions to the Land and Survey Department that the name " Middle Island " is not to be used in future. South" Island will be adhered to in all cases. At a meeting of delegates it was decided to form a New Zealand Automobile Association, the headquarters to be in Wellington, although a general meeting may be held in any of the other centres. The Council of the Evangelical Churches on July 29 passed the following resolution : " That whereas the law relating to the restitution of conjugal rights proves to be a very short cut to divorce, which was probably not intended, it is legitimately desirable that the law should be so amended as, | whilst retaining the aright of aotion for alimony, to prevent the issue of any order i the issue of which would be. construed to be i equivalent to five years' desertion." j MARLBOROUGH. A married man --named Samuel Turner, a«ed 35, a tailor by trade, died suddenly on Friday, July 26. He waa suffering from hemorrhage of the brain and took a'fit and I expired. 1 CANTERBURY. The only notice taken of Arbor Day in Christchurch was the granting of a holidayto the schools. No tree-planning was done. The farmers complain of the dry weather. Showers have fallen occasionally during the iast three days, but not enough to satisfy agricultural and pastoral wants. The South Canterbury Dairy Company has had a profitable year, and will pay a dividend of 5 per cent, and a bonus to suppliers. The year's turnover was £27,000. At the Magistrate's Court on July 26 John : Goram was committed for trial on a charge | of the theft of £17 8s 6d from a feUowj ledger in a boarding-house, named Drake, ' who went to ' bed on Wednesday night, leaving the money in hie pocket book. Tho money was gone in the morning, besides a gold scarf Din. The pin was found in Goram 's possession, and also some : notes. Goram quite recently finished a. I sentence of five months, j The Mayor has received a request from ' the Collector of Customs for payment of ! duty on the organ handed over by the Government to the city. The letter states that a request for a refund can be made to the department. The Mayor has ( requested the town clerk to write to the' Hon. Mr Millar, Minister of Trade and Customs, calling his attention to the fact that the j organ had been handed over to a publio ! body for the benefit of the public, and should therefore be exempt from .duty.