NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Witness, Issue 2803, 4 December 1907, Page 52

NEWS IN BRIEF.

The following have been elected chairmen of County Councils : — v> aitouaiti, Cr A. S. Orbell (re-elected); Waihemo, Cr D. Ross ; Taieri, Cr Miller ; Vincent, Cr James Horn (re-elected); Lake County, Cr William Bcid ; Clutha, Or J. R. Mitchell ; Tuapeka. Cr J. K. Simpson. At a sitting of the Juvenile Court in Dunedin a boy under 16 years of age, -who was employed by Dallas *nd Watt to ring a ! bell to attract attention to their auction sale, was fined dBl and 9e -costs on a charge of wantonly -disturbing the residents of George street. At a meeting ,in St. Leonards Presbyterian Church Hall to consider a suggestion to have a _new railway station -erected on a site convenient for both Burkes and St. Leonards, Mr H. Moller, Mayor of West Harbur, presided. The meeting became somewhat uproarious and noisy, and the j ruling of the chairman on some points was j questioned. An amendment which had been i moved being withdrawn by the mover and ! seconder on the ground that the meeting j was not properly called, by 45 to 10 it j was resolved to strongly urge upon the Minister of Rail-ways the necessity of erecting an up-to-date station -and siding in a more accessible position between the two present stopping places. The Auckland Chamber of Commerce declined to receive a letter from the Independent Political Labour League because of the terms -in which it was couched. The letter stated that the league resented the insult of a deputation from the chamber which waited on the Harbour Board recently in implying that the workers were a loafing class -and pilferers of sardines and pineapples. The Dunedin branch of the Independent Political Labour League is urging that the old-age* peitsin be increased to at least 12s 6d a week, payable at 60 years of age, and unconditional in all respects except as to time of residence in the Dominion. The league resolved that no member of the Labour party should join any Ministry not mainly composed of their own party, unless approved of by a two-thirds majority of the party in the House. At a meeting of the High School Board of Governors, the Hon. J. R. Sinclair presiding, it was decided that the Boys' High Sohool should break up on the afternoon of the 12th inst., and the Girls' Sohool in the evening of the same day. Intimation was received from the Education Board that £20 would be contributed under certain conditions for the B-wimminj? baths. It was resolved to thank theAthenteum Committee for giving as prizes membership tickets for competition in the -High Scfhool, and* also in the primary schools in the city and suburbs. The Dunedin City Council elected Crs Walker, Tapley, and Mr P. Miller as its representatives on the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards. Mr John Mill was elected to represent Port Chalmers, West Harbour, and Hawksbury and Paimerstou Borough*. Messrs F. Anderson and W. Wilkinson were re-elected to represent the combined Boroughs of Roslyn, Maori Hill, North-East Valley, and Mornington. Mr P. De la Perrelle was elected to represent the Lakes district on the Southland -Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. In the tennis championship of Victoria Parker beat Dunlop : B—6, 7- 5. 7—5. All the collieries in Now South Wales are in full work, and coal for shipment is available. A cyclonic storm, accompanied by torrential rain and hail, visited Sydney on November 26. Considerable damage was done. Mr Gortelyou's Panama stock keue was subscribed many times o\er at about the market price. Owing lo the destruction by fue of poppet-heads in Block 14 mine, Broken Hill, 200 men have been rendered iill". Expert? consider that Turkey's prohibition of the export of barley will affect English brewers. i Sir H. Campbcll-Bannerman hae loft ' Tx)fitVm for Biarritz for the benefit of his i health. j Tin- British Great Northern and the Oioai Central raihvajs are arranging a,', . jioolnig scheme to a-\oid excestnc conijsciition. _ J ! A synope-U of the voting at ihe late New I South Wale- State election-. «-hows that the ! poicentaire of \otefc racorc't-l >o the number ' enrolled wa-:— Males. 72.11. females. 60.78. i Lieutenant Snackletor.. of the Antarctic , e-pedition. was cordiailv vckonied on his ■ arrival at Adelaide by the Sia'c Go\crnor, ' the Premier, and the Mayor. I I'he Commonwealth Lalxmi- Council ha« ' resolved that the whole "oi the industrial loeri-lation of Australia should be under1 tevkrn lw the Federal Parliament. I i The West Australian Assembly carried an amendment to the Income Tax Bill granting an exemption of £10 }>er child for nil , families where there are up to five chil- , dren. The Victorian Government intend* to make reductions amounting lo £100.000 m freights nnd fares -to the State railways. Weston walked 1230 mile-- fiom Poitland (Maine) to Chicago in 595 hour"-. His previous record was 623 hours, liie 1 best day's walk v,as 95 milcu*

A 6 fhe 13oufh Australian cricketer* have' no home match, and "therefore have fewer engagements than the other States, it has been decided to suspend the Sheffield 'Shield competition this season. A record number of -steerage passengers have returned to Xjondon from New York and Canada. The cable-repairing steamer Patrol has | left Sydney to undertake the overhaul Of ' the New Zealand cable. The Sydney Morning Herald, in an article, says that the arrival of the 6^6. "Marama is an event in Australian -shipping cidcles, and is evidence not only of progress and growth, but bears witness to the sound lines on which the business of the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand is conducted. Mr Deakin doubts the accuracy of the reported sale Of "Fanning Island, one of i the stations on the Paciiic cable route, to Father Rougier for £25 000. The Commonwealth Government has not been advised of the transaction. The status of the .Benevolent Trustees has beoii questioned on the ground that in some caees the local bodies have not been directly represented at the meetings when tho trustees were elected. An opinion to that effect has been obtained from Mr Hoskinc;, K.C. The lateßt report about Lionel Terry is that he was " eeen about Wbare Flat on Monday. .Sir J. G. Ward, Prime Minister, stated at Auckland that the financial crisis in America had not affected New Zealand. The financial -~sition in the Dominion had never been stronger than at present. ___ At TVhangara, Poverty Bay, a Native named Herbert, one of a party of shearers committed suicide by hanging himself in hie tent after some domestic trouble. Thomas Scott and Richard Wedon, two of the crew of the steamer Kaikoura, were sentenced by justices of the peace at Port Chalmers to cix monihs' imprisonment with hard labour -for uulawfully entering the ship's hold and damaging cargo. At the London wool sales there was increased competition, and prices for all descriptions were fully maintained. A fire at Bishop Stortford (Hertfordshire) destroyed oight buildings connected with the Anchor Malting Company. The damage is estimated at" £200,000. The French war balloon La Patrie was wrenched from the grasp of 200 men while being repaired. The balloon was eeen above Toit Island. Antrim, Ireland An explosion at the Naomi colliory (Pennsylvania) entombed 60 miners. Two miners named Cackl and Edmonds were drowned through falling from the cage at the Brittania mine, Ballarat. The Commonwealth Houso of Representatives has restored kerosene under 10 gallon paokag.es to the free list. In connection with the British naval Erunnery experiments, thouafh the battleships made excellent shooting, and the effect was terribly destructive at a distance of seven and a-ha!f miles, yet the armour of the old battleship used as a target was not pierced. Mr Chamberlain, writing to the West Birmingham .Unionist Association, hopes before long to resume his place in the front rank to fight for unionism and the policy wherefore it now stands. He is more than ever convinced that, the country's future depends on tariff reform, from which none will profit more than the workers, who at pre3ent are called upon to fighb their competitors tit a disadvantage, and with their hands tied behind their backs. A good deal of interest has been exerted by the caise of four young fellows who et.owed away on -the Kaikoura before leav ins London for New -Zealand. The eldest was 26 years, while vhe youngest, is a bright, intelligent lad of 17 yoars. who informed the police that he was starving in London. They had stowed away amongst the coil, and had not shown themselves until after they had been three days on hoard. The iour were brought up before justices at Port Chalmers, charged w ith being «t o wawayu It appeared they had bahaved themselves very wiell indeed dm ing the paK&age, and although not asked to work had assisted £he coal trimmer*. Mr Cumming for the Prisoners' Aid 'Society, offered to place the yonng fellows in suitable emoloymant, .and asked that, tf convicted, some steps should .be taken to keep the youngest apart, from other prwonera while in oaol. The justices fined each of the young fellows £5, in ' default one month's imprisonment. Stens are being taken to raise money to pay fehe : fine