NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

Otago Witness, Issue 2984, 24 May 1911, Page 37

NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

AUCKLAND. The Campbell Creche was opened and dedicated on the 16th by Bishop Crossley, Warden of the Order of the Good Shepherd. The building is a gift from Sir John Logan Campbell, and cost £2OOO. In it sick oar working mothers can leave their children, knowing that every care will be taken of them. The Auckland winter exhibition was opened on the 22nd by the Hon. Tbos. Mackenzie (Minister of "Agriculture). The exhibition, which will last over a whole week, is the biggest of its kind yet held in Auckland, the catalogue showing over 780 entries in the competitive classes, while over 100 industrial exhibits are made in the non-competitive section.

HAWKE'S BAY. Two men named Jas. Glendining and John Haines were on the 15th committed for trial on a charge of perjury. The latter is a half-caste Maori, and the charges of perjury were laid against both by direction of Ma' W. A. Barton, S.M., after the hearing of a recent case in which Glendining was convicted of supplying Haines with liquor outsidfe the Whatutu Hotel.

WELLINGTON. The Wairarapa Times asserts that it is sale -to assume that over a great part of the Wairarapa at any rate the aggregation of areas is going on, and that in many places small farms are becoming big farms, and the property of one man instead of two or three. In fact, people in the Eketahuna district can point to a number of localities where this has taken, and is now taking, place, and the tendency is even more marked further north in Pahiatna County, where a net decrease of nearly 300 has taken place in the population.

Thirteen charges of breaking and entering were brought against a young man named Arthur Thomas Reid at the trate's Court on the 17th. In the last how.e accused entered he was attacked by the occupant, and disabled. The burglaries were all committed during the last four months. A large proportion of the goods have been discovered by the police. The accused pleaded " Guilty," and was committed to the 'Supreme Court for sentence. A meeting of master butchers in business in Wellington was held on the 16th to consider the question of raising the price of beef. The scarcity of marketable cattle in Wellington at present (says the Post) is very pronounced, and in the South Island, especially in the district which supplies such, things are even worse—a state of affairs attributable to the dry season. A representative of a Christchurch firm is at present in the Wellington district trying to buy up to 200 bullocks. These heavy demands on local supplies have caused prices for cattle to advance, and it was to consider the position that the master butchers met last, evening. After discussing the matter it was decided that no increase in the retail price of beef should be made at present. If market values do not ease the butchers will in all likelihood hold another meeting at an early date to determine what should be done.

After a 10 days' campaign the. funds of the Y.M.CA. closed on Saturday, £3600 being realised. This, with £IBOO for a site, and £750 for three 'years' administration expenses, brings the total in hands to £5550. More is expected. On Saturday afternoon the. Hon. .Mr Fowlds, Acting Minister of Defence, presented two members of the Girls' Peace Scouts —Irene Simpson and Daisy Weaner—with gilt medals and. certificates from the Chief Dominion Scout for promptitude and bravery in rescuing life. At the Supreme Court William Kaining, an old man, was (sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment, with three years' detention in a reformatory prison, for an indecent assault on a little girl. George Arthur Aldo, for assaulting a man with a bar of iron, received 12 months ; and Arthur Tliomas Reid received two years for breaking and entering. Mrs Melville, about 26 years of afije, the wife of a tailor residing at East Town, disappeared on Saturday, and has not been seen since. She left a note saying good-bye as she could not stand the worry any longer. The wax portion of a box of matches was found in the kitchen, and it is feared that the woman has committed suicide. Two children, aged 13 months and three years, were left on the verandah. The mother told them she was going to bring them lollies.

A new Aiglican churoh is about to be erected in Masterton at an estimated cosfc of £6OOO. Mr C. J. Mountfoi'd, architect, of Christclnirch, has been -appointed the architect for the building. Mr A. M. D. Donovan, one of the Irish Home Rule envoys, speaks gratefully of the support accorded throughout NewZealand, saying that he and his colleagues have completely beaten the record of Mr Devlin. WEST COAST. The Westport Harbour Board has decided to sell the bucket dredge Erskine, and to have a large and more up to-dato dredge built.