NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

Otago Witness, Issue 3017, 10 January 1912, Page 28

NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

AUCKLAND. Inquiries made at the local tourist agencies go to show that the Christmas and New Year traffic is particularly heavy, and that the number of English and Australian visitors now in New Zealand probably constitutes a record. Tours through the most favoured parts of the Dominion were booked yesterday by many new arrivals. Among the passengers by the Mooltan from Sydney were Sir Wm. Russell and Professor Gilrutli (formerly Chief Veterinary Surgeon to the New Zealand Agriculture Department), also members of the New South Whales Totalisator Commission, which will tour New Zealand and report on the working of the machine in the Dominion. A young married man named Arthur Smith was arrested on Dec. 22 on a charge of stealing some whisky thgt belonged to the steamer Delphic, then in port. The accused appeared in the Police Court on Dec. 23, when it was explained that he had been wopking on the vessel, and had been found in possession of whisky which had been taken from a case in the Delphic’s cargo. The accused was sent to gaol for three months. During the four days from December 20 to 23, inclusive, 6628 bags of mails and 1410 hampers were handled at the ’chief post office, as compared with 4926 bags and 1134 hampers during the same period last year. The stamp sales were £4050 2s, as compared with £3647 12s 6d last year. Various produce auctioneers in the city report that though- the sales at Christmas this year were very satisfactory they did not come up to previous seasons. The supply of fruit was considerably affected bv the violent gale which raged prior to the holidays. Reports are coming in as to the damage done, and from all accounts it appears to have been considerable. Peaches which in previous years have been coming freely to hand at this time, have been arriving very slowly, and such as do come are of extremely poor quality. Strawberries were in keen demand, and though there was a fair supply they brought remarkably good prices. Turkeys, geese, poultry, etc., were plentiful, and fetched good prices, and compared very favourably in this, respect with previous years. Tne prospects for a plentiful supply of apples, pears, etc., are excellent, and, despite the gale there is every indication that fruit-growers will enjoy the benefit of a record season. The strawberry season is now approaching its close, and the supply is no longer able to satisfy the demand. Plums are on. the increase, but the peach crop is doubtful. Apples and bananas are easy to buy and sell. Grapes have barely made their appearance yet, and are consequently very dear. Altogether, the season has been so far rather unsatisfactory, owing doubtless to the weather.

The fares collected by the Auckland Tramways Company during the 12 days comprising the Christmas and New Year holidays show an increase of £425 8s 8d when compared with the lesults for the same period last year. The figures are : 1910-11, £B2IB 7s lOd; 1911-12, £8643 16s 6d. In connection with the fire at Green Lane on October 25. when a house and stable owned by Robert Porter were found on fire in several places, the coroner’s jury returned a verdict “ That a wilful attempt to set fire to both was made by Porter.” Tho urgent need of a lighthouse on the Three Kings Islands is to be impressed upon Parliament by a petition from masters of intercolonial and coastal vessels. The petition will also advocate tho lighting of North Capo, Flat Rock (off Kawau Island), tho Channel Island (off Capo Colville). This Course of action was decided on by a meeting of shipmasters to-day. It is anticipated that the signatures of 400 shipmasters •will be obtained. WELLINGTON. The Wellington postal officials from the 20th to the 25rd December handled 8266 bags and hampers—an increase of 860 on last year’s figures. The value of stamps sold at Wellington during the same period was £4o22—an increase of £726. The figures in both instances are records. An Order-in-Council has been made, and will be gazetted shortly, fixing tho let of January as the date of the opening of the shooting season for godwit, or curlew. This date is substituted for the Ist of February, as requested by the conference of acclimatisation societies.

During 1911 18 petitions in bankruptcy were filed in the Wellington office, as compared with 34 in 1910. The Dominion Conference of the Cfhurches of Christ concluded on the 3rd. It was resolved to hold the next conference in Dunedin. The following officers were elected. —President, Mr C. F. M‘Donald j vice-presidents—Messrs Gebbie and Knapp; secretary and treasurer, Mr S. Wright. The Palmerston police discovered some human remains wrapped up in a blanket cn the Foxton road. A medical examination revealed that the bones, which included a skull and leg bones, were very old. and were those of a Maori. It is

surmised that they were Jost by the Maoris when being conveyed from one cemetery to another. The conference of waterside workers commenced on tho Bth. The object of the conference is to prepare uniform demands to be presented to the combined shipowners of the Dominion. The sitting is in camera. The conference will extend over to-morrow. Three bakers were fined 40te each on the Bth for selling short-weight bread. Their excuse was that there was not enough margin allowed for evaporation. One defendant said it was not fair that one loaf should be selected, when, if the whole batch were weighed, it would not be found to be short in weight. WEST COAST. Christmas Eve business proved a record at Greymouth. Being - a general ' holiday at the manes ,and sawmills, large numbers came to town yesterday and witnessed the sports. The weather was beautiful. Greymouth. bowlers visited Hokitika. They retained the Ballinger Buckles by 8 points after a keenly-contested game. The number of passengers carried on the railways and coaches much surpassed that of previous years. This is an indication of .the general prosperity of the Coast. The postal work was very heavy during the whole of last week. CANTERBURY. Victor Smith and Edgar Moore were charged before justices on the 3rd inst. with a series of burglaries which were perpetrated in Christchurch during December. They pleaded guilty to nearly all the charges, and were committed for sentence. Henrietta Agnes Berlind, aged 21, was before the court on the 4th inst. charged with vagrancy. The previous day she was arrested in Lyttelton when strutting about in boy’s clothes, smoking a cigarette. She is an ex-inmate, of the Cavensnani Industrial School, and, according to the police evidence, badly wanted looking after. The magistrate sent her for a year’s reformative treatment.