NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

Otago Witness, Issue 3029, 3 April 1912, Page 65

NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

AUCKLAND. A union has been formed at Whangarei embodying all workers not attached to any other such organisation. A start will be made with 53 members, and it is expected that that number will be increased to 100 by April 12, when the next meeting will be- held to consider whether the union shall register under the Arbitration or the Traded Union Act. A resolution was passed that the meeting protest against the action of the Auckland City Council in refusing to recognise the principles of unionism, and wishing success to the Labour candidate standing for the mayoralty. Henry Hollick, of Rotorua, for failing to keep proper books, was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment, with hard labour. Kawau Island, a popular holiday resort in Hauraki Gulf, has been sold for £30,000, which is a considerable increase on the previous price paid. The island will be subdivided into residential allotments. The fortunes of the ballot were poorly shared by southern selectors who sought sections from the big area disposed of in Auckland on March 30. Five hundred and twelve persons from all parte of the Dominion made 1939 applications, and as 80 of the men were rejected by the Land Board, there were 55 sections for distribution' among 432 selectors. Less than a dozen persons whose present residence is outside the Auckland province were successful in drawing sections, 45 being secured by selectors from different parts of the Auckland land district. A batch of orchardists were before the court at Hamilton and fined £1 each and costs. One of the defendants said he had cut down the lot of his trees, and could not see any blight remaining, but the inspector had come along, and. with the aid of a microscope, showed him insects big as elephants; in fact, he was afraid to go out at night on account of them. TARANAKI. Sir George Clifford, at the invitation of Lord Ranfurly, Q.C.M.G., and his colleagues, has decided after paying a visit of inspection to the oil wells at Moturoa to join the board of directors of the Taranaki Oil Wells Limited. HAYVKE'S BAY. The new brick town hall was opeiv.d by Lotcl Islington at Daonevirke on the 27th. The building was designed by the Hon. Pitt, of Melbourne, end seats about 1000 people. The work cost £II.OOO, including the installatior of electric light, and was carried out by Mr J. H. Fairhurst, contractor, who was given a gold watch by the council in appreciation of the faithful manner in which the work was ctone. Lord Islington to-night attenled a performonce by amateurs of "H.M.S. F'liafore," and afterwards left by special train for Wellington. The rateable value of the borough of Napier for the year ended March. 1913. is set down at £121,297, an increase of £3571 on this year's value. The capital value of the borough property is roughlv estimated at £1,900,000. WELLINGTON. An echo of the Stagpoole case was heard at the Board of Education meeting on March 25, -when a resolution was passed drawing the attention of the Teachers' Institute to the action of Mr Parkinson (secretary of the institute) in obtaining i confidential information and then h'eak-

ing faith. All the members of the board paid a tribute to the manner in which Mr Pirani conducted the case for the board. Mr J. Pedersen, of the dairy division of the Department of Agriculture, has been appointed to proceed to Europe to inquire into the latest methods of manufacturing casein, and of otherwise making the most profitable uses of the by-pro-ducts in the dairying industry. He will leave New Zealand in the course of a few days. At the conference of members of the Pharmacy Board of New Zealand reference was made to the number of recent cases in which chemists were concerned in opium traffic and sly grog-selling, and to the need for vigorous action being taken. The board resolved that the provisions of the Pharmacy Act enabling application to be made for the removal of chemists from the register for certain offences b 6 enforced in every case where the circumstances call for such action. CANTERBURY. At a gathering of the members of the Board of Governors, professors, students, and others in Canterbury College hall on the Ist, a memorial brass to the memory of the late Professor C. H. H. Cook was unveiled. Professor Cook, who died in May, 1910, occupied the post of professor of mathematics at the college for 33 years, and was one of the first members of the staff.