NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

Otago Witness, Issue 3030, 10 April 1912, Page 27

NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

AUCKLAND. Owing to the difference of opinion which recently arose in hockey circles the president of the Auckland Ladies' Hockey Association (Mr Gresham) has resigned. Thomas Henry Phillips, who was arrested at Wellington, came before Mr Catchpole, J.P., at the Police Court on the 6th on a charge of having assaulted William Montgomery so as to cause him actual bodily " harm". The charge arose out of an affair in a city hotel on March 8, when Mr Montgomery was badly handled by a number of men, who afterwards left the place in a. motor car. The accused was remanded till Friday, bail being allowed in two sureties of £SO or one of £IOO. A series of earth tremors varying in intensity were experienced hero on the 7th inst. The tremors, which numbered 20, lasted from 3.15 to 3.45, and there was another shock at 7 o'clock. Under the will of the late Edwin Herries, K. 8., of St. Julians, England, proved to the value of £156,722, Mr W. H. Herries, M.P., receives a legacy of £SOOO. He is also one of the four residuary legatees. TARANAKI. HAWKE'S BAY. Messrs Thomas Horton (Ltd.), Hastings and Pahiatua, have been awarded a firstclass certificate for the best collection of apples at, the carnival at Melbourne under the auspices of the Royal Horticultural Society, Victoria, and the Victorian Horticultural Improvement Society. the Wakanui's departure from Auckland for Wellington was delayed on the 4th inst. by a court case, in which Thomas Ashford, a member of the crew, was charged with having assaulted the captain, the charge being met by the allegation that the assault was provoked and that the injuries sustained by the defendant were caused by the captain using a sling shot in a struggle with the accused. The court found the case a difficult one to decide, but found Ashford guilty, and sentenced him to one month, with hard labour'. WELLINGTON. The Japanese exploring ship Kainan Maru sailed for Japan on the 2nd inst. Henry Eraser Marshall, a young man against whom there were 20 previous convictions, was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment on a charge of theft from a dwelling, and was declared an habitual criminal. The annual Mormon Native conference was opened at Awapuni on the 3rd inst. Many Maoris were present from Hawke's Lav.' Poverty Has*, Wairarapa, Taranaki, Wellington, and Auckland. Between 400 and 500 Natives are expected to be present The Government meteorologist advises that settlers who have not yet burned off old bush should take the opportunity of utilising the rising northerly winds soon, as a change is following. The Wellington City Council has adopted a resolution that the council grant a sum of £IOOO, .subject to the amount of £SOOO being raised by the public within two months, for the purchase of pictures from Mr BaiUie's collection. Mr Percy Taylor, of Kiwitea. has been awarded the Royal Humane Society's certificate and medal for bravery displayed in July. 1910, in rescuing a comrade from being "gored by a bullock. Mr Taylor held" the bullock bv the horns until his comrade, who had been knocked down, escaped from danger. It is authoritatively stated that no appointment of a successor to Mr Waklegrave as Commissioner of Police and Under-secretary for Justice has yet been made. . . The Appeal Court reserved its decision in the cases of the Kauri Timber Company and the. Taupe Timber Company v. the' Commissioner of Taxes. The court adjourned till the 15th inst. Mr John Baillie, formerly of Wellington, i'lid now owner of the Baillie Gallery, London, has arrived here from .Sydney, he has arrived almost simultaneously with a collection of 400 pictures, worth some £25.000, which lie proposes to exhibit in the chief centres of New Zealand. St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral was entered on the Bth and some collection boxes were broken open and rifled. The amount obtained cannot be guessed. Mr D- M'Laren, ex-M.P., has announced his candidature for the city mayoralty. Mr Wickham, English Trade Commissioner in New Zealand, is leaving for the. south on Wednesday. lie will visit Invercargill first, then Dunedin, Oamaru, Timaru, and (,'hristchurch. It is understood that Mr A. S. Biss, an ex-councillor, has definitely decided to contest the city mayoralty. The other candidates announced up to the present are, Messrs John Smith, R. A. Wright, and D. M'Laren. Mr P. H. Hickey, of the Federation of Labour, and another Socialist speaker met a heckler at an open-air meeting in Ghuznee street last, evening. The interjector rallied Mr IT'-key on breaking an agreement with the employers. Mr Hickey said he would repudiate ten thousand 'agreements if it would help the workers. After rebuking Mr Hickey for

his point of view, the said, " And vet vou call upon God ." Mr Hickey "quickly replied. "I do not believe such a person exists." The delegates representing the Trades Councils and the organisations interested in the unity proposals of Professor Mills further conferred to-day. The proceedings were taken in camera. The first encampment of the Fifth Regiment of Infantry (Wellington Battalion) is being held at Trentham. The attendance represents 86 per cent, of the regiment. The annual conference of the Federated Roman Catholic Clubs of New Zealand was attended by delegates from the various provinces. " .a lengthy agenda paper was considered, much of the discussion turning upon the alterations affecting the rules of the federation. Officers were elected as follows:—President-general, Archbishop Redwood ; president, Mr H. M'Keown ; vice-president, Mr J. P. Gervan ; hon. secretary, Mr J. L. Leydon ; hon treasurer, Mr C. A. Carmine; executive officers, Messrs Casey, Sullivan, and Guise. WEST COAST. The inauguration of Hospital Saturday collections by young lady volunteers is proceeding apace. Over 30 Red Cross young women, with boxes, appear to be doing splendid work with the large number of people in town. The Inangahua Miners' Union took a ballot' as to whether it should support the Maoriland Worker, the Federation of Labour newspaper, by a levy of 3d per week for 18 months. There voted for the levy 128, and against it 334. The proposal was th"refore lost.