NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

Otago Witness, Issue 3034, 8 May 1912, Page 34

NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

AUCKLAND. The emigrants from the Dominion by ships leaving Auckland during April numbered 1811, but only 1145 people arrived. During the year ended April 30 the arrivals numbered 14,753 and the departures 14,747 —a difference of only six. Burglars entered the premises of Messrs Longguth and Co. and Messre Bond and Bell on the night of April 29. At Longguth'e they were successful in an attempt to burst open an iron safe with gelignite, but in neither case was anything of great value taken. Clement Miller, aged 52 years, an inmate of Thames Hospital, who was suffering from miners' complaint, cut his throat and died soon after assistance had been secured by the nurse. In consequence of a dispute between the aerated water manufacturers and the hotelkeepers upon prices being advanced over 60 per cent., the latter resolved to start a business to be known as the Auckland Licensed Victuallers' Aerated Water Factory, with a capital of £3OOO in £1 shares, which were subscribed immediately. It is intended to sell only to hotelkeepers. WELLINGTON. The Wellington Opera House Company has decided to build a new Opera House to hold 2000 people. It will, it is claimed, be one of the best-appointed theatres in the Southern Hemisphere. The new building will accommodate 300. people in the dress circle, 700 in the stalls, and 1000 in the upper galleries. Little interest was taken in the mayoral election on April 25, and the polling was remarkably low. This was partly accounted for by the fact that the weather was wet and stormy. Mr M'Laren, the Labour candidate, had an easy win, but nothing like a bare majority. Mr Biss would have won comfortably" had the votes of the other side not been split by three candidates. Deer stalkers who have just returned from the Hunter Valley report " good sport and fair heads." Mr Lucas, a young Englishman, from Walrnhnm Park, where there is a famous herd of red deer, secured a 15-pointer.'. Captain Spencer Smith a.Vo got some good heads. Following the successful sale of the Arapata Estate at Waituna, Mr Ernest Short, the well-known Romney breeder, lias decided to cut up 4320 acres of the Farorangi Estate into 15 small farms for immediate selection, possession to be given of the dairying land in October next, and of the sheep land in March next year. The authorities of St. Patrick's Col..liege, Wellington, have purchased from Mr Charles Hawkin 100 acres at Terrace j End, including a fork between the junci tion of the Main Trunk and the Hawke's I Bay railway, for a site for St. Patrick's College, which is to be removed from Wellmcrton within the next four years on the sale of the valuable site now occupied, which is too small for expansion. Thirty acres are within the Borough of j Palmerston, and 70 acres just outside it. The area is situated on high land, j and is admirably adapted for the pur- ' poses of large playing grounds and a ; farm. Tt is understood that the instit/uI tion will include agriculture, dairy, and I fruit-growing. The college will be one ! of the largest in the Dominion. Thomas John Le%vis, who escaped from [ the Terrace Gaol on April 25, and was recaptured on the 27th, was on the 30th ! sentenced to a further term of a year's imprisonment. i The magistrate on the Lst dismissed the I case in which Joseph Daniel O'Neill was charged with causing actual bodily harm ; to Henry Herman, rather better known as Sandow, professional wrestler and boxer. The affray took place in an hotel. | The evidence showed that Sandow anj noyed accused, that several blows were ! stmitk. and that "Sandow bit one of : O'Neill's fingers. O'Neill had a nail file ! in his other hand at the time, and in his pain he forgot that he was so mmed and struck Sandow, inflicting injuries I which were described ni ehght A deputation representing the manui facturers of billiard tables waited on Mr ■ Laurenson (Minister of Customs), on the lst ■ asking that the duty on imported billiard ! tables be increased from 20 per cent, to 40 per c«nt. Mr Laurenson promised that '. the question would be included among a I number of others to be gone into in view i of tariff revision. Personally he would I prefer to take the duty off the slates rej quired for making bili'ard tables rather l than do as the deputation asked. Mr J. B. Murray has been elected chair--1 man of the Harbour Board for the eighth time. The Wanganui County Council to-day carried a motion to take over the control of all roads in the road board districts within its boundaries. This means the abolition of seven road boards in the county, and the substitution of ridings. The" following announcement appears in this week's Gazette:—"His excellency

the Governor has been pleased to dismiss from the New Zealand Defence Forces, under the provisions of section 5 (a) of The Defence Act 1909, Lieutenant (temporary captain) Anthony Hormuzd Rassam, N.Z. Staff Corps, for absence from the Dorrf'.nion without leave. Captain Rassam was employed in the New Zealand Forces as area officer at Wellington under the new defence scheme, and was also adjutant of the Fifth Regiment. At the Magistrate's Court on the 6th Henry M'Ledon and John Danks, trading as M'Ledon and Danks, were each fined 40s and costs for having sold milk which had been adulterated with water. NELSON. The Hon. W. D. S. Macdonald (Minister of Public Works), who is visiting this district, returned from Murchison on the 3rd. He inspected the railway works at Glen Hope, and, having seen the extent of the valuable land in the vicinity of Murchison, is impressed with the necessity for pushing on with the construction of the railway in that direction. WEST COAST. The difference between the Blackball Miners' Union and the company having been adjusted, the new agreement was signed on April 23. Mr Jesse Steer has received a communication from the Masonic grand secretary, London, notifying his appointment as District Grand Master of Weetland, vicie Mr John Bevan (deceased). Mr George Griffiths hag been re-elected chairman of the Westport Harbour Board. His salary has been fixed at £2OO a year. CANTF.RBURY. Last year the South Canterbury Education Board received from various local bodies and agricultural associations, subsidies amounting to £l5O a year towards the salary of the agricultural instructor (Mr Brown), because he gave lectures to farmers from time to time. Mr Brown having resigned some members of the board thought it would be preferable to have an instructor experienced in teaching children, disregarding lectures, but the local bodies declined to assist in paying for such a teacher. The board has now decided to advertise in New Zealand and Australia alternatively offering £350 and £SO more for an instructor able to lecture to farmers. The board has under consideration the question of procuring some wood-working machinery for the foreman carpenter's shop to facilitate the making of school furniture. A member of the board, who is a retired teacher, declared that the single desk made in the orkshop was the best he had yet seen in New Zealand. An interesting case was heard at Lyttelton on the lst, when William Coffey, a fireman on the steamer Cygnet, was fined £3 for failing to keep steam up. The evidence showed that the Cygnet had an engineer and two firemen, the latter taking six hours on duty alternately. On a recent voyage to Kaikoura while the engineer was sleeping Coffey was in charge in the engine room, his duty being to oil the engines and keep steam up Coffey went to sleep and let tlie pressure down to 481 b, instead of 80lb. The magistrate (Mr Bishop) remarked that it was extraordinary that the engines of a vessel carrying passengers should be left in charge of a fireman. The Unitarian body at Timaru on the 2nd opened a commodious building to serve as a church, social hall, and Sunday School for the congregation, of which the Rev. J. H. G. Chappie is minister. Visiting ministers from Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin were present. The site and building ocst £2400, more than half of which was generously provided by a gift from Mr and Mrs Geo. Wells. The Hon. J. Anstey, M.L.C., was to have been present, but he wrote that the Defence Department had taken away his men in the middle of threshing to attend a territorial camp and he could not leave his farm. Inquiries in labour circles show that the suggestion of the Ironmoulders' Union to strike against the compulsory clauses of the Defence Act is not taken seriously. The officials of the Peace Council declare that the union's resolution is not instigated by that organisation, which deprecates the use of any but constitutional methods to secure reform. A resolution was carried on the sth inst. by the Socialist party to the effect that m the case of war the workers would down tools. It was decided that the resolution should be submitted to every Labour organisation in New Zealand.