NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3212, 6 October 1915, Page 63

NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS.

AUCKLAND. The fishing party of six policemen, re* ported to bo missing, were found by a motor launch sheltering on Rakino Island, and returned to town on the 20th. The Auckland City loan of £239,500 has been placed as follows : —Australia, £50,000, at 4g per cent.; Bank of New Zealand, £59,000, at 5 per cent.; Auckland Savings Bank, £30,000, at 5 per cent. The yearly interest averages £4 18s llfd per cent. The Kamo Springs Hotel was completely destroyed by fire on Sunday morning. The owner, Mr Jasper Montgomery, found his bedroom full of smoke at 5 a.m., and roused his wife and two children and about six guests. The latter, who were sleeping upstairs, were all obliged to escape in their night attire, and lost their personal effects. The fire is believed to have been caused by a defective chimney. The insurances are held by the United Insurance Company for £2400, but the loss is estimated at double that amount. HAWKE’S BAY. Five loan proposals involving £144,000 were put before the Napier ratepayers, three being carried and two defeated. Proposals to borrow £74,500 to extend the e’ectric tramways to the hospital by two different routes were rejected. A propo al to borrow £36,750 to extend the tramway along Hastings street south and £3250 for a motor lorry, a motor power wagon, and a water sprinkler was agreed to. The ratepayers also sanctioned a proporal to borrow £IB,OOO for an extension of the lighting mains, £14,000 for the purchase of a motor fire engine, and £5500 for the repayment of the overdraft incurred in lighting work. A loan of £2OOO for the cemetery was approved. Only 700 out of 4000 ratepayers recorded their votes. WELLINGTON Three employees of the Public Works Department, named Joseph Holmes, Ambrose Hulrne, and Richard Vince, were each fined £lO at the Magistrate’ Court to-day for conveying liquor into Trentham Camp. The tender of Messrs Russell and Bignell, of Wanganui, has been accepted for the construction of the new freezing works to be erected at Wanganui by the Christchurch Meat Company. The successful tender was £107,442. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Moderate League was held on the 23rd. The report showed that the membership was now 30,000. Office-bearers were elected as follows :—President, Mr A. A. S.” Menteath; executive —Messrs J. F. Atkins, E. B. Bristow, F. H. Brodrick, J. B. Harcourt, E. Mace, J. H. Owen, W. E. Pearson, W. Perry, D. F. Skinner; secretary, Mr W. G. Talbot; dominion organiser, Mr R. A. Armstrong. Before Mr Poynton, S.M., at Foxton, W. Hamer was charged with being in possession of a printing press which -gras not registered. He was fined £5, with costs. Judgment was reserved on two charges of printing leaflets without an imprint. At a meeting of the New Zealand Chess Association it was decided not to hold the usual chess championship tournament this year, owing to the war. The Education Board on September 28 expressed strong disapproval of any attempts being made to influence teachers to sell or to enlist the help of children in selling lottery tickets for carnival funds. Tire board approved of the action of those teachers who had declined to lend themselves to this kind of thing.

Annie Rudd was on September 28 convicted by Mr Cooper, S.M., on a charge of sending to the Minister of Justice a postal packet which contained grossly abusive words. The information was laid by Constable;: Price, of Kilbirnie, about whom RudcE had communicated in offensive terms to several high police officials in Wellington. The letters were in the nature of serious complaints against the constable. A fine of £lO was imposed. Albert Harding Porter, a well-known medical practitioner from Auckland, was arrested at Wellington on a charge that ho intended to leave the dominion without making adequate provision for his wife. Ho w 7 as re-v manded to Auckland. Counsel stated that) the accused settled some money on hie wife, and the amount required for her maintenance is the only matter in dispute. The General Committee of the Wellington Patriotic Society has decided to support an application to the Government for a pension for the parents of Captain Frandi, who was killed at the Dardanelles. It was proposed that the society bo incorporated and trustees appointed to control the funds. CANTERBURY. The Japanese steamer Shinvo Maru arrived at Tirnaru from Muji (Japan) with 7000 tons of superphosphate for Timaru, Lyttelton, and Napier. She carries a Japanese crew from master down. Shortly after leaving Japan the vessel was badly knocked about by a typhoon, damage being done to the deck fittings, while some water got below 7 . Mr Andrew Fairbairn has issued a writ for £IOCO against the Sun newspaper for. alleged libel in critical articles published some months ago dealing with the reports of the Cost of Living Commission and Food Commission.