NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Witness, Issue 3331, 16 January 1918, Page 37

NEWS IN BRIEF.

• William Lane, a bookmaker, was fined £175 on three charges of betting in hotels at Auckland. Auckland Harbour Board's revenue for 1917 was £156,284, a decrease of £BOOO compared with last year's revenue. The- amount contributed through the Otago Daily Times and Witness Company for the Halifax Disaster Relief .Fund was £677 Is 3d. '. The Wellington Gasworks dispute, which has been the subject of' negotiations before the Conciliation Council, has been settled with the exception of some minor details. . Karl Jooeteu, a former German Consul in Christchurdh, has been arrested by the polico authorities and handed over to the military police. He will be interned probably at Somes Island. The death is announced of Mr Joshua Jones, aged 73 years. The deceased was well known,in connection with land claims against the Government, and was better known as " Mokau," Jones. There was a large assemblage at the Salvation Army Barracks. Dunedin, on the 10th inst. to welcome home from France Sergeant Raper. He was one of the many New Zealanders wounded at Pasohendaele Ridge. , / A fire at Stratford on the 12th gutted a shop on a railway leasehold in Broadway occupied bv travelling auctioneers named Laidlaw and Hobbs, and seriously damaged the premises and stock of A. H. Herbert, draper. Mr Herbert, who owned the building, is a heavy loser. Mr Ayson, Chief Inspector of Fisheries. says he proposes to prospect for quinnat salmon along the coast, near Oamaru and north of Rangitata. If the results are favourable the department next season may have the sea exploited in order to place supplies on the market. Mrs Annie Havelock Stenhouse, licensee of the Ooean Beach Hotel, and Mrs Hardy, her niece, were fined £lO each, with costs, on a charge of supplying liquor during the hours which the law directed the house should be closed. A second charge against Mrs Stenhouse of failing to admit tke police- without unnecesary delay was withdrawn.

The Hon. Mr Mao Donald was taken for a long flight on the 9th inst. by Mr C. M. Hill, instructor at the Sookburn Aviation School. Tho aeroplane circled over the centre of the city, and also crossed the cstawiry. A height of over 3000 ft was reached. Mr MacDonald was greatly pleased with his first experience of a flight in an aeroplane. At the adjourned inquest on a child, Lynda Maud Mitchell, killed on Christmas Eve by a motor car. the coroner found that deceased had met her death- through being run over by a car driven by R. K. Stock, and that the accident was due to oarelees and improper driving. Stock was subsequently charged with manslaughter, and remanded on bail. The Minister of Public Works has adviesd the Auckland Railway League that the construction of tho Waihi-Athenreo section of the Bast Coast railway will be resumed on Monday. The work '<was stopped lastMarch," and in response to the Minister's explanation that labour was not available the Railways League has secured' 90 men and also offered tho services of an engineer to superintend the work. A stop-work meeting was held at the States coal mines on the Bth. The trouble arose through the management desiring to start a portion of tho men ; The Rewanui mine was jdle through a bdar slip at No. 1 mine, e.nd" the men asked that all hands should be employed by putting on two or three shifts. Latest adyioes state that the trouble has been settled, and that work will be resumed to-morrow.

Captain C. V. Leenvin#, M. 0., a Main Body man, nag been appointed commandant of tho Internment camp at Rlpq, Island, vrhere von Luckner ana Kii-saheies are to be oopfin&d. The measures taken for the guarding of the prisoners tnolwie the erection of a stockade and She establishment on the island of an armed gcuArd of sufficient strength to enable- the prisoners to be guarded day and night. Speaking at last week s meeting of the Auckland ' Presbytery, the Rev. W. Bhnw said there were POO Pre/byterian charges in the dominion and only 150 mtateterg, The

latter number was likely to bo reduced as the balloting for ihe Second Divieion proceeded, and no recruits to the ranks of the Ministry were coining forward. He auggested that adjoining charges should bo amalgamated where such an arrangement was suitable, and the committoo was appointed to report on the proposal.

A successful conclusion to the Wellington gasworks dispute has been reached. The Conciliation Commissioner (Mr Hagger) was instrumental in formulating an agreement that proved acceptable to both parties. The wages per shift of eight hour* wer« fixed at: Stokers, 13s 9d; pipe-jumpers and .pitchpan men, 12s 9d; fire-cleavers, 12s Bd> with a war bonus of 6d per shift. In addition, the wages men employed in the retort house are allowed 2d per shift " olog "■ money.

At the Timaru Magistrate's Court a jour« neyman was charged with a breach of the Plumbers' Registration Act in doing sanitary plumbing work, he being unregistered,The defence urged that the man has todo ! the work to qualify for registration. The employer was also charged. The magistrate adopted the view of the defence i that an apprentice could only obtain knowledge of the trade through practical experience,' Counsel for the Health Department asked his Worship to state a case for appeal. At the meeting of the Bruoe County Council on the Bth Cr Begg, es represent*- i ing the Awamunga branch of the Farmers* j Union, was elected as the council's repre* J sentative on the Clutha River Board. C* ( King was nominated by the Greenfield I settlers, and protested againdt the treats, i ment meted out to him. He announced hi« I intention of resigning, In order that the '• ratepayers might be able to say whether her i should continue to represent them. Tho chairman and several councillors urged Or [ King to reconsider his deoision. The Hon. T. M. Wilford, Minister in Chargo of Prisons, hag agreed to transfe* j an additional two and a-half aores of the I Mount Ed.cn Gaol reserve, fronting tha j Grammar Sohool Board's property, to tha ■ board in order to enlarge the playmg arc*, j The trade of the port of Ne\v Plymouth for the past year shows a marked {hcreasa J qver 1916. The numbed of tessela waa y 272. against 252, and the tonnage waa 1 277,852, against 229,201. The importi were 78,390 tons, against 73,896, and, tih i exports 17,930, against 16,211. Six Hon*! ( Knars took away 3137 tons of Mr J. Craigie, M.P., publishes a letter f urging the formation of a South Canter> j bury development League to encourage th« ) extension of industries, urban and rural dairying and fruitgrowing, encouragement a of closer settlement, the application of eleotricity, and the extension of branch railways. He invites all local authorities ta consider the proposal, pointing out thsft thousands of soldiers will -want homeß, and j that South Canterbury could accommodate many. Mr Craigie is of opinion that other ' parts of the South Island should follow I Otago's example, as this island is stagnant in population and output compared with tha ; north.