LAST NIGHT'S NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9646, 22 January 1903, Page 1

LAST NIGHT'S NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, last night. During the past few weeks the gold re- -■ turns from the mines of the Auckland district readied- a total of £51.866. This completes the returns for 1902. The corrected figures for that period show the value, of bullion, won to be £803,094, an increase over 1901 of £44,494. The Post and Telegraph Department, has accepted a design for a. new penny letter card wliich is to replace that at present in use. The design is by Mr G. W. Sturtevant, of the Government Printing Office. On the address side are the Royal Arms and the words "New Zealand." The letter-card stamp at the right hand top corner is of plain design. On the bottom and left hand is a typical stivtch of New Zealand beach with Maoris and canoe. A clump of nikuu palms and cabbage trees appears at the -side. On. the back of the card are vignette pictures- of New Zealand scenery and genre. The curd will appear some time in February. At the Board of Education this-morn-ing, the report of the finance committee stated that a portion of the grants for the training of teachers in subjects of manual and technical instruction should be expended in providing a. course of lessons in Auckland for the instruction of teachers and pupil-teachers iti kindergarten, and that the Board should give authority for the temporary engagement of a competent instructress. The report was adopted. An application for a withdrawal of a petition to annul the recent Parliamentary election at Grey Lynn was lodged with the. Registrar this morning, and will shortly come before the Supreme Court to be dealt with. The original application was based on alleged irregularities in. the rolls, and other matters connected with the election. Subject to the consent of the Court, the movement to unseat Mr Fowlds will be abandoned. WAIHI, last night. An employee at the Wailii Goldmining L'-ompany's batteiy had three of his lingers severed from one of his hands. Five minims later a companion engaged in simiWjwrk met with precisely the same accident. NAPIER, last night. The BorWigh Council at their meeting to-night decided that Saturday should be observed as i-he weekly half -holiday for the presnt yeaa\ A four-roomed co.Uage, owned and occupied by a family named Murphy, was burned dowji at Hastings to-night, making three successive evenings on wliich fires have occurred there. STRATFORD, this day. Hie Stratford District Health Officer to-day interviewed the County Council, endeavoring to arrange with the Council to join" the other Taranaki local bodies to appoint a sanitary inspector for the district. The Council declined to contribute a quota of £57 per annum. All the other bodies favor the proposal. A loan, of £5000 for abattoirs, rejected ■by (he ratepayers, will be raised by the City Council. WELLINGTON, last night The following are the winners of the Queen's scholarships at Victoria College: Arthur Sandel, Napier, 1674 marks ; Jas. Russell, Ormondville, 1587; Eric Lyon, Wellington. 1559; Norma Fobelberg, ML Cook, Wellington, 1536; Helen Hunt. Ml. Cook, Wellington, 1489 ; Alfred Paddick, Mt, Cook, Wellington, 1477. The following is a .summitry of the cargo shipped in New Zealand by the subsidised, steamer Sussex, which 'sailed tonight for Durban, via Sydney and Frenuintle:—From Wellington: 13,000 carcases mutton, 4756 quarters beef, 260 cases meat, 3249 boxes butter, 65 crates poultry, 50 cases cheese, 25 eases mullet, 3 trusses leather. From LytteUon : 256 •canes poultry, 774 sides pork, 305 boxes Uutiicr. 25 cases tongues. 33 cases cheese.. ¥rom Dunedin : 650 boxes butter. From Wiinganui: 3066 carcases mutton, 308 quarters beof, 50 boxes meat. From Napier : 9436 carcases mutton, 468 quarters beef, 284 cases meat. A deputation waited on the Premier tonight Jo again complain, of the. manner- in which the Defence Force's Hifle Association programme for the annual shooting contests had been drawn up, and also of the quality of the weapons supplied. The deputatioji represents tlie rifle clubs of the district.. It was pointed out that the members of the rifle clubs were debarred ■ from, competing in many events on the programme. Out of a. prize list of £992, the sum of £779 was reserved for volunteers.. -^^,Mr Sqddou,. in reply, deprecated the ,, l Jp'lief that the- 'Defence Department wishto discourage rifle clubs. On the contrary, it desired to give them every rea>onable encouragement. At the same tiini? ■ the Government agreed that the vttltiuteer movement was of paramount inijioi'tti/ice. ! \ The sole reason for the GoTerntnent taking over the rifle club meetings w&K to encourage volunteering. He promised to consider certain details of (Lite programme for the forthcoming meefc-CHRISTCHUR-CH, last night. The annual conference of delegates from tlie local bodies, decided by nine to five on" 'Thursday as- the 'day for the weekly half-holiday.* Petitions of 5000 sigtwtures for Saturday and 20,000 for Thursday were received . Tlie bowling tournament continued today. The weather was tiue and the grounds in good order. Tlie greater portion of the day was occupied with singlehanded matches, which have now reached the final stages. The Wellington player Pell, won. six games, and is now in the tfifwl. His opponent will not ,bc known ttitl (to-morrow, as there arc twu games .•still t» be played between Albmt (Roslyn) iWitl -Bislipp (Christchurch) or Gow (liinmmi). 'The consolation rink match has tfeached the semi-final stage, the clubs Jeffc hi being Kaituna (Sneddon), Ashburton (Harrison), (Oamaru (Martin), Chnslchurch (Barnett). The doubles and rinks will be brought to a final stage to-mor-row morning. DUNEDIN, last uteljt. At Palmerston. to-day, before Major Keddell, S.M., James Hogau, o( Flag Swamp, was committed for trial on a. charge under section 52 of the Electoral Act of having, on the 25th November, applied for a voting paper in the name of Robert Hogan, jun. Accused, who was under the influence uf liquor, entered the

booth at Dunbae-k, and when the name Robert Hogau, jun.. Hawktbury. farmer, was road out. said, "That's me." whereupon lie was handed a voting paper. Not much interest was taken in the poll for the election of three members of the Drainage Board. Dr. Cough trey, Mr J. H. Hundcock, and Mr James Hazlett were elected.