LAST NIGHT'S NEW ZEALAND NEWS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10692, 16 May 1906, Page 1

LAST NIGHT'S NEW ZEALAND NEWS

Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, last night. Tlio gold output from tlie Auckland district mines for the past two weeks amounts to £84,657. Mr Claude F. Corlett, well known as a journalist, died to-day, aged 70. He held the position of "manager of tl*e Christchurch Press for a number of years. Tenders for the Auckland Harbor Board's accident insurance for the coming rear were dealt with at a meeting of the Board. Three tenders were received, and they showed a. marked difference m the amount, as well ns a very considerable reduction on last year's paynient. The, Norwich and London Co. tendered at £87 6s 9d, the New Zealand Co. at £74 las 3d, and the South British Co. at £32 18s 3d. Tlie secretary said that m respect to the office staff and other employes >of the Board m nonlinzardoiiH occupations the rate under the lowest of the new tenders was only one-third of that paid last year, being 2s as compared with 6s; whilst m regard to laborers, etc., the new rate was ss, as against 30s last year. The lowest tender was accepted. NAPIER, lo«t night. A fatal accident occurred' at Hastings tin's afternoon. A sheepfarmer named Richard Dolbel, jun., had driven some cattle into Hastings, and was returning home, and when opposite the Stortfoitd Lodge Hotel his hor.se sluied, throwing him, and killing liim instantly. He leaves a widow and young family. j PALMERSTON N., last 'night. I The Campbell street School Committee have decided to erect school baths at a cost of £500. The population of Palmerston Northi i,<? returned as 10,168. an increase 0f*3630 m five years. Palmerston is now fifth town m the colony. Owing to the opening up of some old cesspits m connection with new drainage works a number of cases of diphtheria have occurred m the town. WELLINGTON, last night. The Post says that details of the scheme of national pensions which tlie Premier announced m recent speeches are being worked out by Mr Morris Fox, actuary m the Government. Insurance De. partment, iv conjunction with Mr F. W. Franklund, a former actuavy of the Department, but now a resident of Foxton Mr Seddon's scheme is that anyone should be able to deposit a certain sum, monthly, 6ay at the post office, and that the amount would be subsidised by the Government iv proportion to the means of the depositor. A poor person's deposit he proposed should be subsidised to the extent of 25 per cent., and the subsidy would be decreased to 10 per cent, m proportion to the means of tlie depositor. Interest and compound interest would be paid on the deposit, and the whole amount would 'provide an annuity for old age. If the husband paid m something he would not be allowed to touch it without the consent of his wife, and a wife making a deposit would not be allowed to touch it without the consent of her husband. OHRISTCRURCH. last night. At a divorce sitting of the Supreme Court to-day decrees nisi were granted m tlie following cases: Cecil A. Swete v Juaiiiita Lucy Swete, adultery ; Winifred Gordon v George Fraser Gordon, desertion, based on failure to comply with a decree ordering restitution of conjugal rights. Tlie statement for the first eleven days* of tlie New Zealand Utility Poultry Clun's. second egg-laying, competition of 100 pens at the Lincoln Agricultural College shows that\62l eggs were laid, during that period, the highest totals being as follows: D. M. Peek's black Orpingtons 23, D. M. Peek's black Langshans 27, H. Hawke's silver Wyandottes 24, G. W. Ahl.ridge's- white Leghorns 24, J. Mann's white Wyandotte^ 23, J. Mann's silver Wyandottes 22. DUXEDIN, last night. 'Tine medical evidence at tlie inquest on Archibald McKay was to the effect that the symptoms lind conditions found on post mortem corresponded to arseurettes hydrogen poisoning, Dr. Black, Professor of Chemistry, who conducted the analysis, said lie found arsenic m the liver, luiigs, kidneys, spleen, bladder, stomach, and m four different liquids. He found it m all samples. Tlie tendency of Dr. Black's evidence went to show that the men, who were engaged dipping wire m muriatic acid to remove the galvanism, had' probably added m mistake some weed exterminator named "Havoc," which was m a drum near where they were working, and which contained a considerable quau. tity of arsenic, or-the cask they were using had been previtroely..,used for making this weed exterminator, and tlie wood m .the cask had absorbed arsenic. Assuming the latter theory was correct, the fact of the men having used the same Cii6k ten days previously without any injury would probably, be due to the muriatic acid not having had time to liberate the arsenic absorbed by the wood. The foreman of the cement works iv evidence could not say definitely whether the cask had been used previously to make up any mixture. Tho inquest stands adjourned until to-morrow.