NEWS ITEMS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10993, 8 June 1907, Page 4

NEWS ITEMS.

At Napier the other day a junior football match resulted m the huge score of 53 points to nil. For the first time women voted m State elections m the Commonwealth m the

recent Queensland elections The Wellington CSty Council has. decided to purchase a block of property m Willis street for £38,500 m order to cany out street widening purposes. "There is no doubt,'' said the^diieif. Health Officer recently, "that bank notes form a very ready means by which infection is carried. Some of them are? ; very filthy." . It is reported that the owners of three large estates m the Amuri district are taking the preliminary steps towards having their properties cut up for closer settlement. .- * i A sister of Major von Tempsky recently paid a visit to >tlie battlefield of ie Ngutu o te Manu, where the distinguished Prussian lost his life m action against Titokowarui's men. During her visit she was presented with a greenstone axe, which was dug out cfi the ground near the spot where her brother was killed. On juiursday afternoon the ceremony of turning on the gas front the new gas holder at the municipal works, Masterton, was performed by the Mayoress. Hie amount of gas made last year was 16,500,OOOtt, an increase of. 2,600,000 ft ,on the previous year. The gross profit on last year's working wa6 £2000. Mr Coradine, the Mayor, characterised the works as a magnificent investment, being wortli £30,000, but now only having cost £12,000. The new tram service to Miramar, Wellington, was inaugurated yesterday with an hourly service between Miramar and Kilbirnie, for which journey (160 chains) a fare of one penny only will be charged. The importance of this section is considerable, as it taps one of the largest areas of flat ground suitable for residential purposes near the city, and provides a means of transit that hsa hitherto only existed m ferry steamers and occasional omnibuses. As the largest playing area for footballers and hockyists of this city is at Miramar, the opening of this section of electric tramways should prove a boon to the athletic community. The report of Captain J. "H. Thomson, Chief Inspector of Explosives, on the explosion which occurred m the factory of Nobel's Explosives Company, at Ardeer, m Ayishire, on February sth last, three workmen having been killed on the occasion, states that the circumstances of the accident aie unique so far as the records go. The explosion is traced to the freezing ah nJtro-glycerine owing to the cold- weather at the time, and the consequent choking of a channel. In the attempt to 'bring about a thaw water was thrown on the underside of the frozen trough, where the- ground wns saturated with nitro-glycerine and strong acids. The water set up spontaneous decomposition, with the result that the explosion took place. The inspector thinks that the foreman, who was killed, committed an error of judgment as to the manner m which to 6et up the thaw. Sydney Lewis Jones was charged at the Auckland Police Court on Thursday with assaulting William Isaac Massicks, and a wross information for assault was laid against Massicks by Jones, as well as a charge of wilfully damaging a glass-case and jewellery, valued at £4 15s. Mas-. 6icks said Jones was a jeweller, carryingon business m Karangahape road, and witness was an optician and jeweller m Symonds street. Witness occupied a shop ! of which the defendant had the lease,. and the agreement was. that the proceeds of jewellery sales were to be shared, and the . optician business was to belong to witness. Jones caught hold of witness, struck him with his list, scratched him about the eyes, and finally belabored him. with a 'broom handle, x'neie .wa6 'a glass-case m the middle of the shop, and this case was knocked down and smashed. Another witness said Jones commenced the row by pulling Massicks' nose, and when the two were parted they both struck at each other. Defendant said the trouble arose through his being refused the keys !by Massicks when lie wanted to look through the stock. Jones denied that he had screwed complainant's nose. The Bench held that the case had been proved. Jones was fined 606 and coots, and ordered to tind two sureties of £50, as well as give his own bond of £50 to keep the peace for twelve, months. j The twp informations against Massicks

James Oakley, of Warrnambool (Vie), was walking about at home m his stockinged feet recently when he stepped on a thorn, which ran into his foot. He ex-

porienced no inconvenience until a few days afterwards, when symptoms of lockjaw developed. He was removed to the hospital, where he died. There was a regrettable occurrence dur. ing the Wakari-Mornington football match at Culling Park, Dunedin, last Saturday. Two players m simultaneously kicking at the ball got their legs crossed, and one of them, Edward Henderson, sustained a fracture to his right leg below the knee, necessitating his removal to the hospital, where his injuries were attended to. "You surely do not attach any importance to a prisoner making a inisstutement as to his age?" queried his Honor Judge Haselden, m the District Court, of counsel for the Crown. "How many women are there who give v truthful answer to their age, even on oath," his Honor commented, "and yet no notice is taken of it." Counsel smiled (says the Rangitikei Advocate) and dropped the point. . Gore has been lifting up it's feeble voice "on behalf of a world-wide peace." At'the first general meeting of the local branch of the International Arbitration and Peace Society, at which, as the Mataura Ensign considerately puts it, "the attendance was not large/ resolutions i were carried protesting against compulsory military training, and against the National League to make military training m schools compulsory.

Mr Harry Climie, son afi the borough enginee- at Stratford has distinguished himself at the Glasgow School of Engineering. He came first on the list m two out of four examinations m which he entered. Some years ago, when Lord Ranfurly was visiting the school at Stratford, he noticed Climie working out some difficult problems m trigonometry, and predicted a successful career for him. txe is now twenty-one years old. A Capetown butcher was recently charged with exposing frozen meat for sale m his shop without the necessary label. Some of the meat had metal tags showing that it was inspected and passed for consumption m New Zealand. The butcher was reprimanded on this charge, and fined £2 for trying to bribe the constable with the sum of five shillings to say nothing about his breach of the Act. A case of considerable interest to residents of Christchurch and suburbs is to be heard on Monday next. It appears that m 1878 the Drainage Board came into existence and raised a loan of £200,---000. The expenditure was spread over the city and suburbs, and for many years past the 'residents m the suburbs have complained that they have contributed more than their share to the sinking fund. The Government has appointed Mr Short a Commissioner to hear evidence and report 'with a view to redress being granted by Parliament. The claim of the sttrburban areas amounts to over £50,000, or, with interest, nearly £50,---000. „ Wellington's new Garrison Hall will contain a. drill hall 102 ft by 82ft, one large lecture room 36ft by 20ft, and three small rooms, an orderly room f oi the Wellington Rifle Battalion, and . a smaller one lor the garrison artillery. Special provision will be made for club rooms for the officers and non-commis-sioned officers. On the upper floor f will be 15 orderly rooms, one for each corps m the garrison, and m the basement will be commodious quarters for the submarine miners and engineers, and a miniature rifle range. Provision is also made for an extension to the rear of the present permanent militia drill shed, affording accommodation for the field guns, thus leaving the present floor space entirely free for drill purposes. Over this extension will be a large band practising room and orderly rooms for the bands. The contract price is £6900. . The removal of Mr E. J. Smith and "Mr J. M'GiH" from the Wingatui

racecourse on Saturday by, the Duhedin Jockey Club fox an alleged breach of racing rules has been the subject of con-, siderable comment An sporting, circles (says the Daily Times). Both gentlemen

are well-known owners and members of several racing clubs. Mr Smith, who until recedtly was proprietor of a hotel m Timaru, has frequently attended at Wingatui, and .at the last Dunedin Cup meeting Man jess, Clementine, and Disappointment raced m his ownership. "Mr J. M'Gill" is an assumed name registered with the Canterbury Jockey Club, and is the norn de course of a sheep dealer m a large way m South Canterbury. It is probably. the first time that an owner, who is not a bookmaker or one suffering under the ban of disqualification, has been removed from a racecourse, and by its action the D.J.C. has practically disqualified both ownei'S. The Melbourne police state tliat a hunt extending over 25 years for the lost heir to a Dutch title has ended m bis discovery, m the person of a fisb and rabbit hawker, Titus Schukkiug, a resident of Armadale. Schulckinjr states that he ldfc Holland many years ago, reaching Austrah'a after a good deal of travelling m. 1883. He has resided m.- different parts of this State, and settled at Armadale with his wife. While on his rounds as a fish hawker, the Armadale police noticed the name on the barrow, and recognised it -as the name of the person who was sought for by the Consul-General for the Netherlands. They accordingly communi. cated with the Consul, Mr W. L. Bossehent, who lias informed Schukking that he is hear to a Dutch title and estate. Schukkiap' is 59 years of age, and is married, but has no family. He states that there were several cousins between him and the title when he left Holland. The present holder of the title, the uncle of tlie new claimaint to the riguts of inheritance, is 95 years of age, and is Governor m the' province of. Grunjngen, m the North ofi Holland.

The Norsewood Co-operative Dairy Company (says the N.Z. Times) is turning out one of the finest butters m the country. Its bcand is one of the highestgrading m the colony of the past season, and probably the most uniform and choicest which has passed through the Wellington grading stores. Starting the season with a score of 93, it ended with a 94£, its average being -93.39. It was certainly one of the latest butters to commence the grading season,- and consequently the finest/ line graded was made at a time when rank spring pastures and milk from freshly-calved cows— which is. too often supplied before it is marketable—were not having' the usually deleterious effect on the milk flavor. The great consideration m a New Zealand export butter is its keeping quality, and Norsewood butter is exceptionally good m this respect. The company's butter which won at the Dunedin Winter Show was made m March. It was then graded 94 ; and yet when it was "tried" by the cntica^ judges at Dunedin was awarded 92£ points. Of course, the best butter made m this country is that turned out m February andi March.

In the course of his travels m the interests of the trade of the State, the Commissioner m the East, Mr Suttor, the New South Wales trade agent, says he is much hampered through the hostility displayed towards Australia. This has been more recently evident m the western portion of the Orient. "The large number of Orientals engaged m 'pearling," Mr Suttor writes, "generally return with bitter feelings concerning matters Australian. I have often been pained to hear the adverse comments, which are considerably added to by officers and others hitherto engaged m shipping to Australia. On one occasion I took exception to the hostile remarks, but it was of no avail. I was met with the reply that if I thought Australia such a perfect country, I should travel on some of the steamers trading to our ports and note the obstacles that are placed m the way of all concerned, with special references to labor difficulties. Not only have I heard such remarks on board steamers, but also at hotels, and they are not calculated to improve matters from a commercial point of view. I have done my utmost to dispel erroneous ideas, but when once grievances become deep-rooted, it is hard to dear the .atmosphere, especially m the face of people who are wilfully hostile m their remarks concerning Australia and Commonwealth legislation." «■ The Connnisisonex of Crown Lands gives the following instructions to applicants for Crown lands : — A selector may become the owner or occupier of any area up to 640 acres of first-class land, or 2000 acres of second-class land, including the land already owned or occupied by him. A married woman may become the owner of 320 acres of first-class land, or of 1000 acres ab second-class land. Applications must be made on proper forms, to 'be obtained at the Lands Offices and principal post offices, and must, be accompanied by the statutory declaration required. The successful applicant must be prepared to pay immediately a half-year's rent and 21s lease and registration fee, with lease, in-perpetuity or occupation-wjth-right-of-purchusc applications, and with cash applications, one-fifth of tho total price. Selectors who may not find it convenient to appeal personally at the ballot should appoint an agent, or they may send with their applications a post office order, or a draft or cheque marked by the bank on which it is drawn as "Correct for twentyone days," m favor of the Receiver of Land Revenue, for the first half-year's rent and 21s lease and registration fee, which will W returned m case of non- ■ success. Should the applicant not make i the necessary payments on being declar- ■ ed successful, another ballot will be drawn immediately for the right to select. Forest growing on riverbank reserves is not to be cut or interfered with m any way, and a penalty will be inflicted on those convicted of doing so. No applications for additional land) will be received from selectors m arrears" Sections 98 and 99 of the Land Act, 1892, provide that any ;■ person wilfully 1 making a false declaration or obtaining lands not exclusively for his ow i use or benefit, or anyone aiding or abetting m Buch n breach of the Land Act, shall <be liable to a term of imprisonment, m addition to the forfeiture of any land ' obtained by such false, declaration.