NEW ZEALAND

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6053, 1 November 1889, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND

(By Telegraph.)

AUCKLAND, Oct. 31,

A public subscription in aid of the Irish Evicted Tenants Fund was opened to-day by the Eev. Father Hacketb and Mr Polston, and by noon it had reached £ 124. Professor Posnett, of Auckland University College, was asked to preside at a public meeting for the reception of the Irish delegates. He declined on the ground that whilst he sympathised with the Irish demands his position in this colony was nonpolitical. The Auckland schooner Torea has been sold to a native chief at Paratonga for IO.OOOdob. Intimation has been received by the Kauri Timber Company that a cargo of timber sent to Glasgow has been sold at 27s fid per 100 feet, and this is accompanied by an order for another shipment. A largo quantity of Auckland exhibits, including mining specimens, was shipped for the Dunedin Exhibition by the Mararoa which left to-day. Members of the Provincial Grand Masonic Lodge, 1.0., have presented Bro. W. J. Bees with a purse of sovereigns, in recognition of the manner in which he has filled the various offices of the order. GISBORNE, Oct. 31. Ihe statement of Andrew Graham, bankrupt, shows unsecured creditors, £9917 Is lid ; secured creditors, £5828 15s 9d ; estimated value of securities, £7400 ; assets, including surplus from securities, £2978 4s 3d ; deficiency, £6938 IGs Bd. The largest unsecured creditors are the Assets Company of Edinburgh, represented by Mr J. M. Ritchie, of Dunedin, £5900 ; F. Hamilton, Gisborne, £1539; W. Graham, Gisborne, £607; JOrr, Gisborne, £890; J. H. Sarr, a shepherd, £527 ; Alexander Grant, sheep farmer, Hawke’s Bay, £1000; also the trustees of the estate of the late Samuel Parsons, Napier, £1635.

NELSON, Oct. 31. Dredging claims have been taken up on the Aorere river, Oollingwood, by Westport and Bunodia men.

The half-yearly meeting of tho Wakatu Extended Gold-mining Company was held to-night. Messrs Eell, Merrick, Cooke, Amore, faxon, Tatton, and McKellar, of Christchurch, were elected directors. Tho reports read showed that from the faces of stone now available it was estimated that sufficient stone was attainable to keep the battery going for twelve months. Mr Skey’s

analysis of the stone gives fraction under 18dwls to the ton, and the local export’s assay 2ozs to the ton. The expressed their determination to put through a trial crushing as soon as possible (it is expected before Christmas) to test the working value of Ihe stone, which does not contain bismuth. Recognition was made of the services of Mr Krennan, the mine manager. It was resolved to offer the unallotted shares to tho present shareholders pro rala. Shares are quoted to-day at 2s 3d. General satisfaction was expressed at the prospects.

WELLINGTON, Oct. 31

A calculation has been made showing that the conversion loan will not realise sufficient to cover the amount of the debentures to be paid off in November, and March, by a considerable sum. One paper pats it at £70,000, but the Government believe this is an over estimate, and ihe expenses of raising the loan will not be so heavy as anticipated. The amount of £2,700,000 was fixed as the sum required by the loan agents, aided by tho advice of the Bank of England, and it is supposed they expected a better price than was obtained, or they would have made it more, in order to cover the possibility of a deficiency. Whatever sum is required to make good the deficit can, it is believed, be obtained by floating a further small parcel of 3£ per con* debentures, but nobody here seems to quite understand the exact nature of the opposition

The officers of the French war vessel Saone paid a visit to the Defence Minister this afternoon. They elate that when first instructed to visit the New Zealand Exhibition they were informed that it would open in the first week in November, and having no late New Zealand files, they knew nothing to the contrary, and made arrangements accordingly. They slate that as a conference of all the Powers interested will shortly take place at Noumea, they are compelled to return after a brief stay hero. As the cost of all legal advice obtained by the Land Board has to be borne by tho Government, tho latter have laid down a rule that in future their authority must first be obtained before the expense of consulting a solicitor is incurred. The board decided to obtain legal advice as to their power to allow one person to hold separate sections in one ease.

A daring attempt was made this morning to burn down an unoccupied house in Pirie street, owned by Messrs G. F. Richmond and J. Anderson, and insured in the National Office for £ISCO. The fire was extinguished in the incipient stage. A large quantity of rags saturated with kerosene was found near one of the windows.

At the annual meeting of delegates from the various Courts of the Ancient Order of Foresters in Wellington, it was resolved that a circular be forwarded to the various friendly societies, requesting them to urge the Government not to make any alterations in the Friendly Societies Act regulating the rates of contributions, until a table of experiences for this colony is first obtained.

CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 31

A meeting of the Tailoresses Union to-night decided that if theKaiapoi Factory Company failed to agree to employ none but Union hands, all Union hands should be called out on strike on 21 hours’ notice expiring at 9 a.m. on Saturday; the weekly hands to give the necessary notice. The Kangiora Agricultural Show was held to-day. There was a good attendance, and an excellent show of merino, Lincoln, and fat sheep, but in other classes competition was moderate.

DUNEDIN, Oct. 31

At Lawrence, Simpson and Start, brewers at Weatherstones, were to-day fined £IOO and coats for breach of the Beer Duty Act. At a meeting of the Exhibition Commissioners to-day, it was decided to give four prizes for a band contest on March 14th and 15th, as follows : —First prize, £IOO ; second prize, £45 ; third prize, £3O; fourth prize, £2O. The building is now closed to all but exhibitors, workmen, and season ticketholders, A large consignment of golden carp have arrived for the fisheries’ court from the Sandwich Islands. A box of green frogs has also been received.

At the inquiry into the conduct of constable Walker, Inspector Weldon decided that the constable acted injudiciously in going into the woman’s house without a warrant. A second charge of making improper proposals was found not proved, and the constable was reprimanded for his offence and ordered to return to his duty. The directors of the National Insurance Company in their annual report recommended a dividend at the rate of 10 por cent, leaving £4278 to be carried forward. The profit for the year, added to the balance brought forward, gives a total of £14,082 to deal with. There was an increase in premium income, but the losses have been heavy. The Bev. Mr Sutherland, in an interview with Mr Fergus to-day brought under his notice the sudden discharge of eleven married men on the Wingalui section of the Otago Central Railway. He said that no sooner had The Coramisnonera taken over the first section of the railway than the men wei’e dismissed, and young unmarried men substituted for them. Mr Fergus promised that full inquiry will ho made into the circumstances of the case.

Dr Yates, who arrived here in 1861, died to-day. He was for 17 years house surgeon of the hospital. The last few years of his life have been devoted to literature.