MISCELLANEOUS.

Colonist, Volume XLVI, Issue 10915, 5 January 1904, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS.

Wellington, January 4. At the Chess Congress this morning Davies defeated Grierson ; Miles defeated Sandford ; Mackay defeated Forsyth; J. Mason defeated Edwards. The position of the leaders at the end of the fourth round are:— E. Mason and J. Mason each 8% ] wins ; Forsyth, 6^ ; Sandford, Barnse, and Davieg, 6 each; Edwards, 5%; Adair and Friberg, 5 ; each; Connell, 4^j. Adair and Con- '. nell have an unfinished game. Further retrenchments have been decided on in the Defence Department, The Cabinet has resolved to dispense with the seivices at Wellington of three clerks, one armourer, four arm cleaners; and one arm cleaner at Auckland. The retrenchments represent an annual saving, of £1250 in salaries. Palmerston North, Jan. 4. The body of a domestic servant named Kate Hill, aged 20, employed at Stony Creek, who had been missing" since Wednesday night, was found in the Manawatu river by the police yesterday. The deceased had appeared in her usual health when Jast seen pa Wednesday night. JJ _

Auckland, January 4. j About sixty passengers booked for ■ Gisborne were carried on to here by the Zealandia owing to the stormy weather. They complain of much inconvenience* some being without money. It appears that by the new rule the Company does not board passengers in such cases, merely holding itself responsible to return them by the first steamer. Arrive^, s.s. Rotokino from the Eastern Pacific. She reports, that when she left Raratonga for Auckland, on December 20th, there was considerable anxiety regarding the Island schooner Ngamaru Ariki, which it was feared had been lost, with about fifteen natives. Some white-painted wreckage has been found. The natives are almost certain that the wreckage found belongs to the Ngamaru Ariki. . The steamer Countess of Ranfurly had not arrived from Auckland when the ttotokino left. It is supposed that she was, delayed by an easterly gale. A telegram from Kaiohe states that a man named Philip Baker has been found dead with his throat cut in a boat shed near his residence at Kerikeri. tt is supposed to be a case of suicide. Napiee, January 4. Mrs Joll, wife of a nightwatchman at Hastings, died suddenly during the night. Death is supposed to be due to heajt disease.