INTERPROVINCIAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 3462, 5 January 1901, Page 3

INTERPROVINCIAL.

Per Press Association. * AUCKLAND, January 4. Donald Ross, shipowner, died last night, aged 68. He was a native of Cape Bre-. ton, Nova Scotia, and was a civil engineer by profession. He carried out the Brisbane waterworks, and was also Chief Engineer to Hawkes Bay in the days of the Provincial Council. There was a fire at Whangarei to-day s which ended in the total demolition of an eight-roomed house,, the property of 1 Mrs Siddal, and occupied by Mr J. Drury. , The occupant lost nearly everything. The , house is insured in the Commercial Union ' for £250, and . the furniture in the Norwieh Union for £l5O. The origin of the ~ fire is unknowll. 3j NEW PLYMOUTH, January 4. I The Customs returns show the revenue of 1900 to be £21,346, against £20,349 in 1899. The -exports for New Plymouth T were of the value of £399,507, and Wai- c tara £104,222, against £336, 965 and £77,- I 391 respectively in 1899. GISBORNE, January 4. Bush fires have started in various parts of the district. At one station 2300 acres of bush have been cleared, at another 20G0 acres, the burn being good. The temperature to-day is torrid. The Delphic is loading to-day 7000 carcases of mutton. The Hawkes Bay is also loading a large cargo of mutton and wool. Nelson Brothers' works are slaughtering 1000 sheep per day. HAWERAf January 4. In connection with the fatal shooting of the boy Peebles at Normanby oil Boxing Day, at the Police Court to-day the police withdrew the charge of manslaughter against Thomas Gilroy, owner of the gallery,and proceeded under the 152 nd section of the Criminal Code Act, which provides that everyone who has within his charge anything which, in the absence of precaution or care, may endanger human life, is under legal duty to take reasonable precautions against, and use reasonable care to avoid, such danger. Witnesses stated that Gilroy used reasonable precautions. The Bench dismissed the case, and in doing so referred to the want of regulations governing the use of galleries. They con- r sidered that those societies which bene- r fited from the use of galleries should take ( every care in the interest of public safety. iL4NGAWEKA, January 4. y The police yesterday raided the pre- j mises of Edward Cartier at Taihape, and e seized a quantity of liquor. He will be charged with sly-grog selling. WELLINGTON, January 4. * Captain Falconer leaves for Kaikoura r on Monday with a diver and necessary men to begin the work of removing a ledge of rock at the entrance to the harbour there. The ledge is 40ft long, lift wide, and sft deep, and when removed a depth of 14ft of water will have been obtained alongside the wharf, while the harbour will offer a refuge for small vessels in bad weather. Colonel Penton returns to Wellington c on the. 15th. • At the conference of the Educational In-' stitute, the balance sheet showed £438 to the credit of the Legal Defence Fund. The recommendation of a committee declaring that in the past the syllabus has been overloaded with arithmetic, and that ( the work of the 6th Standard ought to ( be distributed over a 7th Sandard, was adopted. ! Mr Ward has telegraphed to the AgentGeneral : —"The colony proposes to give ; the Maori chiefs an opportunity of meet- • ing the Duke of York. The meetings - will be held close to the large centres, ; to enable the chiefs to visit and return ' in one day." 1 The first telegram from Mr Barton, the . Prime Minister of the Commonwealth, was received to-day by Mr Ward, thanking him for his New Year wishes. ■ Mr Ward has cabled to the Secretary of State for the Colonies asking that the Im- 1 perial and Indian troops now in Sydney should be allowed to visit New Zealand, 1 and Mr WanT proposes that they should 1 first visit Auckland and then call at all : the ports on the way to the Bluff. ' Mr Seddon cables that the New Zea- > land Contingents were highly complimen- ' ted by General French, Commandant of ! New South Wales, "wlio gave them first ' position in the procession, and that thev 1 received an enthusiastic reception. CHRISTCHURCH, January 4. The Union Steam Ship Company have ' purchased an interest in the Vancouver 1 service, having acquired from the New ! Zealand Shipping Company the steamer 1 Warimoo. Probably the Union, Company 1 will put the Moana on the line, the idea being to have a thjree-weekly instead ' of a four-weekly service as at present. I ■ With the Aorangi and the Miowera there ' b" fo"r stpnmers in the service. The 1

arrangement is to remain in) force till the expiry of the present contracts with the New South Wales, Queensland, and Canadian Governments in 1903. The final tie for the ladies' lawn tennis championship will be played to-morrow afternoon between Miss Simpson and Miss Nunneley. The North Canterbury centre of the League of Wheelmen has decided to hold a long distance championship of the centre at Lancaster Park on the evening of January 17th. The riders will race for one hour. DUNEDIN, January 4. An inquiry into the case of Gusto f Wahlberg was opened at the Magistrate's Court this morning. Wahlberg was a seaman^ on the schooner Zior. He de- | serted on the 21st November, and was arrested and sent back to the ship. He fell overboard and was drowned off the Heads on the day of sailing. His friends asserted that the man was unfit to send to sen,. The " Star" suggested an inquiry, and Mr Allen, M.H.R., wired to the authorities, with the above result. The evidence showed that the captain gave instructions to allow no one aboard, but that if anyone attempted to get aboard they were to be shot in the leg. A doctor who wanted to see Wahlberg was therefore refused admission. The witness, however, stated that everything possible had been done to> save Wahlberg. The inquiry was adjourned till the arrival of the Zior. A very large number of bowlers from Otago are expected to attend the tournament at Christchurch, commencing on the 14th. The north v. south match will be played on Thursday, the 17th. In consequence of this match large entries are expected for the other matches.