INTERPROVINCIAL

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXX, Issue 12262, 5 January 1904, Page 3

INTERPROVINCIAL

Per Press Association. . AUCKLAND, January 4. There are now in Auckland three Natal politicians, Messrs Maurice S. Evans, 0.M.G., Thomas Higsloy, M.L.A., and Geo. S. Armstrong, xM.L.A. They are seeking information as to the resources of the colonies, more particularly as regards the pastoral and dairying industries. They speak decidedly of the uselessness of unskilled labour going to South Africa. The scow Waitemata was totally wreck*. 1 on the reef off Matapouri Bay, on the northern coast. The vessel was loaded with logs for Auckland, and came out" of the bay with a fair wind, which suddenly dropped to a calm. -One anchor was let go, but the cable parted, and a second anchor was dropped and this cable also parted. A lcedgo was got out, but the scow was car - ried by a strong tide on to the reef where she broke up inside of an hour. NEW PLYMOUTH, Jan. .4. Mr C. D. Whitcombe died to-day; aged 68. ' He was formerly,. Commissioner of Crown Lands and secretary to the Provincial' Council of Taranaki; secretary to Sir George Grey in Auckland during' the eighties, and foreign adviser to the Tongan Government; a brother to Mr George Whitcombe, of Whitcombe and Tombs, and Mr' F. S. Whitcoinbe, railway traffic manager j at Wunganuf.

; CHRISTCHURCH, January 4. As the result of exhaustive enquiries made by the " Lyttelton Times," regarding the operation of prohibition at Ashburton, it appears that the general opinion exp-' reused is that drunkenness has "inateriallv. decreased, but that there is little or no alteration in the volume of business. The convictions for drunkenness during six months werj oply 9, as against 44 during the cor f responding -period of the previous veftr. <J