INTERPROVINCIAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13833, 19 February 1909, Page 5

INTERPROVINCIAL.

Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Feb. 18. The New Zealand Dairy Company pays £20,024 for butter fat supplied during the month, of January. This exceeds by £2986 the payments in January of the previous year. WELLINGTON, Feb. IS. 'Archibald McNeil, the habitual criminal who escaped from gaol and was recaptured, was, to-day sentenced to one year's imprisonmen and ordered to be kept in close confinement for fourteen days, and to lose six months marks. The annual meeting of the Council of the Fire Underwriters' Associations of New Zealand opened in Wellington to-day. Mr J. Buttle, presided. The meeting, which is not open to the press, will last, for several days, and it is anticipated that it will result in an increase of insurance rates.

The second . charge of sheep, stealing preferred by John Martin against John O'Keefe, or Martinboroiigh, fcas been witdrawn. When O'Keefe was acquitted last week on the first charge, the Judge expressed the, view that the prosecution could not hope to succeed on the other.

Herbert John Scars, a carpenter employed by the Wellington Harbour Board, was this morning at the Police Court convicted on,a. charge of stealing a pair of boots from a case on the wharf, and fined £3,, in default fourteen days' imprisonment. Counsel for the Board said the practice of pilfering cargo was very prevalent, and the Magistrate remarked that a bad feature of the present case was that by one man's action suspicion was cast on all working in .the shed.

CHRISTCHTJRCH, Feb. 18. Regarding the route to be chosen for the North Island Main; Trunk railway, Mr H. J. H. Blow, Under-Secretary for Public Works, has written to the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce that surveys of the country between Cheviot and Kaikoura are still being made, and are likely to occupy several months yet Until these surveys are completed, it will be impossible to arrive at any definite conclusion as to which route will be adopted. The final plans for the new Departmental buildings which are to be erected on the site in Worcester stieet and Cathedral Square, opposite the new printing house and office of the 1 ress Company, Limited, were submitted today to Mr H. J. H. Blow and he will present them to the Minister in the course of a few days Mr Blow states that the elevat on of the new buflings will be quite, as hig > and arch ; tecturally attractive as "Hie 1 ress building.

DUNEDIN. Feb 18. The total amount contributed l«t-«Uy towards the Italian rchot fund is £333 14s. The fund is im ° The Hon, T. Mackenzie, at the unanimous request of the Education Boaid, has decided to continue as a mombor till the expiry of Ins term or ornce, some months hence. . The action Jane Paterson v. \\ ilha m Rait, both of Hillend, near Balclutha, a. claim for £IOOO for damages tor breach of promise of marriage, and alleged seduction, was settled out of Court at the last moment, defendant paying £4OO and costs.