INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9210, 13 April 1908, Page 3

INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

[Per Pbess Association.] WAIROA, April 13. Rua, the Maori prophet, with a following of Ureweras and others, is coming here this week. A lar&e crowd from Hawke's Bay is expected. AUCKLAND, April 19. The steamer Devon, which arrived | from England to-day, brought 12G immigrants for New Zealand. For Auckland 55, Wellington 47, Lyttelton 14, Port Chalmers 10. GtSBORNE, April 13. At a meeting of the Land Board to-day Mr Eustace Lance submitted the following notice of motion: — "That under clauses 43, 49, 201 and 209 of the Land Act, 1885, this Board is appointed to decide whether or not a small grazing run was leased under that Act and suitable for close settlement, and that we cannot accept the instructions forwarded by £he Under-Secretary for Lands as Cabinet instructions, seeing that such instructions tend to demoralise the tenantSj belittle the land, and dummy the Board." The Cabinet instructions referred to bear out the intimation given by the Minister of Lands wlien on a visit to this district Tecently, that on tho expiration of the leases the small grazing runs shortly Jailing in would, if suitable, be subdivided for closer settlement. NAPIER, April 13. At the Court to-day William George Brown, on a oharge of theft of money, was admitted to two years' probation. Alfred Harrison, who whilst drunk assaulted his father, was fined £10. A number of restaurant-keepers were fined for breaches of the Factory Act. The financial statement of the Hawke's Bay County Council shows that the year commenced with an overdraft of ...1.0,908, and ended with a credit balance of £900. ELTHAM, April 13. The valuation of Elttiam is £288,000, and increase' of £112,000 over the valuation three years ago. \ WELLINGTON, April 13. The local Art Gallery was burglariously entered between 6.30 on Saturday and 2.30 yesterday afternoon, and a famous landscape painting by B. W. Leader, R.A., was stolen. The painting, which represented an English landscape (view from Surrey Hills) wae a canvas about four feet by five feet, and was safe when the gallery was closed on Saturday. Yesterday the frame was discovered in an ante-room-, and a dark lantern, a jemmy and other burglarious tools were lying around. The picture was brought to New Zea^ land by Mr A. Longdon, with other English works of art, for the recent New Zealand Exhibition, and was subsequently "purchased by Mrs W. B. Rhodes, of Wellington, for about £600, and presented to the local gallery. The police surprised a two-up school on the hills overlooking the city yesterday. It is understood that ''■ severaJ summonses will be issued. The following changes in the Customs Department have been decided upon : — Mr Hawley, collector at Gisborne, to be collector at Timaru, vice Mr Colebrook, retired; Mr Howie, collector at Greymouth, to be collector at Gisborne; Mr F. J. Walker, landing waiter at Wanganui, to be collector at Greymouth; Mr S. Harrop, landing waiter at Wellington, to be transferred to Wanganui. The^first meeting of the third Board under the Government Railway Superannuation Fund Act, 1902, was held to-day. There were present the Hon Hall-Jones, Minister of Railways, in the chair; the Solicitor-General, the Public Trustee and the General Manager for Railways, Messrs A. Graham (Timaru) and R. M. Isaacs (Wellington), representing the first divison, and Messrs W. Pepper, M. Thomas and J. Dawson, representing the second division. The Board dealt with fourteen cases of retirement, and passed allowances in connection therewith, totalling £878 per year. Refunds of contributions, amounting to £408, were made with Tespect to fifty-four persons, who had been contributors to the fund. An allowance of £18 a year was made to an engine-driver's widow, and £13 a year to the posthumous child of a stationmaster. It is understood tnat the income of the fund last year was approximately £51,000, and that the payments made from the fund amounted to £35,000.