LATE TELEGRAMS

Waikato Independent, Volume III, Issue 167, 14 December 1905, Page 5

LATE TELEGRAMS

THE POLL TAX ON CHINESE

(per press association.) Auckland, This Day. Afc a meeting of the Trades and Labour Council last night Dir IJainlicld said that he thought the present poll tax of ,£IOO on Chinamen was too little, and he would like the Council to express its opinion upon the advisability of representations being made to the Government to have the poll tax doubled. To his knowledge Chinese were engaged in competition in almost every trade, and their mode of Jiving was very objectionable. He would like to see better legislation in regard to Asiatic immigration. Mr Rosser said he had read in a paper that Chinese were brought out here by Chinese employers. The poll tax was paid for them and they were made slaves until the poll tax was paid off. It was decided to bring the matter under the notice of the various trades councils in the colony with a view to having it discussed at the annual conference. A JOCKEY SEEIOUSLY INJURED. Woo.nvn.LE, This Day. A serious accident occurred at the racecourse yesterday. A jockey named Rowe, belonging to Foxton, was exercising Lady White when the animal swerved and threw the boy against a post, splitting his skull. There is no hope of his recovery. THE SELWYN SETTLEMENT. Auckland, This Day. Applications for leases, in connection with the Selwyn settlement, will be received at the Crown Lands Office here up to 4 p.m. on Monday next, and applicants, \dio are expected to be very numerous, are required to appear personally at the Land Coard meeting on Thursday, December 21st for examination as to their bonafides and suitability. The first ballot for allotments, for which there are more than one applicant, will be held on Friday, December 22ud, at 10 a.m. VALUE OF FINGER PRINTS. Blenheim, This Day. A young man named John Anderson was committed for sentence to-day on a charge of breaking and entering business places at Picton and Blcnhein a few days ago and stealing property to the value of £4O. Pie pleaded guilty. An interesting feature was that in the case of the Blcnhein burglary, the finger prints on the cash box led to Anderson’s incrimination. PROFESSOR SALMOND APPOINTED. Wellington, This Day. Professor Salmond, of Adelaide, has been appointed professor of jurisprudence and constitutional law at Victoria College at a salary of £7OO per year. APPEAL COURT. Wellington, This Day. In the Motutapu will case the Court of Appeal has granted leave to appeal to the Privy Council. In the case of Reid v. Hesketh (in which judgment was given for plaintiff), on the usual terms, no stay of execution has been asked for. RUMOURED FLAW IN THE LICENSING ACT. Christchurch, This Day. It is rumoured in town that a flaw has been discovered in the Licensing Act whereby it may be possible to have licenses restored in Ashburton. The contention is that the spirit of the law, which requires a three-fifths majority in a prohibited electorate before licenses can be restored, is not clearly expressed in the statute, and that a bare majority of votes may be sufficient to have the hotels re-opened, though ibis does not seem to be borne out by the reading of clause 12 of the Alcoholic Liquor Sale Control Act Amendment, 1895, dealing with the restoration of licenses. The matter has been placed in the hands of a city firm of solicitors by one of the interested parties. BOOKMAKERS FINED. Christchurch, This Day. At the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, several bookmakers were fined for trespassing on the Riccarton racecourse at the November meeting. J. Gray and M. Connelly were fined £5, and S. Brierly £lO. The Magistrate (Mr Bishop) said it was no use warning these men, and he intended to send them to gaol for future offences. He knew he had been soft in the past, but he would not be in the future. A SIX HOURS’ DAY. Auckland, This Day. The Trades Council discussed the Melbourne proposal for a six hours’ working day. The speeches were not favourable, but it was agreed to refer the proposal to the Colonial Conference for consideration.