TELEGRAPHIC NEWS

West Coast Times, Issue 10534, 19 July 1897, Page 4

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS

♦" INTfIRPROVINGIAL [Per United Pbess Association]. Reepton, July 17. j Return — Sir Francis Drake, 3310zs amalgam from 230 tons, 102|ozs retorted ' gold (clean up). • The Conciliation Board concluded its sittings shortly before 5 p.m. aud will give the award at 10 a.m. on Monday. At the conclusion of -the business Mr Millar made a brief speech to the effect that an article appeared in the Grey River Argus of 6th July in which it was stated that although he was not present when the Board sat at Reef ton last year the members took care to mention that the case of the miners was in no way prejudiced thereby as he would have voted against their demand for 10s per day if he were present. Mr Millar said this was quite incorrect as he had never intimated to anyone how his vote would have gone had he been present. The Chairman, Mr Macfarlane, S.M.. corroborated Mr Millar's statement. Mr Budge, late President of the Miners' Union, then asked the Chairman if he did nos state last year, when the Board had. finished sitting, that before arriving at a decision the Board would submit the evidence to Mr Millar and confer with him. Mr Macfarlane replied that what he did say was that the miners' case was not prejudiced by Mr Millar's absence as if he (Millar) had been present the voting would have been equal and his (Macfarlane) casting vote would have gone against ths miners. He had no power to take such a course as indicated by Mr Budge's question. Mr Budge then retorted that bis version was correct but in any case Mr Macfarlane, by making such a statement, admitted that his mind was made up before conferring with his colleagues. The Chairman refused to allow Mr Budge to proceed further. The affair caused some surprise and temporary excitement. There was a large attendance at Court while the evidence was being taken. Wellington, June 17. The Railway Department has decided to build a timber bridge 800 feet long over the Waitangi river, and another the same length over the washout caused by the Hawke's Bay floods, Specially long piles will be procured. A cylinder bridge is to replace that over the Rangitikei. ChRISTCHTJRCH, July 18. Mr T. E. Taylor, M.H.R., addressing an open air prohibition meeting on Saturday night, made severe remarks on the editors of theleading,New Zealand papers several of which were not in the best taste. He was particularly severe on the New Zealand Times, of which he read a full list of shareholders, which included several ladies and the Premier and his family.