The News of the Week

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 7, 17 February 1909, Page 5

The News of the Week

IN THE DOMINION. Judgment was given last week at Wellington in the compensation ease Baylis and others v. tlie City Council, a claim for arising out of the resumption of land at Island Bay for the purpose of making a recreation ground. The Court awarded the claimants the sum of £2925. Peculiar illustration m the proverb recommending people to be born lucky, at the Auckland Supreme Court last week. Man pleads guilty, and sent for .sentence one session. Course of justice stayed by technicality. Man changes his mind, and denies the charge next session, and is found “not guilty.” The Citizens’ League, a new organisation recently formed in Auckland for “supporting actively every movement Which makes for the betterment of the community”-—has decided to run a tieket at the forthcoming election of a licensing committee, and the following have agreed to stand, under the auspices of the League: Messrs. J. M. Mennie, J. J. Holland, W. C. Somers, H. C. Choyce, end Dr. F. W. King.

The Minister for Justice (the Hon. Dr. Findlay) intends having some improvements made in the management of our gaols, several of which he has been visiting. and he anticipates much good will follow. It is intended, among other things, to adopt a more rational method of dealing with the complaints than that now in force. The Minister is verv favourably impressed with the influence of the eamps like Waiotapu, where the prisoners are engaged in tree-planting, and he will recommend the Government to extend the system. A waterway from rue Waikato district to Auckland has been talked about since the days of the Maori war, and before, but it is only of late years that something more definite has been done. Surveys have been made, and in the ease of the proposed canal at the Tamaki isthmus Mr. J. E. Taylor, who has always taken the keenest interest in the project, has even gone to the expense of putting down trial bores, and proved that i..e excavation offers no obstacles. The proposal to cut a canal from the . .aikato Kiver across to the Manukau at iVVaiuku is being vigorously pushed by the Waikato people, as well as by the Waiunu settlers, and last week a large party of representative men from Auckland, Waikato, and Waiuku went down the river from Mercer, up the Awaroa creek (which the canal will probably follow), and across the narrow stretch of land which separates the Manukau from the river, to inspect toe route. The total cost of the canal has been estimated at over £lOO,OOO. The workability of the scheme, of course, depends on the existence of another canal from the ManUkau to the Tamaki, and this it is said, could be carried out for some £72,000.

The Takapuua Tramways, The ceremony of turning the first god in connection with the track of the tramway which is" to run from O'Neill’s Point to Lake Takapuna, a popular suburb of Auckland, was performed last week by the Chairman of the Waitemata County Council. (Mr. V. F. Kerr-Taylor). The track will be slightly under eight, miles in length. It is expected that the trams will be running by next Christmas. The time occupied in the trip will be about half an hour. This, together with the fast ferry service it is proposed to run, will bring the Lake very much nearer Auckland than at present, and the popularity of this beautiful neighbourhood will be greatly increased. The proposed capital expenditure in connection with the scheme is £54,000. A liability of £35,000 has already been incurred in the track. New Zealand Insurance Co. At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Insurance Co., held in Auckland last week, it was stated that the premium incoim for the year had .>een £620,424, a slight increase over that of the previous twelve months. Interest and rents amounted to £26,875, giving a return of 3.78 per eent. T..e Company's investments amount to £710,512, which has been only once exceeded, in 1905, the year before the great fire in Sun Fran-

cisco. Losses during the year amounted to £40V,357. The dividend to shareholders for the year was at the rate of ten per eent. The Hon. S. T. George and Messrs. L. J. Bagnall and Chas. Rhodes were reelected directors, and at a meeting of directors held subsequently Mr. -u. M. Clark was elected chairman for the ensuing year.

Letters by the Main Trunk Line.

With the commencement of the daily service by the Main Trunk line postal sorting cars will be attached to trains and mails for Southern ottiflices will close at the Chief Post Office at 8.45 p,m,. while letters bearing an extra Id. as a late fee may be posted on the postal cars up to the time of departure of trains (9.15 p.m.). The present contract for the clearance of street letter-boxes does not provide for letters being taken up on Sundays, so that persons posting correspondence intended for the South must cither post it at the Chief Post Office or if in street receivers, prior to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The daily afternoon clearance of street letter boxes which is at present taken up between 1 and 3 p.m. will in future be taken up between 5 and 7 p.m. Inward mails from the South will reach Auckland about 7 p.m., and as correspondence will be sorted on the trains letters will be taken out by letter-carriers on their first delivery, while private, boxholders will receive theirs on going to business in the morning. On Sundays a few sorters will be on duty at the Chief Post Office in the morning, and private box-holders may expect to get their letters on that day not later than noon. This will give business people an opportunity of replying to urgent correspondence by the Sunday night's mail. May Hallett in Wellington. In the Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, May Hallett, alias Curtain, alias Baker, alias Bannerman, was charged with having on Jan. 5 obtained the sum of £SG from Walter Clifford by means of a false pretence, by representing that she was the niece of the late Sir Henry Camp-bell-Bannerman. In the course of his evidence, Walter Clifford stated that the accused accompanied his party to the Wellington races. Subsequently she called at the Club and said she was in great difficulties. Her father had just left enough money to pay the hotel bill, and she had to pay the D.I.C. and some other bills before ehe left for Christchurch. She asked him to telegraph to Christchurch to ascertain her father’s, address. Witness replied, “Why trouble him. Can I assist you?’’ Accused replied that if he (Clifford) could lend her fifty pounds, she would send it back on the following day after she had seen her father. Witness gave her fifty- pounds. In parting with his money- he understood that the accused was connected with a celebrated family in England. The licensee of the Grand Hotel stated that the accused booked accommodation at his hotel in the name of Bannerman. In the course of conversation she stated she hoped it would not come out that she was related to Sir Henry CampbellBannerman, her reason being that she might attract too much notice. The accused was committed for trial. Napier Loan Proposals. A poll was taken in Hawke’s Bay last week on the Napier Harbour Board’s proposal to borrow £209,000 for the completion of the breakwater. The polling was very close, but the later returns turned the scale against the proposal, the country vote showing a very solid opposition. Interviewed on the subject of the rejection of the harbour loan, Mr. \ igor Bpown, M.P.. chairman of the Board, said he regards it as a calamity to Napier in particular and to Hawke’s Bay in general. It has set the progress of the town and the country back for a period of years. One of his first acts on taking his seat in Parliament will be to endeavour to make the Harbour Boards elective. Asked if work at the breakwater would stop, Mr. Brown replied:

•‘Slop! You cannot etop the wheels of progress. You may also take it from me that the construction of the breakwater, though it may be temporarily delayed, ■will eventually go on until the work is completed. In this mutter people are not to be trifled with.”

East Coast Railway.

At the monthly meeting of the AA’aihi Borough Council, held last week, a letter was received from the chairman of the Tauranga Railway League asking the Council’s co-operation in supporting the construction of the AAaihi-Gisborne railway, and stating that a meeting would shortly be held at Te Puke, at which resolutions asking Government to authorise the line, and, as a part thereof, the Tauranga-Te Puke line. lie said that his League considered it a mistake to support the Gisborne-Rotorua route, as the idea of going inland and up the Mamaku grade with a goods traffic- railway was not practicable. His League also intended sending a delegate to Whakatane and Opotiki, with a view to trying to make the coast unanimous for a coastal route. A public meeting would be held about the 27 th inst. at Tauranga, when the AA’aihi delegate would be welcome A letter was also received from the'Thames Borough Council on the same subject, stating that all local bodies interested in favour of tire formation of a standing committee to promote the construction of the East Coast railway had been communicated with, and when replies were received the Council’ would act with the AA’aihi Borough Council in bringing about a meeting of delegates. The Borough. Council decided to support the Tauranga League. The Napier Chamber of Commerce after discussing the East Coast Railway question has adopted the following resolution: “That the members for the district be requested to urge on the Minister for Public Works the importance of completing the survey railway route to Poverty Bay during this summer in terms of the promise made to Mr- A. L. D. Fraser during the last session of Parliament, and to the Chambe rof Commerce, by the Hon, AV- HallJones on August 29th last.” A New Name. Mr. Massey, speaking at a banquet to Mr. Buick, at Palmerston North last week, stated that it was very significant that the voting at the recent gener-aJ election showed increased majorities for the Opposition- The last election, he said, demonstrated- clearly that people were determined to have reform on sound lines in many directions. During the long term’of the present administration many evils had grown up in connection with the government of the. country, and it would be the duty of the Opposition -to do their best to remove these evils. The party now in opposition was Hie reform party. That was the name by which they would be known in future.

The Missing Rio Loge.

The Secretary for Marine has received information that the crew of the missing brigantine consisted of the following persons when she cleared at Kaipara for Dunedin on January 24: —

W. Spence, captain, 55; born in Scotland. J. Paterson, first mate, 38 (Scotland). H. Harnden, second mate, 38 (England). W. Shinnas, engineer, 42 (Scotland). A. Quisk, seaman, 25 (Denmark). K. Anderson, seaman. 22 (Denmark). H. Gotule, seaman, 20 (Niue Island). AV. Richards, seaman. 30 (England). G. A. Robert, cook, 32 (Jamaica). W. A. Spence (captain’s son), ship’s boy, 14 (Bundaberg). B. J. Spence (captain’s wife), stewardess. A. B. Spence (daughter of the captain), assistant stewardess (Bundaberg). The Overland Express. The first through express to take up the regular time table between Auckland and Wellington left n minute or two sifter the uhcrtiscd time. 9.15 on Sunday. The train consisted of five ordinary passenger carriages, a “sleeper,” a postal van, and two luggage vans. Nearly 200 passengers left by the overland train, and there must have been a crowd of close upon 1000 people present to witness the departure. The majority of those travelling were returning excursionists, the train being the last by which those

holding holiday excursion ticket* coniavail themselves of the opportunity of return.

The service is now running regularly, ajid both north and south trams are well patronised.

Mysterious Disappearance.

One of the principals in a theatrical organisation which visited Chri.-dchur, h last week concluded his engagement with the company somewhat summarily. He had had several differences of opinion with the management. His connection with the company was finally concluded on Wednesday, and on Thursday morning he was given a return ticket to Sydney. He was last seen at an hotel where he had been residing, between four and five o’clock on Thursday afternoon. It has be-n ascertained that he did not leave for Wellington on Thursday night. Telegraphic enquiries elicited the fact that he has not been seen in Wellington, and he did not, presumably, leave for Sydney. His belongings are still at his hotel, unpacked. He did not return to the hotel on Thursday night, and has not been seen since. It is understood he wrote an urgent letter to Sydney on Thursday, which was double stamped, in order to be sure of not missing the mail. Considerable anxiety is felt as to his subsequent movements, as exhaustive private enquiries have failed to elicit his whereabouts.

A Hamilton Sensation

Residents of Hamilton were shocked on Tuesday to learn that a man named this morning to learn that a man named Robert Lock, who lives at Hamilton, had been arrested about 11 o'clock on Monday night on a charge of stabbing his wife in the stomach. A cry few details are obtainable, but the affair is said to have occurred about 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon. Dr. Reece was sent for. and about 10 o'clock last night Mrs Lock was removed to the hospital, where a very serious operation was performed by Dr. Douglas, assisted by Dr. Reece. The knife having penetrated the intestines, the unfortunate woman is not expected to recover, and accordingly the police repaired to the hospital to take her depositions, and waited until 3 o’clock in the morning.

Mrs Lock, however, refused to make any statement, and so far the tragedy is shrouded in mystery.

Lock denies that he had anything to do with the injury, and states that it was caused by a fall in the yard. He. did not know anything about it until he was told by one of his children, and lie at once sent for the doctor.

Accused was brought up at the Ponce Court ou Tuesday and remanded.

The Garrotters.

Mr. Justice Cooper, when imposing sen fences of ten years’ imprisonment with hard labour at Wellington on each of the three convicted garrotters—Edward Richard Black, John McCormick, and M illiam Neil, said: u * It may be necessary, if these outrages continue, to inflict, m addition to a long term of imprisonment, the grave punishment of flogging. How cveY ineffective the punishment, may be to the person suffering. it may prove a deterrent to lawless men haunting the cities of this Dominion.’’

Neil had nothing to say why sentence should not be passed. McCormick and Black each handed in statements protesting their innocence. Black is already serving a term of seven years for burglary. Thq new sentence will be concurrent, and at the end of it Black will be treated as an habitual criminal.

After sentence had been passed. McCormick excitedly addressed the Benell, and vehemently protested his innocence. The Judge oidered his removal.