YESTERDAY’S TELEGRAMS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2094, 21 January 1908, Page 1

YESTERDAY’S TELEGRAMS

Press Association

i WAIROA. Mblinku reports Mint a quantity ot empty cases, bnreels, and ease wood', with onions, oranges, ole., are floating near the surf, as if cargo might juivo been washed overboard or come from a wrecked vessel. , FRASERTOWN. Tile A. and P. Show was greatly . marred by rain a licet: ng the uttond- ' auce and delivery of exhibits. In * sheep, It. E. Jefferson carried ' off most of tlie honors. Cattle and draught .horses were not up to former, year*. Light- hacks were a splendid lot, but owing to the wet me horses were not well ridden. Yesterday, at Krasertonn, a horse, ridden by a boy, was shot- in the mouth by a pea rille. The police' have the"matter in hand. Last week a Erasertown. Native found a pearl in a pipi, believed to bo the first case of the kind' on record. The on tries number <>2s for the Wairoa show. Light- rain fell on Sunday, but it has now cleared, and there aro line prospects dor the show. - A meeting at Frasertown on Saturday formed a strong Farmers’ Union, and struck a levy; to tight the. shearers in the . Arbitration Court. A meeting was'aho helj'tcf start freezing works at Waikokopu or Wairoa. A strong committee was formed to collect data. A mail named Thomas Corbett fell over a cliff at Waikari 150 ft deep, and was killed instantly. It was supposed lie missed the track in tlio dark. At the inquest a verdict of accidental death was returned. The body was interred decently near tlio spot. NAPIER. The Norn Niven returned on Saturday night from a fortnight’s experimental fishing in the waters of Chatham Islands. Owing to unfavorable circumstances, tlio expedition was not as satisfactory as anticipated. but the owners arc thoroughly satisfied that under different circumstances a payable fishing industry could bo established at the Chatliaiiis. Much valuable information lias been obtained as to tlio best fishing grounds and places of shelter, etc., which will be of great value in further prosecution of' the project. AUCKLAND. The Inspector of Police received a telegram this morning that Alfred Nealii. sawmill hand, who was one of a picnic party who crossed the Waikato bar yesterday, was lost overboard on the bar when returning. The Rev. Ernest Warburton, wellknown throughout the Primitive Methodist Church in the Dominion, died this morning. Ho had been ailing for some time. MASTER-TON. The following are incidents of the bush fires. A mother with six small children was met wearily making her way through the bush to the nearest shelter three miles distant. Her husband liad stayed to fight the flames, which a few hours later consumed -their home. Another woman became unconscious from suffocation by smoke, and had to be oirried to a' place of safety. The fires have proved ruinous, or partially ruinous, to a number of struggling settlers, while all who took part in subduing the flames or preventing their spread have -had to undergo much physical strain and mental anxiety. Yesterday! the weather was again very hot, indicating that the fires had not yet been whollv extinguished. Some streams and creeks are dry that havo never been known to be so before. The Ruamaliangi and Waipoua rivers are phenomenally low, with water slimy and stagnant pools. There are many dead eels in the Euamahanga. STRATFORD. - Allan McCorkiml.ile, engine driver, employed by tlio -Public Works Department, was found dead in bed at Huiroa yesterday. Deceased was a married man. His wife and family are supposed to reside at Hokitika.

WELLINGTON

The High Commissioner's cable, dated London, 18th January, states: —Tlie mutton market is verv dull; trado is very disappointing, there being only a hand-to-mouth demand. Prime light weight Canterbury mutton is getting very scarce, and is quoted nominally at 4J-d. Tho following are current quotations: Canterbury (heavy weight) 3ijd, North Island 3-id, Australian 2-Id, River Plate 2|d. Tho lamb market is weak. The supply of Australian lamb (which is of very mixed' quality) exceeds the demand, and _is quoted at from sd. A small shipment of this season’s New Zealand has arrived, and is quoted at Old. There is no alteration in the beef market since last week. Tho butter market is a shade weaker for best quality, and some holders are forcing sales. There has been an exceptional demand for second-class quality butter at extravagant prices on account of tho scarcity of choicest. Now Zealand is quoted at 118 s, Australian 116 s, Danish 1255, Siberian 112 s, and Argentine 117 s. The cheese market is quiet, hut firm, white makes being quoted at G2s and colored at 03s Od per cwt. The hemp market is weaker and slightly lower, and transactions in light, good, fair grade on spot are quoted at £2B 10s; fair grade in the same position £27; fair current Manila on spot £29 10s; January to March shipments of good, fair grade, £2B; fair grndo, £27; fair current Manila, £29 10s. The cocksfoot market is firm. There are light stocks on hand with no pressure to sell; 171 b clean, dressed seed is quoted at- 70s per cwt. Tho annual meeting of the Wellington Harbor Board took place today. The report stated that during the year ended 30th September contracts were let for works amounting to £209,390, payments amounted to £33,722, ail’d there remained an estimated liability of £200,402. The Taranaki street wharf was completed for £23.294. Work on the new King’s wharf, a. contract for £79,41)0, progressed fairly well, considering the contractors had difficult- in obtaining timber. The expenditure to date on the dock loan of £250,000 was £10,918. The total revenue increased from £142,198 to £.150,031. '['lie expenditure was £120,047 on the working account, and £04,100 on the capital’account. The profit and loss statement- showed a credit of £2121. The assets were set down as £808,819. A sum of £542, Ojj was owing in respect to loan moneys. The imports handled over the wharves totalled 432,932 tons, compared with 392,308 for the previous year. The timber imports amounted to 22,402,800 feet superficial. The export of general goods tor colonial and coastal ports aggregated 95.971. tons, an increase of about 8000 tons. The shipments of frozen mutton, butter, cheese, tallow, and other goods to British and foreign ports amounted to 39,110 tons.

CHRISTCHURCH

At the Lyttelton Harbor Board's annual meeting to-day the interim report showed that the year commenced with a credit balance <>l £47,839 and closed with a cash balance of £47.rm. 'The cash receipts were L0G,272, as against £57,791 for the previous year. Tlio expenditure was £(>0,003, as against £50,527. The increase was largely made up of payments on a now tug, amounting to £BOOO. DUNEDIN.

The Dunedin Homing Club lnsl week hekl a record Dominion lly foi one day, viz., from Napier to Dunedin, a distance of 551 miles. Kinm> gan’s A pres Mo.i completed (he distance .in 14 hours 5!) minutes. Otliei birds readied their lofts on the sanu day. Thirty-seven birds, representing 12 lofts, took part in Die 11 v. INVERCARGILL.

A deputation of over 30 oystennon waited on the Priino 'Minister to protest against the enforcement on Ist February of the Shipping and Seamen’s Act, 1903, section 21, dealing with certificates that must bo held by officers on fishing boats of over five tons fitted with oil engines. The Act has not been enforced strictly in previous years. They pointed out that engines were used originally for hauling up oysters. Later small propellers had been fitted. 'Tlio majority of the vessels at the port were from 20 to 25 tons, and, they did not carry engines of a horse-power greater than 21. The engines were of use only in calm weather. 'Trading out- of the Bluff were 18 to 20 vessels with oil engines; all but three had engines under 2j-horse-power. If the Act were enforced it would' be impossible to get engineers for boats, and the men would just knock off the propellers. Sir Joseph Ward slid his sympathies were with the deputation, and he would see the Minister of Marino and advise fishermen of the result. The Premier left for the North this morning.

TAIHAPE. The -bush fires which have been raging in this district for some time past assumed serious proportions yesterday, when sparks set fire to the bus'll in the vicinity of the sawmills. 1 The Manawatu Timber Oo.’-s mill, near Tailnpe, was in grave danger last night, destruction .seeming unavoidable with fires raging all round. Other mills were similarly placed. The Pukaruua Co.’s mill-, on the Mat',iron line, was in danger, but the wind keeping down so fur the plants havo not been destroyed. This morning’s reports -state that there lias been no damage to plants or buildings of any mill, but the situation is still extremely critical. Fires are raging at Ohakune, -threatening the mills and other buildings, but no losses are reported. The mills at Wini-ata and Utiku were closely pressed- by the conflagration, but so far they have escaped. The country is extremely dry. In the event of no rain and a high wind it is considered that many properties must go. Watchers were kept on at all the mills last- night. r