DOMINION NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2257, 31 July 1908, Page 3

DOMINION NEWS.

[Press Association.] AUCKLAND, July 30. At the Council meeting to-night the Mayor said' that now that the ratepayers had sanctioned the £130,000 loan for various works, including the building of a Town Hall, every effort would he amide after I'leet Week to absorb the surplus labor that existed in the city at present. According to advices received iby Messrs L. C. Gillespie and Sons, the local agents for 'the steamer Inver-' tay, which put int 0 Durban recently on account of damage 'sustained by colliding with some wreckage, whilst on the voyage from New York to 'New Zealand, has a large cargo of oil on board for the principal ports, 'approximately about 100,000 cases. It .is understood that the vessel is coming direct to New Zealand, Auckland being her first port of call. ■NAPIER, July 30. At a meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Builders’ and Contractors’ Union today it was decided to lodge a strong protest agjiinst the suggestion that tlio duty on Oregon pme should be. increased. It was stated that m less than two years in this district the rise in the price of,timber had been equal to 3s 3d per 100 ft. WELLINGTON, July 30. Tho following is Captain Edwin s weather forecast to 3 p.m. to-mor-row * —Expect mod orate to strong easterly winds; and fine weather Son‘“Tho’ Wellington Education Board to-da.v resolved that in the opinion of tli is Board section 141 of the Education Act, 1904, should bo so amended that all pupils should be required to attend school while, the school 16 open except where satisfactory reasons arc given. A copy of the resolution lie to bo sent to the Minister of Education, and the Education Boards throughout the Dominion are to bo circularised on the subject. : Two stewards belonging to the s.s. Moana, Joseph Ilaslett and Joseph Scott, wore arrested to-night, and will be .charged at the Court >n the morning'''with having opium, suitable for smoking in their possession. CHRISTCHURCH, July 30. The traffic returns on the various lines of the Tramway Board for tille four weeks from June 22n,d to_ July 19th. inclusive, show that tho grand totals were:—Number of passengers, cash fores, 629,283; last year, same period, 673,553. Allocation concession cards. 190,662. Apprentice tickets. 11,070: last year, /290. ' s ™ool tickets, 30,240; Inst year, 14 472 Total number of passengers earned during .period, 561.2-5 o; last year, 685,310. DUNEDIN, July 30. V conference between the employees and officials of the -Bruce Coa Minin" Company was hcAu. at Mil'ton to-d-av. The principal question in dispute is rates of. pay; wh'leemnlovees ask for an increase of 3d on the present rate (2s 9d), the owners demand a decrease of 3d. Neithei side would give wav. and it-wasMcm-ded to leave the clauses relating, to niece rates, weighing, and trucking in abeyance. A number of otbrn points relating to the conditions of labor were agreed to. . The letterpress inaclmufts cn.pute came on for hearing at tihe Arbitration Court to-day. A number of details wore agreed upon in conference, but the question of wages was unsettled Employees ask for a minimum of £3 per week. «nd the employers offer £2 IV. The Court reserved its demsioi'\tjST|Q aRGILL, July 30. An inquest was held to-day on the body of Jas. Hancock, who shot himself at Ivapuka yesterday. The evidence (indicated that a nail fluid been driven into a table in deceaseds wliare. and that after aligning the gun with n cartridge case wedged betlie triggers, he .discharged it bv nulling .the'' fore trigger against the nail, blowing his head to fragments. Deceased was 33 years of aw. and had a brother in the North Eland whose experiments with an eleetnc weed erndicator, have boon yeiy successful. Deceased had told a man with whom he had meals that lie Did seen a doctor, who had given him on.lv three months to live. Tfc ' ad had a had leg. and walked limp, the result of (in old accident. A verdict was. returned of smc.de while temporarily insane.