JOTTINGS FROM WANGANUI.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 968, 8 November 1910, Page 8

JOTTINGS FROM WANGANUI.

HOSPITAL MENACED BT FIRE. SMITHFIELD AND THE TRAMS. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Wanganui, November 7. Mr. E. M'Phail, accountant of the-local branch of tho Bank of New Zealand, leaves here on Wednesday under a "sealed" order on promotion. On Saturday evening he was entertained by a large number of business and private friends when speeches wero made expressive of appreciation of Sir. M'Phail's good qualities and regret at his departure. As a result of a "Guy Fawkes" (ire on Saturday the hospital had a narrow escape yesterday. It appears that the ashes of tho fire in question smouldered all night, and in the morning, being fanned by a Istrong breeze, set fire to tlio plantation surrounding the institution, and for some time the fever ward and nurses' homo were in danger. ■ The Gonville Fire Brigade, however, extinguished the flames, the only damage being the scorching of several trees. On the commission in connection with the Smithfield rating dispute reopening this morning, Mr. Marshall (for the Gonville Tramwnv Board) said that so many of the Smithfield ratepayers, who had signed the petition, had now withdrawn their signatures, that those who remained wero in a minority. It seemed clear on the authority of Wright's case, decided at New Plymouth some few years ago, that they had a right so to withdraw from the petition. It was not for him to say what their motives were; it was sufficient that they had done what they were legally entitled to do, and therefore ho could not go further with the matter, and he suggested that Mr. Kerr, S.M., should re-, port that there was not now a majority of Smithfield ratepayers, and that Smithfield could now bo brought into the Tramway District. Mr. M'Kay, on behalf of the objecting ratepayers, stated that their action being perfectly bona fide, the Gonville Tramway Board had not incurred liability on account of the petition having been signed. In fact, so far, they had not brought any proposal for a loan before the public. Tho bona-fides of the counter petitioners were shown by the fact, that the first counter-petition reached .the Government as soon as the original petition. The commissioner, Mr. Kerr, said that he did not doubt that the action was quite bona fide. He would report that there was not now a valid majority of Smithfield signatures, and that .Smithfield could not, under the petition, be brought into the tramway district. He would also report that, as the Balgownie ratepayers had not objected, the Balgownie district could be included.