NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1451, 28 May 1912, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

IBy Tcleeraph—l'rcsi Association.! A MINISTER'S ADMIRER, Duncdin, ?\lay 27. Interviewed this morning, Mr. WiNiii, M:ivnr i)l' Jliiiii'ilin, I'l'l'i'iTi'd in cciiiipliinoiiliiry tonus In the lion. (!. W. J{usseli's conduct nl Hip recent Ural (ii.vvriiment (.'onfi.'i'i'iiiM l sit Wellington, describing him as worthy of » place: in iijiy Liberal Ministry. Mr. was very anxious to correct an impression which might, liavo been conveyed to the Minister through n raiuii-k made liy flm Mayor of Auckland, thai. the larger cities w< , n> prepared lei forego their subsidies fortlmcimiitrv. Mr. Wilson said 'Dial it Has mil: malic on behalf nl' I hi', committee. Ho pointed mil. Dial in Hid dlies IllOI'l! ill'l! II 111111)1)01' lif (.iovl'l'lllllNli Illliilling.s fulfilling administrative functions throughout Ihe provinces. The (iovernnient did not pay rules upon Llicj-c; if they diil. Iheu tho subsidy might 'dc dispensed with.

BRIGADESMEM'S WANTS, 7j Duncdin, Mny 27. '■' The Buneilin Tiro Board hold a special '• meeting this iiftcrnonii to receive, it 'deputation from members of tho brigade in «■ regard to alleged grievances, Foreman >] Duncan, on behalf of t!io men, asked J that Iho ofneer in charge should liavo C power to grade men as first-class or >■ se.nior second-class and third-class men, >• theso to bo raised to the different grades J on the officers' recommendation, n first- ' : class fireman to hnvo trial as an officer if *> a vacancy occurred, and jimior ollicers to be Riven a trial if it. vacancy occurred a in a higher position. Tn the event of a. » deputy suporintendentship becoming va- <. cant the i'orcman should be appointed on. I trial, the, foreman's 1)C filled •' from the senior division, ami, if the act- •' ing-deputy proves mifatistnctory, and the •'■ acting-foreman satisfactory, the latter ■> should be appointed deputy on. trial. Tha meeting was of a cordial nature, and 1] Hie board undertook to give the re- ft quests careful consideration. | NAUTICAL INQUIRY. < Greymouth, May 27. • The nautical inquiry into the .strand- < ing of the Union , Company's steamer Ko- ] tutu on the north tip hoad opened to- ; clay before Sir. Hewitt, S.M., and Captains Post and Black, assessors. The j evidence of Captain Christian and the j iivst mate, Mr. Carrick, was taken. Both attributed the accident to tho jamming of tho steering gear and the stripping of tho propeller. Tho inquiry was adjourned till to-morrow morning. YOUNG MAN'S DEMENTIA. Invercargill, May 27. _ Mungo Wotson, aged 12 years, a resident of Wymlham, shot himself in Deschler's Hotel this morning. He tired a revolver into his mouth, the bullet lodging in the brain, death being instantaneous. Hβ had been keopiug company with a girl employed at tho hotel, and. left a note intimating his intention, concluding "God bless Kthel." FATAL ACCIDENT. Rotorua, Slay 27. James Purccll, a married man, about •S5 years old, was killed .it Steele's mill, Mamaku, this morning. He put the brake on a. truck too 'suddenly, causing it to capsize, pinning him underneath. LOCAL GOVERNMENT, Christehurch, Slay 27. Tho Hon. G. W. Russell, Sliuister for Internal Affairs, informed a reporter today that a full report of the proceedings of"the recent Local Government Conference had been tak«n by the Hansard stalf, and with a view to giving Iho public tho fullest information as to the discussion that took place he had given instructions for the publication ot tho veport to be expedited. Directly printed copies would be issued tarougliout the country. Ho considered it very desirable that tho whole information should be put before tho people of the Dominion. SET FIRE TO THE HORSE, Dargaville, Slay 27. A peculiar case of cruelty to animals was before the Police Court to-day. Defendant was administering a bottle of kerosene to a horse as a cure for gripes, when ho spilt the kerosene on the animal's head and set fire to it, the animal being badly injured. He was fined £1, with costs. BROTHER'S MISADVENTURE. > Christehurch, Slay 2". Gordon Ralph, aged eleven years, whoso mother is a widow residing at Lyttelton, was killed on the hills yesterday. An elder brother,.aged seventeen years, had a loaded pea-rifle in his hand, when he I slipped on a stone, and the rifle exploded, , ! the bullet hitting deceased in the head.

BRIEF MENTION. Taihape, May 27. ' The turbino of the new hydro-electric scheme was started on Saturday, the first lamp being Hasted yesterday. Hie Coronation band rotunda was used for tlio first time yesterday. Reefton, Slay 27. There are no further developments in the mining trouble here. A good many men left to-day. Everything is very qUict Dargaville, May 27. The body of a man named William Westphal, whose empty boat was found down the river on May 14, was recovered on Friday. At an inquest the verdict was "Found "drowned." , Auckland, May 27. The body of the Maori boy, John Cass, who was accidentally drowned off Aorth Cape on May 16. was found on the bench at Tom Bowling's Bay, near Parenga, on Friday last, by Maoris who had been I searching for it.