NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1572, 16 October 1912, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

« (3j TolecraDh.—Prw Aaaoolallon.l

EAST COAST RAILWAY. PUBLIC MEETING AT HASTINGS, Hastings, Oelober'ls. A public meeting last night discussed tho question of tho stoppage of work ou the East Coast railway, and passed this resolution:—"That this meeting, while approving of the action of tho Government in vetoing wasteful expenditure, strongly urges tlio speedy completion of the East Coast railway, provided it is completed by up-to-date, economical methods, and taken atone the route most advantageous to tlio • people of New Zealand." Another resolution to tho effect that ih<> interests of tho Dominion would bo better served by adopting the inland 'route, and opening up Government lands, was also carried. RATHER SAVAGE. MOTHER AND LITTLE BOY. Christchurch, October 15. At tho Court to-day Mary Elizabeth Halo was charged with ill-treating her five-year-old illegitimate child—a boy. Evidence was,given that llale thrashed tlio boy unmercifully and, one day, threw hint out on to tho asphalt. On another occasion accusal whipped him, and knocked him about for twenty minutes in a'washhouse. Accused was also jtlleged to liavo punished him with a broom and that ths boy was knocked down and kicked. Accused, in evidence, denied having punished the tay harshly or with a broom, and never made bruises on him. Mr. Bishop, S.M., fined accused JCS and. costs,' giving her a month in which to pay. Afterwards accused exclaimed dramatically that she could not "pay tho fine in four weeks, and alleged that 0110 woman witness had "ruined her life."

DISGRUNTLED FIRE BRIGADE. Christchurch, October 15. It was rumoured in town to-day that thoro still existed a number of vacancies in the fire brigade staffs as the outcome of tho . trouble with tho men, and the action taken thereon bv the Firo Board. A reporter made inquiries in regard to these rumours, and was informed that, not only had all tho vacant positions been filled, but they could havo been filled over and over again from amongst tho men applying. There wero only three auxiliaries at Sydenham, and all had left, but one had signed tho requisition and practically had to go, and now two men were standing by in the interim. In conversation with the reporter, Superintendent Warner considered tho rumours so ridiculous that ho did not regard them as worth answering.' Tho brigade received a call this mornill" to an outbreak in Murray St. Albans, where a. fence.had caught alight through the owner having placed lighted soot which he had taken from a chimney against it. Two motors, fully manned, wero dispatched to the scene, and tho conflagration 1 was quickly subdued after a few feet of the fence had been- destroyed. FIRE AT FEILDING. Feildlng, October 15. A dwelling-house owned and occupied by A. H. Maguire, was totally destroyed by firo this morning. Two valuable pictures were saved, but everything else was .destroyed. The fire is said to havo beeii' caused by a keroseno stove. Insurances: On the houso J2500, and on'the furniture £295, both til the Sun office. . HOUSE GUTTED. N®w Plymouth, October 15. A six-roomed house owned by ' Mrs. Bramlcv, and occupied by Mr. Grot, au officer of .the, Public Works Department,' was gutted bV firo last night. It was insured for £325 in tho United ofiiee, and tho furniture for in the State othee.. Tho insurances will not cover tlio loss. The cause of the firo is unknown. Iho occupants wero away at tlio theatre when the fire broke out. ARTISTS' STUDIOS DESTROYED! : .(iiow/it »'■ Auckland,.October 15. \ fire on tho top floor of the Palmer, ston Buildings, Queen' Street, about 1 o'clock this morning, was coiiuncd o .what is.' known as tho artist flaty which, excepting one studio, wos completely gutted. The studios destroyed were occupied by "Messrs. Moore-Jones, Armm Schmitt.' C.' Kingsley Smith, F. Langniuir, M. Levy, H. Devere, Percy, and Misses Kit Turner and Vera Jaeobsen.. Tlio loss in' pictures alone is estimated at .£IOOO. ■ , . • Considerable damage from water was done to premises in the lower portion or the building. Almost every othee in tlio building suffered. The fire, was extinguished forty minutes after tho outbreiK. Tho caretaker's wife retired at 11 p.m., and' later heard an unusual noise, and found tho studio occupied by Miss Turner ablaze. She at once gave the alarm. The insurances are:—l'almerston_ Buildings (top flat gutted), £17,000. in the Guardian" oflicej English and lurcign Piano Company's stock (badly damaged bv water), £7600 in the United offices W'oolbridgo and Bauclian,. .CM in the Atlas (total loss); and fcchmitt, .<-..00 in the Atlas (total loss). BURNT TO DEATH. Waihi, October 15. At an inquest' on Richard Benjamin Harris, who was found burnt to death after a five-in his shanty, at aiteteon Sunday,-the coroner returned a verdict ot accidental death. ROY EOMISTON'S LAPSE. Gisbornc, October 15. Roy Allan Edmiston, aged 21 years, with several previous convictions for tliett at Thames, pleaded guilty to forgery, and was committed for sentence. Ho was. o'ntenced to two months' imprisonment tor theft. . RANGIORA FIRE. Christchurch, October IS. A firo at Knngiora this morning dostrojv cd a shop and dwelling °«"nctl by G. Dale, and occupied b.v. J. M Auli.te. .undertaker: also an adjoining mvnoil bv 1?. kmloy. D;;]e * ouii<l.n,ji wero insured, for £300 in the.Northern olhc: t and Kinley's house, for X3OO, and intents for £100 in the Liveriiojl, 1.0n.n.n, and Globo' office. CADET PRIZE SCHEME. Tiniaru,' October 14. A meeting of . ladies, hold to-day,, decided to take up Mrs. Godley's Senior Cadot prize schrnie. ■