NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1630, 23 December 1912, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(By IWoKiaph.-ProM Aaradatlon.) £1000 DAMAGE DONE. FIRE IN ENGINEERING SHOPS, Christchurch, December 22. At about 3.40 this afternoon the fire brigade received, a call to Messrs. Booth, Macdo'nald and Co.'e engineering works at Sydenham. The fire was confined to the moulding and pattern shops, ivhich formed part of the old building. The fire at one time looked likely to involve the greater .part of the works, bnt the brigade was very promptly at work, and the outbreak was localised. The damage done is not very extensive. The building was inBuredfor £H)0 in the Sun Offioe, and the contents for .£9OO. Mr. Booth estimates the damage approximately at .£IOOO. SUSPENDED GOODS TRAFFIC, ITS EFFECT AT NAPIER. Napier, December 2. Instructions were issued to the railway authorities' in Hawke's Bay to suspend the ordinary goods traffic on Friday and Saturday. This will have a serious effect on the Napier wool sale on January 3, as tho catalogues close at Napier on December 24, and unless special arrangements are made much wool will be shut out. ■'■• -.- . .. ■■.-■.■■• The position was considered at a special meeting of the Chamber of Commerce this morning, which made a strong protest to the Minister against the Departments iction; and asking that all available trucks be diverted to tho Hawke'e Bay line until Tuesday; also that night trains be run as a matter of vital importance to the farming nnd commercial community. TEACHERS AND THEIR GRADING, Auckland, December 22. The working of,the grading system for teachers has been the subject of inquiry by a Special committee of the Auckland District Teachers' Institute, This committee submitted a report'-' to a special meeting of the institute yesterday. The teport made various recommendations, one of the principal being that men and women teachers should be graded on eeparate lists/ This recommendation was negatived, and an,amendment to the effect that both ■ sexes bo graded on one list was carried. The meeting also decided in favour of/the Appeal Board being the Board of Inspectors. : MORE ANTICS BY FIREMEN. .; Auckland, December 21. The Marama was ready to take her departure for Vancouver, at 3 a.m. She had a full complement of men up to that time, but two firemen and-one trimmer put their • belongings ashore and declined to proceed. 'They had probably determined to spend the Christmas ashore. The Jfarama went into the stream. The necessary men were obtained from the Mokoia, and the Marama got away at 9.30 a.m. . THE TOLL OF THE BUSH. Invercargill, December 21. Peter Clifford, a sawmill hand, aged 36, was struck on the head by a branch of a falling tree at Longwood, sustaining concussion, from which he died in the Riverton Hospital to-day. He leaves a widow nnd four young children. FATALITY AT WAIHI. • Waihi, December 21. At an inquest on the body of Timothy Higgins, who w,as fatally injured in the Grand Junction, shaft,.,the verdict was that the deceased met; his death by mis- ■ adventure, no blame being attachable to anyone. A BODY & A NOTE, \ Auckland, December 21. The naked body of ■ a man was found In the harbour, and near .by, on the rocks, the clothes of a man of medium stature, showing evidence of much wear, Cashmere Bocks marked with the letter ■i'Sfi and a< singlet were found on a vacant section 300 yards distant. - A. note: was -attached, signed "V.Y.Z.,";. written on which was: "Who finds this' vest may keep it. Too touch bother to take it back to Auckland." MORNINGTON FIRE. ; Dunedln, December 22. A five-roomed wooden house at MornIngton, occupied. by Mr. James Pickard, was destroyed by fire on Saturday night. The owner is Mr. Donald Cumming. The insurances on the- building are not yet asoertainable, but the furniture and effects were insured in the Victoria office for J6150. • It is- supposed that articles of 'clothing left in. front of the fire to dry became ignited and caused the fire. ' FLEET NEWS-A WELCOME. Dunodln, December 22. Captain Drummond, of HM.S. Cambrian, was ; welcomed to Port Chalmers ■on Saturday morning by the Mavor (Mr. D. A. de Maus), -who expressed the pleasure of the people of Otago at having the warship present in the harbour. In responding, Captain. Drummond returned thanks for the kindly welcome extended to himself and his ship end orewi Hie present stay, lie said, would be only a brief one, as the ship was leaving next Friday in order to call at the-Bluff, en route to relieve the Drake at Hobart on January I, as that 'vessel is about to proceed to England. ■ .