TELEGRAMS

Hokitika Guardian, 9 March 1922, Page 3

TELEGRAMS

[by telegraph—ran press association]

FIRE AT FOXTON. FOXTON, March 9. t A six-ijpomed house and. contents d owned and occupied by J. Purcell, in e Patrick Street was totally destroyed 1 by fire. The cause of the outbreak is thought to be a defective c himney. t This is the third outbreak since SunH day. The other two outbreaks were a f two-roomed cottage and a leanto store R at the seaside. .1 - . i A HOUSE BURNT R TIMARU, March 9 t Early this morning the Fire Brigades , wore called to Waiti Road where Holmwood House owned by E. R. Guinness and occupied Mrs land as a boarding house, was found in flames. The Brigade worked for 2} hours before the flames were extinguished, but not before extensive damage had been done [ The fire evidently started in the kit- . ehen, but the origin is a mystery. All x the inmates cxcapcd safely. The building contained 12 rooms and was an old wooden structure. i. ' OLD CHARGES. *. r AGAINST EX-TNSURANCE AGENT. CHRISTCHURCH, March 8. Charges which dated back as far as , eight years were brought against "William Coo, a one-time insurance agent, at Christchurch Magistrate’s Court to- , day. There were two sets of charges one of theft of moneys amounting to £3O Bs, and the other of obtaining £6B , 8s by falsely representing himself as . an agent of the Australasian Temperance Society. Accused pleaded guilty ami was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. ! OUR RAILWAYS ! t MORE CRITICISM. 1 CHRISTCHURCH, March 8. ‘ The conduct of the railway service j came in for severe criticism at tho meeting of the General Committee of , the Canterbury A a.nd P. Association I to-day. Tho ‘matter w!as introduced ‘ by Mr R. E. Alexander, Director of j Lincoln Agricultural College. “The ! Commercial Travellers at their Confer- , ■ ence,” Air Alexander said, “made a brilliant suggestion that tbe railways should be sold. I think we should endorse that suggestion. The present j position is that everybody is grumbling i about the railway management. I ’ | rang up last week for trucks to take I stock to Ashburton Show and T was ‘ ! told I was too late. Last year I enquired at the same time, and was told ' I was too early. At'the present time if anyone wants a truck, lie has to go to tho Railway Department cap in hand ’ a. fortnight before he wants the truck. Tliis Association should call together a meeting of some sort to protest the present mismanagement of the railways, for tilings are going from had to J worse. The result of it all is that no- ! body will make use of the railways, and I in consequence they are not paying. ■ They are not being run to pay. T have | not met a man at the present time who I has not a. grumble about the railway mismanagement.” After a few further remarks, it was j decided that the present position of j the railways lie discussed at the annual meeting of the Association. OBITUARY. TIMARU, March 9.

Obituary—John Withell, a wellknown meat exporter and sheep breed-

MEMORIAL UNVEILED. GPOTIKI, March 9,

Hon. W. F. Massey arrived at livo p.m. yesterday from Gisborne. A large crowd asembled in the afternoon to attend the unveiling ceremony of the monument to fallen soldier erected at a cost of £2,200, l>enring over a hundred names. There wore many floral emblems. Returned soldiers and other units paraded, the former providing the firing party. Mr Massey in a. vigorous speech recalled the nei-oic deeds of soldiers and sailors in the war and said the. same elements were at work to-day that caused the war of 1914. Ho

hoped in years to come if a war came to find the Dominion prepared to help defend tho Empire, as in the late war. Air Williams Af.P., and Hon. Gow were amongst the other speakers.

Tlie Premier left at seven for AYliakatane. Owing to the shortness of his stay, he was unable to receive deputations which caused keen disappointment.

EIRE AND THEFT.

NELSON, March 9

Following a fire at Louissons Ltd. on Monday morning it was reported to the police that sealskin coats were stolen. Some of the missing goods wore found in ain outhouse at the Masonic Hall. A further search, and observation by the police, resulted in the discovery of other coats also a clue which led to th e arrest of William Balfour Hay. aged 22 a. cook at the! Masonic Hotel, as lie was leaving for Wellington yesterday evening. Later they arrested Ernest AVairau Broad, aged 17, a kitclienman, on a charge of being implicated in the theft. Accused were remanded till Monday next. WATERSIDERS DISPUTE. AUCKLAND, March 9. In the watersiders’ dispute, before ! the Conciliation Council, an agreement was reached on a number of clauses in i regard to conditions of work. Tho ! balance in this connection were sent to tho Arbitration Court.