DOMINION NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 51, 24 February 1912, Page 5

DOMINION NEWS.

(Per Press Association.) Wanganui, February 22. The Labour Party has selected Or. Jas. T. Muir as their representative to contest the Mayoralty. Pahiatua, February 22. A five-roomed house, at Hamqa, owned by C. W. Brown, of the Hutt, and occupied by T. H. Webb, was totally destroyed by fire. Only a few effects were saved, The furniture was uninsured. Palmerston, February 32.; The Borough Council to-night con?. the report of Mr Frederick Black, of Wellington, upon the trapiway proposals. He recommended tty? construction of 6J- miles of, .tramway;, from the Square, via the main . to Terrace End, and froih Hospital , Square to Fitzherbert bridge, from tjio Square to the railway station,' • .arid from the Square. down Rangitikbj street by Featherstone street tq Pascal street. The Edison storage bat-: tery system was condemned, and the overhead trolley system, with Australian hardwood poles, recommended. It ' was suggested that six single deck cars, capable of taking 30 seated and .„ 15 standing passengers each, be the basis of the system, and that a subway be made under the railway between Rangitikei and Fitzherbert streets to carry the trams right through so as to avoid level crossings, the total cost ' of the trams to be £53,800. Mr Black also recommended electric ' light and power installation at a cost of £BSOO, the power to be supplied by a Diesel engine using crude oil. On the motion of the Mayor, the Council tonight decided to submit to the ratepayers a proposal to raise a loan of ; £66,000, made up of trams £53,800, lighting £BSOO, contingencies £550, and first year’s interest £3500. Masterton, February 22. The annual ram fair under the auspices of the Masterton A. and P. Association, was opened to-day, when Romney, Shropshires and English Leicesters were offered. The quality or the yarding all round was above the average, and fewer inferior sheep were put through than for a number of years past. In the Romneys the highest price obtained was 200 guineas for one of Ernest Short’s stud rams. The same owner obtained 168 guineas for another ram. Flock Romneys ranged up to 6i guineas. In j Shropshires, H. D. Vavasour, of Marlj borough, headed the list with 13 guineas for a splendid specimen of flock ram. Leicesters were in poor demand. Southdowns and Lincolns will be offered to-morrow. Wellington, February 22. The Public Works Department has accepted the following tenders ;—Supply of bridge material Kaihu Valley railway, Andersons, Ltd. (Christchurch), £1773 4s; extension of public buildings, Hokitika, Jno. Drake (Greymouth), £SOIO 13s sd; erection of Ohakune Courthouse, T. Aldridge (Ohakune), £667 8s 6d; Big Wanganui road bridge, formation of south approach, Haddock and Moye (Ross), £989; erection of Marina river bridge, S. and R. Atkinson (Westport), £2061 8s 6d; Lawrenco-Roxburgh railway, No. 3 formation, G. W. Ryan (Waitahuna), £lllß 18s 4d. Timaru, February 22. Four southern proprietors who purposed reaching Greymouth for the annual meeting of the United Press Association, via the Hermitage, Copland Pass and the West Coast, were compelled to abandon that trip. After being weather-bound at the Hermitage for some days, they returned to Timaru, and went on by train.