DOMINION NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 57, 2 March 1912, Page 3

DOMINION NEWS.

(Per Press Association.) Auckland, March 1. At the Methodist Conference the Rev. Testrail moved that the conference viewed with regret the use of the public railways on Sundays for military training purposes in connection with training camps and enters a protest against unnecessary wanton desecration of the Sabbath. The mover said a military train was unnecessarily run at the Thames last Sunday. The motion was adopted. The dropping of a lighted taper in the window of John Court and Son's big drapery shop, Queen Street, this morning resulted in a conflagration among the highly inflammable material. The employees beat the fire out with blankets, etc., before the fire brigade arrived. The goods destroyed were valued at £l5O. The building was uninsxired.

Ellen Henry, aged 16, daughter of a Taupiri resident, was cleaning a stove on Tuesday" with blacklead and turpentine when the turpentine ignited. She rushed from the house enveloped in flames. Her mother smothered the flames with a blanket and was herself badly burned. The girl died on Wednesday. The annual gathering of the New Zealand Methodist Church opened tonight under the presidency of the Rev. W. C. F. Spence. When Mrs J. Dellow, representative of Auckland West circuit, and the first lady to take a seat in the conference in the Dominion entered, those present rose and cheered. The Rev. W. Ready (Pitt Street) was elected president for the ensuing year and Rev. Sam Lawry was elected secretary. Wanganui, March 1. Pickpockets operated freely at the Wanganui races yesterday. It is estimated that between £3OO and £4OO was stolen altogether. One man lost £75, another £7O and various other sums were taken from the pockets of victims. Gis'borne, February 29. The police have received word that a man named John Gavin was drowned in the Nuhaka River on Friday and that his body, was recovered today. About midday to-day another body of an unknown man was found in the Waiiioa River. The Port of Gisborne is steadily growing in importance. The revenue ■collected at the local Customs house for the financial year ending March :31.7b,- 1912, promises to be a record So'-;far..the Customs duties amount to <£48,789 4s Id, and, with other receipts,, the -total revenue to date excess of- the' Jtotal) sum collected for 1911 financial when 'ihq total ;Amount of .Customs duties was £48,381 J i 2s'i3d' i '|)and',total revenue £51,- ; berthing of 'the'barqiie Thora, drawing 16ft, in the inner harbour has been encouraging. It is believed that with the extension ,of., the .breakwater that is abotlt to be carried, out, and the continued 1 ; dr«lging, it''will-be possible very shortly, to berth vessels drawing ,20ft and upwards. | Wellington', 29. The arrivals in iMm .Zealand. from, oversea during January "numbered'' 5096 ami departures 3031. The.figures for- January,,.l9ll, were: Arrivals, 4411, departures 2806. '

A man apparently, about 40 years of ago was knocked down by a, tramcar in Willis Street to-night, and suffered a fractured skull and concussion of the' brain. He was taken to the hospital, where he lies.in a very critical condition. The authorities so far have been unable to identify the unfortunate man. The coal mine owners met in Wel-lington-to-day to consider the miners' demands. It was' decided to appoint delegates to proceed to Westport to confer with the men. Greymouth, March 1. The annual meeting of the Newspaper Proprietors' Association of New Zealand commenced last night, the gathering being) the most representative of the kind yet held, all parts of the Dominion being represented. Mr P. Selig (Christchurch) delivered the presidential address,' in the course of which he reviewed the work of the past year in all its phases affecting the printing .and newspaper business. He referred to the prevailing labour unrest evident in the country. He also mentioned that a conference had been held with the Typographical Unions in regard to the demands of those employed in the trade.

The meeting commenced at 7.30 yesterday, and an adjournment was made at midnight. The meeting was resumed to-night, and will last till a late hour to-morrow. The association will have a conference with the New Zealand Federation of Master Printers in regard to the request of the Federated Typographical Unions for another conference to discuss the general terms of employment, etc., in the trade. The annual meeting of the New Zealand branch of the Empire Presc Union will be held to-morrow.

The Newspaper Proprietors' Association of New Zealand concluded its sittings at one o'clock this morning. Mr P. Selig was unanimously re-elect-ed chairman. Very eulogistic references were made to his services to the newspaper world. Christchurch, February 29.

This afternoon "the Presbyterian Orphanage was opened at Papanui by the Moderator (Rev. George Lindsay, of Dunedin). Addresses were also given by Rev .J. Mackenzie,' the Mayor (Mr J. P. Dougall) and Revs. R. Rule and A. E. Axelson, and also by Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M. At the inquest on Arthur Hill Fletcher, who was found last night dead, having been shot through the heart, the evidence went to show that deceased was worried about his wife,

from whom he was separated by a decree nisis last November, and that he also suffered from insomnia, due to a birthmark on his head. So far as witnesses knew, deceased was not troubled financially. A verdict was returned that deceased committed suicide while temporarily insane.