GENERAL TELEGRAMS.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 October 1915, Page 5

GENERAL TELEGRAMS.

»» SUSPECTED INCENDIARISM. By Telegraph.—'Press Association. Ashburton, Last Night. What look.B suspiciously like a case of attempted incendiarism occurred a day or two ago, when at midnight a barrel of oily rags was found burning in John Newman's livery stables awl carriage shed, while alongside the barrel heaps of canvas wheel-covers, over, which a. quantity of petrol had been poured, were also discovered. After the fire had been quenched a search of the 'shed revealed several opened tins of petrol in various places, arid other evidence of a deliberate attempt, to fire, not the carriage shed alone, but the congested block of shops and business premises, which is at the rear of the stables. The discovery was made just hi time to prevent a serious outbreak. The : police are making investigations. TAMPERING WITH A METER. Napier, Last Night. The ease against Turnbull and ioues, their Napier agent (W. C. Mitchell), and. an employee named B. Urry, for tampering with a Borough Council electric [meter, thus obtaining current which did not pass through the meter and so was not charged for, wa.s continued in the Magistrate's Court to-day. The defence was ignorance that the alterations Lo the wiring had lweii made. An application for the dismissal of the charges against Turnbull and .lonea, ou the grounds that the firm was not responsible for the acts of their servants, was refused, and the firm was fined £2 and court costs. The ease against Mitchell was dismissed, as he was merely the firm's agent in Napier, and Urry, who had tampered with the meter, was lined .U,"). with £1 13s costs.

MEAT SHIPMENTS. Wellington, Last Night. In the House this afternoon tile Prime Minister made a statement, on the subject of the supply of meat to the Imperial authorities. He said that since the inception of the scheme (on March 3 last )the following shipments had hecu made on behalf of the Imperial authorities:—2o3,7flC quarters beef, J ,850,2511 carcases mutton, 2,711,805 carcases lamb. Fifty-two steamers had been employed in the carriage of (his, of which twentynine had arrived at their destinations, sixteen were now en route, and seven were at present loading at berths in the Dominion. Payments to date exceed five million pounds, representing £2,037.544 15s 5d in the North Island, and £2,303,745 life in the South Island.