TELEGRAMS.

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 1428, 28 February 1911, Page 4

TELEGRAMS.

(PEH PBESS ASSOCIATION.)

RAILWAY TUNNEL AT PARNELL Auckland, February 27.

A sub-committee of business men appointed to report on the question of the duplication of tbe railway tunnel at Parnell reported that duplication is desirable and necessary in the interests of commerce and public safety and the ultimate business advantage of the railway itself. The committee received the report to-day, but deferred consideration for a week. The report was prepared- in terms of a resolution carried at a public meeting;in October, 1905, and presided over by Sir Joseph Ward, then Minister for Railways, setting out that "if ten representative men go over the Penrose section after its completion and declare the duplication necessary, the Minister shall be bound to carry out the duplication." WILFUL DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. Gisborne, February 27. George Sampson, alias Reid, was sentenced to four months' impi'isonmeut for deliberately hurling a stone through a jeweller's plateglass window. He had served two months for damage of a similar nature in Auckland. ANOTHER MAN FOUND DEAD. Dargaville, February 27. Information was received here today from Hokianga to the effect that the body of a well-known settler, named''Bourke, was found in the Pakanae Gorge yesterday. Only meagre information is to hand, but it is surmised that deceased had been visiting his wife's grave yesterday, it being the fourth anniversary of her death, and when returning home his horse shied and threw him into a ravine about 100 ft deep. Deceased was 51 years of age, and took a deep interest in the public affairs of Hokianga. SUPPOSED DROWNING.

Palmerston N., February 27. A man named McMahon, aged 35, working at Fitzherbert, left Palmerston North at 11.5 on Saturday night for home. His horse was found on Sunday, with one stirrup gone and a scarred knee, near Lancaster Ford, which was high on Saturday owing to the rain. The police are instituting a search. It is teared McMahon has been drowned. THE SLY-GROGGER. Wellington; February 27. Fanny Price and Norah Nugent were to-day convicted on a charge of sly-grog selling at a fish-shop run by them in Cuba street. Each was fined £25, in default one month's imprisonment. An application for time to find the money was refused.

Ten men were charged with being found on the premises when the police made their raid. One failed to answer his .name, and the others were all more or less inebriated, and some of their evidence was of the comic opera variety in certain points. Eventually convictions were recorded against nine men, one (the absentee) being fined 30s and the others 20s each. One man, who had to be removed from the Court that he might sober down a bit, will be dealt with to-morrow.

IRONMASTERS' CONFERENCE. Dunedin, February 27. The annual conference of the N.Z. Ironmasters' Association opened today. Delegates were present from Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin. Mr D. Robertson (Wellington) presided. A committee was set up to go into the, question of a revised tariff, with a view to improving the present position of the iron trade, and a report will be submitted to the Conference to-morrow.

A deputation irom the N.Z. Federated Boilermakers' Union waited on the Conference to disqufcs proposals.for a new award for the Dominion. Discussion on this question will be continued to-morrow evening.

AN INTERESTING CASE. Palmerston N., February; 27. ■ An interesting case, was heard today; when the. iiabour. Department proceeded against.the Borough Council for failing to register the Opera House, where a permanent picture show is run as a, factory. The case was laid under the Factories Act, which states that any place in which electrical energy is generated or transformed for the purpose of trade or sale shall , constitute . a factory. Judgment was reserved. The decision affects all. picture houses in the Dominion.