TELEGRAPHIC.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4303, 12 March 1901, Page 5

TELEGRAPHIC.

PSEBB - ASSOCIATION.' WANGANUI." March 11 An inquiry ihtd the circnmstencea «£ - ■ the fire m the Avenue on-the 3rd-unit, bv which E D. Smith’s , draper’s shop I was destroyed,, was held to-day, endUthe following verdict was arrived at, That there*’is no direct the fix© originated/bUfc there is a strong suspicion' that. Smith set, fire'-to tho premises in order' to conceal nis true position' from his - creditors. ’ ■ -As ■ a re. suit of tins Smith - was -arrested on a charge of arson. A poll oh - the " proposal to borrow £‘30,000 for the...£nrcbaa© hy the borough of the- gas works was taken today. and carried hy 96 votes to : 1. CHRISTCHURCH, March 11. At a meeting of the War Fund Committee this afternoon, - the'balance-sheet showed that' the total ■ receipts .had amounted-—to over £14,235,' arid that after the despatch of the CanterbuiT section of the Seventh Contingents balance of £237 remained. It was decided' to devote 175 guineas of the balance, to providing one Jubilee memorial presenting tire sending away .of the Canterbury contingent. . r ■ . , At the City Council meeting to-night the Mayor (Mr W. -Reece) read a state- i ment of events and business during his term of office. All the Councillors spoke - in high praise of the-manner in which ■ Mr Reece had'filled- the; ;v The following resolution was carried, with acclamation: —“That the Council begs to place pn record its high- appreciation of the services rendered' to the city by his: Worship the rMaypr- : during :» his itermof, office), :• a .-:toxm calling for the exercise of great. business) abilities and civic entertainment, which his Worship fully ■ met .in, a marked, .degree.” GISBORNE, March li: It is possible that the Gisborne Women’s Political. Association, which took a-,prorainent part in urging - the claims of woman, may cease to exist. Noticerlias been- given-of a.-motion'that owing to the lack of interest" the'association disband; ;. ■ In connection with ■ St. Patrick's ’ sports on-Thursday next, a special hos- > pita-1 race has,, been arranged. Towns- . people have entered ■ to 1 the number of . over three hundred, the entrance fees ' J going to the ho&pital. will reap ~ a substantial sum from the proceeds.' AUCKLAND, March'll. Mr ,W. H. Hales, -Engmeen-ih-Chief of the Public Works Department, and Mr C. R. Viokerman, district engineer, visited the tunnel at Karangahakevand " inspected the works,; men only earned between four shillings and five shillings daily.. As a result tjie men have been asked to go back .to work, with the assurance that they- will* be treated fairly. Mr Vickerman- states that the rate paid was rather low," but some of the men had been loafing''ill a most barefaced way, and the Govern- , mept will not pay for such loafijxg"., The... Government, he says, desires to dealfairly with the men, but the men must co-operate with those responsible to the Government; otherwise the present system oould not be maintained. The men have decided to go back to work at once.

At a _ meeting of citizens to-night a resolution was carried approving the proposal to securelfi acres at Freeman’s Bay reclamation for a public park, and' to borrow £BOOO for the purpose. The Mayor was' requested to take a poll of ' ratepayers 1 bn. the ’question..' • » ' - ; - . ; ..AUCKLAND, March ll;' n ] The Federation Commission left-for' ■■ Sydney by tho Mararoat to-day. - : One hundred’and eighty-five witnesses have ' been examined in New Zealand, of whom a considerable,, majority, . were against federation. a *' One 1 hundred “and ‘ twelve were againstj, federation, fifty, for,-,and ■ the remamdsr'.Vefe indefinite'. ’V'Aiickr ‘ land provided sixty witnesses, ’thejlarggst,, number of any of the New Zealand , TIMARU, March 11. The Rev W. Gil lies, who resigned tlicf ll pastorate of Trinity Church to take up the work . of. coUc-cting. fqr i,he .Presby-,-terian Century Fund,,, was 'tb-day pre-' sented by the Mayor,' bn behalf of tb« citizens, with an illuminated.- address!,! ppiece of plate and a tra velliiigeulogised )Mn - Gillifs’s 'services ; as a, citizen,- ''The'‘congragaition,-••fit. a«' farewell “social” J a 6t week:,'' presented. him with a. cheque-for-£140.' n.-i