TELEGRAMS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11950, 25 January 1901, Page 5

TELEGRAMS.

(Per Un-itko Press Association.) AUCKLAND, January 24. By a fire at Ta Aroha the shops occupied ■ by Edwards (draper) and M'Gregor (grocer) were gutted' and the stock damaged. The insurances are: Edwards, ±i 460 on the building in the Royal and £400 on the stock ih the North British; M'Gregor, £200 oh the stock in the Royal and £200. in the Victoria. Much drapery and some grocery stock saved. The drapery business had just been taken over by Mr May, but he policy on the stock was not actually transferred. The buildings were owned by Edwards. Mr Petrie, chief inspector of the Auckland educational district, and Inspectors Qopdwin, Crowe, Grierson, Mulgan, and P'urdie left for Wellington to-day to attend a conference of school inspectors openine on the 28th. l ■ b THAMES, January .24. The Hon. Mr M'Gowan returned from Wttihi this afternoon, and proceeds to CoroMandcl to-morrow. WELLINGTON", January 24. The the: Government shops at Petone\re taking up the proposal to make a presentation to the Hon. Mr Ward in acknowledgment of the recent increase in wages, and a scheme is being prepared by which each railway cmDlovee .throughout New Zealand will be given'an opportunity of making a sixpenny contribution to Mr Ward's presentation fund, Apart from this, it is the intention of-the Potdne men to organise a banquet to Mr Ward, at which the presentation will pro-'' bably be made. Messrs Fisher and Wil- . will also be presented with tokens of esteem on that occasion. Lieutenant-colonel Collins, who went to Australia ih charge of the. New Zealand team-which competed at the Commonwealth rifle meeting, returned by the Waihora this morning. He ascribes the non-success of •our party to 'tne heat, but more particularly to the want of practice under the altered conditions. They had, however, a really good itime, and were treated with the utmost kindness throughout the trip.