GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17104, 8 September 1917, Page 10

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

(Peb United Pkess Association.) WELLINGTON, September 7, The Council met at 2.30 p.m. BILLS PASSED. Tho Revocation of Naturalisation Bill and tho River Boards Act Amendment J. wore received from • the House of Representatives, and tho first named Bill was put through all stages without amendment. The River Boards Act Amendment Bill was also read a third time after minor amendments had been made in committee. THE FINANCE BILL. When tho debate on tho second reading of the Finance Bill came on Sir FRANCIS BELL pointed out that the Bill could not bo amended by the Council. Sir .FRANCIS BELL explained the provisions of tho Bill, which passed its third reading. The Council adjourned at 9 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The House met at 2.30 p.m. MONDAY EVENING SITTINGS. Mr Massey gave notice to movo that on and after tho 17th inst. tho House meet for the despatch of business at 7.30_ p.m. on Mondays till tho end of tho session.

FIRES AT WANGANUI SCHOOLS

INCENDIARISM SUSPECTED.

(Fbom Our Own Correspond «»rr.)

WANGANUI, September 7. A fire at the Queen's Park School to-dav practicaUy destroyed it. About £60 worth of band' instruments, as well as many pounds' worth of school books, were destroyed. The Education Department held the risk on the old portion of the building, the remainder being covered by insurance totalling £1000, divided as follows:—New Zealand Company, £33 6s Bd, and the South British, Victoria, Standard, and Liverpool, London, and Globe £166 13e 3d each. Some sensational disclosures have since been made in connection with the fire. Fires have occurred in other schools in Wanganui during the present week, and the police suspect incendiarism. The first school to suffer was that at Victoria avenue. When the charwoman left at 6 p.m. on Monday everything was in order. On returning at 4 o'clock on Tuesday, however, she found that one of tho rooms had. liecn ransacked. Tho drawers in tho master's table had been forced open and the lockers opened, the contents having been placed on top of the table and set fire to, the charred remains being found. On entering -a second room a similar state of affairs existed, while in a third room tho contents of drawers and lockers had been placed in tho centro of the floor and set alight. Fortunately no further damage was done beyond charring the woodwork. On the following day, when a visit was paid to Miss O'Brien's infant school, near St. John's Hill, the gas ring in .one room was discovered burning briskly. How long it had been burning no one knows, but it was certain that it had been set alight after the school had broken up for the week's holidays. The police have the matters in hand, and full inquiry is being made.