DOMINION NEWS

Southland Times, Issue 17231, 30 December 1912, Page 5

DOMINION NEWS

THE NORTH TRUNK RAILWAY. (Per United Press Association). AUCKLAND, December 28. The Minister for Public Works (the Hon. W. Eraser) states that the Government is determined to push on the construction of the North Trunk railway without any delay. The talk of retrenchment in regard to this line was he said, all nonsense. ANTI-MILITARISTS AGAIN, (Special to the Times.) CHRISTCHURCH. December 28. The anti-militarist, feeling which has been evident among some of the community for some time past, has broken out in a new direction. Members of the Christchurch Defence Hide Club, who went down to the Cashmere range yesterday for the usual afternoon shooting, received a severe shock when they found that their target house had been broken open and all their targets destroyed. The house is a corrugated iron one. and had had the door taken off by the hinges and twenty-two targets which reperesen;; a value of abut £SO had been slashed evidently with a big knife, so much so that there was hardly a square six Inches of paper left on them. Last year the Club won the New Zealand championship Teams’ Match at Trentham, and this year, mainly owing to the effort of Club members, were paving the way to successes at the next meeting by putting in new targets, building a new tagethouse, and having everything up-to-date. It was very disheartening to find all their trowblo and expenditure cut to waste by this art of vandalism. The target house Is placed hi a position well out of roach of tbe pnbllc, and the vandals who have committed the act had evidently preconceived it, for they had to go a considerable distance to reach the scene of their operations The matter has been placed in the hands of the police. BIBLE CLASSES CONFERENCE. TIMARU, December 2S. Tlie Presbyterian Bible Classes Conference opened at Temuka yesterday. Over 300 delegates arc present, and a total is expected of 470. that number being registered. The ladies arc accommodated in the public schools, and the men in a large grain store. At the first meeting Col. Hay hurst (Mayor of Temuka), Mr Buxton, M.P.. and the local ministers, welcomed the delegates and the President (Rev. G. H. Balfour) gave an address on the value of the Bible, and the importance of the work the classes were engaged in. and of the influence they might exert upon society. DEFAULTING FIREMEN. DUNEDIN, December 29 The steamer Corinna. which was to have left for northern ports last night, was unable to get away owing to a shortage of five firemen. Efforts are being made to secure men. and the vessel may get away to-night.