DOMINION TELEGRAMS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 35, 4 October 1912, Page 8

DOMINION TELEGRAMS.

(Per Press Association.) Mastcrton, October 3. The two-year-old son of Mr and Mrs H. J. Francis, of this town, got possession of a bottle of belladonna on Tuesday and consumed a portion ot the contents. The child lingered until a late hour last night, when it died. At the inquest to-day. a verdict of death from misadventure was returned. Dargavillo, October 3. The intensity of the earth hunger was again demonstrated to-day. At the land ballot for the (Awakino land, near Dargavillo, on the optional system, for five sections of first-class and two sections of second-class land of n- total area of 2169 acres, there were 009 applications from 341 individual applicants, 290 of whom were residents of North Auckland. The successful applicants were all residents of this district. Christchurch, October 3. On Monday night last, about 6.15, Sergeant Hodgson was walking in uniform down High Street. He had just passed a tobacconist’s shop when a pellet came from nowhere, 1 apparently, and entered the door of the shop anti broke a mirror inside. Those in the street heard no report at all. The people in the shop rushed out, and Sergenat Hodgson turned back. As ho heard the tale, ai second pellet came through the glass roof or the verandah and through the window of the shop. No one was hit, and, as before, no report was heard. The pallets have not been discovered, but their track suggests that they came cither from a 22 calibre rifle or an air-gun. On this foundation has grown a tale, now current, that some miscreant had shot twice at the Sergeant, and many circumstantial stories are told. The detectives, however, give it quite another. They say that on a roof near by a man was shooting at pigeons. There was a minute between the shots, and it was merely a circumstance that they nearly found the police. Palmerston N., October 3.

At an enthusiastic meeting in the Opera House to-night the following resolution was carried unanimously:— “That, believing in the democrat c principle of majority rule in public matters, this meeting deems that the settlement of the local option and national prohibition questions at the poll should at once come under this rule, and as a step towards securing ill's position this meeting expresses its disapproval of the, action of the annual convention of the New Zealand Alliance in seeking to obtain, in ail electorates, the signatures of voters to the following pledge: T hereby give my pledge that, regardless of party, X will not, at the next election, vote for any candidate for I’arliamcnt who will not undertake, if elected, to do bis utmost to remove, or at the least very substantially reduce, the present unfair handicap on both the issues ot uo-lieense and national prohibition.’ ” Napier, October 3. About 250 attended a meeting con-

vonccl to-night for the purpose of considering the action of the Government in stopping work at the Napier end lof the East Coast railway. The De-puty-Mayor presided, but no other I members of any local bodies took part lin the meeting. The following resolution was carried by a large major.ty; —“That this meeting of citizens de- | s'ires to express its surprise at the acj tic'n of the Government in suspending | work on the southern end of the Na-pier-tTisborne railway; that tin’s action will mtcessitato considerable delay in the completion of the line; and that the reasons given by the Hon. Mi luster for Public Works that it is impossible for materials and an engine to bo taken to the west shore until the bridge and embankment are complete is not according to fact, it being quite possible to land an engine and material from a scow,; that this meeting requests members of .Parliament for the districts immediately concerned to make combined urgent representations to the Minister for Public Works, and to the Government that this matter receive the immediate attention oi the Department, and that a sum he placed on the Estimates for further work on the line.’*