LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11241, 9 December 1899, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Am English mail which left London on November 3, left Sydney for Auckland yesterday by the s.s. Star of Australia, and will arrive on Wednesday next. An experiment is to he made within the next few days in tarring some of the Auckland streets, in order to keep down the dust. It is not likely that there wil' be fresh water available for watering the streets throughout the summer, and as salt water cannot be taken to the higher levels, except in water carts, it is intended to follow the example of Christchurch, and taj the whole of the street from kerb to kerb. The tarring of the upper parts of Victoria-street will be undertaken early next week, and probably Upper Hobson-street may be treated in the same manner. Instructions have been given to the city solicitor to prepare debentures for the raising of the first £50,000 of the Auckland City loan. The matter will be pushed on immediately after the opening of the new year. An effort is to be made to raise the money locally, so that the interest may not have to be sent out of the city and district. There were in the lockup 1 ast evening, one person on a charge of drunkenness, and Emma Skivington, on a charge of being illegally on the 1 premises.

The matter of an auxiliary water supply for Auckland is still being kept in view by the Mayor and city councillors, but it is evident "that nothing can be done to provide for this summer. Mr. H. H. Metcalfe has visited Canty's Creek, and reports that there is an available supply of 6,000.000 gallons per day from that source, while another creek in the immediate district carries 4.000,000 gallons. The available supply in midsummer might, of course, be much less than this, but there is no doubt an ample supply to meet all the requirements of the city for a good many years to come. The offer of a supply from Onehunga will, of course, be considered along with the Canty's Creek scheme, and there is also an idea that water might be got from Swanson by gravitation, and so save the cost of pumping. As soon as the latter scheme is reported on, the whole matter will be brought before the Council for decision. The difficulty, meantime. is the heavy cost of iron pipes, prices having risen 50 per cent, since the last purchase by the Council. At present, however, the Council have a supply of pipes on hand, and as soon as a decision can be arrived at as to the source of supply, work will be proceeded «ith in the hope that an early opportunity may arise for purchasing the balance of the necessary piping at a moderate rate. The majority of the new seats provided {or the Albert Park have now been placed in the park, and the old seats removed to the Domain. All the paths have been tarred, so that there should be none of the complaints regarding the dust which were so common last summer. The Emily Place garden will also be opened to the public in ; i few days. The paths here have been tarred, ami once a few guards have been placed at the gateways, to keep cattle out, the garden will be thrown open.

The increase of weasels in this district is becoming greater every year, and the farmers are suffering thereby. A Remuera resident killed a weasel and several young ones in a haystack on his property yesterday morning. ' ulosc by was a lien's nest, containing eggs, all of which had been sucked by the weasel.

Mr. John Ircdale, who has been on a visit to Australia, returns to Auckland by the Mararoa to-morrow week.

Tlio question of whether or not a person can be committed to prison on a judgment summons, after having been previously committed in respect of the same judgment, arose incidentally in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Mr. H. W. Brabant, S.M., in making an order against the debtor in a case Inn last Court day, upLe'.d the contention of Mr. Alexander, that unlike the English Act, the New Zealand statute, in relation to imprisonment for debt, gives powe: to commit a debtor to prison, which is not exhausted by .1 single commitment.

About half-past nino o'clock last night an incipient fire occurred in the residence of Mrs. Berheen, Inkerman-street. It appears that a candle was left burning in a bedroom, and ignited some bedding. The fire was suppressed with very little damage.

Recently Mr. A. H. Nathan bought a onestorey brick premises opposite the Customhouse, Custom-street West. He intends to alter it, and put two storeys on, utilising it for a gum store. The various storeys have iron columns and steel girders. The following are the tenders received: —Pollard, £1556; J. W. Jones, £1467; Farrell, £1498; Hewson, £1187; W. G. Smith, £1425 Cleghorn and Rosser, £1357; Revi.all. £1230: W. Rosser, £1284; 11. G. Small, £1239. No decision has yet been come to on the subject, but as the lowest tender is over 33 per cent, below the highest, there is little doubt it will be accepted.

An inquest will be held by Mr. Foster on an infant, four and a-half months old, named Irene Moore, who died while boarded out with Mrs. Elizabeth Kearney, under the Infants' Life Protection Act. It appeared that the child died of convulsions. It had been attended by a doctor, but he had to go to the Thames, and therefore could not give a certificate of the cause of death.

At the meeting of the Rotorua Town Board on Tuesday, the secretary of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society wrote stating that the suggestion of the Board re the issue of short period licenses had been considered, and that some plan would be arranged before the opening of next season. Attention was drawn to the fact that there was no possibility of the Board of Health meeting, as the vacancies caused by the removal of Mr. Reanev to Wellington, and the death of Dr. Ginders, over 12 months ago, had not been filled up, and there was no quorum. The attention of the Government will be again called to the matter. The financial statement showed a credit balance of £110 Is Bd. Accounts amounting to £68 16s were passed for payment.

There are a number of valuable prizes on view in the window of Mr. A. Kohl), jeweller, Queen-street, offered for competition to the members of the New Zealand Inanimate Pigeon Association, amongst them being a sterling silver teapot, in handsome case, by the proprietors of the New Zealand Herald; a pail of the latest patent field glasses, by the Colonial Ammunition Company ; and a sterling silver hunting watch, by Mr. A. Kohn.

Among the extraordinary cases of disfranchisement, among the hundreds that have taken place at the late general election, is that of Constable Brown. He was transferred from Riccarton, Canterbury, to Auckland 15 months ago, and remained here ever since. He went and had his name transferred to the Auckland City roll. Before the election lie examined the main roll, and saw that everything was correct. When lie went 1 to vote lie found, it is stated, that a red line had been struck through his name. He has no idea how he was thus deprived of his vote.

The source of the attempted train wrecking in Victoria, and the home of the "Broad Arrow Gang of Anarchists" has come to light. On the night of Thursday. November 30. Detectives Wilson and Mercer arrested George Johnson, a youth of 18, on a charge of incendiarism at Ivanhoe during October. Whatever transpired between the detectives and Johnson is not publicly known, but this afternoon the detectives arrested Henry Leveling, 19, an electrician, at Fitzrov, on a charge of attempted trainwrecking at Fairfield. Johnson and Lovering are companions, both of an ingenious turn of mind, and having a knowledge of electricity. When the detectives visited Lovering's workshop, they found ample material for a novel in sensational style. There were stencil plates lor printing " Broad Arrow (Jang of Anarchists" and "Anarchism and Anarchy" tumbling about near the workshop. They dug up some newly-turned earth, and came across a couple of bombs made of iron piping, ready to be charged. Lovering ultimately signed a full confession of the attempt to derail the train at Fairfield. also to setting fire to the semaphore. This shows that after breaking the points the two youthful desperadoes hid a short distance away to watch the result of their dangerous freak. Confronted with the confession of Lovering. Johnson owned up and corroborated all his companion had said. The two youths related the story of how obstructions had been placed on the line at South Yarra and Elsternwiok. Other developments are expected. There is £100 reward attached to this capture. A fearful burning accident occurred on the hanks of the Avoca River. near Wycheproof (Victoria), recently, an old woman named Helen Elliott being literally roasted to death. The unWjinate woman, with her husband, travellbrtf.rom place to place in a cart, selling odds and ends. Whilst the husband was away looking for a horse, (he old woman's clothes caught fire. Her screams brought a young man named McCullom to the spot, who at- once rushed to her assistance. Her clothes were then burnt off her body, and the woman was clinging to the back of the cart, which was also in flames. McCullom Wrapped his coat round her, and extinguished the flames, and then took her to Wycheproof Hospital, where she died in great agony shortly after admission. The flesh was completely burnt off the body. The cart and belongings were destroyed. On December 2 the remains of Oscar Elliason ("Dante the Great"), the celebrated conjurer, were interred at the Waverley Cemetery, Sydney, in the presence of a large gathering of friends and sympathisers. The remains arrived by train from Dubbo during the morning, and were conveyed to Wood and Co. s premises, George-street, where the funeial procession started from in the afternoon. There were innumerable offerings of flowers from personal friends, members of the profession, and the public, among them being tokens from the Royal Comic Opera Company, Mr. G. Lauri, Mr. Charles Kenninghain, Mr. William Paull, Mr. H. Shine, Messrs. Dan and Tom Fitzgerald, Mr. H. Ashmore, and Mr. F. Waine

An inquest was held yesterday by Mr. Foster, coroner, at the Suffolk Hotel, on the body of an infant named Dorothy Finnegan, three and a-half months old. After hearing the evidence adduced, the jury returned a verdict of "Death from natural causes."

Preaching at the 31st anniversary of the consecration of St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, the Bishop of Christchurch (Dr. Julius) said the men who built the wall of Jerusalem ere types of the builders in the Church ■ f God in all ages. Bishop Selwyn, the first Bishop of New Zealand, was a man who bad girded the sword at his side, and so builded. The difficulties in the way of Christian builders were the same now as in the days of Nehemiah— personal embodiments of selfishness, lust, and the devil, and the discouragement of those who thought it their duty to criticise rather than help. The greatest work in the world was that of carrying the Gospel to the heathen. "It costs 19s 6d to convert one heathen, and he isn't worth it.'' some people said. "Is he not worth it?'' asked the Bishop. Have you ever given 19.s 6d to convert one?" A word was spoken against undenominsiticnalists, men whose creed was " Let men work where they iike, how they like, when they like, and after what pattern they like." Their ritualistic controversies and their miserable quarrels as to high, low, and broad Church would soon be settled, it was urged, if every Christian fighter were packed off to the mission field. Before commencing his sermon, Bishop Julius said lie had been asked to announce that the ladies' offerings, which would be presented with the evening's offerings toward the extinction of the cathedral debt, amounted to £436 15s sd. That left something like £70 to be given that evening tj complete the £500 which it was desired to raise. A similar amount next year would free the cathedral from debt.

A man, whose name is said to be Richard Griffiths, attempted to commit suicide under somewhat peculiar circumstances in Sydney a few days ago. He walked into Adams' bar in Pitt-street, and then turned into s small parlour at the back of the bar. He sat down on a sofa, and almost immediately afterwards the report of a revolver was heard. Several persons saw him roll off the sofa, and on rushing to his assistance the man was heard to say, "The revolver's no good." He then lost consciousness. An examination showed that he had been shot just below the heart. A cab was procured, and the man was taken to the Sydney Hospital, where he was admitted for treatment. Griffiths is a man about 55 years of age, and had been residing in Macquarie-street South.

The association for the promotion of silk culture and other rural industries in Victoria is doing good work. The ladies ami gentlemen connected with this society carry on the operations they have undertaken from an entirely patriotic motive. The establishment of the silk industry has proved a very onerous task, but there Is now every prospect that at an early date this culture will be prosperously and systematically carried on in Victoria. Large quantities of cuttings (16,000) of the moms alba (mulberry) have been distribute! in various parts of the colony. In addition (■> the cuttings, considerable quantities of the s::"ds of the trorus alba obtained from Italy this year lave been sent to about 100 persons in various districts in Victoria. Hitherto th. has been some difficulty in dealing with the cocoons. Sir T. Wardle, president of the Silk Association of Great Britain and Ireland, informed this society tint it was useless to send cocoons to England, as there were no reeling establishments there, and he advised that the cocoons should be sent to Berampore or Calcutta. India. Very recently. however, the society has had the good fortune to secure the services of a skilled Armenian recler. The object of engaging an expert silk reeler is to test the actual cost of producing he reeled silk in Victoria. If the experiment proves a success (commercially) the operations can be extended by training young girls lo do the v. oik. it may also be mentioned that dining the yea;* 130 persons have been supplied with silkworm eggs, of which two varieties have been imported from Messrs. Diyden and Sans, Ardecho. France. The society has also distributed white Japanese and Italian eggs from Dr. Gagtiardi's importation. Last season the association purchased all cocoons tendered at from Is lOd to 3s 6d per lb in the dry state.

The Royal Commission on Technical Education, in Victoria, published a progress report recently. It reports that Victoria has lagged behind for years in the march of mo lorn educational progress, and complains of the lack of skilled teachers for the infants. It strongly recommends that manual training be an optional subject in State schools, and wood-working be a form of instruction to he adop.ed. The Commission had also come to tlii conclusion that the necessity existed for tin extension of science teaching, such as agricul pre, dairying, fruit-growing, and other industrial pursuits, provided the result aimed at was mainly educational. The need for reform and increase in school inspectors is also insisted upon, and payments by results is spoken of as a system injurious in the extreme. Finally the report says: " Everything points to the necessity of establishing a Council of Education, to watch over the working of the system, that would fearlessly express its opinion of proposed changes in the reports periodically presented to Parliament." Although no actual recommendation was made, it said the establishment of such a body was essential, but it will not be specially outlined until the subsequent report be made.