MAIL SUMMARY FOR Europe and America.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 305, 23 December 1903, Page 6

MAIL SUMMARY FOR Europe and America.

OUR HOME LETTER.

AUCKLAND, December 23. His Kxccllency the Governor (Lord Ranfurly; and hi, son (Viscount Northland) tune been in Auckland for the cuter part of Ihe mouth, and do not !='■• to I'm- South till the end of the inuiiili. Hi- Excellency spent, a few day, ;,j Kuloiiut, and then came to Auckland to oh- I lie great national war memorial, iy which his own name will e\er be remembered — the Veterans' Home. This line building, already described by ii- in a previous letter, is situated on a -a.niiy hill-aide facing the sun in all directions. The ceremony of opening ua.- conducted on December 10th, in the presence of a huge attendance, including the Anglican Bishop of Auckland Dr. Xcligiwi). Major-General Babingtou, the Premier, Sir Joseph Ward, Mr Massey. Si.- William Unwell, and other proiiiiiieni polii iciaiis. and public and private citizens. 'the Hume is already tilled with aged veterans, married and unmarried, and the men are pleased with the m.MiuneMieiil "f Colonel tionimcrville and ,\ii.--' ■ ;:-n. i", I!!-. They have also

. ...i.e.-.-i d an open letter of thanks to Lord Ijiiiii'm ,y l"i ins part in the great work. lin | lie lollnwillg Sunday a &peciiii -. ice wa- held at the Home by Dr. Xeliga;:. in the presence of the Governor and a great, concourse of people.

The annual .Mayoral garden party was held by the Hon. I-;. Mitehelson and his wife nt I heir home. "Waitaramoaua," at ltiiiiiicru, mi i '•■' ember 12th, and was a brilliant success in every way. There Were clo c on 1000 people present during the ii Hi i iiiiiiii. ami the display of <j!v--c- vv:,-. Cue most lashionable and inipicb-ivt' witnessed in Auckland for many years. The weather was the lineal imaginable, c.'id the entertainment I»'u\iii.'ii by pc host and hostess was on ii highly liberal scale. His Excellency the Governor. Ihe Ministerial party, ilajoi'-Ci'iii-ral liabiugtnn, and other notable persons were conspicuous amongst the visitors.

Commissioner-General Green, who has been sent out tv the colonies by the St. Louis Exposition management, arrived from Australia in the early part of the mouth, and reported that Australia would not lie atk-ijiiaiely represented. He ii.'d some interviews with the Governor, in. Ministers of the Cabinet, the Mayor and liie Chamber of Commerce, and' lie. then went on to Wellington, where lie hopes ill conclude his labours in the colony. It is regarded as likely that tin-re will be a large Slate exhibit by the Government, but local merchants have not \ci awakened to the possibilities claimed for the display of their goods. It is pi.-.liable that Lord iUinfurly will visit the Exposition on his way Home, and several ilaorilandei's have already decided lin i-it the great display.

i oii.iiiei able stir was made in the e.u ;, part of the month by the arrival of a young man named Kenneth Harper. wini had been deported from .San Francisco under the Contracts Law of America. lie had been engaged by a banking firm in San Francisco, and coii.-e----ijiicntly was ivfu.-ed permission to remain iii U.S.A. till ids way back to New Zealand lie was not tiealcd well, being incarcerated at Honolulu as a common criminal, "i 'i- part, of the matter i- now being inquired into, and appears a real grievance, bill otherwise Mr llarpei', i>, pcrieiici' is no! unique, or without pi' cedent in colonial life, for it is a small reproduction ol the "HatIlls'" incident of Au.-ii'.i!:a. There have ii. "ii others also who have been refused admission, bill they have returned to lie colony without a fuss of any kind, Tiie Premier has bet n in communication villi the diplomatic authorities! over the mutter, hut ihe only pari of the affair J-' 1 '" pi"'i>i-c- to yield any satisfaction 1- hat of "' imprisonment at Honolulu. A lug baza..,!- to increase the nermann, nun! "' (he Veteran*' Home was " , ' M "' l.oyernment. I rouse, at Auckland, on I ue-day, December 1,3. and four loin,wing days. the ground floor rooms ~i Government House were -icon "I" -» the bazaar, and in the grounds Oiil.-ide mlhiiil •' dozen large tents were in --'.'' The stall attendants and others a--i-iirg numbered about .300. Lord ] ''":',': was one of the hardest work(l ~' J '"' takings amounted to about i--; 1 "' from which expenses to the amount of about £500 have to be dea";" ! ''d. I In- is the largest bazaar ever hehi in the colony.

'"' 1 uion Company's- steamer Rotomahatia. when leaving Wellington on ■•"'""day night hist, ran down and sank the schooner Jessie Niccol, which was at and,or coal laden. The captain and crew oi the schooner were in bed at * 1 "' tune of the collision, but. they were re-cued and sustained no damage.

'■''• John Holmes Hudson, a wellknown citizen and old colonist, 66 rears ol age. died suddenly on December 17 1 rom heart failure, lie was a chemist, am! tor many years carried on business in Victoria street. Auckland.

The Premier !i,-,s promised that the Goveriiineiii will subsidise an industrial exhibition lo be held in Wellington next year to the extent of €1000.

"Sir. W. F. .Mas-ey. M.li.li. for Franklyn. was enter!airicil at a banquet at the (.'rand Hotel on .Monday, December 14, iii celebration of his election to the leadership of i lie Opposition, by a number of tin lendinir- members of the oarty resident in the Auckland district. .Abiiui 120 un. pie-em. including several members of liainent on the Opposition side. Sir Wm. Russell, late leader of t]i o parly, being of the mini-

i ber. Mr. Massey, without disclosing the j policy his party intended to place bej fore the country at next election, made : a strong speech, in which he criticised 1 the work of last session, and analysed several of the more important measures. At the beginning of this season a district scheme of cricket championships was instituted by the Auckland Cricket Association, in view of the unsatisfactory state of local cricket. ■ The new scheme has been a great success. Public interest has been stimulated, and there have been an exceptional number of close finishes in the senior grade. At the present time Grafton and City are leading for the senior championship, each with one defeat against them. City having played one match less than Grafton.