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Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 95, 21 April 1904, Page 4

The following is Captain Edwin's weather forecast for 24 hours from 9 a.m. this day:—"Strong winds to gale from between north-east and north and west, glass further fall, rain probably heavy." His Excellency the Governor opened an industrial exhibition at Wellington yesterday in aid of the School Cadets' Band fund. Lord Ranfurly said there were but few cadet corps when he came to the colony, but to-day there were 10,000 cadets on the rolls. Yesterday afternoon a horse attached to an express belonging to the Mount Roskill Carrying Company took fright in Customs-street East and bolted. It knocked over another express near Messrs. Hayman and Co.'s warehouse, and then went along the street safely into Commerce street, and was finally brought up near the New Zealand Express Company's office. One of the shafts was broken. An inquest was held at Birkenhead yesterday afternoon by Mr Gresham (Coroner) touching the death of Mr William Taylor, who died suddenly on Tuesday afternoon. Dr, Tracy Inglis, who made the post mortem examination, attributed death to fatty degeneration of the heart, and the jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence. Dr. Hockin, writing from Yokohama to a friend in Dunedin, says he is bringing with him many valuable old documents and manuscripts connected with the early Jiistory of New Zealand. Amongst these are all of the Rev. Samuel Marsden's journals of hia visits to New Zealand from 181G to 1837, and also much of his correspondence. Dr. Hockin nlso secured, whilst in England, the journals of the first four lay settlers —Kendall, Hall, King, and Kemp—besides those of Colenso, Clark, and many others, old vocabularies, the earliest printing by the missionary press, a good deal of matter relative to Governor Hobson and the foundation of Auckland, all the correspondence of the Canterbury Association, and much other material. Dr. Hockin proposes reducing these to shape for publication as opportunity offers on hi 3 return to ..the colony. He intends leaving Japan for Sydney about the beginning of April, nnd after a short stay there will return to Dunedin. For some years past the Marine Department has been endeavouring to destroy the cats on Stephens Island, in order to prevent the destruction of the tuatara lizards on that island. The lighthouse-keepers were supplied with a gun and ammunition to shoot them, and arrangements were made to pay the men who take the mail over for all they could destroy. It having been found that, owing to the rough nature of the island and the thick scrub with which it is covered, it was difficult to exterminate the animals by shooting, the department wasadvised to try catharidin as being a poison which might not affect the lizards, but unfortunately the lizards on which it was tried died within half an hour of receiving it, and it has therefore been decided not to use it for the cats. The amount which has hitherto been paid for shooting will be increased in the hope of this leading to the destruction of a greater number. A witness at the Arbitration Court to-day instituted a comparison between the conditions of life and labour in Auckland and America, greatly to the disadvantage of Auckland. "You might wonder," he concluded, "why I left such a good thing to come here, but the fact of the matter is that I got hold of one of the Government Yjar-books, and it gave such glowing accounts of this colony as a perfect El Dorado that I thought I would come out here. But I found it nothing of the kind." Mr' Scott (employers' representative): "And you want the Tramway Company to pay for the Government's misrepresentations ?" Mr Way (union representative) : "Nothing of the kind. W-e want the company to be humane." The posts for the telephone service in Hamilton have now been erected on both sides of the river. It was feared that the fine English trees, which are such an ornament to Grey-street, Hamilton East, pvould greatly suffer in appearance through being euft back to make room for the wires, but serious mutilation has happily been avoide'.. A movement is afoot to secure a branch !of the Bank of New South Wales in I Hamilton, East. 1 A summary of the 35th animal report of the Mutual Life Association appears jin another column. 1903 was "the best rear in the history of the society." New >irl renewal premiums largely increased, were reduced, and the mortality -ence was except' Tilly favourable. The ro»"t» altogether were most gratifyir.fl.

The question of reduction of freight r-i-the breakwater line was mentioned - at the New Plymouth Harbour Board . meeting on Friday. Mr Ferguson, sec- i retary of the Wellington Harbour Board, \ wrote stating that the first meeting of : delegates in connection with the forma- i tion of a Harbour Boards' Association ■ had been postponed till early in the next , session of Parliament, and asking the board if it had any suggestions to make. The chairman remarked that such an : association might have weight in hurrying vital matters before the Government, • such as the reduction of freight on the , breakwater line. Finally the letter was refer»*ed to the chairman and others to • deal with. ( Geonge Bellew, a young electrician , employed by the Anderson Dramatic Company, was knocked against a projec- , tion near the theatre yesterday after- , noon, and sustained some severe bruises en the back, for which he had to ; be treated at the Hospital. It is al- ! leged that Bellew was struck by a man with whom he was having an alterca- ■ tion, this causing the unlucky fall, but his injuries are not likely to have ser- ; ious consequences. A recent occurrence at Manaia (says a North Island exchange) shows clearly i( the necessity of an amendment in the , Public Health Act, in the direction of ( giving powers to public health officers to isolate buildings in Maori pahs in , which persons suffering from infectious , diseases are placed. The other day the . Health Department were informed that \ a Maori was suffering from typhoid at , Manaia, and they promptly despatched a nurse to attend to the invalid. On arrival at the pah the nurse found the patient in a wharepuni, in which about f thirty other natives were living, and the building was in anything but a sanitary state. There appeared to be no chief in authority, and the Maoris refused to allow the patient to be removed to a new whare in the pah, for the reason, it is alleged, that the erection of the new building was to be celebrated by a "house warming," and the use of the whare as a hospital would interfere with the event taking place. Being unable to impress the natives with the urgent necessity of isolating the patient, so as to prevent otherß in the pah contracting the disease, the nurse left, after leaving instructions as to the treatment of the sufferer. It appears that under the Public Health Act isolation can only be enforced in cases of dangerous infectious diseases, and typhoid fever is not included in that category. A hint has been thrown out in a discussion of the proposed harbour improvements at Wanganui, that the Government should purchase a speciallyfitted bar-dredge, whose business would be to go round the principal ports of the colony where troublesome bars exist and keep the channels clear of the accumulating silt. The New South Wales Government has such a dredge, and it has been freely used by the various bodies controlling the coastal harbours. It is considered that a proper dredge of the kind is beyond the purchasing power of most, if not aIL of the New Zealand Harbour Boards, and that it would be better for all concerned if the Government bought the best dredge possible and loaned it to the different Boards. It may not be generally known that there are three admitted cases of leprosy amongst Maoris in New Zealand —one in the Raglan district, one up the Wanganui River, and one—a woman —in the Taupo district. In the last report of the Department of Public Health, Dr. Pomare describes these cases fully, and illustrations are given of two of the victims. It is specially mentioned that in each case the sufferers liad been inveterate smokers and drinkers. The round-the-world mania has seized another Maorilander. Mr E. Williams, the late foreman at the New Plymouth Harbour Board, has constructed a model barrel boat, and it is his intention to build a boat on the pattern and sail it round the world. If Tanner's second attempt is a success, Mr Williams intends to challenge him to race round New Zealand. Mr Williams will probably start to construct his craft about next August. A special meeting of the Board was held on Friday last, when the chairman announced that the loan of £700 authorised by the ratepayers was at length arranged and the money was now available. After much discussion it was resolved to build a hall about 80 feet in length by 35 feet broad, with stage, supper-room and kitchen, the whole to be built of rimu and matai, and all interior conveniences to be completed as far as funds will permit. The inconvenience and loss to the town since the old hall was burned has been severely felt. J The "Siberian Butter Gazette" publishes a telegram from Kurgan, of 27th February, stating that "all butter waggons with refrigerators are to be altered for the transport of troops. The tone among the exporters is very depressed. Goods traffic will probably "cease for a time." In another place the "Gazette" says: "Since the beginning of the war the Siberian butter exporters have been very depressed, as each day less can b« taken away, and it seems probable that the means of transport may cease altogether." The City Hall, that has been leading a double life for so many years as the haunt of the vaudeville artist and cinematographic side-show on week-days, and the resort of evangelistic clergymen and revivalists on holy days, is to bring its hypocritical existence to an end. It is to share the fate of some other theatres in Aucklmd, and be turned into an office building, where the rattle of the typewriter and the hum of business will disturb the present daylight calm. The premises have been sold to Messrs. Abbott, Oram and Co. for the above-mentioned purpose, the price offered being considerable enough to make the owner (Mr Geo. Abbott) close the place as a theatre. After May has passed, the old theatre will be dismantled and refitted for the purposes specified. The annual meeting of the Hikurangi Miners' Union was held on the 7th inst., when a good muster of members appeared. Mr D. Ball was elected president for the ensuing year, and Mr l£ Holton secretary. The above union has seceded from the Auckland Trades and Labour Council. The New Plymouth Harbour BoardMs extending the wharf accommodation at the breakwater. A lot of repairs have i been done to permanent way, and the j weighbridge siding ha 8 been relaid with new sleepers. The ladies' waiting-room has been completed. Mr. John Farrell notifies by advertisement elsewhere that he will address a meeting of electors and ratepayers tomorrow evening In the Richmond Road Pr-'-nitive Methodist Church, and again Tuesday nitrht St. George's HaJL Mr. J. R. Lundon addrMse* thr "irey Lynn elector* a+, St. G-ar«?e'» Hall to«

Venus and Jupiter will be in conjunction to-morrow in the 13th degree of Aries. The planets rise a 5 aim., Venus appearing first, 22min long. W-, and 28 mm lat. 8., of Jupiter. Should the morning be unfavourable, the planets ■ can be seen again next morning at the same hour, Venus being 37min long. E. of Jupiter. Both, however, may not be very visible, because they are near their maximum distance from us at present, and near the sunrise. The block of pastoral land (685 acres in five lots) in the Mangonui County, opened for selection, was not applied for by yesterday, and is now open for selection. Another block of 7639 acres in Orahiri (Kawhia) is to be sold on Tuesday next. A meeting of Grey Lynn ratepayers to hear addresses upon the proposal to amalgamate the thriving borough with Auckland City took place last night in St. George's Hall, Great North-road. The benefits likely to result from the project of a Greater Auckland were demonstrated by Messrs S. C. Brown and C. J. Parr, of the City Council, and Mr J. W. Shackelford (Mayor of Grey Lynn), who has been a strong advocate of amalgamation. The principal point spoken of was the importance of a thorough and uniform scheme of drainage being carried out in the district, and the greater efficiency and economy ■which would result if this much-needed work was carried out by one powerful body rather than piecemeal by several smaller ones. Cr. Parr mentioned that 23 local authorities were carrying on the administration of the isthmus between the Waitemata and Manukau Harbours, and Mr Shackelford spoke of Sir George Grey's dream of a great Auckland standing upon that area, urging that the splendid public endowments provided by that statesman were envidently not intended for the use of a congested city of 16,000 acres, the area of the present city. A resolution approving of amalgamation was unanimously carried, and in due course the ratepayers will be asked to vote upon the question. Newspapers of Bolivia and Peru are announcing that after a search extending through five centuries the treasure Peruviana buried in Bolivia and valued at 16,000,000a0l has just been discovered by a company of British and American engineers. The Bolivian newspapers tell of great excitement among the natives, because of the belief that gold valued at 30,000,000d0l more is awaiting discovery. According to South American stories all this treasure of the purest gold was found at Chayaltaya. The legend is that about 500 years ago, at the time of the Spanish conquest, gold was buried by the Indians for Peruvians in a cast to be paid over to the Spaniards as a ransom for the liberation of Emperor Atalahuelpa, but that the money was refused by the Spaniards, who killed the Peruvian Emperor. The treasure was then hidden. Since then innumerable exploration parties, native and foreign, have made fruitless search for the gold. It was by mere accident that the lucky finders came upon the treasure. While making surveys and driving stakes they discovered the fortune. The Bolivian Government has taken charge of the find. The Ancient Order of Foresters, Court Pride of Awanui, was opened by Auckland executive yesterday. Fifty-four members were initiated. Nominations for the Ponsonby School Committee have been received as fol-lows-.—Messrs W. J. Rees, A. Russell, Gittos, Taylor, Stewart, Wright, Gregory, A. Littler, ißainey, Bagnall, Grover, Morgan, Reeves, Norgrove, Graham. A daily occurrence—The pleased faces of boys when attired in new suit purchased at Geo. Fowlds'.—Ad. Raphael Tuck's Pictorial Post-cards — The latest novelty. Humorous series, "Dickens'" series, "Olde Print" series, "Beautiful Scenery" series, etc, etc! Prices, 6d and 1/ per packet of 6 cards — Smith and Caughey, Ltd.—(Ad.) A daily occurrence—Seeing the newest shapes of hats worn by gentlemen who have purchased at Geo. FowldsV— Ad.