AUCKLAND.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 234, 26 June 1908, Page 8

AUCKLAND.

n -j ' 'June 25. Considerable excitement was aroused among the householders in the south-eastern por- ' tion of the'township of Huntly when it became known'• that ■ tile "old" . mine" (known latterly as Taupiri'South) was on'firo. For s over three days volumes of flame : and smoke were belched forth, the conjecture being that to put the fire out would prove 'impossible. ■That opinion proved fallacious, as' far as external appearances go, as all sign of fire has now disappeared. Infected Fruit. ; Notwithstanding the new regulation providing that no fruit sliajl be; shipped to any port in the Dominion from'the Australian Commonwealth without" being accompanied by a certificate stating- that'such fruit has not been grown within a mile of any pestinfested orchard or district, infected ship- • ments continue to arrive and have to be do- ■ strayed.- The latest instance in which this occurred was on Monday last, when : several calses of mandarines, 25 cases of lemons, and--98 cases of. pineapples were landed by the . Mokoia from Sydney. These; were accompanied by the necessary-certificate, but'upon inspection by tno- local officials were found to be'infected with fruit fly and scale, and woro condemned! ; ; CHRISTCHURCH. .June 25. ■, Christchurch citizens are at .last within' a measurable distance • of : hearing the organ which was erected in the Exhibition Council Hall and was subsequently presented to the city. For many months it has been in. course of re-erection in His-Majesty's Theatre, and it. is' to bo formally opened on Monday, July 27,' when the first of a series of six concerts will be given. The programme-will consist of organ rccitals and songs, with a perform, ance of " The Messiah on the Tuesday.' Tho Musical Union is making the arrangements, and the organ committee, and the' City Council has offered it one-fifth of the net proceeds for the first five nights, instead of tho wliolo of the proceeds of one night, as was first proposed. Dr. Bradshaw has been ' appointed city, organist at a retaining fee of twenty guineas,' and a feo of seven guineas for each recital given by him at'tho instance of the Council. Arbitration Act. At the annual meeting of the Canterbury Drivers' Union : tho following resolutions-wero carried unanimously:— •, • > • 11 .That: the Government bo urged to oppose any amendment to tho Conciliation and Arbitration. Act'whereby-the-farmworkers would ' bo excluded from the .benefits : of that Act, suggestions for such au amendment having been freely, circulated .throughout the Dominion." f' "That this Union strongly protest against ariyiegislatiori being introduced, which would make-any difference between single and mar- . ried men's wages, and. further, we believe in tho. true democratic principle of equal pay for equal work."'

That this Union is of. opinion that, the time has arrived for the Legislature to decido ■a standard for ' tile ■ workers of this Dominion, to prevent tho recurrence of tb« conditions oxisting in older countries, such standard to lie tho minimum conditions that' it is competent for the Arbitration Court to award." DUNEDIN. mi r Juno 2.5. ■- The message from the Hon. J. A. Millar to the cffcct that he was misunderstood in his remarks abc;ut the closing of -Rattray: Street,, and tint it is not intended to cut off access to tho whar.yes and foreshore by that thoroughfare, has been received with' i much satisfaction by all classes in Dnnedin. Tho people, were qnite-Vinilcd on the point of resisting such closing; by all lawful menus. Mr. Millar's message puts an end to wlmt might have been a very unpleasant situation.

The Harbour Board is altering the motive power of the Vulcan suction dredge from steam to electricity.

Messrs. Breen and Westwood, delegates ap-' pointed by the local Council to attend tha conforcncc of the Trades and Labour Councils at Wellington next month, find that they, will bo unablo to be present, and other delegates will bo appoints J.

English humour hurts no one and vet it is clever and stinging. It cannot 'be imitated, but, contrary to the prevailing opinion, it can be appreciated by others than English iipodlc.—"Gazeta," Warsaw.,