LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 71, 8 March 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tenders are invited by the Public Works Office, Napier, fcr (ho erection of a Post Office at Havelock North.

A proposal to extend the hour of closing the Hastings billiard saloon;: from Hl p.m. to 10.30 p.m. was negatived at last night’s meeting of the Hasting Borough Council.

Mr. L. A. Denton, A.1.A., N.Z., notifies that he will commence practice as public accountant and auditorin the Dominion Buildings, Queen street, Hastings, on llth March.

IT. Donovan drew at tent ion at |-ist night's meeting of the Hastings Borough Council to the danger a'ising from the holes dug in the streets for- the fire pings being left open at night time without anything to servo as a warning to persons using the roads. The engineer (Mr. H. AA'. (.'limit’) promised to make enquiries into the 'matter.

The steamer Gertie is proceeding to tlie Chat,hams, probably leaving on Saturday, with special gear to endeavour to tow off the steamer Himitangi, which is aground there.

The most popular scenic in the Highland Society’s Sports picture now showing at the Princess Theatre is the debate between Mr. Taranaki He Ua and a well-known local politician.*

The stud Romney Marsh ram “Record Breaker 50th,” which was sold at the Masterton ram fair on behalf of Mr. E. Short, of Feildirtg, for the sensational price of 200 guineas, was purchased by Messrs. Riddiford Bros., of Lower Hutt.

At the Hastings Police Court this morning before Mr. G. F. Reach, J.P., Thomas Mitchell was fined 40/with 2'- costs or in default seven days’ imprisonment for a second offence of drunkenness within six months.

The steamer Wairoa, of 95 tons, which is to take an expedition to the Auckland Islands in search of the treasure which was lost in the ship General Grant in 1864, is at present in Auckland. I na few days days the YVairoa leaves for Dunedin, to be fitted up.

It was announced at the Supreme Court yesterday that the civil case Edwin Sandeman and Arthur Edward Beckett v. Phoebe Bicknell, a claim for thte specific performance of an agreement to purchase land, had been settled. The hearing of the action had been set down for to-day.

In reply to Cr. Styles, the Mayor stated at last night’s meeting of the Hastings Borough Council, that when the laying of the reticulation pipes was concluded (about the end of the present month),' the labourers employed thereon would be provided with work on the sewer trenches.

The following tenders have been accepted by the Hastings Borough Council for the supply of matciiil for the electric pc wet* house now in course of erection in Eastbourne street: —Hawke’s Bay Timber and Joinery Company (joinery) £9l/1/-, Stubbs and Beck (ironwork) £B5/5/-, T. Ritchie (pipes) £22/8/10.

The Uruguayan Commission completed their tour of New Zealand yesterday, and sail for San. Francisco by the Tahiti from Wellington today. They express warm appreciation of the facilities accorded to them by the Government officials, A. and P. Societies and others for enabling them to gather much information of value.—Press Association

The damage done by the recent floods to the Coromandel County reads will amount to about £4OO. Many of the roads are so covered with landslips that the traffic is blocked. Considerable damage was also done to private property. Many paddocks are covered with silt and timber, and many fences have been washed away. The creeks have subsided.

Mr. David McLaren, jjrgariiser for the Labour Party, arrived at Hastings this afternoon. He says, that his visit to Gisborne was very successful. Business is brisk up there, and he thinks Gisborne has a bright future. He was also.struck with the town improvements that have been made in Hastings since his last visit. Mi-. McLaren holds several meetings during his stay here, and full particulars of these are advertised.

, The secretary of the Hastings Chamber of Commerce has written to the Napier Chamber enclosing a letter which it is proposed to send to the Union Company, in which the company is urged to take the Tarawera off the Napier-Gisborne service and substitute a better steamer and to land passengers at Gisborne as soon as a steamer arrives. The letter also draws attention to the frequency with which the connecting train at Napier is missed, with tire result that mails are delayed for a full day.

In the course of his evidence in the Donaldson eases this- morning Detective Sergeant Cassells, knowing that the accused had been suspected of the theft of other larger sums of borough money, announced that he had that morning found the missing money. He said that in fairness to the accused. Mr. Dolan, counsel for the accused, thanked Sergt. Cassells for his fairness and publicly congratulated him upon the fairness which ho always displayed to accused persons. He had often criticised policemen, but he desired to express his appreciation, of the detective’s action. Sir Robert Stout in reply to Mr. Dolan’s reference to the police expressed commendation of the way in which the police of the Dominion gave their evidence.

In a communication to the Lyttelton Tinies” Mr. Samuel Turner, a well-known alpine climber, who is at present at the Hermitage, says:— -“After four days’ continual rain the wfather cleared on February 21 st, and between that date and February 28th I successfully climbed Mount Eli de Beaumont, Mount Green, Mount Walter, and Mount Cook, via Green’s Route, and returned to the Hermitage. This is a week’s record. Mount Cook was climbed by Messrs. Chambers and Wright, of Hawke’s Bay, together for- the first time this season. I climbed Mount Cook two days later. The mountains are getting into good condition and will be climbable in from seven to ten dav s if this magnificent weather continues. Large parties of tourists are arriving at the Hermitage in three and four motors every other day. I had a unique view from the summit of Mount Cook. My party included Thomson and Bannister from the Hermitage staff. Bannistej- is the first Maori to ascend Mount Cook. He is only eighteen years old, but a fine specimen of a Maori. Messrs. Chambers and Wright were accompanied by Messrs. Murphy and Clarke, private guides. Both climbs were made by Green’s Route, which has not been climbed since the Rev. M. Green almost reached the summit some twenty years ago.” I

Mr. David McLaren will hold a meeting of the combined unionists of Hastings iYi the Council Chambers this evening under the auspices of the Hastings branch of the Nev.Zealand Labour Party.

In the Auckland Police Court today, Henri Watson, George Croul were committed for trial for having passed a gilded farthing to a cabman for half-a-sovereign, paying their fare and receiving eight shillings change.

in civil jurisdiction at the Hastings Courthouse this afternoon, Mr. 8. E. McCarthy, S.M., gave judgment for plaintiff in the undefended civil case H. A. Mossinan v, E. A. Wilson, £5/8/-, costs 23/6.

A grass fire which had broken out in the grounds adjoining Mr. Corry’s residence in Bay View road, Napier, was the cause of the alarm being sounded at about 1.20 this afternoon. The Fire Brigade was speedily on the scene, but on arriving found there was no need for their services.

At last night's meeting of the Hastings Borough Council, Cr. George stated that since the council had decided to enforce the by-law prohibiting shopkeepers from sweeping dust and refuse into the water tables after 8.30 a.m., the nuisance had increased if anything, and business people were to be seen shaking and sweeping carpets and throwing rubbish into the gutter in buckctfulls.

The Hon. J. A. Millar, who arrived at Auckland yesterday, states that he has completed the preliminary work for the removal of the enginesheds from Auckland railway station to Newmarket. This will necessitate the duplication of the Parnell railway tunnel. The Minister states that it -is now within measurable distance, and £89,000 has been authorised for the combined work. Mrs. M. Lewis, honorary secretary of ,the District Nurse Society, has received a letter from Lady Islington regretting that owing to a, prior engagement she will be unable to accept the invitation of the committee to open the Frimley Garden Fete on , March 20th. She expresses the very greatest interest in the good work of the Plunket nurses and regrets being unable to help them on this occasion- Lady Islington hopes'that the garden fete will be a great success.

A few days ago a human skeleton was found at Rockford, near, Oxford. At this place there is a rock in the Waimakariri washed on all sides by the river, occupying about a square chain in area, tlje summit of which stands well above floodwater mark. Recently the river had formed a spit ,making the rock approachable. Mr. XV. Farrelly, out of curiosity, went to explore this rock island, and the first object that met his gaze was a human skeleton. It had evidently been there for many years.

As we have already reported the first of the artesian wells to be sunk in Connectifei with the Hartings water scheme has been cofnpleted by Mr. A. Leipst in Eastbourne. A flow of 4200 gallons per hour has been obtained at a depth of 155 feet. At last' night’s mroting of the Borough Council Mr. Climie’s proposal ’to sink a 4-iflth bore within 100 feet of the. ,one finished wqs adopted. Mr. Climie stated that the cost would be £7O, or four-fifths more than the 3-inch, £39, but the flow would be in the proportion of 32 to 15.

The Christchurch Hospital Board proposes to spend £20,000 c.n the administrative block cf buildings and of which sketch plans were approved some time ago. D. Valintine, in a recent conference with the committee of the- board, however, objected to the building as being too big for present needs and suggested some thousands of pounds might be saved. The board at a special meeting to-day discussed the matter. One member, Mr. Turnbull, expressed his pleasure at the Government stepping in to prevent “scandalous extravagance.” but he was the only member to take this attitude. The board decided to ask Dr. Valintine to meet it at Christchurch next week and further confer on the question.