The Northern Advocate TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1911. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Northern Advocate, 19 December 1911, Page 4

The Northern Advocate TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1911. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Floral Pete, Thursday, B<jcember 21st in Kensington Park, Mr E. Chaplin's tender of £120 for the installation of the drainage system and the construction of a septic tank at the Whangarei Hospital was accepted this morning by the Board's committee which had been appointed to deal with the matter. Sir John Findlay, who was rejected by the Parnell constituency, has handed in his resignation as AttorneyGeneral and Minister for Justice. He informed a "Post" reporter that he intended to practise his profession as soon as the legal vacation was over, and thereafter to devote himself exclusively to professional work. A well-attended meeting of the Dog and Poultry Club was held in Clifford's rooms last night. The recently framed' rules were passed, and it was decided to forward them to the Dog Fanciers' Association for verification. Other matters appeitaning to the prospects of the Club were discussed, but were left in abeyance until the next meeting, when '.tie date of the Club's show will be decided. The steamer Maheno, which sailed from Auckland for Sydney last evening, carries almost her full complement of passengers. There are 140 passengers in the saloon, which is iather less than tlie accommodation provided in that class, but she carries the registered number in the steerage, namely, 190. In to accommodate some 35 of these extra 1 bunks were erected in the 'tween decks of No. 5 hold. Direct telephonic communication between Dargaville and Auckland is to be put in hand immediately. Ths scheme of carrying the line to Pouto and laying a cable across the harbor at Kaipara Heads has been abandoned, and the route selected is via Tokatoka and overland to the city. A similar connection between Whangarei and Dargaville will be established within the next two or three j months. I D.C.B. WHISKY is the best! '

passengers disembarked from the s.s. Ngapuhi on the arrival of that vessel at Onerahi this morning.

Two thousand old colonists and their descendants took part in a thanksgiving service held in the Auckland Town Hall yesterday, in connection with the annual reunion.

Besides the holidays on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day, the principal banks throughout New Zealand will close on December 27 and January 2, these being special bank holidays.

On Saturday the Ruakaka cricket team was defeated at Waipu by the representative eleven of that district. A visiting team of cricketeps is expected from Auckland to plgry several matches in Waipu and surrounding places during Christmas week.

A .peculiar accident happened to a boy named Ray Brown, at Devonport yesterday, by which his leg wab broken. The youngster, who is 10 years of age, was standing on the ferry jetty when by some means he got his leg entangled in a rope thrown from a ferry steamer, with the result that the limb was drawn against a pile and the bone fractured.

Referring to the drowning fatality which occurred at Kiripaka on Sunday, the "Advocate's" correspondent writes: "The unfortunate occurrence brings. forcibly home to us the need of some alteration in our present phone service, whereby districts situated like Kiripaka should be connected with a doctor all hours of the night, Sunday included. There would then be no necessity to ride fourteen miles to obtain medical assistance, and the chancy of saving life in cases of accidents would v -be many times greater."

A successful time is anticipated by the Waipu Caledonian Society on the occasion of the 41st Annual Games on New Year's Day. The Northern S.S. Company will run an excursion from, Auckland and back at reduced rates/ For the concert to be held at night the Society has been fortunate in securing the services of two of Auckland's best singers/in the persons of Miss L. Gardner and Mr A. H. Ripley. Mr Gus McKay has been .appointed Act-ing-President of the Society in the absence from the district of the President, Mr Angus McKenzie.

The following civil actions were heard before Mr F. V. Frazer, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court this morning: —Suvaljko (Mr Steadman) v. Pavlovieh (Mr Harrison). This case involved a promissory note. ludgment was. given for plaintiff after hearing for £48 8s Bd, and £2 Court costs, £6 3s 6d witnesses' expenses, and Ho 10s solicitor's fee. Leave was granted to appeal. G. Halliday (Mr Edmunds) v. K. Skoglund. Judgment by default for £8 Is and £1 0s 6d costs. Wingate and: Co. (Mr Steadman) v. A. J. Courtney. Judgment by default for/ £4 6s 3d. Ordered to be paid forthwith, in default four da. <?' imprisonment.

Auckland, growers and salesmen, and consumers of strawberries have all been pleased with the quality of the crop this season. Though it is not so fine as it might have beau, it is, better than was expected. The yield, has been lighted than .t was last year, but there are more growers, and the quantity sold has been almost tho same as it was last season., The average quantity of berries sold weekly has been about 60,000 boxes. Last Saturday about 12,000 boxes were disposed of. The prices obtained are good, though fluctuating in response to the variable demand and quality. They have ranged latterly from 7d to lOd per box, this rate being a little higher than last year's ruling prices.

Local yachtsmen and fishermen will be interested in the advertise* ment which appears elsewhere in this issue, drawing attention to the fact that Mr T. Donovan has challenged Mr Jackson, of the "Silver Grid," for a race between the former's auxiliary fishing boat, the "Hiliary,' and the latter's boat, the "Akau." The race, if Mr Jackson accepts the challenge, will be for a wager of from £20 to £50, and will be from Onerahi wharf round the Poor Knights and back. Mr Donovan has expressed his wish that the race, if the challenge is accepted, shall take place at such a time that the spectators at the Whangarei Harbor Regatta will be able to witness the finish of so interesting a contest.

Aii inquest was held at Kiripaka yesterday by the district coroner, Mr J. M. Killen, J.P., into the circumstances surrounding the death of Sydney Nelson, the eleven-year-old sou of Mr Edwin Nelson. A statement was made by the only witness of the occurrence, Frank Nelson, the brother of deceased, and in it he s,ffld that he and lis brother were returning from Sunday School aooi't four o'clock. They were crossing the railway bridge and witness' brother was towing behind him a long length of rope, the end. of which, caught, in' a sleeper. The sudden jerk threw Sydney into the water. The water was about nine feet deep, and iiis brother was unable to swim. Witness then ran home for help. Mrs Nelson and Angus Ferguson gave evidence relative to finding the body, which was recovered after three-quarter 3 of an hour had elapsed. Artificial respiration was tried for over two hours, but without success. Medical was sent for, but Dr. Good coulct only pronounce life extinct. The coroner returned a verdict of "acci~ dentally drowned."

Although entries for the various races at the Regatta do not close until this evening, those already in outnumber the totals of any previous year. In the large yacht race 7 boats have been entered, in the under 20tt sailing boats 5, under 5 h.p. launches 12, and in the motor cruisers 7.

Archdeacon Harper, Wellington, has received a letter from Canon Maud, vicar of St. Mary Redcliffe, Bristol, stating that the writer had been appointed Bishop of Kensington, in succession to Dr. Ridgeway, who has become. Bishop of Salisbury. It will be remembered that Canon Maud was offered the Bishopric of Auckland, but had to refuse owing to family reasons.

Perhaps no one carries such a complete stock of Christmas presents as tf F. W. Reed, who has succeeded 3ssrs Bentley and Co., chemists. There are in i stock perfumes, soaps, books, Christmas cards, pocket books, wallets, purses, fountain pens, and all the' suitable presents that would fill a column if mentioned. This week the shop is well worth a visit, as everybody ,likes to see the very latest novelties.