LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9808, 1 May 1895, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A telegram has been received from Inspector Hickson, from Ruatoki, stating that he leaves that settlement to-day foi Whakatane, and thence comes on in the s.s. Chelmsford, to Auckland, with some of hi« men, leaving a detachment; behind. Inspector Emerson, of Napier, arrived yesterday by the s.s. Mararoa, and he will take charge of tha detachment of police coming from Wellington by the 8.8. Mahinapua. Sergeant Lyons, of the Auckland police, will join this detachment, and the party will, under Inspector Emerson, proceed to Rotorua to-morrow en route for Galatea. Twenty men were balloted for yesterday at) the Labour Bureau, out of the number on the books (Mr. Beehan, J.P., in the unavoidable absence of the Hon. W. Jennings, and the Mayor supervising thu ballot), and they accompany the police party. On reaching Galatea a camp will bo formed and the navvies set to road making on the co-operative principle, the police being kept in readiness, in cose of any disturbance from the natives, bub this is not anticipated.

The inquiry into the cause of the failure of the water supply on the occasion of the fire which burnt down the Auxiliary Lunatic Asylum in December Mast wax resumed yesterday at the asylum, before Mr. H. VV. Northcroft, S.M., Commiesioner. Mr. Cooper appeared for the Department, and Mr. Cotter for the City Council. The evidence of Dr. Beatbie and a number of asylum attendants all went to show that there was scarcely any pressure of water available and that had there been a fair pressure such as has been found at subsequent tests, the fire could have been easily pub out. Mr. Gibson, engineer of the waterworks, deposed that on the night of the fire there was a pressure of 801b from the Ponsonby reservoir, and when tha Kyber pressure was turned on soon after half-past ten o'clock, there was a pressure of 1201b indicated on tha gauge. The examination of this witness was nob finished when the Court adjourned until ten o'clock this morning.

Some surprise was expressed by those on board the Union Company's steamer Waihoraon her arrival from Sydney last night that no intimation of her passing Russell yesterday afternoon had been telegraphed. The steamer passed close enough for the signal-station to be seen on board, and the weather was perfectly clear. This is nob the first time steamers have passed Russell without being reported, and ib is very important that this matter should be strictly attended to, as a large number of peopl« are interested in the movements of the steamers bound down the coast.

As the steamer Anglian was proceeding down the harbour last evening, bound to Southern ports, her movements were the subjeotof some discussion, it being thought) that she had broken down. As she approached the Bean Rock lighthouse she suddenly stopped, and then o.ade up the harbour as if intending to return to the wharf. Afterwards she went astern, and then proceeded on her way. lb is nob known what was the reason for the movements of the ship, as before one of the shore boats, which put off to go down to her, could get alongside the Anglian had continued en her way. Yesterday nominations cloned for the North Ward seat in the Auckland City Council, rendered vacant by the death of Mr. Chas. Atkin. The nominations received by Mr. J. Halyday, jun., returning officer, were as follow :—Mr. Adam Cairn*, nominated by Messrs. Alfred Woolbms and Alfred H. Grainger; Mr. Duncan Macnab, nominated bv Messrs. John McKail Geddea and Arthur Heather. The election is fixed to take place on Tuesday, 7th May, between the hours of nine a.m. and six p.m. The polling olace >is an empty shop ab the corner of Victoria and Albert-streets, ab one time occupied by Mr. Thomas Thompson, and situated next the old Temperance Hall.

lb is stated that yesterday afternoon Nurse Edwards tendered her resignation bo the Auckland Hospital Board. A man named Patrick James Sm',th was found dead in his but, near fle'iensville. on the 2lßb ultimo. An inquesb was held on the 24th ultimo, when it was found that he had died from internal hemorrhage through the bursting of an aneurism,

The season for shooting imported game opens this morning, and a considerable number of sportsmen have within fche. last few days gone to the Waikato and Kalpara districts in readiness for an early start in pursuit of their feathered prey. ISo definite reports have yet been received as to whether birds are plentiful or nob this season, or where the best covers are to be found. Thoso who obtained private information kept it to themselves, but the results will probably be known in a fow days as the bat;** bo«_'in to come in.

The first meeting of the newly-elected City Schools Committee was held last evening, at the Wellosley-street School, when tho following members wero in attendance. Messrs. J. Blades (chairman), R. Farrell, J. Julian, Squirrell, P. Crowe, Adams, and Dr. F. King. A letter was received from the Board of Education, slating that they were willing to supply copies of extra reading books for use in the schools, to be lent to those children whose parents could not afford to buy them. The cost of the books in question amounted to 9s. The committee accepted the offer. A householder waited upon the committee re the expulsion of his son from the Wellesleystreet School. The trouble arose through the lad refusing to stay at school after four o'clock. The boy hail committed some act of disobedience, and was ordered to be kept in after school hours. The father said he had read the Act, and he did nob think Mr. Worthington had the power to keep any boy in school after four o'clock. The committee discussed the matter at some length, but no decision could be arrived at, the father insisting on the right of his son to leave school at four o'clock, that being the hour set down by tho Act. The general opinion of the committee was that it would be a dangerous precedent to establish if they ordered Mr. Worthington to take the boy back. After further discussion, the father agreod to withdraw his command to the boy not to stay in after four o'clock. The chairman drew the attention of the committee to the fact that five boys had been refused admission to the Chapel-street school on account of the insufficient accommodation. The question now arose as to whether tho Truant officer had the power to proceed against the parent?, seeing the children had been refused admission from one school. lb was decided to ask the Board to withdraw tho restriction respecting the number of children to be admitted into this school. The committee decided to ask the headmasters of the city schools to attend at tho next meeting for the purpose of discussing several matters of interest.

The funeral of the late Mr. E. Mahoney, architect, too!'; place yesterday. The coffin was removed in the morning to the Sacred Heart Church, Ponsonby, and placed in front of the altar. At 9 a.m. a requiem mass was celebrated by the Rev. Father Mahoney, a son of the deceased. Dr. Egan rendered the musical portion of the service. Father Gillan delivered a brief address before the absolutions were given. At three o'clock the funeral cortege left the church for the Catholic cemetery, Symondsstreet. The chief mourners were the three sons of tho deceased, Father Mahoney, Thomas and Robert Mahoney, al*o Messrs. Edward and Thomas Mahoney, the nephews ot deceased. Then followed five carriages containing Bishop Luck and the Catholic clergy, about 20 being present, as a " retreat" is now being held. .Among those present wore His Worship the Mayor (Mr. J. J. Holland) and Councillors Farrell, Julian, and Courtney, and a number of old settlers. The service at the grave- was conducted by Father Gillan, the assemblage addressd by Bishop Luck, who referred in eulogistic terms to the deceased in his threefold capacity as a member of the Roman Catholic Church, a man, and a citizen.

in their report to the shareholders the liquidators of the Auckland Permanont Co-operative Building and Investment Society stated that since the affairs of the Society had been placed in liquidation there had been no possibility of selling houses or land except at ruinous prices. Only recently has there been a revived inquiry for such investments. Between June 8, 1593, when the liquidators were vested with power to deal with the Society's assets, and March 31, 1895, they received from various sources £17,440 9s 9d, and they made payments to the amount of £10,582 10s 9d. The balance in hand on March 31, 1595, was therefore £GSS7 19s, which has since been disbursed in paying a second dividend of 5s in the £ to the Society's creditors. In dealing with the amounts mentioned tho liquidators have closed 99 of the accounts which were indebted to the Society when they assumed control. In these there is a deficiency of £826 16s 2d as compared with the book value of the accounts, but as the committee of 1892 made provision for depreciation of these securities to the extent of .'.'475 4s 6i the actual bss on their sale is reduced to £351 lis Hd. The assets remaining on March 31, 1895, to be realised by the liquidators, made up of mortgages, properties, etc., are estimated to produce £25,368 Gs. The liabilities to be meb amount to £14,697 6s, leaving a balance for pro rata division among investing share holders, provided the liquidators' expectations are realised, of £10,671. The amount at credit of investing shareholders in the Society's book is £15,990 2s 7d. The liquidators would be glad if they could hold out hope of a speedy sale of the remaining properties, bub they do not feel justified in doing so. To force the assets upon the market would entail a ruinous loss upon shareholders, while a quiet and gradual realisation seems to promise fair results.

In regard to the volunteer bazaar, the secretary, Mr. Birch, informs us that the total takings at the bazaar amounted to £195 15s 4r), and the expenses are estimated to amount to £60, leaving a clear profit of about £130, a result which must prove satisfactory to the ladies who promoted the bazaar and the officers who so loyally supported them.

In connection with the death of the late Philip John LeQuesne, Dr. Philson, the coroner, was asked for an explanation en to the delay which took place before the inquest was held. He replied to the Minister of Justice in the following terms : —"On Saturday, March 23rd ult., I received from the police the report of the death, and would have held the inquest on the same day, but, finding deceased's father was not in Auckland, and that the police had not time to collect the whole particulars which 1 deemed necessary, I deferred opening the inquest until Monday, the 25th, thus allowing time for a carefulness mortem examination, and obtaining the presence of the deceased's father, which could not have been done sooner. I may mention that I never held any inquest on the Lord's Day, which in my book is a dim noil. 1 have always held inquests with the least possible delay, and sometimes at night. I hare no object in postponing inquests. My motto is, ' the sooner the better.' I consider lam quite as capable a judge as to the proper time for holding inquests as your informant, and maintain that in the present case I have acted rightly. I confidently appeal to Inspector Hickson and his predecessors for proof of this. Hoping this explanation will prove satisfactory —T. M. Philson. P.S. —Lo Quesne, senior, arrived only in time to be present at the inquest. He resides in Hamilton, and there are no Sabbath, breaking trains."

It is very depressing to lovers of flowers, and all who engage in their cultivation, to find that in this city they will not bo permitted by the larrikin? to occupy thornBelves in so innocent a pursuit. On Sunday evening Mr. Smith, of Newton Road, had a large number of his dahlias appropriated, many being taken up by the roots. He states that this has occurred so frequently that he will be obliged to abandon keeping a flower garden. He suggests that a conStable in plain clothes should go round, as the only means of suppressing this practice of plundering gardens of flowers. Messrs. Bollard and Froude, sign writers and artists, Queen street, have recently put in a fanlight over the door of the main entrance of the New Zealand Insurance Co.'s head office of a very artistic design. The head and bust of the late King Tawhiao is etched in gold and silver. The head is in a circle, with the title of the company surrounding it. The following ratepayers were nominated on Tuesday morning as candidates for the Otahuhu Road Board :—Frank Andrew, Alfred Sturges, James Rich Plumley, James Brady, Charles Farnsworth, Henry Mitchell, Bernard McCrory, and Thomas Graham. As only five members can be elected, a poll will be taken by Mr. Shaokell, Returning Officer, on Tuesday, ■May 7, at the Public Hall, Otahuhu.

Some of the Chinese who arrived in Sydney last Wednesday from New Zealand by the Wakatipu (there were 39 of them altogether), are bent (says a local paper) on a rather doleful errand. Years ago they left their native land for the goldfields of New Zealand, where they prospered. Having wives and families at home to support, they made regular remittances from the El Dorado they had found, and were also putting a few ounces of gold away now and then "for a rainy day." The bad weather set in, bub in a form least expected. It was the first shot fired by tho Japs in Corea that aroused their suspicions of ill omen. Still thoy kept on remitting, until at last the payees of the drafts neglected to acknowledge receipt of the moneys. Now the anxious husbands are going home to learn the worst. They fear that amongst the slain have been numbered their own families, and so they hare takesi passage by the steamer Cabtorthun, sailing from Sydney in a few days.

The first of May is to be celebrated in Christchurch this year by the introduction of one of the displays common to the day ia the Old Country. The chimney sweeps are arranging to have a procession with " Jack in the Green." A collection will bo made as the procession passes through the; streets, and the amount so obtained will be handed to the Mayor to distribute to any cases which he may think deserving.

In view of a discussion which has been going on in The Field as to whether the brown trout in New Zealand have acquired a now character and now habits, and should be designated by tho scientific term of " Salmo australis," the local acclimatisation society have sent a case of trout, each fish weighing from Gib to 171b, frozen in a solid block of ice, to The Field newspaper, for the purposes of scientific inquiry and examination.

An Assessment Court for the Otahuhu Road District was held in tho Courthouse, Otahuhu, on Monday, before R. S. Bush, Esq., S.M. The only objection to tho valuation list was for lot 5, plan 151, 10a lr 4p, Station Road, valued at £1060. The occupier, Mr. William A. Laxon, appeared, and asked for a reduction. Valuation sustained.

Last night a man named George Edwin, who was respectably dressed, and appeared to be a man of education, was handed ever to the police on the arrival of the s.s. Waihora from Sydney, on a charge of being a stowaway, and evading payment of his passage money. He had a good portmanteau with him. It appears that the purser did not know of his being on board until he went round for the tickets after they were at sea. At the nominal rates of passage money now between the two ports, it is scarcely worth while for anybody to place themselves within the reach of the provisions of the Shipping Passengers Act. The annual general meeting of the Wellington Law Society was held on April 2"2 in the Supreme Court Buildings, when the report and balance-sheet for the past year were adopted, and the following officers elected for the ensuing year:—President, Hon. T. W. Hislop ; vice-president, Mr. A. Gray ; treasurer, Air. J. C. Andrew ; council, Messrs. E. D. Bell, M. Chapman, W. B. Edwards, C. B. Morison, W. H. Quick, and S. T. Fitzherbert; auditor, Mr. E. F. Had field ; councillors of law reporting, Messrs. H. D. Bell and T. W. Hislop (reelected).

A meeting of the Auckland Women's Liberal League was held in the Wesley Hall last evening, Mrs. Kerr (president) in the chair. After the usual routine business had been transacted, and several new members elected, a discussion on " Old Age Pensions" was opened by Mrs. Hendre. Several members spoke. One member suggested that a certain quantity of land should be set apart for the purpose of providing funds for the scheme. A resolution, approving of the desirability of a pension scheme, was carried. A resolution was also carried in favour of women and men in Government establishments receiving the same pay for equal work. The meeting then adjourned.

A very successful tea meeting, presided over by Christian Endeavourers, was held in the Kiugsland Wesleyan Methodist Church last night, and was followed by a largely-attended public meeting ab which the Rev. S. F. Prior occupied the chair. Excellent singing and orchestral music was provided during the evening, including the anthems "Wait Upon tho Lord," "All Who in the Lord Confide," and "To God in the Highest, Glory." The chief object of the gathering was to welcome to the circuit the Rev. H. Bull, whom the chairman described as being " as gontle as a child; as methodical as a martinet; as punctual as quarter-day ; and as exact as a chronometer." These words were fully endorsed by the applause of the meeting. Mr. Hodgson and the Rev. T. W. Vealie both spoke of tho temporal and spiritual success of the church during the past year, and joined in the hearty welcome. The Rev. H. Bull replied in suitable terms. Mr. G. A. Buttle brought the gathering to a close by proposing votes of thanks to the various officer* and workers, and to the chairman, which were carried amid applause.

The Children's Flower Show, promoted by a number of ladies and gentlemen of the Epiphany Church, and held at the Foresters Hall, was well attended yesterday afternoon and evening. In the evening some choice vocal and instrumental selections were rendered. At the close of the exhibition Mr. Baker (of baker Bros., auctioneers) disposed of the whole of the exhibits by auction. The show has been a great success, both as an exhibition and as promoting a love of flowers and floriculture among the children.

The consolation prize presented by Major Pirie, and open to non-prize winners of the Auckland Bowling Club, of this season, is now being competed for. The second draw was made yesterday, as follows :—Gee v. Reid, J. Scott v. Hegman, Stewart v. Mennie or J. L. Scott, Thomson v. Hosking, Wilkins v. Holland, Myers v. Geddea, Moritzson v. Cozens, Oliphanb or Frater v. Ross or Paterson. All games left unfinished by Monday noxt will be struck out of the list.

In accordance with the custom that has prevailed for many years, the Otahuhu Mutual Improvement' Association dovoted the evening of Monday last, being the nearest meeting to the 23rd April—Shakespere'sday—entirely to Shakespere. lit. J. Hunt read a critical and discriminative paper on "The Merchant of Venice," especially the character of Shylock. The president, Mr. T. Wilson, gave an able address on "Shakespere's Greatness, and Why Great." Readings waken from Shakespere were given by Miss Luke, Canon Could, and Mr. J. Vuglar.

A very enjoyablo excursion is announced for this afternoon by the Ferry Company's fine steamer Eagle, which leaves tho Ferry Tee at a quarter to two o'clock for Lake Takapuna Wharf. After landing those who are desirous of viaiting the Lake and its surroundings the steamer goes on to one of the favourite fishing grounds in tho Channel, returning to the Lake Wharf to pick up those left there at a quarter-paab five p.m.

At the Newmarket Wesloyan Church last evening, in connection with the Sundayschool Anniversary, Mr. Theo. Cooper exhibited a fine collection of limelight views of various places of interest, and other charming pictures. There was a pood attendance of parents and teachers as well as of the Sunday-school children and the treat afforded them was highly appreciated. * \