LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9830, 27 May 1895, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Ixfokmatiox has been received in Auckland that the Government has determined to rebuild the Auxiliary Asylum, Avond&le, on the co-operative labour system, and plansand specifications will be prepared accordingly. The work is estimated to cost £12,000. In all probability the men will be balloted for from the registry kept by Mr. Ferguson, of the Labour Bureau, and it will be for those interested to register with him. At the Lay Readers' Conference bold in .-pscourt en the Queen's Birthday one of the lay readers drew the attention of the Most Rev. the Primate to an article which had appeared in the Church Gazette, lb was the report of a speech delivered by Canon Scott Holland in Exeter Hall in which he said that Europeans in the colony are endeavouring to live without Sunday and without sermon. His lordship was asked to give it a contradiction so far as this colony .was concerned, and he promised to attend to it. A bank holiday, the Queen's Birthday, having fallen within last week, there was no necessity for tradesmen to close their shops on Saturday afternoon, even if the Sh'ops and Shop Assistants Act were valid. The majority of places of business were therefore open. The case against a tradesman for opening his business on Saturday week will be heard to-morrow at the Police Court. Our Paeroa correspondent writes as follows :—" Now that the town of Paeroa is becoming so populous and expansive it is high time that a mail delivery should bo granted, as at present on the arrival of the various mails the little post office is thronged with applicants for letters, and there is evidently too much counter work even for the increased staff. A very small outlay on the parb of the Department is necessary, and should only require an official request fron the local body to ensure the granting of the same." Late on Saturday night Constable Eastfate arrested three men, named Thomas 'hompaon, John Dunn, and Percy Perry, who are charged with a breach of the Police Offences Act by being found by night, without lawful excuse, on the, premises of Samuel Quoi, Albert-street, boardinghouse-keeper. They were, ib seems,, occupying a bedroom, and, it is alleged, refused to open it on demand. . Quoi denies that be had given them permission to occupy the room for the night, and called in the.aid of the police. ':'■■ „

For some time past Detective Chrysbal lis been under the impression that the Cttoms revenue was being defrauded, from vaioua circumstances which had come unar his notice. On Saturday, being awaa that Mr. Rose, Collector of Customs, had ipermanont right of search, he went to that pntleman and stated certain matters to him As a result, Mr. Rose determined to male a search, and Detective Chrystal calling n Active-Detective Bailey to assist, the part', led by Detective Chrystal, went to the esidence of a man named John Campbell residing in Hobson-sbreet. Campbell was mt at the time, bub on stating their missim Mrs. Campbell admitted them. Detective Cirystal found about 501b. in one room, and tome half-dozen lbs. in another apartment, oi superior tobacco. On Campbell coming in, he was arrested on a charge of a breach of the Customs Act, by having uncustomed goods in his possession, and taken to the lock-up. At a later hour he was bailed out, himself in £100, and a surety ot £100. Campbell will be broughb up at the Police Court this morning. A man named Patrick Sullivan had a narrow escape of drowning about a quarterpast two yesterday morning. He was! walking along the Queeu-streeb Wharf, not noticing where he was going, when lip went over into the harbour. Consbabll Flavell hoard the splash, and ran to till man's assistance, who was able to reach waterman's steps, where he gob on to th« wharf. He appeared to bo little the worse for his immersion. This is the fifth easel within a fortnight of persons falling over! the wharf. The Journal of the Departmonb of Labour for May is to hand. It states chab the building trades aro fairly brisk, as are also the boot and clothing trades. The engineering trades aro dull, and the retail vade said to bo improving. As regards unskilled labour, not so many men out of employment as last month, a number having been sent on to Government works. The gumfiolds and timber mills are employing all the surplus labour. In Tauranga the building and engineering trades are fairly busy, but the boob and clothing trades rather dull. At Gisborne the build-

ing and engineering trades are slackening off, with little prospect of improvement. Bush-foiling is beginning, and will employ a good many men now out of work. The adjourned forty-sixth annual meeting of the members of the Australian .Mutual Provident Society was held in Sydney on Way 17, to receive tlio report of the scrutineers on the voting for the election of two directors ami one auditor. Sir Joseph P. Abbott, chairman of the Board, presided, and explained the object of the meeting. The polling for the election of directors had resulted as follows:— Mr. Thomas Littlejohn, 86,933 votes ; Mr. J. R. Hill, 36.021 ; Mr. John Bridge, 19,442; Mr. L. U. RussellJones. 13,659. He had, therefore, to declare Mr. Thomas Lifctlejohn and Mr. R. J. Hill duly elected as directors. For the election of auditors the voting had resulted as follows:—Mr. Henry Gilfillan, 913 voters, 5889 votes ; Mr. T. F. "H. Mackenzie, 359 voters, 2463 votes; Mr. James Robertson, 343 voters, 2243 votes ; Mr. George Christie, 10" voters, 094 votes. He therefore declare* Mr. Henry Gilfillan elected as auditor of tfe society. A special meeting of the Boardof directors was held immediately after be annual meeting. Sir Joseph P. Abbtt was re-elected chairman, and Mr. J. R. lill deputy-chairman for the current year.

One of the sensations of the year 1892 in Sydney was tho brutal murder of X.*iss Emma Harrison in Darlinghurst. Suspicion pointed to a man named George Archir, whose bloodstained shirt was found hangug in a stable of the Sydney Omnibus ?nd Tramway Company. The case against lira was entirely circumstantial, but he vas found euilty of the murder and hanged. Many people, however, refused to accept the verdict, and clamoured fo* a mitigation of the sentence. Recently, however, what appears to be conclusive evidence of his guilt was discovered in the stables in which he formerly worked. This consisted of an an open-faced watch and ring, which were missed from Miss Harrison's room after the murder and not traced until they were found concealed on a rafter just over the spot where Archer's bloodstained shirt was discovered by the police.

The man Harry Sloan, who was arrested on Friday at the Hobson Hotel, by Constable Ryan, had on at the timo of his arrest a topcoat and an umbrella of a new patent. Mr. Clarke, licensee of the Victoria Hotel, had reported the loss of articles of that description to the police, and on Saturday he called at the police station and identified the coat and umbrella" as his property. Constable Ryan also got handed over to him at the hotel a largo carpet bag, which had been left there by a man, containing a quantity of ladies clothing and underclothing, which corresponds with a carpet bag and content* missing from the Queen-street wharf belonging to Miss Annie Fleet, of Archhill, who was a passenger by the s.s. Clansman from the Bay of Islands.

Matters were very quiet at Newton on Saturday night, and although the ordinary constables and the "plain-clothes men" were on the alert, the only arrest made was one on a charge of drunkenness.

The woman Mrs. Elizabeth Corney, who was (badly assaulted a week or two ago in a house in Grey-street, is so far recovered as to be able to leave the District Hospital, ivhere she had been admitted for treatment. Mr. Yates, who fell over the Queen-street Wharf, is progressing favourably at the institution, as is also Timothy Hayes, who was admitted to the Hospital early on Saturday morning, having received an accident while loading up at the s.s. Richmond, Queen-street Wharf. It was at first feared that he was internally injured, bub it now appears that he is simply bruised.

There are now on view at one of the front offices of the Herald buildings four handsome oil paintings of different sizes and a handsome pair of vaßes forming the five first prizes of the art union to be drawn in connection with the forthcoming show of the Auckland Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Association. They attracted a good deal of attention on Saturday.

The result of the Single Tax debate at Mb. Roskill between Messrs. Ewington and Withy was a majority of 11 for Mr. Ewington's side. Messrs. Napier, Vaile, Fowlds, and King each spoke five minutes. Messrs. Napier and King were appointed tellers. Several gentlemen went out from town to hear the debate.

The secretary of the Auckland Technical School Association was again in attendance sit the school office on Saturday evening last, and enrolled further names to the number of 17, making a total of nearly seventy students. In regard to the domestic economy and dressmaking classr e, a desire is expressed by ladies that, if possible, instruction in these classes should be provided in the day time, particularly Saturday afternoon. It is contended that many who live some distance out of town, and whose duties take them away during the week, could only make it convenient! to attend at such times. A number of inquiries are being made foe instruction in photography and electricity. These subjects the Association hope to be able to undertake as soon as the necessary arrangements permit. There is now eveiy indication of the school starting under the most favourable conditions. Those who havo not already done so should at once send in their names to the Becretary, 129, Customs-street West, from whom any information may be obtained.

The second performance of the Bands of Hope in connection with the Band of Hope Union, took place en Saturday night at the L'horal Hall. There was a large attendance, the hull being full. Mr. S. C. Brown presided, and expressed his gratification at being present. He urged upon the young the importance of being life-long abstainers. There were Beveral alterations in the programme from that of the previous evening, namely, a recitation, "The Gin Fiend," by Miss M. Carnahan, and one by Master J. E. Macdermott. " Buy your own Cherries." Master Percy West performed a cornet solo, "Death"of Nelson," in a very artistic style, and which shows him to be a young musician of great promise. ' Mr. McKeen contributed an excellent flute solo. Brother R. Crabb, Grand Lodge lecturer, 1.0. G.T., delivered a humorous and characteristic speech, in which he showed how young and old, parents and children, could alike help on the Temperance cause. At the close of tho entertainment the children of the choir were thanked for their services, and Mr. Macdermotb (hon. sec.) intimated that steps would bo taken to suitably recognise their efforts at a future date, by an entertainment of eome sorb.

At the Choral Hail last evening Mrs. Sara Drnffin delivered a Theosopbical lecture entitled " The Spiritual Temple." There was a very fair attendant ana the speaker was well received.