LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10414, 12 April 1897, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

tt mother column will be found the first ■j ( Mr j M of articles on mining at the Great iLier Island, a visit having been paid to upland by a Hebald reporter. Of late \Lid deal of attention has been paid to 'IkVOreat Barrier as a field for mining opetions, and as on account of its inaccessible tore very few of our readers have been "bli to pay » v ' B ''' to fc ' je ">' n ' n K districts, Tjttticles should be read with interest. An accident occurred on Saturday afternoon at the Auckland Trotting Club's Sleeting «' Potter's Paddock to one of the tekeye engaged, a young man named Vlited Patterson. He was riding a horso ailed Platch in the Hurdle Race when it Slat the first hurdle, and threw Patterson Lid injured bis left leg. IPatterson wae [•ten to the steward's room, and Mr. Abbott, one of the stewards, procured a cab 2,4 had the injured man conveyed to the hospital for treatment. On arrival Patter■nj was examined by Dr. Baldwin, who ■tat-ed that the left knee was badly bruised, but that no bones were broken. Peterson, it is expected, will be able to Itive the hospital in a few days, He is a ringlemsn and arrived from Hawke's Bay Ihree months ago. Another jockey named [Air was also bruised about the leg in (,kiDg the same hurdle. On Saturday evening about half-past eight, a holt occurred on the Queen-street fSw/i bub it was fortunately not accompanied by serious results. A horse in one of Heiire. Keenan's cabs becoming sometbat fractious, reared and freed the reins from the hands of the driver, who was on the ground, and wheeling round, the pair dashed up the wharf, round Customs-street Welt, up Albert-street, and into the itibles in Chapel-street, without interfering with any vehicle or obstacle on the way. Had the cab been taken up Queen-street, in accident could hardly have been averted. While telephone charges are being raised in New Zealand they have just been reduced in New South Wales, with most gratifying results. The reduction was followed by a Urge influx of orders, and ever since then the departmental officers have been actively engaged meeting the requirements of people who wished to be placed in touch with the network of communication. Tho demand bM continued up to the present, and shows do signs of abating.

The work of receiving pictures ab tho Choral Hall for tho forthcoming exhibition of the Society of Arts was continued on Saturday, and the hanging committee will commence its work to-day. There is every prospect of a successful season.

A cyclist named Barnes had a narrow eicape from a serious accident ab Papatoetoe on Saturday evening. He collided nith a buggy and received a rery nasty fill which rendered him unconscious. The vehicle, in which a lady and gentlenan were seated, carried no lights, and the driver evidently recognising that ho was to blame, paid all possible attention to the cyclist, and agreed to make good all dwnage done. Had the lamps of the buggy been alight the accident) would not hnvo happened.

On Saturday we were shown by Mr. Wesley Spragg a pretty bunch of blossoms belonging to a New Zealand tree which is not very common hereaboub. We allude to the tree known as the yellow rate, the netrosideros florida. During some of his recent ramblingg he came across the plant, the first of its kind he had seen. This tariety of the rata differs from the ordinary tata, metrosideros robueta, by always blossoming iu the autumn, and when ono of these trees are in full bloom it makes a pretty and very striking feature in the landscape.

At the Thames Police Courb on Saturday Irederick Lough, who is charged with {lievouely injuring Arthur Innes, was totter remanded to Monday next, bail-, Wng allowed as before, whilst George Oiborne, who is charged with attempting t>;.iUl'der Samtiol Agnew, was remanded io Thursday, the 15th inst. The lattor iccueerl was admitted to bail, himself in £200 and two sureties of £100 each. In the rooms of the Auckland Branch of the Theosophical Society, last night, Mrs. Draffin gave a locture on " Invisible Helpers." After showing that in this respect Theosophical and Biblical teachings were at one, she proceeded to give illustrations both from the men of the bible and from living persons. The lecture was listened to with great attention, and was followed by questions and a discussion. Mr, U. W. Sanders presided. The Sydney Morning Herald states, that in the course of a few days an application will be made to the Equity jurisdiction of the Supreme Court for an injunction in order to test the question whether the law of copyright appliee to original matter appearing in a newspaper, and which has been transferred to tho columns of another journal without permission. We have to hand the Monthly Record (Y.JI.C.A.) for April. A statement is givim of the financial position of tho Aesociation. The eccretary states:—The revival in trado and commerce during the past year has exerted a beneficial influence all round. This improved tono has enabled us to dispose of the land in Swanaon-9treet, bequeathed by the late C. 0. Davis to the Association, the Bible Society, anil tho Orphan Home, in equal shares, at a fair price, and the share coining to the Association ha; been a great help. The legacy of £500 left by the late Mr. Dilworth, end which hitherto has been unavailable, has now been received from the trustees, and this has enabled us to pay % off the mortgage upon the property adI joining tho Association building, and will ; relieve us of interest on that sum. The ; committee desire to oxpross their thanks to |, the trustees of the Dilworth estate for thoir , i consideration in makiug this payment boil fore actually compelled to do so in terms of ~-; ' Ihe bequest In January, 1896, during the Yatman mission, and largely through tho imtrumentality of Mr. Yatman, a new 'ond-the Debt Reduction Fund —was started. Here aro the results;— Promises received, 216 (from £550 to ss), £1796 3s 2d j promises paid to date. 199, £1768 8s 2dj outstanding, 17, £27 15s. Here is our position in 1897:—Tho floating debb account hae disappeared ; the mortgage has been reduced to £4000; the general acMint is £8 3s 6d in credit; the balance of tbeC. O. Davis' legacy (£95 10s sd) is hold •gainst the completion of purchase of the Albert-street property ; tho balance of the / debt reduction fund (£36 10s 2d) is available for the same purpose. This property . i< now free from debt, and is a clear asset, 'wm which we expect an income of about fi>o. Mr. Josiah Martin continues his "Sketches of Mission Work in Fiji." The monthly meeting of the executive of "»« Now Zealand Educational Institute, Auckland branch, was hold in the Welles- . wjfitreet Bchool on Saturday. The principal business before the meeting was discussion °ftbe recent regulations re tho classification H/Uachere passed by the Board of Education, the general opinion of the members being that the opinion of teachers as a • »oole ehould be obtained as far as possible. «was decided that the matter be postponed for discussion at the quarterly meethfr With that object in view the following 'Wide was decided upon a» a basis for "tocussion :-(a) Classification of teachers; (•) The question of inspectors' marks. Tbe junior members of the Auckland tying Club held a pigeon race on Saturday -: 'rom Paeroa to Auckland for Mr. Kohn's tophy, and resulted as follows:— J. A. Lin- ' .tail birds, 2h. 10m., let; B. Ayres, 2h, ;•■ «"»•; S. H. Howie, 2h. 40m. The trophy :'.■"■ k » gold medal. Distance U about 60 ■ aik There would have been more compeHtore, only the birds ore not prepared , '"'"g to moulting. ■ -Th* weekly entertainment) (jivon on Mturday night by the All Star Novelty Company of Messrs, Crawford and Moore '*•» well patronised, end proved a ereat •access. Mis? Ethel Clifford, lately of the "ivoli Company, Sydney, made her,,firsb r*«nce, and was favourably received. James Driscoll made bis second , »Ppearance, eiving exhibition* of wire-rope . Mkiw, which proved a great attraction..

The fifth popular concert takes place at the City Hall thii evening. The programme is a well-selected one, and the produelion of "The Silent System," an amusing one-act comedy, should prove a ercat attraction. The concert will no doubt be as successful as usual. Arangements have been completed for the appearance in Auckland of the wellknown burlesque and terpsichorcan artiste, Miss Ada Delroy and her combination of entertainers. The season, which is announced for seven nights, will be inaugurated at the Opera House on Easter Saturday, the 17th instant, and there is every indication that) a prosperous season awaits the company. The little lady, whose name heads the combination, is admittedly one of the best burlesque and terpsichorean artistes that has ever visited this colony. The entertainment is described ad full of pure unadulterated fun, mirth, music, and mystery being its principal ingredient;. There were in the lock-up, last evening, two men and two women on charges of drunkenness; Frank Small, on a charge of theft from penon of Win. Smith of 10a; W. M. Kenny and Ed. Knox, fighting in a public place; and two women charged with a similar offence.