LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10420, 19 April 1897, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

—i —♦— —— VaIWOBJO COlDman ' < !atici was opened nwith Nspier yesterday, b.t beyond that ,tjtioa there *&» complete interruption, I it was intended if poesibi to send the Accumulated merges at >pier to Hast/ jugs this morninß.lrom whio point the line/ ,re clear, but»» P* 6 of tlvrailway bridJ tf ross the river aid the»pproaches hat t«en swept away by th floods it m joubtful whether tlis cod be done. / By the mail steimerin Saturday the Hon. R. J. Seddon, Mr* and the Mum geddon (2), and Mr. (Jw, private doittsry, left for Horn/ Wake part in the Jubilee celebrations jnonget those who journeyed to Aucklsu|n the Government tamer Tutenekai ;«id farewell to the prty were Mies Is Seddon, Masters Seddon (2), Mrs. and fes Crow (Uunedin), Jfesdames Wilson aijSchoch (Welling. ton Women's Politicateagne), Kennedy, McDonald (Wcllingtol Brown (Dunedin), the A™. W. J. a'ndilrs. Larnach, Mr. Geo. Fisher, M.H.R.,id Mrs. Fisher, Mr. M d Mrs. T. Hainer/tc. A large crowd pthered on the wrf to witness the Alameda's departurejnd bid bon voyage to the Premier's part} In the course of a M interview which i Herald reportei Id with the Premier (Eon. R. J- Seddon bore his departure on fitorday, the latte nted that he would be back in New Ztland by the 20th 4 September. If tls be bo, there is a probability of the sesjn opening about the 30th September—tiedato so which the Opposition wished t< limit supplies when the question was lepted in the House. The Premior was ilf> asked as to whether (here was any pnbbility of a reduction being made in the rots charged for mining areas, a question inwhich a good deal of interest is being nnifested by those con-; nected with the lining industry. Mr. Seddon, howevei stated that any such application wouk eceivo careful consideration, but it wai i matter connected with the department d is colleague the Minister of Mines, and hewuld therefore express no ipinion on the qiefion. The journal of th Department of Labour lor April is to hand As to the state of the labour market it s reported as regards Auckland that th building trades are itwdy, and local men pretty well employed. Tho enginpring aid iron trades, tie fairly busy. Closing tride, as to order tailoring quiet, cloth'ug and factory work brisk. Retail genera trad) is good, as to nikilled labour the applicants for work are in the increase, and are composed principally of strangers who lave been disjointed in finding ivork on the goldfields. Die majority of thesi men ire not miners, let what are called " general labourers," tin demand for whom on the goldkdi is limited. Tho retail trade ii reported fairly good at Russell, taskwork continues to be brisk, but gumdigging only uoruul. The fish factories ire doing little, as the fish aie getting exfeelingly scarce. At Gisbornt the building trades are reported as being dull, also the letal trade. With regard to unskilled WW, there were several applicants for empliyment during the month They are mainly composed of recent atrivula from Other parts. Local men seem to be fairly tell employed. The numbei of artisans and ptjer workmen employed on co-opera-tive works under Government departments for March last was:—Survey Department, 1686 labourers; Public Worki Department, 118 arisans and 628 labomers; at State Farm, Levin, 15 : grand total, 2442. The inijMltyieous articles are:— The Law of Civilisation and Decay," "Strikes as a Factor in Progress," " Machinery and Labour,' " The Duties of the Very Rich," md "low Machinery is Hastening the Downfall of Monopoly."

Two young men, Messrs. Scanlon and pliott, boarding at Mr. E. Watora's Coffee Palace, vent out on Friday forenoon in a half-decked yacht they had at Ponsoaby. Ilieir intention was to go fishing and be tick to lunch. As they did not return, Mr. Haters, on Saturday, in view of the strong ply weather prevailing, deemed it wise t inform the police authorities. As the I pung men on leaving did not say where bey were going to fish the police were liable to make any effective search. Last ironing, however, Mr. Waters telephoned to the police station that the wnng men had returned. The yacht had Hen blown down toMotutapu by the strong Both-westerly gale, and they took shelter there till the weather moderated.

On Saturday the Rev, P. Smallfield, of ii John's College, telephoned to the police authorities that it was current a boating accident bad taken place on St. John's Lake. A constable was despatched to make inquiries, when it was ascertained that two young men named Lid field had ken in a punt on the lake, when a squall (truck the punt, capsizing ber, and throwing the occupants into the water. Fortunately, the water was only from three to four feet in depth at the spot where the accident took place, consequently the fonng men escaped with a ducking. The notice of the pictures of some of the Southern exhibitors at the Auckland Society of Ar(e Exhibition appears elsewhere,

Information has been received that a small •tore at Port Fitzroy, Great Barrier, belonging to the Kauri Timber Company »as destroyed by fire on the night of the Bth instant. The building was almost empty, and was not Insured. lb had been locked up on the Ist instant by the caretaker, and he was away at Okupu when the *fe took place.

An unusual number of drunkards were dealt with by Colonel Haultain at Saturday's sitting of the Police Court. The 'sues on the sheet included those of 10 "ales and two females. Most of the priloners had been in the lock-up since Thursday evening, as there was no sitting of the Court on Friday. Two were out on bail, we of whom was not to be found when his •ame was calloil in Court.

The sacred concert at the Opera House "it evening attracted a good downstairs Wilience. The programme submitted '"fared very little from that presented on "May evening, the vocal selections of mm Katie Fitzpacrick, E. Featon, and mm. Buttery and Hay being well reeved. Miss Featon sang " Star of Bethlem" in her usual finished style, and Mr. Buttery also changed his items, which Fere "God has no Part" and " Rocked in tie Cradle of the Deep." The views of tho TO Land, and of " The story that transIfinei the world," shown by means of Mr, Mwles Cooper's limolight apparatus, ttttly pleased the audience. Sir. £. J. «rke made an efficient accompanist.

Considering the numerous counter-atrac- {*"«! there was a very good attendance at m opening performance of Bernard's wens, at the Agricultural Hall, on Satur- % evening, The company contains sevem clever performers, the principal being ■•child gymnast Ethel. This lilliputian Wilt goes through a clever aerial act, •Mob seldom fails to elicit loud applause. ™ the other members of the company, PjWtion may be made of Hogan, a daring iMrjKadama, who gave a very good ttbibition of wire - walking; tho clown "'Fei, the performing horses, and the ; Nwious jumping dog Laddie. There will another performance this evening, popu- ;* prices being charged.

k were were seven prisoners in the look-up, women and five men, all on charges of ffniennees.