LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10627, 16 December 1897, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The English press is denouncing in strong terms the. obstructive attitude assumed by Germany in connection with the appointment of a Governor for Crete. A somewhat alarming report comes from the Times correspondent at Harraz, in South Western Abyssinia, to the effect that King Menelik, acting under French advice, is making ready a great expedition with the object of seizing the Nile country lying between yondokoro and Fashoda, , It is rumoured '. that Lord Elgin, the Governor-General of India, intends to resign early? in the coming year. The celebrated Dreyfus case appears to have taken another turn. The French Government now desire to prevent the publication of statements asserting the innocence of Captain Droyfus on the ground that such assertions are inventions; The House of Lords has delivered a most' important judgment in a trades union appeal case. The Standard states that the decision, as a blow struck at a workman's individual', liberty, is the most important militant trades unionism has ever wrested from a logal tribunal. The prospects of a settlement of the engineers'strike are said to be improving. Mr, Ritchie, the President of the Board of Trade, says he is hopeful of an early agreement, as only a difference of phrases separates tho two parties. News from Kloiidyke states that thousands' of refugees are desperately attempting to cross the mountains. Many of them will probably perish. ..-♦•!

An English mail, which left London on November 5, arrived from Sydney this morning by the Anglian.

The two important subjects' of a further water supply for Auckland and an improved system of sanitation were dealt with yesterday by the Mayor (Mr. P. Dignan) at the annual meeting of the City Council. His Worship's remarks are reported elsewhere. At- a later stage Mr. P. A. Philips (town; clerk) pointed out that the whole, matter was one of funds; the Council had had to. do work not undertaken by similar bodies, in other large towns, and, as it was, Auckland had less indebtedness and taxation, in proportion to its population, than any other' city in the colony. The city engineer (Mr. Anderson) supplemented this by saying that in six years the consumption of water would be double what it is now. A comprehensive scheme 'would' take three years to carry out; by that time the consumption would .be half as much again as at present, so something should be done at once. Mr. Moriarty, when the i present scheme was gone in for, said the supply would last 20 years,' when the I population would be 30,000; that had worked out as he had said. Last week it took them all their' time to pump what was required. The city must either, go to the Huia, the Waikato, or somewhere else where a sufficient supply was obtainable. As to sanitation, closed closet pans alone for 'the. 7000 houses in Auckland; would cost £14,000.' - So < both these matters required fullest consideration,''''-' erwtff't

' We regret to learn ' that in the recent Harbour Board shed fire there was destroyed a collection of ancient) stone implements, 'collected in .Somaliland by Captain Seton-Karr, and forwarded for the Auckland /Museum,'in: exchange ' for 'an equivalent! in Maori stone; axes, which he intended to add to his collection. 1 Captain Seton-Karr is the only " explorer who has succeeded in obtaining these implements in that. part of Africa. ' The collection was valued by; the Museum authorities for its rarity. ' . ,

• In the City Council annual reports presented yesterday reference is made to the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June last. The report goes,oh to say "as a permanent record it has been decided to' erect a statue of Her - Majesty, and the fund raised '< by public subscription for the purposed now £1100, which, with; the ' proceeds : from the military sports, amounting to some £400, will no doubt secure for Jour city ab least a replica of a known and acknowledged work of art by some famous sculptor.". -:

iThe new Ellerslie Hotel to jPkce the building* recently burned - dor wto be cone on with 'at once. £ ThjMwpboll. Ehranfried Company,' who are hiding tj&ggag hotel,' have accepted the .tend/ of ileaare.' Jones ;. and ' Sons, builders,- ef they will commence operations at onceM take ad* vantage of the expectedi finj^herr,to push on the work :to early caption, it is to be built ill; brick. The the tenders received by MiH. G. Wadejsv > J architect,-for the i work:-/- Jones an<J£.:. .. ■( Son,'' £2082 (accepted); Hon Brother^^| £2199;,WJE. Hutchison, fll"! ClegboriF' and 1 Kosser, £2250; t Fair\pther, £2*2/5 !'p Craig Brothers, £2295; JP ov ! e >' £2638; S, &t; Langley and Sen, £2467 Rhodes, £2540 ; |i ■ « Wm Rosser, £2981..'/' The Sanitary Inspector A'- Geo. Ooldie) reports to. the. City Cojcd . that in the matter of infant mortali/ Auckland heads'|||l the list of the four prinqjal "ties of New Zealand. Be prpceeds Jlt may be asked what is the cause of so tiny infanta dying JMM The medical professionW he able to solve fe f | j the problem—l '.canna I affirm that the: City of Auckland is in; good sanitary con.. #Jg dition,and.will, cornea favourably as re. garda cleanlinesi wil any of ..the three' Southern cities.' j It isingular, but no Mlg| true, that the nupbf I births in Auckland were Jess by 92 tlanjhey were in Welling, Ml ton, still the infinbfcorbaliby was greater £|||I in Auckland than i Wellington. Some- Jg| thing wrong sotrew-ere." The number of deaths of infants uiyer one year (to October 31) was 145 in Intend 118 in 1897, .v . |.|| The.children ol tp Parnell Orphan Home fMp leave'for Motufcapihexb week, to camp out under canvas for tV holidays. • The Board I® are much indebted, Messrs. Reidßrothera for their great' fcidness in allowing the|i§| little ones to coffl down to their lovely ||S island home. Aoicontributions in money, goods, or toys,,™ be gratefully received f| by the hon. seorelry, Mr. J. B. Gllfillail, ■ ■( 0 Fort-streeb," ; On the i Bth' iistanb, a three-room^-0 h dwellinghcuse at jarangabako, belonging , to M«. J. Forbes, of Pairoa, and J. Gat. , diner, !jun.was Jurnefl df wn, Mr. Gardiner wffpg*} was aroused aboit half-p^tfour, by the smell V:Mm of fire. The firehad thin gob a good bold JfMg of kitqhen, aid he md his family Mp§| barely time to escape infcheir nigktclothes, The origin of the Ere is unknown, but it iyfsfi Conjectured that the fin arose through aij gjgg iron chimney getting bated, and setting fire to the woodwork. The house was in! J|»|| j sured in the Standard 'or £40. Mr, Gar,]b&M J diner, .tenant, had his .Urniture insured .togf|is the Victoria for £75. j ' irllN Yesterday a boy nmed Handley brokj 'j his right arm "while playing with a com. vj im panion at the Onehuiga Public School., Dr..-fefSj Erson was called ir and set the injurd limb. —>fi|f Nothing further aas been heard by thj police authorities a/ to the woman reported to be drowned at laihu on the 10th instant} j Constable Scott, i Aratapu, has been makj mi ing inquiries in tiat district, but no one w reported missing The settlers of the dis- I trict are now of opinion that the man who was supposed Whave seen the' body floating down the strean, was mistaken. - ~ ■ On Saturdayaftornoon a man was brought tver from CleUea to the Hospital, who appeared to bi suffering from strong mental ||g| eccitemenb. Yesterday, at two o'clock, he mpears to lave eluded the vigilance oi / fie staff; aid cleared out of the ; Hospital, beinf found • near _ midnight >by some ' persms in 'the vicinity of the Sugar Woiks. ; They telephoned to the§,^| Higtvflfcrea! police station, that he appeared pfg to lie sufering from, temporary mental gg. aberution, and requesting that he might|s|', be secured. Between one and two o'clock this norning the police -took a boat and itfgj went iver to Chelsea'with a view of arrest? ing tl? man if necessary. [ Immediately after the arrival of the Tau; y|||| rang?] coach atj'Waihi yesterday morning (write our Paeroa correspondent), th#-.||| coacbnan, Mr.' Archie Thompson, was about to take; iome, parcels into Tanner 8 I Hotel, when the.horses started off in fright. The each was 'Overturned, and the horses raced'up the street at a great pace,' the | vehiqi being completely smashed, . , 'Z.a^j Fofa day or two rain has been threatening, bit so far it has held off. Ib is much needel now in the suburban and country districtriy those cultivating, the land. Eves J||| the gardens -of the 1 citizens are suffering! and (fie Albert Park'-is beginning to went*a burned-up appearance.' • - ' : I &p|g| The linbsch. , patent lights' ,' Recently Introduced on the New Zealand railways by the , Government, ,is no* . being, fitted up in, the. carriages on' the H Auckland section, For some time past Mr, Vg Allan; whocame out from London in connection wfrh the light, has been busily engaged stpervising the erection of thj piant ab the Auckland station, the first test: of which was made yesterday, in the Wtvl: new second-class carriages just turned out from- the local- workshops. Each of these %|f was fitted with - two metal'lamps, each lamp carrying two burners, and the volume oilight thrown through the carriages wus allg|| the more marked when contrasted with thai)

given by the, lamps at present in vogue, / with whlch\ the adjoining carriages are indeed the difference was' almost eg that ' between \ darkness and ' ''daylight.; The light is soib and mellow, and yet so, powerful that thj finest print can be easily read in any part of the compartment. The j:g gas used is from; oil, and is manufactured .j| on the premises, and from thence is carried along the line by means of pipes to valves ■in the proximity cf the rails on which the outgoing train leaves. .From these cylin- jg ders, attached to carriages directly under the flooring, are stored with gas, the cylinders being capable of carrying sufficient gal to barn for some 30 hours. ' Should the muJ| pressure in the carriages not meet the Mfcjf iconvenience of the passengers, they; can regulate the jets to 1 suit themselves, - bat ||| cannot turn the' light completely off. ; At|gj present arrangements are being made for|S! the fitting up of some El sets of lights," an# no doubt the innovation will 'find much favour With the travelling public. ?, ■-' . There ; is on view at the premises, of||g Messrs. Eady and Co. a violin constructed : wholly of Now: Zealand woods,. The firip ' sent to Europe a Variety' of New Zealand woods, in order to see what kinija would DB|j| useful for the manufacture of violins. The ||| violin, in question was manufactured by Schuster, of Markneukirchen, Germany. The back of the violin has been made of mottled miro, the belly of kahikatea, and the other parts of mangiao; the fingerboard is of maire. As the instrument has,oolJ£|j just been received from Germany there has been no opportunity to test its tone by some |f of our leading violinists. Several attempts fjf have been made in Auckland to test Nsff Zealand woods in this branch of manufacture of musical instruments, some of them extending as far back as 40 years ago! butij| the experiments were never varied and extended to give the New Zealand woods a satisfactory and effective test. _ ■ ; A correspondent suggests that. soml inquiry should be made by the visiting justices at Mount Eden Gaol as to why tieJ| number of prisoners is creeping up so steadily-154 males and 14 females-m Mount Eden Gaol.. Some months ago the Jg number of males was under 100, females,® about 13. Our correspondent ask 3 " Are; the prisoners fed too well, or no work to do,# or what is it?" The subject is certainly » suitable one for inquiry. - ■ '■! .fig ' A man named Walter , Kenny. was ar- ; • rested .yesterday on warrant of commitment for not paying a fine of £2 and costs which he was adjudged to pay or fourteen days imprisonment. He was taken to Moan! Jg] Eden Gaol to fulfil bis term of imprisonment. ■ ' ■ -hjsjf