LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10969, 25 January 1899, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

This week's number of the Atjcklasj . Wfeklt News will contain a most interest- ' ing and up-to-date series, of pictures, dealing with the war in Samoa. The principal' subjects dealt with are as follow Tann Malietoa, the newly-elected king of Samoa ; Mataafa, with his daughter and chiefs { Malietoa and his chiefs; Muliagu, the waN rior who fired the first shot on Malietoa'i side ; Malictoa's men in trenches just before • the commencement of hostilities ; officer and guard of H.M.s. Porpoise protecting Mfc and Mrs. Maxse, at the British Consulate j bluejackets taking a spell on the verandaH of the London Mission building the morning after the fight : Mr. and Mrs. Chambers and party taking refuge on H.M.s. Porpoise ; Mataafa's lnen on a looting expedition, eta The whole series of illustrations will b4 ' found a most interesting one, and copies of the first edition of the News will be on sale to-morrow morning. The colonial mails which left Melbourne, per R.M.s. Australia, on December 21, arrived in London on Saturday last, one day ■ early. The Otahuhu Road Board is doing its best to prevent the spread of typhoid during the present summer. It- is reported that the validity.of the Hoard's,new by-laws, dealing- ■ with the question of public health, mil hs tested next Court day, February 6. It is ' to be hoped that, instead of raising factious opposition, each individual resident will help the Road Board in every possible way to stamp out this really preventable disease. ; A fresh appeal has recently been made to the people of Canterbury to provide fundi for the completion of the Christclmrch Cathedral. An influential committee has been formed, and the amount already subscribed has reached over £3000. The sum of £12,000 is required, and the work will be taken in hand as soon as one half this amount is subscribed. The Legal Committee of the City Council have duly considered the various applica- ■ tions of ex-cabmen to have their licenses renewed, and heard the statements of police officers and the traffic inspector, and recomend the Council to adhere to its previous resolution. In regard to the letter per R. H. Kcenan, re condemned vehicles, it was recommended that the traffic inspectoi be upheld in his decision, declining to license such vehicles. An inquest >vas held yesterday afternoon, by Dr. l'hilson, coroner, at Miss Sparling's Infants' Home, Parnell, on the body of an infant named Arthur Stanley Adams, aged six months. From the evidence of the matron of the home., Miss Sparling, the idfant had been placed in the home in August last by its grandmother, who resided at Gisfccrne. The child had been brought up oil cow s milk, but did not appear to thrive, being fretful, and small for its age. The mother, aged only 15, resided at Gisborne. Dr. Marsack had attended the child, and visited it- three times in its last illness. He stfted it w.is suffering from consumption o: the bowels, through loss of the mother's breast milk. Constable Hutchison also gave evidence, and stated that he had bseii unable to see Dr. Marsack with regard t<i the inquest. Tin- jurv returned a verdict to the effect that" the child died from natural causes, and the pause of death ii) accordance wit.li the evidence. The othe, night an attempt, it is stated, was made, to burglarise the residence of 8 (i.sonby resident. Owing to some move-mi-nts the inmates were aroused, and tha would-be thieves made off. There is reason to believe that thev had a trnn with them. In reply to requests from various meat icezing companies the Government has proved, as soon as efficient men hare been engaged in England, to appoint an inspector m each district, who will not- onlv inspect tne meat intended for export but that of retail butchers. The Stock Department is now considering the question of slaughtering cattle believed to be diseased, or adopting # system of isolation in order to test whether tuberculosis exists or not. The Stock Department appears to favour the latter course, but nothing definite has been decided upoil. It is stated that in December last the AgentGeneral was instructed by cable to select half-a-dozen duly qualified veterinary surgeons for service in this colonv. An earljr repy is expected. The railway authorities have issued pesters respectin, the cheap excursion trijjs by railway, wh'.cb are arranged for Anniversary Day, to Hamilton West sports, etc. On tlir 30th the Auckland poods shed will be closed. From Auckland, Newmarket, Onehunga, and stations in direct , ro "t«i the fares to Te Aroha will be J2s and 7s 3d, first and second-class respectively ; from the above stations to j. 1 aeroa, the fares will be 13s 6d and 8s respectively, available for the day of issuo .}'• On the same date a special passenger train will leave Auckland at 7 a.m., reaching Hamilton West at 11.26, Te Arohs ' at 12.40, and Pacroa at 1.10 p.m., returning.,;' from Paerari at. 4.50 p.m., Te Aroha at { 5.40 p.m., Hamilton West at 7 p.m., reach" ;s ing Auckland at 11.15 p.m. This specify train will only stop at places where timedSeveral alterations will necessarily be pad', in local trains. To prevent a crush dfl ' , the running of the trip, tickets will be issued at Auckland and Thames on the evening <« . Saturday, January 28. The did identities who have resided, i® Auckland, or in the district, for half»- J century are requested to forward their y names to the secretary of the Auckland .&•'$ hil.ition, with the name of the ship in which g they arrived in Auckland; and the date of their arrival It is proposed to enter* ■ ■ Jtailj them at the Exhibition Buildings Friday, the 3rd pros. ' "t,§s ■pi . • ji

a correspondent suggests that to conventidd pension® and others who are »f, ®it Ho l7 ' oll ' otabl)hu ', Panmure, Onehunga, and who are claimants { or fif old age pensions, local courts of inshould be «* op at these tenm Ha points out that those ho are Snt at the Sorth Shore and other ad- ■ Places, are at present obliged to forStheir papers to the clerk ot the Seville Stipendiary Magistrate's Court, i adds that it would be most undesirable Sat the? should have to go such a distance cn (ho day of hearing. n r J Wan Campbell has received a letter iff H. Prescott, of Boston, who was touiid this colony some time ago, and a Send and associate of the late Major Dane. Writing under date December 24, lie says: «ff# in this country have passed through a ■ ring time, and the most important questions are the ones now presenting themselves for solution. Toil have undoubtedly fceard many stories told of tin mismanLment and blunders, but many of them are iue, and most of them are exaggerated. Our War Department was entirely unprepared for war, and was so bound up by restrictions placed unon it by Congress, that it took three-fourths of the war for the department to find out where they were, and what was needed. I was able to do something for the "boys," as I was sent to \Vikoff, the largo quarantine camp at Montauk, Long Island, to represent MassachuK tt s ' I was in camp fully eight weeks, and mv time was occupied in distributing supplies to the Massachusetts volunteers and the regulars. Of course at first there was confusion and trouble, but these finally gave place to comfort and order. I went before the Commission appointed by the President to investigate the conduct of the war, and told the story of the camp. The new proHems which are coming up for solution will tie much time for their proper solution, but although mistakes will be made, in the end they will all be settled rightly. We ire not a nation of land-grabbers, and do not mfb to annex the many islands just for the gate of increasing our acreage, but the problems presented are momentous, and I, for one, believe that we must govern the islands for the present at least. The Philippines yill never become an integral part of the United States, but we are responsible for their future, and it would be cowardly to shirk the duty. I can only say, " God help us to do the 'right!"

This evening, at the Devonport Hall, Captain Jackson Barry, the well-known pioneer, explorer, colonist, and lecturer, will narrate some of his early experiences in the colonies. He should have an interesting story to tell. Captain Barry was one of the first free white men who landed on the stores of Botany Bay, and his experiences as a lad between 1829 and 1837 in the penal settlements of New South Wales and Tasmania are very graphic. He also saw the early settlement and survey of Melbourne. The lecture, as a whole, should prove most entertaining. Owing to the incessant worrying by the police of the criminal, semi-criminal, and dissolute section of the population, a number bare left for Australia, others have gone South, and another section left for the goldfields or the country. These classes are complaining bitterly about being " chivied" by the force. A considerable number of Australian tourists have arrived since the new yeaer, most of them bent on visiting the Lake Country. The tourist season promises to be a most successful one. A robbery in Victoria which has some novel features, is being inquired into by Detectives Neilson and Mercer. On January 15, says the Age, two men paid a visit to the New Bendigo Hotel, at the corner of Cambridge and Victoria Streets, Collingwood. Though they entered a room ordinarily regarded as private, Mr. H. Cuttriss, the landlady's husband, who attended to them, did not like to ask them to leave it, as they were respectable-looking men. He served them with drinks, and was then called to the bar to attend another customer. As he was doing this he heard the , ▼isitors depart, and when lie went back to the room he found that they had, with the aid of some instrument, prized open a cupboard and stolen some valuable property. They had taken £22 in cash, a diamond ring worth £30, the hotel license, three (icicts in TattersaU's sweeps, a collection of old coins, some jewellery, and some mining scrip. Finally, with a splendid conception of the ludicrous, they carried away the policy of insurance against burglary ! The license, the policy, and the sweep tickets were discovered next morning on the verandah of a house in Charles-street, Fitzroy, on which they had been thrown, and were banded over to the police. These was a good house at the Waxworks list night, when the programme was splendidly received. The farce, "On the Fire," was received with roars of laughter. Mr. W. J. Blair, the Australian heavy-weight lifter, appeared, and gave a clever exhibition of strength. He swung two clubs, 171b each, and lifted two 601b round shot from the ground over his head, one in each land. With a sword lie cut- a bar of lead, bung on to cotton loops, without breaking tie cotton, and concluded his clever performance by cutting a potato in half on the back of a man's neck. The afternoon sessions continue to be well patronised. There *ill be a sentimental singing competition for ladies to-night.