LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10972, 28 January 1899, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

This week's number of the Auckland Weekly News contains a most interesting and up-to-date series of pictures, dealing with the war in Samoa. The principal subjects dealt with are as follow :—Tanu Malietoa, the newly-elected king 0! Samoa ; Mataafa, with his daughter and chiefs ; Malietoa and his chiefs ; Muliagu, the warrior who fired the first shot on Malietoa's side ; Malietoa's men in trenches just before the commencement of hostilities ; officer and guard of H.M.s. Porpoise protecting Mr. and Mrs. Masse, at the British Consulate ; bluejackets taking a spell oh the verandah ot the London Mission building the morning after the tight ; Mr. and Airs. Chambers and party taking refuge on H.M.s. Porpoise ; Mataafa's men on a looting expedition, etc. The pictorial supplement has been enlarged to eight pages, and the illustrations are more than usually attractive and interesting. The News is now on sale.

His Worship the Mayor (Mr. David Ge-ldie) returned from the South by the s.s. Gairloch. He took the opportunity while attending the New Zealand Primitive Methodist Conference at Christchurch, to look into the working of municipal affairs in Christchurch and Dunedin, with a view oi seeing what changes of a beneficial character could be effected in Auckland.

The Works and Tariff Committee of the Harbour Board have decided to engage Mr. Knight to heavily tar and sand 100 ft on the Queen-street Wharf, as an experiment. It is intented to fence off the section experimented upon for a week to enable it to became hardened.

A narrow escape from drowning took place yesterday at noon. It appears that a man attempted to swim out at the railway reclamation, near Logan Brothers' boat-shed, to i dingey which was drifting out into the harbour. He had over-estimated his strength and ability, and when only half-way on his mission he became exhausted. The master of the scow Shamrock, Mr. William Burke, noticed the man's peril and jumped in, partly dressed, to his assistance, bringing him ashore. An Italian, named Petoni, also jumped in to render assistance in the emergency.

The civil case, William McCullough v. the Mayor, City Councillors, and' citizens of Auckland, in which the plaintiff claims £135, in connection with the printing of a catalogue of autographs, still occupies the attention of the Magistrate's Court, His Worship Mr. H. W. Brabant, S.M., sitting until late yesterday afternoon hearing further evidence. The caso will, however, probably conclude shortly, as a number of tile witnesses have now been examined, and as it will be proceeded with again next Thursday.

Our Cambridge correspondent states that Mrs. W. K. Carter died at four o'clock yesterday morning. Deceased was a daughter of the late Mr. Wat-son, of Bombay Settlement, and sister of the late Mrs. J. P. Thomson, of Cambridge. She had resided at Cambridge for the last 23 years. She leaves a husband and one son, Mr. W. T. Carter, of Cambridge. The deceased lady wilt be buried to-day at four o'clock.

Yesterday Constable Foreman brought down a man named John Johnson, from I'apakara, who had been remanded by the local Bench till Wednesday next, as he was supposed to be suffering from excess of drink, and was sent to the gaol for medical treatment.

Owing to the colder season there has not been so large an attendance of visitors at the city baths as in former seasons. The attendance is, however, about 300 per diem. The ladies' classes, under the supervision of Miss Calder, are fairly attended.

. The dispute as to the payment of the prize } n the Maori war canoe race at the North Shore Aquatic Festival, has not yet, it Me.us, been settled. Mr. St. Clair, solicitor, has written to the committee, on behalf of the kingites, claiming the prizeJloney, but ha 3 not yet received a reply. «is his intention to take legal proceedings ""less the matter is soon settled. The detention of the committee, it is stated, is 'hat there were three heats in the conditions, and that only one heat was run. The Maoris, on the other hand, allege that in toe Maori translation of the programme '10 mention is made of three heats. It is *»'ed that the kingites at Wahi have Passed a resolution that they will not run Maori wai canoe in any programme of , Yfopean acquatic races until the present cl »'ni is satisfactorily settled. Yesterday Constable Wainhouse, 01 Gis"•pie, brought up a lunatic from that town'P. who was committed to the Avondale %him.

oil e £ uclilana Ladies' Benevolent Sows Carnival Committee met yesterday "wnioon in Mrs. Sowerby's Hail, Lower Wads-street, to discuss and arrange plans 5™ reference to the carnival that the so?«y intend to hold in place of the annual ™«d fete. Mrs. Nelson presided, and Mrs. pall (secretary) briefly explained the j™>ess of the meeting. It was decided' "*' »gigantic carnival, including cycling SWSi illuminated bicycle races, and 'other JOTs, a cooking competition, a jumble ""'I. promenade concert, Maypole dances, **bosks, etc., should be held during two J*'* in the Exhibition Grounds, at about ™ first week in March. The carnival will »"clude with a fancy dress ball. Altogether J™ function should prove an immense sue- ; ***«. judging by the number of ladies at the !?<*tmg, and by th(! enthusiastic manner "hich they entered into the proceedings. W Shannan and the Rev. Wingfield were | J* present and took part it arranging mat-

At outrage occurred about a week ago at PanmuiE, which has been reported to the police. It seem that some malicious person or persons have injured a horse belonging ti l Mrs. Fitzpatrick, of that township, by throwing vitrol or some other corrosive liquid on the animal, as the skin and hair have lince come off the poo. brute's face and neck. Some painters have been at work painting her premises, and the miscreants, in addition to their brutality, took advantage of the material lying there and also dauked the horse with red lead. By the s.s. Waihora, due from Sydney on Moiday, Mrs. Harrison Lee, of Victoria, who has been a prominent temperance workei, is expected to arrive. The lady will receive a formal reception on Tuesday evening at the Central Mission Hall, Albertstreet, when the leading temperance workers will take part in the proceedings. It is Mrs. Lee's intention to hold a mission in Auckland.

Yesterday Mr. C. H. Mills, M.H.R., senior Government Whip, who is on a visit to Auckland, was chaperoned, with his party, over the Exhibition bv Mr. B. Kent, president of the Exhibition Executive Committee. The part}' expressed themselves as very much pleased with their visit to the Exhibition.

The Hon. Thos. Thompson (Minister lor Jv-stice) arrived yesterday from Wellington. He was accompanied by his private secretary, Mr. Matthews. Mr. Thompson spent a portion of the day in Onehunga, having cfiicial business to transact there.

Some prize homing pigeons were exhibited yesterday in a glass case in the window of Messrs. Win. Phillipps and Son, Queenstreet, and attracted a good deal of attention from those passing by. The pigeons were Mr. Fricker's Hauraki No. 1, winner of tho cup, New Plymouth to Auckland; and Hauraki No. 2, winner of trophies, Wanganui to Auckland, and Foxton to Auckland, and the same bird which flew from Wellington to Auckland.

On Wednesday night Constable Macnamara found a bicycle resting against a verandah post adjacent to the premises of Bishop and Co., Lower Queen-street. It was thought it had been placed there temporarily by its owner, but whon it came to midnight, and no one appeared, the constable took it to the water police station. Singular to say, no bicycle has been reported to the police as missing.

A meeting of dairy industry delegates, at Wellington, resolved to ask the Government to substitute a State system of inspection of the dairies of the colony for the existing method.

It will be seen by our obtituary column that a very old settler has passed" awav in the person of Mr. H. S. Andrews, of Mangere, who has died at the ripe age of 80. He had been a long time in the Mangers and Otahuliu districts, and was at one time at the Thames, having a store at Paeroa. During the Waikato war he took a good deal of interest in political affairs, but latterly has lived in retirement.

The rowing championship meeting takes place this afternoon, the course over which the races will be rowed is to be decided by the committee at eight o'clock this morning, but it will probably be fixed at Takapuna. The p.s. Wakatere, which is to act as Hagship, will leave the Queen-street Wharf at half-past one p.m., with visitors to view the contests. The programme comprises seven events, the first race to start at aquarter to three o'clock. If the weather is at all favourable there should be a large attendance of the general public.

An adjourned meeting of the creditors of Edward Boyle, storekeeper, of Hohoura, was held yesterday at the office of the official assignee. Mr. Napier, in the absence of the official assignee, was in the chair. It was resolved, " That the official assignee be requested to recover the preferential payments made by the bankrupt within the last four months. The meeting was further adjourned till Monday, February 6, to receive tho bankrupt's statement of receipts and expenditure.

A man, named Arthur Allen, was sentenced to a month's hard labour yesterday, by Mr. Hutchison, S.M., for wilfully breaking a pane of glass. Alien has spent several years in Mount Kden by reason of constantly indulging in this weakness. There died recently in a Queensland lazaretto a leper who was once a wealthy, and well-connected resident of Darling Downs district. Before being consigned to the place of living death, he was treated by several doctors and nursed by a woman for some months. That nurse is now an inmate of a leper reservation. A thunderbolt fell at Dannevirko during a recent storm. It narrowly missed Mr. Freeman's residence in Miller's Road, and struck a telegraph pole just opposite. The impact caused a shock that was clearly felt, and the ball of fire shed a glare which was observed at a considerble distance. The telegraph pole was splintered. A curious story has reached the Temukn Leader. A certain man from a certain

seaport town went Home to the Old Country to undergo an operation. While at Home he died, and his relatives decided to bring his body to New Zealand. Arrangements were made, and the body shipped accordingly, but when the vessel reached the port lit which it was to be landed it could not be found. Inquiries were instituted, and ultimately the case containing the remains of the deceased was found in a diaper's shop in Dunedin.

The baby show at the Agricultural Hall last night was an unqualified success. About 20 babies were entered. The winner for the prettiest competition was a lovelv little girl named Lena Muriel Currie, just tinder 12 months' old. The audience were

unanimous in their verdict, although nearly all the infants were pretty specimens of young New Zealand. The prize-winner was presented with a handsome Japanese cabinet. The heaviest baby was Master Rcggy, two stone seven pounds, and a tliird prize was given to Master Freddy, who was a close runner-up. There was a crowded audience. This afternoon there will be several competitions for youngsters, and every child entering the door will be presented with a useful toy. There will be a complete change of programme to-night at the waxworks. A very successful and numerously-attended picnic, in connection with the Holy Trinity Church Sunday-school, Otahuhu, took place on Wednesday", at Mr. R. Stimpson's Bush, East Tninaki. Conveyances were engaged from Messrs. Andrew and Sons,*.ind from Mr. S. Jenkins Mr. J. Hall and Mr. Irwin very kindly lent large waggons. The day was beautiful, the drive enjoyable, provisions plentiful, and the sports well contested. Mr. Stimpson. in the kindest possible manner, allows this annual picnic to be held in his beautiful bush year after year. There were in the lock-up, last evening, a man on a charge of drunkenness, and John Shannon, arested by Chief-Detectice Grace, on a charge of breaking and entering a shop in Wellesley-stret, and stealing therefrom a pair of boots.