LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11059, 10 May 1899, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The American mail steamer Mariposa arrived from San Francisco, Honolulu, and Apia, last night, bringing the English and American mails. The steamer was detained for five hours at San Francisco, owing to the mails being late from the Atlantic side. Fine weather prevailed until yesterday morning, when squally weather was met with. The Mariposa brought very few passengers for Auckland, and her through list is also a small one. The cargo consists of the usual consignments of canned and dried fruits, etc. The steamer's time, including all stoppages, was IB days 23 hours 15 minutes. The Mariposa leaves for Sydney at six o'clock this morning. The mails brought by the Mariposa last night were of the following dates London, April 8 ; San Francisco, April 20 ; Honolulu, April 27 ; Apia, May 3. Tho other Commissioner (Dr. Pennefather), who, with the Bishop of Wellington, is to hold an inquiry into matters relating to St. John's College, will reach here on Thursday, and until his arrival tho details of the inquiry cannot bo fixed. Yesterday, at the conclusion of the Police Court sitting, tho presiding magistrate, Mr. H. S. Wardell, S.M., intimated that ho would take no fresh civil cases, but with regard to those alreadv begun, he was prepared to make special arrangements with counsel in order to finish them before his departure for Wellington, which would probably be next Saturday. Mr. Wardell, as will be remembered, was sent from Wellington some time ago, to relieve Mr. Brabant, S.M., of the regular Court work, while the latter was investigating old age pension claims. Mr. Wardell came at a time when a great many cases had accumulated, both in tho Magistrate's and Police Courts, and has been busily engaged since his arrival, sitting frequently from ten o'clock in the morning until six, or after, in the evening.

Yesterday, Mr. Stiehburv (chairman) and Messrs. Bruce, Jamieson, Y. Warren, and tlio Rev. Finlav Wilson (members) of th" Charitable Aid Board, paid an official visit of inspection to the various homes, for the purpose of personally seeing to the condition of the children boarded out at the expense of tlio Hoard. They visited the Orphan Home. Parnell, and the St. Mary's Orphanage, Funsonby, and were much pleased with the condition of these institutions. As Mi?s Jackson was absent, they were unable to inspect the St. George's Bay Industrial School.

) .Another old identity lias passed away in tiie person of Mr. Win. Isaac Speight, who died this morning at his residence, Alma Place. Parnell, at the ripe age of 74. Deceased leaves a grown-up family. He had oeen formerly in the Imperial service, being ■i stuff sergeant-major, and staff sergeant in H.M. 58th Regiment. Mr. Speight was for many years, in "the fifties," in the Auckland Brigade Office, under Major Greenwood, Brigade-Major. Mr. W. Speight, well known in athletic circles, is a son of deceased, and Mr. Speight, local manager of the Government Insurance Department, is also rotated to him.

About eight o'clock last night the Firo T i igade received a telephone message at the Albert-street station, of an incipient fire having been discovered in the foundry of Messrs. Miissev Brothers, Custom-street " est. A hose reel detachment went down and suppressed it. The fire had originated. Apparently, in the casing of the boiler The damage was about £2. The men had not long returned to tho station, Albert-street, when the firoboll rang again for the fire at T , H ' .. , &mecUm,ii premises, Queen-stic-et, winch proved of a serious character, ilncl . is fully reported elsewhere. Yesterday afternoon Mr. Geo". Goldie gave a practical exhibition of his automatic silt punt, at the premises of Mr. McDennott, (v neon-street, in the presenco of Mr. Malcolm Niccol, of the Harbour Board, and other practical men. The spectators appeared to bo perfectly satisfied with the efficiency of the invention, which Mr. Goldie claims would reduce the cost of dredging to the Harbour Board nearly 50 per cent in by about £1500 to £1800 a year He is prepared to build, at his own expense, a nit punt of either 50, 75, or 100 tons, to be used by tho Harbour Board for dredging, 011 condition that if lie proves that fie has succeeded in solving the problem, tliev wilt recoup to him the money expended. ' As a young lady was going down the steps at Harvey s Wharf, Pine Island, yesterday, to board the Vivid, en route for 'Auckland, she slipped ink the harbour. Mr. Griffin, who witnessed the accident, jumped in to the rescue, and assisted by Captain Windsor, got her to the steps, and thus relieved her from a perilous position. Further than a few bruises and tlio wotting, she suffered no injury. x

The West Australian revenue for April was £197,702, compared with £202,001, collected during the corresponding month of last year. Money order remittances to other colonies during April represented approximately the balance. The money sent awav ° ver Jill? t0 tllo colon y in money orders rum? o ' made up " 3 foUows : -London, *rTnnA 1 Australia, £4000 ; Victoria, £13,000 ; i\e\v South Wales, £4000 ; Queensland, £1000 Tasmania, £1000 ; Ae\v Zealand, £800 ; Germany, £443. The total for April last year was £54,216. The amount deposited in the Savings Bank during April was £80,461, and the amount withdrawn, £68,500. The balance to the credit of depositors now is £1,072,180.

Intelligence has been received from the Great Barrier to the effect that a great to " ol °"', b J' rain, »d swept over the island a few days ago. There have been numerous landslms on the new Government road. One bridge has been wept away, and two others, it is said, have been reported as unsafe for traffic. 1 An analysis ° the late voting in Adelaide ne ha L ?, PerCent - ofthome n and 55 per cent, of the women on the rolls voted I lie last general election was the first if wh.e l women voted. The proportion was then 66 per cent, of women-voters to women cent Thi'f fr° Win i * f l llin °" o£f of U per 2 per cent. g m tlie men voting waa stntiof w'- 9, * Me tbe Sor ts Demon, stratum was in progress -at the Birchgrovfl it! y \ ey ' the final of the half-mile ban. bicycle race was attended ? a serious tors ha j llst a{ter Bome ° f tlle « a heap Woftl P ° ? ' tbree riders fe » in v , ' ,7', ,i%° oi the riders were slightly in, jural, but Joseph Buckley, who finished HoSH 611 M p e s almain Cottage hospital by the Mort's Dock Ambulance Corps, after receiving "first aid" bv t he I members. Buckley was admitted to the in- : stitution by Dr. Gordon Davidson, where it was found that the patient had received a

i 11 ii in i r I A serious outbreak of typhoid fever ha?X|f| occurred at the residence of Professor Mas-vf -r son within the Melbourne University!'# grounds (says the Age of April 27), P ro . fessor Masson, Mrs. Masson, and several other members of the family have been attacked with the disease, for the occurrence of which no tenable theory can at present be: 'f advanced. A bacteriological examination ofS.j the water supply is being made, to ascertain whether this was the medium of the'^% ; infection. The City Council is also investigating the matter. The New South Wales Aborigines Board M met the other day, and 0110 result of its '_•*§£. labours was the appointment o: a king ofJiff the blacks at Angledool, an newest town- >§| ship. Thereabouts the i _-inals have U5. been compelled to spend their latter days y&j under no regal sway, and the absence of authority invested in a chief somewhat-;'g troubled' them. ' Now, however, thanks to tho united efforts of Mr. Willis, M.P., and the local police, Angledool is to have a king. His name will be Combo. He 13 Sa very steady old fellow of some 60 sum- if; mers," and never leaves the town, close to where ho was born. In course of time 'S Combo's chest will be duly hung with a, M brass half-moon, signifying to the world his £ kinglv rank, and lie will be allowed to wan- • der" about amongst his tribe, carrying this 4/ imprimatur of the Aborigines Board. i,v The Fiji Times, of April 19, states fr- " H.M.s. Torch, Captain Precdv, arrived ?: from Sydney on Monday morning, en route to Samoa with despatches. After coaling ; ' the Torch proceeded on her mission the fol- - - lowing morning (yesterday). One of the ... 'Jacks' on board informed our reporter that the magazine of the ship contained a quantity of patent rockets designed for use in - rebel African scrimmages, and for clearing out nests of pirates. These are - described as being very effective in bush warfare. So soon as they reach the point aimed at they explode with a very loud report, and a renewed combustion ensues with the result that a dozen tongues of fire are shot out with so many other ultimate explosions, carrying fire and possible death in their variegated travels." For some time past the beekeepers of New South Wales have been complaining that they could not get a remunerative price for their honey in consequence of the market being glutted. With a view of relieving the local markets, the Minister for Agriculture '. arranged to export 150 tons to England, for which a fair price was guaranteed. The response from beekeepers wishing to participate in the first shipment of honey to Britain has been so far, however, very disap- r pointing. Although samples were received representing a bulk of about 150 tons, when asked to sign a guarantee to ship a given . quantity the apiarists responded very poorly, and only about 10 tons were promised. It is pointed out that the Government cannot I erect expensive plant to handle trifling quantities.