LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11129, 31 July 1899, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Ax English mail of London date June 23, arrived fiom Sydney yesterday by the Mararo;i. Anglo-Colonial Notes, Personal Items, Latest Mining News, and other interesting news from our London correspondent will be found in another part of this issue. Telegraphic communication with the South was partially interrupted on Saturday south of Napier,' but Inter in the day communication was restored. The cold "snap" still continues, and in the Waikalo the cold is said to have been somewhat severe. A special meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board, in committee, will be held in the Boardroom on Tuesday afternoon, for the purpose of considering the agreement re the equipment of Calliope Dock, and the report of the Board's solicitors thereupon. In reference to what was said in Saturday's paper by our contributor " Britannicus," respecting the absence of the Hon. T. Thompson from his duties in Wellington, we are informed that his presence in Auckland was deemed imperative by the medical attendant of Mrs. Thompson. The reason which compels Mr. Thompson's residence in Auckland at the present time is much to be regretted. As there is a feeling in Parnell that if the money be raised for the drainage scheme one part of the borough might have more spent upon it than is due, Mr. Pitts has given notice of motion that he will move at a special meeting of the Borough Council, to bo held to-morrow evening, "That the amount set opposite each work in the schedule of the proposed drainage scheme shall be ear-marked for that particular work.'' On Saturday the police authorities received a telegram from the local constable at Dargaville, to the effect that Mr. Wainhouse, railway manager at Dargaville, had dropped dead on the previous evening, in the Kaihu Hotel, and that an inquest would be held 011 Monday. The Hon. E. Mitchelson also received a telegram giving further details of the occurrence, which took place under somewhat tragic circumstances. Mr. T. H. Barstow, who was formerly stationmaster at Dargaville, had resigned on being appointed secretary of the Mitchelson Tinv ber Company. This led to some changes in the rail way staff. Mr. Fox was temporarily in charge of the station, and Mr. Wainhouse, late statiomnaster at Rotorua, was transferred to take the piacc of Mi. Barstow. On the Friday night a farewell social was tendered to Mr. Fox, and while singing a song at the function, Mr. Wainhouse dropped dead. The sad event brought the social to a sudden termination. As soon as the sad tidings circulated it caused quite a gloom over tlie adjacent district's, where the deceased officer was well known.

The mysterious disappearance of Mr. Wm. Dowding, tobacconist, Karangahape Road lias been reported to the police authorities by his wife. Jt appears that he left his place of business at ten a.m. on Friday last, and has never been seen since leaving Mr. Partridge 3. Mrs. Dowding fearing that some harm has befallen him, reported the occurrence to the police. He was engaged reading ™ Herald in the morning, when lie suddenly started up, proceeded upstairs, packed some articles of clothing, and went away down town. Mrs. Dowding finding he never returned home, went down town to make inquiries. She found that lie had called at the premises of Mr. Partridge, tobacconist, left the paper parcel, stating that he was going to Sydney, but would stop at a boardinghouse till the steamer sailed. Since that date nothing has been seen of Mr. Dowding, and the police have been unable to find any trace of him. He is stated to have no reason of any kind for thus leaving his home. Mr. Dowding is described as an Englishman, of middle life, 4ft sin, dark whiskers and moustache, turning grey, shaved on cnin, sallow complexion, i dressed in tweed striped trousers, serge coat | and vest, and wore a hard felt hat.

On Saturday evening Captain Field, of the Auckland Salvage Corps, received information that smoke was seen in the direction of Mr Paton's, Epsom, as if a fire were in progress. He drove out, and went round the district, but was unable to get any information, which would lead him to believe that there had been a fire. If it were one, it must have been farther down towards the Manukau. .

— 1 tjb• .-1 On Friday evening last Mr. Walter Kjj, J sell, who resides in Osborne-street, He*. •Hv g market, informed the police that Mrs. JJina McKenna, who has been living in Mr. Osborne's house for the past four months, hy e been missing from her home since the 18th ?§js§ 0 . inst. The missing woman's husband, wh -?£•• -, lives in Chapel-street, does not. know any. *01 ri : thing of his wile's whereabouts. Mrs. }[ c . ;£§ : Keima is a native of New Zealand, and is 'i 45 years of age. She is stated as being of -If ' • stout appearance. sft lin in height, dark, 'iH: k haired, and fresh-cnmplexioned. When 'Msi a last seen she was wearing a black dress ; ?-j f with cape, and a black straw hat. '' , ] On June 13 last Constable Maconochie (of 3' j. Te Kuiti). Constable Hyde (of Poro-o-tarao) -'3s| : and a native constable named Xikora, made tsl a raid upon a native store at a Maori settle- m • 1 ment named Paemako, between Te KM] 'lv '! and Mokau. and about 25 miles from the i ! former settlement. They captured some . i rum and whisky. As a result, an informa- ''ffi 5 ! tion was laid, of sly grog-selling, against .\& ,! a young native woman named [ Wiki, of the King Country. *],„ -'fe s was charged by Constable Maconochie with 1 selling rum tc Nikora, a native constable, r The case came up for hearing before Captain Jackson. S.M., at Te Awamutu. Sergeant ■ Stapleton, of Hamilton, appeared on behalf Jw of the Police Department. Accused, who 1 was undefended, pleaded guilty. Evidence Jf l was called to show that the defendant had W 5 sold a glass ot rum. and also a bottle of lit j rum, at 9s. A quantity of liquor was >! seized under warrant. Being her first of. ' fence, Wiki was convicted, and fined £10 1 with costs £9 0s 4d. On the decision be- £ f ing interpreted, the young damsel, with a ■ cool smile at His Worship, drew out her ( purse, and placed £19 10s in the constable's 4 hand. The magistrate ordered the liquor. • ' seized by the police in the raid to be con.' fiscated. By the steamer Mokoia, from New Zealand (says the Australasian of J-'v op m, ■ 1 Frederick Peppin. of Fcrnbrook. i .-■ ||, (r .' ' 1 ceived through Messrs. Kdwar : '!\"i,-! .irij and Co. four speciallv-selecte- 1 ,■« • ..:j. lr '■% stud ewes from the flocks r ». i, J , breeder, Mr. John Grigg, o • t Canterbury. The ewes are ju • ..■ f.„, 1 tooth, and are in iamb to L-. y,„:, ilu '. rams, and this draft is a da. '-r icuviai. tion to Victorian pine sheep Our London correspondent • i ;; . lC 23:—Mr. Percy Rowland, of ' j, ~-T College, has written a warni. ~1 0. nial loyalty is not to be tak .i i% ,i M.-utoi-of course," and that "even : •. „< New Zealand may waver i . v£l { | neglect of colonial interest:, . v .1 These sentiments are " commendeu ov me ■'■4 Daily Chronicle to the notice of Downingstreet. The duty on Australian wines, the ] Pacific cable, and the offer to send troops to Samoa, are given as instances. Of the last-named, the Chronicle says it is the " worst of the three, for it is not ? question of interest, or exchange values, but of gratitude, politeness, and the esteem due to a generous offer—an offer which was not even acknowledged by the English Govern* ment for more than a week." In Dr. Bakewell's review of the " Secret ' History of the Oxford Movement," which appeared in our supplement on Saturday, the , following misprints occurred :—"Who, out of their spite mid malice," should be " sheet spite, etc." indictively," should be "vindictively (the Church of England) "is not unlegally." should be "is not only legally :" that these articles of belief may . be again attained.'' should be "altered"; '' It gratifies the action," should be" it just-it '" lies the action." The new issue of stamps agreed to by the if Victorian Postal Department, in accordance t! with the recommendation of the Washington s J Postal Conference, will come into use on ' f: August 1. The stamps new in use will not be withdrawn until the supply is exhausted, $ so that both the old and the new stamps will for a few weeks be in course of circulation. < The new stamps differ from the old only in ' * point of colour. The halfpenny will be red, " the penny green, and the 24d dark blue. Most of the Postal Union countries having y. no twopenny post, no arrangement was made as to stamps of that value, which will, therefore, in Victoria remain their present colour, V An indignant defendant in a County Court H action, heard in Melbourne the other day, ' says the Age, was so vociferous in rebutting, .v? by means of interjections, what the plaintiff- ;;>r : alleged to be the facts of the case, that Judge f' Hamilton observed, addressing the interrupter, "You must not contradict a witness in that way," whereupon the person rebuked > exclaimed, in a tone of angry despair, *' Oh, I wish I was a barrister !" and so much feeling was thrown into the words that those in Court, viewing the matter in a different light, joined in a general laugh. _ The annual report of the Council of tho , Canterbury Society of Professional Musicians for the year 1898-99, states that without entering any new scheme, the Council has endeavoured tc conduct the business of the society on the lines that have hitherto met with the approval of members. The problem of tile judicious distribution of the scholarships offered by the society has engaged the attentiop of the Council on many occasions. So far, howevei, these examinations have proved, disappointing, an overwhelming numbet of candidates displaying a very low degree of musical ability. The leport suggests that since the society expends more than its ordinary revenue in fees for music students alone, an improved method of granting scholarships should form the subject of a general discussion at the coming general meet.ng. The society continues to supply the music papers in the readingroom of the reference library; but it is recommended that the establishment of a - music library for the benefit of students should be considered at an early date. Some time ago (says the Hawke's Bay Herald) the Government declared a lame area of the Te Aute district fluke infected, and in consequence placed certain restrictions m the removal ol sheep upon owners of Stock ID that locality. This has worked , lather hard upon a number of owners, for , the area stated to be infected was altogether too, large. The restriction lias been practically ineffectual, for sheep still pass through tile district from Palmerston and the coast, and, in fact, have been doing so ever since the einbarg was placed upon the area of land in question. The effect- of the restriction has been that owners of sheep there cannot sell their stock except direct for the slaughteryard Representations have, it is .aid been made in the mattei to .Mr. Miller, sock msnectoi, with the view to removing the disabilities under which those interested a present suftei, and to limit the area, S'lJ, to the lake boundary (native property), bus ''eiievim a large stretch of country that is really not affected. The Hon. J. Uno 1 has bee » approached on the subject, and there is a possibility that the Govern' njent may be induced to drain th lake. It is to be hoped that the representations made will prove successful, for no one will dispute the hardships inflicted upon a number oi tanners under present conditions. There were in the lockup last evening six persons on charges of drunkenness; Ed. tayior, on a charge of being drunk and disorderly; George Keenan. on a charge of obscene language; Cornelius Lynch, "on a charge of assaulting hi- wife; and a boy named Frank Herbert Xicholls. on a charge of absconding from the C'ostley Training Institute for Boys, on March 17 iast. Nearly 200 children responded to the advertisement of the New Zealand Natives' Association for 100 children willing to take part in the dances and marches which form part of the attractive programme at the All Nations Carnival, to be held in November next.