LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11433, 25 July 1900, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

It is anticipated that Admiral Peaerson, with the flagship Royal Arthur, will return to Auckland waters in October next. He has, it seems, to certify to the British Admiralty authorities with reference to' the machinery now in process of erection. at the Calliope Dock. ~• It is about that period also that the Homo authorities have to pay the interest on the loan that tho Auckland Harbour Board has raided to-■erect;, the machinery:;,;;';.'■'";',;:\'.:: ':fL : .-;' t */?£'

Yesterday -*, to Mayor (Mr. David Goldie), accompanied by a number of the members of the City Council, and others, left town for the Nihotupu district, with a view of ascertaining, traversing the waterrace track from the Lower Falls to Titirangi, as to the practicability and efficiency ; of : the proposed gravitation water supply scheme propounded by Mr. Atkinson. The party consisted of the Mayor,' Messrs.; ? Kidd, Farrell, Grey, Stichbury'ATtidehope,' EntnWarren, and White; also Messrs, J. A. Pond (Provincial Analyst),'.Metcalfe,, 0.b., Wilson (engineer), Atkinson, Jas„ Carlaw (waterworks engineer), and - Mr. ,-J-hos. Usshcr. They left > town ,at a-quartcr to eight o'clock i: in two : brakes, the weather being cloudy and threatening, .but rain, .did not- come down until they were well on their ■ journey/ The' party 'arrived■ at Nihotupu shortly after eleven o'clock.: \ After lunch at Elliric'ham's ' accommodation : house, ■ they decided to go to the Lower Falls. ; : By this time : rain .was setting in .'steadily..;• ll>o Lower Falls were reached shortly before one o'clock; the rain coming down very heavily.: After inspecting the commencement of the water-race the party proceeded • along the track out : ' under the 'supervision -of Mr. Wilson, with the intention of going along the whole race track to Titirangi. , The country at this point was very rough, and slow progress was made. Tho rain was now coming down in torrents, with every prospect of contimiing, and it was decided not to go further than Quran's Creek,,' one and a-half miles from the sterling point. • At Quinn's Creek a fine body of water was found flowing into the Nihotupu stream, samples of which were taken by Mr. Pond. This creek will prove a very valuable auxiliary to the scheme, the water being of good quality, and even in the driest summer ,a- considerable amount of water is known to flow down. ;At this point after consultation, it was decided by the party not to attempt to push on to Titirangi, and they consequently returned to Nihotupu, and thence to Auckland, arriving about halfpast six o'clock. When the weather gets a little better, no doubt the members of the Council wi 1 make a fresh attempt to go over the water-race track with the experts before committing the City Council to the scheme.

At, the ordinary meeting of tho Auckland Harbour Board, held yesterday afternoon, Mr. J. H. Witheford, M.H.8., the present chairman of the Board, brought up the question of the payment of the chairman of- the Board. He was not, ho said, speaking for himself, but for future chairmen. He thought that an honorarium should be allowed, of, say, £200 a year. Mr. Niccol said he agreed with what Mr. Witheford said, but he was afraid that under the present law they could not pay their chairman anything. 'Finally the matter was allowed to drop for the time being.

Among those in attendance at the Police Court yesterday was Mr. William Richardson, and after the cases fixed for hearing had been disposed of he applied to Mr. H. W. Brabant, S.M., for a rehearing of the charge under the Electoral Act, upon which he had been convicted and fined £5 and costs, on the previous day, for witnessing a claim for enrolment without having seen the signature written. He could now, ho said, produce abundant evidence that he was not the person who called at Mrs. Brady's in Lin-coln-street to have the application signed, and he wished to have tho case reheard, and to engage counsel. Mr. Brabant instructed the applicant to give notico.to tho Crown Prosecutor of tho date upon which he wished to have the case heard.

Tho Consul for France in New Zealand, the Count do Courte, has visited the Waihi mining district, and inspected most of the mines. He intends to write an official report to the French Government on the mines. There are a number of French investors in the Waihi Gold Mining Company, and the shares said to be well held in Paris.

In presiding at the meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board, held yesterday afternoon, Mr. J. H. Witheford, M.H.R., said that after consideration, he had decided not to send in his resignation as chairman, unless the members of tho Board desired him to do so, as he considered it well that the chairman of the Board should be able to be present in Wellington, for he found that as chairman of the Board he got more attention paid to him as the representative of the Port of Auckland than would otherwise have been the case. He therefore asked for three months' leave of absence. On the motion of Mr. J. T. Julian, leave of absence was granted unanimously as desired, and Mr. Malcolm Niccol was appointed as acting-chairman during , that period.

Our Coromandel correspondent telegraphs :—As an indication of public opinion on the question of trading stamps it may be noted that the Coromandel Parliamentary Union have carried through all its stages, a Trading Stamp and Coupon Suppression Bill. It has also been announced that a bill will be introduced to provide for discount coupons being issued by tho Government. The idea seemed to be that the principle of trading stamps as encouraging cash trade, was commendable, but it is thought that the New Zealand Government issuing coupons to be given as discount on cash purchases would do much to foster the cash, system throughout tho colony. At the same time a profit would accrue to the public revenue.

Another phase of the Onehunga shooting case was before the Supreme Court yesterday, when the injured man Brennan sped Donaghey for £1000 damages for assault. The defence set up was that defendant was of unsound mind at the time that he shot at the plaintiff and caused the injuries. * Evidence has been heard, and this morning His Honor sums up the case to the jury.

During a discussion upon certain sanitary matters at the meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board yesterday afternoon, Mr. J. H. Witheford, M.H.R. (chairman), said they must not relax their efforts in making tho sanitation of Auckland complete, and they must seo that everything connected with the wharves and Board's property be kept in as cleanly a condition as possible. His attention had been drawn to the dirty state of the road approaching the Railway Wharf. It was finally decided to call the attention of the City Council to the filthy condition of this road.

On Thursday last, at Whangarei-, Peter Hansen was arraigned before Messrs. Hawkin and Griffin, J.P.'s, on a charge of cattle stealing. Accused was committed to take his trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court. On Friday George North was brought up before Messrs. ivillen, Hawkin, and Griffin, J.P.'s, on a charge of intent to commit a criminal assault. Accused was committed for trial.

A deputation from Northcote, consisting of Messrs. A. Bruce, J. Jackson, W. J. Smith, ami A. Campbell, waited upon tho Auckland Harbour Board yesterday afternoon, for the purpose of pointing out to the Board the advantages of having a counterpoise stage at Northcote. Mr. Bruce, in a few words, stated that what had brought them there that day was an article in the local press, which stated that the cargo trade to Birkenhead was five times as great as that to Northcote. He might say he nad the authority of the chairman of the Devonport Steam Ferry Company, in stating that this was untrue. .The cargo trade to Birkenhead was only one-fifth greater than that to Northcote, and this could easily be accounted for, as the leading grocer of the district carried on business at Birkenhead He showed the advantages which would ensue upon the erection of a stage at Northcote, and dwelt upon the fact that ti-e passenger trade at Northcote was far bicker than that at Birkenhead. Mr. ' Josfua Jackson also said a few words, »nd the deputation, upon the assurance that the matter would bo carefully considered, then Withdrew. ■'• • .- : ' ..■ ■ -■'.

The time for receiving tenders', for the supply of ironbark timber and piles at pisborne, ' Wellington, ■ Lyttelton, and Greymouth for the Public Works Department has been further extended until 'noon of August 0. , , •, " . ..The Government steamer'Tutanekai: completed the laying of the cable from Motuihi to the mainland yesterday. The cable has been connected with tho mainland about a mile west of Howick Beach, and Mr. J K Logan, superintendent of eleotrio lines, conveys a notice to mariners,' by 'advertisement/ in. another; part of, ; this ; issue,?toVthe,-above ; ,effe,cb 4 .. . •,. • , > :

f ?A; Wellington Press Association states that Mr. Gilruth has reported to ft. Colonial Secretary the presence of p] a ,_ ■■£. amongst rats in Wellington. A dead rat ; ' which r; was j found outside : a ware-home h '■' Featherstoii-street, showed, on post-moru! - : examination, all the characteristics of planT to'thei naked eye and. under the inicro ßco^, 6 It was evidently-a more virulent form if T plague than that found amongst the Watifa nui and'. Aramoho rats, judging by it s Si feet upon guinea pigs. 'i^'^^fl 'It is ; said to bo the intention of Messrs T D. Nathan and Co. to utilise the falls m a';'; 4 ; Waihoii' River, .; near Okbroire-;'-' in ' order to procure tho necessary power fofaii'elecW»'l ? ' installation •at that Sanatorium. A repre-' sentative of the! Brush Electric Light ($m pany has visited ; the ! Okoroiro with a vi«» M of reporting on the matter. ' % J~g j :'; ; 'ihe two .Italian seamen, Salvador* and Josepho, convicted of having; in - their poj. --' session dutiable goods, upon which duty hsj not. been paid, and who were fined reap*. ' tively, with costs, £15 19s and £7 15s,'S 1 the amounts prior to their release. ,'..-,:

A warning to householders is given by the secretary of tho Jubilee Institute for th s Blind ; against purchasing articles ; which a number of unprincipled persons are hawkine through the country, representing that tier were made at the'institute. As a matter of ® fact no sighted person has authority to sell goods on behalf of the institute in the man. ner described. *

,The lecture shortly to be delivered in'(. fl , winter course of the Y.M.C.A., by the Rev, W. Grey Dixon, M.A., on the " Three Lotus Flowers of Buddhism," is being looked for. ward to by many with a good deal of interest, as the lecturer has made a study of tie subject in Japan, the home of Buddhism.' A number of sacred Buddhist pictures, notably V a large representation of the death of Euddha from a Japanese temple, will be exhibited'-; The lecture will be given on Friday, August 3. . '

It is stated that owing to the demand for land in tho Auckland province, a further largo area of land will bo thrown open' in.: the King Country on the southern shore of fl tho harbour of-Kawhia. s r \

A beautiful marblo monument to the late? Father Walter McDonald has been erected 1 in Panmuro Cemetery, and it is expected that the ceremony of blessing the monument will bo performed by Bishop Lenihan as soon as the fence has been erected. • X~~;

The following are the tenders for the erection of the Tarawera Bridge, on the Eoto-rua-To Teko Road:— Brain, Tauranga/ £489 17s 6d (accepted); Thomas Savage Whakatane, £503 17s; A. E. Kusabs, Ro' torua, £515; C. S. Abbot, Opotiki, £549; David T. Forsyth, Auckland, £605 4s 2d;' Gilmour and Co., To Puke, £838 10s. '•'

Whilo Bishop Lenihan was paying a visit yesterday to the Convent Schools, Paniell, Father Kehoe, the priest in charge/of Par-,;: nell, took His Lordship into tho church to see the painting, imitation of frescoe work, ~ executed by Herr Dittmer, a German artist,l for the eastern wall behind the altar, illus. trating a Scriptural scene, " The Transfiguri ?; tion of Christ." The lighting of the paint ing has been carefully attended to, so a* §fjf bring out} the best artistic effect. Bishop> Lenihan expressed his pleasure at seeing the church adorned by so excellent a 'work of K art. ' J-'"'-.-' '. . • ■

Our Paeroa correspondent telegraphs :-«■:; The carpontring trade is fairly brisk again $■ at Paeroa. Quite a number of residents are 'M adding to and generally improving their properties, whilst excavations have just beenS commenced prior to the erection of an up. to-date drapery establishment for Messrs?® Cullen, formerly of. Auckland. -

Our Coromandel correspondent telegraphs:— farmers here have had oc-'p' casion to complain recently at their flocks being worried by dogs. In .some cases poison *; has been laid at which owners of dogs raised a growl. ; Only yesterday Mr. John Lynch f£ ' had about a dozen fine animals .worried m'fS his paddocks at Tiki. " „" : V ;';■'■. |||| The adjourned inquest touching the ; K death of D. A. Bowick,vat Coromandel, was continued yesterday, wjien Dr. Cheeseman, who had made an analysis of the contents of the deceased's stomach, stated that deceased died through poisoning by strych- s:i nine. The jury's verdict was that deceased £> mot his death by strychnine poison, adininistored by his own hand when in a state of temporary insanity. " f '

A whale has been found by Bryer Bros., of Omapere, on the West Coast,; near Hokianga, jUII

The little girl, Ruby Blake, daughter of fej Mr. George Blake, hotelkeeper, Tokaano, who was badly scalded at that place, is in'ab m ing a good recovery. ; <■