LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11563, 29 January 1901, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

J The telegraph wires, which have been -dead since Thursday last, have again become vital. The first messages got through were ! in reference to the date of the funeral of ! Her late Majesty. Then we begin to get | messages sent at an earlier date in reference to the appearance of the Queen in death. [The death of Queen Victoria has caused an I unprecedented expression of regret in all ! civilised countries. German official flags are everywhere at half-mast. • India and Egypt are filled with profound grief. The American press appreciates Canadian and Australasian demonstration of loyalty. The Austrian Emperor and statesmen throughout Europe have paid remarkable tributes to the personal character and sincere policy our fate Queen. Her body is prepared for interment. The funeral will be on Saturday next. One of the cable messages gives an abstract of a very earnest and sensible speech which King Edward made to the Privy Council.

Yesterday His Worship the Mayor placed a beautiful wreath at the base of the Queen's statue. It consisted of immortelles, and was tied in "black and white, with which was also red, white, and blue. The Mayor suggests that citizens who feel so disposed, should place wreaths at the base of the statue till the day of the funeral, in token of their affection and loyalty for the deceased monarch.

Yesterday being the anniversary of the German Emperor's birthday, most of the foreign Consuls called on the German Consul, Mr. Seegner.

Many ratepayers of Birkenhead are surprised at the resolution passed at the la'st meeting of the Borough Council, "That the Council meet in committee to discuss the valuations for the coming year, the borough valuer not to he present." It is considered that as the valuer has been appointed by the Council to value all the properties in the borough, including those of the councillors, that the Council ought to wait until the valuer has sent in his valuation.

His Worship the Mayor (Mr. G oldie) has telegraphed to the Acting-Premier (the Hon. J. G. Ward) asking for more definite particulars as to the Imperial troops, and the arrangements required to be made for them.

Our Waihi correspondent states that a horse and dray belonging to Mr. Laurie, brick manufacturer, capsized * over an embankment going up Martha Hill from the main street, yesterday. The driver escaped injury. Thehorse and dray were somewhat damaged, but not seriously.

At the recent University examinations among the candidates who gamed scholarships is Charles Boult, of King's College. It is interesting to note that this is the first occasion on which a private unendowed school has been successful in winning a University scholarship. From the same college, E. A. Cox passed the same examination with credit, G. Buckby passed the medical preliminary, and the following dye boys the matriculation : — Abbott, K. M. Clark, H. A. Cooper, J. E. Hardey, and EL Morpeth. This result constitutes a record for the college, and is highly creditable to so young a school.

Yesterday, after the reading at the proclamation announcing the accession, of King Edward VII., in Pam ell, the Mayor (Mr. Hugh Campbell), and members of the Council, at the request of the Mayor, adjourned to the Exchange Hotel, where several toasts were drunk. After toasting the new, King and Queen with the greatest enthusiasm, the toast, "His Worship the Mayor," was proposed, members of the Council attesting to the progress made during Mr. Campbell's term of office, and to the great interest taken by that gentleman in »the affairs of the borough. Mr. Campbell .'responded, alter which the toast of the host, Mr. Tomlinson, and Mr. Jas!- Martin, a member of the Council, who is lying on a bed of sickness, vcre proposed and duly honoured.

At a meeting of the ex-altar boys of St. Patrick's Cathedral,'■ on January 20, it was decided to form a club for the young men of the parish. Already a large number have joined. The Right Rev. Monsigaor O'Reilly has kindly allowed the use of St. Patricks Hall for the weekly - meetings,' The following are the officers elected :-—President, Mr. P. Keenan ; vice-president, Mr. J. Duffin : secretary, Mr. J. Ford ; treasurer, Mr. G. Rice ; librarian, Mr. G. Sheahan.

I In the list of the junior University, school .larships in Saturday's paper, the name of , I one of the winners was printed Frances larships in Saturday's paper, the name of one of the winners was printed Frances 1 Josephine Violet Jackson, whereas the 1 1 name should have been Jacobsen. The I young lady is a daughter of Mr. Jacobsen. I architect, Ponsonby. She was educated at i Whanganui College under Miss Eraser. I Our Hunua correspondent writes :—-It is I with deep regret that I have to record the I death of one of our most respected settlers,; 1 Mr. Garrett, in the prime of life. Mr. Gar--1 rett had been suffering more or less for the ; last 10 or 12 months with an affection of ■ I the throat. Deceased was a man of very | genial disposition, and took his share of the ' public work of the district. He was on the ; School Committee, and resigned his seat ' ] upon the Road Board within the last four ■ i months, through his sickness. He was a .good neighbour, and ever ready with a kindly action. He leaves a wife, who is a native of Hunua, and two young children to mourn their loss. The Rev. Mr. '.Nome; held a short service at the residence, and again at the grave. The funeral cortege «ras j a large one. , At the last meeting of the Auckland Trades and Labour Council the secretary was inI structed to communicate with Mr. Ferguson, inspector of factories, expressing the Council's appreciation of the inspector's action in a recent case, the Factory Inspector v. Herbert, arising out of an accident at the Pre- | mie)' Joinery Company's works. Oui Coromandel correspondent writes : — \ Whilst returning from a visit to the Kapo- \ wai and Mahakirau new finds, Mr. John I Kneebone, of Auckland, met with a painful ! accident. The foot of the horse lie wis | riding caught in a root and wrenched off the I shoe. Mr. Kneebone jumped off to relieve j the animal, when his foot caught in the stirI rup-iron, giving his knee a nasty wrench. | On examination by Dr. Cheeseman it was | discovered that no bones were broken, but I the accident will inconvenience him for some 1 weeks.' '■ ;■ v ■ : ■•• I The two parties of tourists who went to I the Waitakerei,. West Coast, on Saturday, I one by special break and the, other by I Messrs. Andrew and Co.'s weekly conveyI ance, had a good time. On reaching EliI man's accommodation house, Nihotupu, on 1 Saturday afternoon, the two parties com- ! I bined and visited the Nihotupu Falls. They j 1 spent the night at Eliman's, and next morn- j 1 ing, after breakfast, took lunch with them, 1 1 and proceeded to Blowhole Bay, where they I spent the day seeing the beautiful scenery ' \ I and the majestic break of the rollers at the I mouth of the bay. They were greatly deI lighted with what they saw, and returned in time for dinner at Eliman's in the evening, j and came on yesterday morning to Auckland j in time for, business. The party of ten who I went iip by special break were so pleased 1 with the ; scenery and their treatment at I Eliman's that they intend to make a second I visit. In addition, to the 18 tourists on 1 Saturday, ten cyclists" also-went up, but § Mr. Elimah, as they had not booked with 1 j Messrs. Andrew and Co., had to turn them 1 I away, as he declined to allow the regular I tourists who had booked to be overcrowded § at his establishment, a consideration which 1 is not always given to travellers in some dis- I tricts. Fortunately the cyclists found accomodation with the settlers in the district. 1 In the listi of matriculation results the | name of J. E. Hardey,. of King's College, § was jjrjnted J. E. Hurcley. ' 1

I Mr. Donne, the present railway district • manager, having completed all necessary , official details connected with this railway ' district, proceeds to-morrow from the Manukau to commence his new responsibilities' -it Wellington, as secretary of trade and ! commerce, and as the permanent chief of all j matters in respect to the tourist traffic throughout New Zealand. Although Mr. ! Donne lias only been a short time in our | midst he has made a very favourable impression. • -' .; "'■■:_ ' ',\ ■,■•''.■'. ', '.. : :.': ~': ''K\-, 1 More men are being put on the northern end of the North Island Main Trunk lailway. There are now over 500 men employed on the works. The promise of the :Minister for Public Works (the Hon. HallJones) is likely to be fulfilled, namely, that the rails will be aid to Kawnkuwa by next September.'". : ':.;■: ".^v;v>''■■•■■^■;,\:;'■■'■'. ; >■';■V'.■:',:■' : .■■.■ : ;■■■: The Komokoriki section of the North Auckland railway is being pushed oh. More men have been put on since the visit of the Minister for. Public Works (Mr. Hall-Jones). The Komokoriki tunnel is: being started at both ends, and is likely to turn out some ; good solid rock, which will probably expe- \ elite construction. I Tenders are being invited by the Public Works Department for a native" school at Taumaranui, in the King Country. Also for another school at Omaramutu, near Opotiki. • . . • ; It; is expected that to-morrow the Auckland invalided troopers, who are returning via the West Coast, will be met and addressed by His Worship the Mayor and others, at a' place to be arranged when further information is forthcoming concerning their arrival.

A packet containing 550 copies of "The Soldier's Text Book," the same as given to each member of the former New Zealand contingents now in South Africa, has been received from Mr. Rosevear,' manager of the New Zealand Bible and Book Society, Dunedin, by Captain Caughey, of the Auckland Rifles, for distribution amongst the men of the Sixth Contingent on the arrival of the troopship at Auckland. The name and address of each recipient will be written on the front page, also name of company and contingent to which he belongs. Captain Caughey has undertaken to see to the books.

It would appear that the thief, or thieves, who broke into Messrs. Watts Brothers' grocery store on Saturday night, at Onehunga, as. reported in yesterday's Heeald, also paid a visit to the boot shop next door. When Mr. Hughes, the proprietor, who lives in another part of the town, went to open his place of business yesterday morning, he found the till had been removed from beneath the counter, and was lying broken on the, floor. Mr. Hughes left about 3s worth of coppers in the till on Saturday night ; these the thieves had taken, and smashed the till. Yesterday morning Messrs. Watte Brothers' found their till lying in the back : yard. It had also been removed and broken. The police are investigating both cases of theft.

Yesterday afternoon a lumper named Thos. Mills met with an accident while working cargo at the steamer Talune. He was steadying some sacks of maize in the ship's slings, when he was swung round, and fell between the wharf and the sf ;jVs side, into the harbour. He received a wound on the left temple, and also one on the hit ear. The second officer of the-Talune, Mr. Burgess, and Mr. Leonard, foreman for the Union Company, who saw the accident, got down on to a stringer of the wharf with ropes, and rescued Mills, who was insensible, and Constable Cahill and others g"t him hoisted on to the wharf by means of a sling. Dr. Lewis was called in and attended to the man, who was found to be suffering from concussion of the brain, and he was removed to the hospital in the ambulance. Mills is a widower, with (hree children. On inquiring at the I hospital last night he was said -to remain in > much the same condition as when admitted.

J The Auckland Public Works Department ! are calling now for tenders for the erection of a hew,: lockup and matron's quarters, to be placed on the Park-street frontage, at the new police barracks. - The matron's quarters are to be upstairs, and the watchhouse and weights and measures office downstairs, whilst at the back provision is made for six males and six female cells, with ex'.rcise yards. The building will have a buff brick front, with cement facings, similar to the police barracks. This will enable all the offices and departments to be brought together, and kept under . the immediate supervision of the inspector. The cells will be up to date as to drainage and ventilation—much needed requisites.

Early on Saturday morning a terrific whirlwind passed over Fewstead, near Hamilton, snapping trees from a foot to two feet in diameter, and hurling them a considerable distance. Out of 60 trees attacked 55 were levelled. The fruit trees suffered severely.

Wyld and Freedman's genuine British biograph opens this evening at Cambridge.

To-day is the 6lst anniversary of the foundation of the colony, and being a statutory holiday, the Government offices and banks

will be closed for business. : In consequence, however, of the death of Her Majesty the Queen, the day will not: be observed as a general holiday as heretofore. The Customs Department being closed, all business on the wharves will not be carried on to-day. ■

The committee of the Anniversary Regatta met at the Waitemata Hotel last night for general business. There was a full attendance,: and Mr. C. B. Stone presided. After some discussion it was decided that a sub-committee should wait upon His Worship the Mayor, and ask him to appoint a suitable day for the celebration of the anniversary of the colony, and declare it a public holiday.

The general manager of the Union Steamship Company (Mr. James Mills), who is at present in Australia, proceeds on to England in order to make arrangements re the carrying out of the Vancouver mail service in which the Union Company has recentlv purchased a full half-share from the New Zealand Shipping Company.. It is intended by the Union Company that the steamers at present engaged in the service will be replaced by vessels of much greater speed end tonnage, and will be thoroughly up-to-date in all their appointments.