LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11690, 27 June 1901, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Ax English mail, which left London on May 24, will arrive from Sydney by the s.s. sYaikare on Monday morning next. The Hon. W. Hall-Jones, Minister for Public Works, accompanied by Ids wife and laughter, left- for Rotorua by the half-past Dine train from Auckland yesterday forenoon. The Minister, whcse'healtk has not been of the best lately, expects to return to Auckland in about a week's tint;. Parliament opens on Monday first, and the usual meeting of Northern members with the Auckland Chamber of Commerce prior to the opening of the session took place yesterday. The meeting was a large and representative one and the greatest unanimity was evidenced on the part both of members of the Chamber and members of Parliament or, the questions of direct importance to the North, viz., settlement of the Northern lands, extension of railways, continuation of the San Francisco mail service, and the bringing of the Manukau harbour under the Auckland Harbour Board with the view of ultimate catting of a canal between the Waitemata, and Manukau harbours. A full report of the meeting will be found in another column.

Superintendent Hugo, chief of the Wellington Fire Brigade, who has been invited to consult with and advise the City Council on fire brigade matters, arrived in Auckland from Wellington yesterday forenoon, and ■was met at the railway platform by the town clerk (Mr. Wilson). During the afternoon Mr. Hugo met the Fire Brigades Committee at the Municipal Chambers, and after being introduced, fire brigades matters were discussed, in an inform:'! manner. To-day and during the remainder of the week the superintendent will occupy himself in visiting the proposed site of the new fire brigade station for Auckland, looking round the city generally, and inspecting plans, in order that he may be in the best possible position to tender" advice at. the next meeting of committee on Monday afternoon.

1 One of the matters discussed by the Finance Committee of the Auckland City Council at a meeting held yesterday afternoon was the question as to the proportion of the Council's contribution towards the cost of the recent celebrations in connection with the Royal visit, When the question first arose, the Council agreed to pay onethird of the total cost, provided the whole did not exceed £3000. but as it is now announced that there Will he " substantial gredit balance, after meeting all expenses. gome members of the Council are of opinion Chat the full one-third should not be paid, but that the moneys remaining should be utilised, the Council to pay the balance. Alter some discussion, it was decided to recommend the payment to the Reception Committee the sum" of £400 on account, and to ask for a full statement, of accounts from the committee before making;a final pay■men The recommendation will come beloio the Council to-night.

Several'business peopb of Paeroa have been victimised by the passing of new farthings for half-sovereigns. The new farthings are very bright, and having the Queen s head stamped upon then, resemble at first sight a half-sovereign. At all event, farthings have not been tendered as current coin for many years past, and unsuspecting people are easily taken in, especially at night.

A meeting of the sub-committee appointed by the. CitV and Borough Councils, in conference, or. the question of ferry services, was held at the Municipal Buildings yesterday afternoon. It will be remembered lb. I at "the last conference the quest.on arose as to whether the Waitematr. County Council could act as a Borough Council under the powers given under the Municipal Corooiation Act, and the matter was inferred to Mr. T. Cotter, city solicitor, lor his opinion. At yesterdays meeting, .the so hei ms iep j, advising that in his opinion the Wa.tema Council could do so, but that each Council must deal separately with its own setvices was read. It was decided to refer the opinion to a meeting of the conference to lit held next, Thursday.

The Auckland Presbyterian Elders' Association met, in St, Luke's Hail, Remuera, on Monday evening. There was a good attendance, Mr. D. Macphersoii, president, in the chair. The Rev. IK B. Cray read an able paper on the " Church and Her Critics, which was well received, and elicited an interesting discussion. The reverend gentleman was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.

The adjourned inquiry into the GrandHotel fire will be resumed this morning by Mr. Gresham, coroner,, at the .Central Hotel, »t ten. o'clock*

The New Zealand Shipping Company's Steamer Tekoa arrived from London direct yesterday afternoon, having made the voyage out in &1 days 23 hours, without a stoppage of the engines. The steamer brings a large cargo of general merchandise, included in which is one of the largest consignments of explosives which has been brought to Auckland for a. long time past, consisting of over 6000 cases. The steamer met with some rough weathei on the. Australian coo.st and crossing the Tasman Sea, but suffered no damage. Captain T. S. Weston, late of the Kakaiu", is now in command ,u the Tekoa. On discharge at this port the steamer will take in general cargo for London, and will also ship frozen beef and general produce for the Cape of Good Hope, where she will call on her way Home.

An inquest was held yesterday afternoon, by Mr. Cresham, coroner, on the, body of Elsie Maud Lewis, an infant boarded out under the Infants' Life Protection Art, at the house of Mrs. Eliza Coldicutt, licensed under the Act, and wife of Joseph Coldicutt, labourer, and miner, Lincoln-street, Ponsouby Dr. Knight deposed that he was first called in to attend the child, which was ten months old, on June 10. She was suffering from, thrush, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Jie saw her again on June 18 and 24, and the child died en the 25th. between the above dates he prescribed for her. The child at. first improved, but later on the symptoms returned. .Re also ordered a change of food. lie saw that the child was not doing well on the 18th, and on the 24th told the mother ami licensee that he did not expect her to recover. , From what lie knew of the licensee he believed her to be a. careful, competent woman, and she seemed only too a.ixious to carry out his directions. The cause of death was. wasting, owing to vomiting and diarrhoea, and finally convulsions. He considered that the licensee sent for him as early as it was necessary. The evidence of the licensee, Mrs. Coldicutt. was corroborative. She had no certificate as to the weaning of the child, , and was not aware of the requirements of regulation No. 15, as to weaning. She carried out the directions of Drs. Parkes and Knight. Maud Lewis, mother of the child, deposed that the. child was bom on October I'. She had known Mrs. Coldicutt prior to November 50. Before that, she had given the child bottle food for a week. The child when she handed it over seemed accustomed to the bottle food. She was quite satisfied with the care and attention of Mrs. Coldicutt. who was a mother to the child, and witness saw the child about every two days. Mrs. O'Brien. Auckland police station matron, deposed that on her visits to Mrs. Coldiciitt's. she always found the child well eared for. The coroner, in his summing up, pointed out that regulation No. 15. of this Infants' Life Protection Act had not been complied with in this case. The regulation is as under:—-" Before an infant* is weaned, in order that, it may be licensed out under this Act, a certificate from a dulyqualified medical man, stating that the child is strong enough to lie taken from its mother, must be handed over to the licensee with the child, and must be produced upon demand of any person entitled to call for such production." The jury returned a verdict of "Death from natural causes."

Our Waiuku correspondent writes: late Mr. J. L. West, whose sudden death took plane on June 21, was born at St. Mabyii, Cornwall, and arrived in the colony with his father in 1853, in the ship Joseph Fletcher. He first settled at Remuera, and also resided some time at Papatoetoe. In 1864 he removed to Auckland, where he carried on a grocery business successfully for some rears. In iB6O, having purchased the Pisgah Farm, he came to Wainku, where he has resided since. The deceased was of a

quiet and kindly disposition, and was highly esteemed by a large circle of friends. He was an earnest. Methodist, and one of the trustees of the Wesley Church. The funeral took place on June 24, being largely attended. A short service was held at'his late residence. The funeral cortege stopped at Wesley Church, where part of the service was conducted, and a short address given by the Rev. G. T. Marshall. The service was concluded at the grave. The chief mourners were six of deceased's sons. The coffin was covered with floral wreaths. The deceased leaves, beside a widow, one daughter and seven sons to mourn their loss. 1 regret to have to record the death of another very old identity in the person of Mrs. George Bregman. which sad event took place, after a lingering illness, on June 24, at the ripe age of 83 years.

The Colonial Sugar Refining Company's steamer Fiona arrived from Fiji last night, with 800 tons of raw sugar. the first shipment of the season from the company's mills in the Fiji group. News by the Fiona states that the prospects are very favourable as regards the output of sugar from the various estates in Fiji during the present season, and the next steamer to load for Auckland will be the Union Company's steamer Rakanoa, which is expected to arrive at Auckland early next month.

The Pinko County Council's road-making machine was working on some roads on the outskirts of Cambridge on Monday (writes our correspondent}. The Mayor and borough councillors of Cambridge and the chairmen of lie Waipa County Council and Pukekura Road Board were among those present. The first operation was intended to show the manner in which the machine cleaned out water-tables, and generally levelled up the surface of (he road. This was done excellently, everyone present expressing the greatest satisfaction.

Miss Inglesby, lady missionary in connection with the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society's Zenana work in India, did not arrive from the South as expected yesterday, but will arrive to-morrow, and will speak, as advertised, on Sunday next-, at Mount Eden and . Ponsonby Baptist Churches. The arranged public missionary meeting will be held at the Tabernacle this evening, as announced in our advertising columns. Miss Inglesby will leave for .Sydney on Monday next, en route to India.

After a lapse of many years, the Auckland hour Board decided to erect a timeball for the port, in order that masters of vessels may rate, their chronometers in accordance with New Zealand time, and yesterday if was placed in position. The new ball occupies a prominent place on the top of the Board's offices, Quay-street West, and will no doubt prove of great advantage to the shipmasters visiting Auckland. it has been arranged that the ball will be hoisted ui) on the staff about five minutes before noon of each day, and precisely at noon will be dropped. An electric wire from the local telegraph office is lixed to the detacher on the staff at the Harbour Board buildings, which upon being touched releases the ball at the exact moment, and it drops down.

The following tenders were received for grocery supplies to the Auckland Hospital : Mr." Hutchinson, £1953; Mr. Lew, 3-988; Mr. Smeeton, £2002; Mr. Wallace, £:1021.' Mr. Hutchinson's tender, being the lowest, was accepted. The Union Company's steamer Waikara left Sydney for Auckland yesterday. The « s Mokoia arrived at Sydney from Wellington yesterday. The s.s Warriinoo left Melbourne yesterday for Hobart and lluBluff. The direct steamer Waiwera arrived at Hobart from London and Capetown yesterday and leaves for Wellington at one o'clock this afternoon. The steamer landed three passengers at Hobart, and Las 39 for New Zealand ports. The second conceit, of Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton Hodges' present season takes place to-night at the Choral Hall, and from the published programme promises to be fully equal, in respect of its high musical standard, to those already associated with the names of the talented promoters. Mi. and Mrs. Hodges will sing several new items. The othet assisting vocalist is Miss A. Schmidt. Mrs. E. H. Queree is down for several piano solos in addition to the accompaniments. _