LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11724, 5 August 1901, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

I* connection with the question : of ft **i hall, Mr. G. W. BinncyVs ; p ever the question of a proposed cW site -.comes.up at the City Council, J Jf 1 be prepared to make ? statutory deck!,? 15 that when auctioned the leases of Sri* street endowment, opposite the Grwlf s*"5 *" ■' firebell, he was instructed bv Mr ¥?*• - Waddell (then Mayor at : the time) 2fr*' ' Mr. PA Phillips (then TownCleS 7 t : inform the persons purchasing U,cu\ "° V that.the.town hall would beitfe?*" i site in- Grey-street. ' 0n %' [ ■ The Rugby championship matches t™* continued on Saturday afternoon at AW* ' andra Park and Devonport, when the semi" I finals for the senior cup were played off k defeating Suburbs fifteen Grafton win" < premiership foi season 1901, as with V" substantial lead a defeat in the final witk City next Saturday will not interfere \h\ ibheir winning the coveted honours T h the other matches played City beat N«*«!!'by 17 to nil, and North Shore defeated Pencil by 23 points to nil. 7*' - r It is fully time that some control v t {, $ exercised over the frequenters of the pit Mm the Opera House. On Saturday night duri- |i ing the performance _ of "The Bohemian/ 1 Girl," and as the orchestra commenced th* r interlude to the third act, a gentleman enter"' : [ ' ing the orchestral stall was greeted with a' f personality which raised a laugh amongst : those who considered it to be funny. "ft. I conductor was compelled to stop the ovtv I ture no less than three times before cue .J | was restored, a , 4 d even then the dUgriwefal I exhibition might have continued had C- r ; some of the audience showed * then disan! i proval by commencing to hiss. ' No furthS I comment is necessary. V i Mr. E. Robertson, the well-known coacK I proprietor, at Rotorua, met with a rathe« S serious accident a few days ago, being kicked i on the side. of the head when erideavourinst' ", l I to mount a restive horse on the Whakan. P. warewa Road. One ear was split and i' I nasty gash made behind it, the unfortunate f man being rendered unconscious. The I Whakarewarewe 'bus was passing'. tha ' I time, and Robertson was picked up - sr I taken in to Rotorua. " ' II A few months ago the fruitgrowers of j Birkenhead defeated a proposal to rate to' the unimproved values. They then though : the question had been settled I for ' thren years, and they are now . very > indignant &i P what they consider very unfair treatment ■ P by the Government introducing ; a' Bill to: ; ■ make rating on the unimproved values com. pulsory. ■ ■ ' . \ j ' The death of an infant chil4 •; uimM <tS| 1 Ernest George Smith, six months old, \\.ji\ I reported to Constable Tapp, of Onelmnga* : yesterday morning. .; An inquest was t(t ' have, been held yesterday afternoon at Od'hunga before Mr. T. ' Hutchison, S.M., bufa was adjourned till Thursday, the Bth Inst., 1 so as to allow Dr. Pabst to ma ,r e a pa A, 1 mortem examination of the body. ' ■ '•■'.''''->}' iff The woman, Lucy Buck, who created 3ucH a commotion in Grey-street - on Friday eveni. I ing i with her extraordinary behaviour, br, 1 it is stated, exposing a razor and attempting -, ".' % to commit suicide, was in such 1 a prostrate* . ■■; condition'on- Saturday morning that th? ; police were unable to , bring her before tbs " Stipendiary, Magistrate at ( the Police Courts Dr.; Hooper's examination of tha woKir. si | the ceils revealed the fact that the woman' '' ili ;was j suffering - 1 from hysteria,' and she pt§|§ I subsequently, taken ! to the 1 District Hospital,' i ; Samuel Charles Henry Buck, the>' husband oj i the woman, ".who was ;brought back from Dunedin by the police a few days ago, and 1 at the 'Court pleaded guilty to' a charge of; fj neglecting to provide his wife. and family with adequate means of maintenance, and rfc manded, was again brought before the M»g!-*-' | trate. On this occasion, however, he said hi' J pi pleaded guilty previously at his wife's rsi m. quest, and: he was not really guilty to - thtf" ■ ■'"-." f-r , charge i preferred ■ against him. On the m, t cused promising to pay the cost of his pa?. . B ago from Dunedin, His Worship: allows |' him if go. * H /.The East Coast Guardian'(Opotiki)flftui . in .The East Coast. Guardian (Opotiki) gqi', $ —We tirust that the agitation which v»a itstarted some few months ago in referencs j' to the excessive charge made in Auckland- m for the landing, of all cattle coming.by sea, f will not be allowed to drop. It is a mat* |K ter which specially lies within the proving fe of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association -h and the local branch of the Farmers' Ucioil 1 to attend to, ■ and ; were * sufficient ' pressure ' || placed on the authorities in Auckland "-a : ' feel sure this grievance would find redrew \ , The idea of charging 3s 6d for dumpkg B cattle into the sweet waters of the Wait* mata (which is often done), or into a scow* ' II to get further knocking'about, VwouidnialwS 1 us wonder whether, the day's of Captain CooK : H ..- have returned. ;;- At almost all the ports on this coast, however small, wharfage accom« | modation is provided for landing and ship* ping cattle. Surely it is about time for m the Auckland Harbour Board, with the large; '- funds at its disposal, to. do likewise. 1 ' The Auckland Kennel Club's annual dog ' ' show, held at th: Agricultural Hall, con-, I tinned open to the public throughout Satur- M day, closing finally at ten p.m. Theerfih §L bition was well patronised, particularly la 1 the evening, and great interest was show m in the splendid muster of exhibits, the dogs, p to claim most attention on the part of fail', i ciers being the typical collies and fox terf .'. U , riers benched by the Napier enthusiasts* §| ' Messrs. McDonald and Smith. In addition ' R to the first > ward gained by the toy terrier* ' [ 1 Roy, shown by Mrs. Richards in the open 1' class for dogs, tho judge also 'awarded a : ; special and championship. The hon. sec* . j Mr. E.J. Sexton, and the members of tie) ,t t > § management committee, .are; deserving of *|J| | warm word of praise for having brought tit show: to such a successful issue, and for toe first time in its history having placed' ' ji club in sucn a '■ sound financial position by m their untiring work during the past iMW . | months. * .- " 'i The Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria (&■ ~. J. Madden), speaking at the annual meeting ; of the Carlton Refuge on July 25, spoko - strongly on the great social evil.' l He hd | previously had occasion to speak of thofacG ■ that there appeared to be no control what- |? ever over the evils fox which the refuge g: , existed. In his capacity as a' judge he m M observed—and so had othei judges-^ M there was a most notable change in women who appeared in court. Once those ivo?* j who: had the misfortune tc come into » || presented all the horror and self-reproaca fe which one expected in a woman wl* c H- „. yielded and had to answer for her weakness* I To-day they .-. were '- different they *& i ■. women of the world in that they felt M ;;"-.-v.ffi had a very awkward and unpleasant tasK to ■ > perform but they were not \ a "? as t, }$ Cross-examination did not hurt theror ; "11 were not disturbed, and went out of cam & quite" contented with themselves. '■ W« \ were not the women with. the veil «**",- | tion upon them one used to see and *w»'' I, expected tc see. ' 1:* Mr. Frederick Henry Haselden, *J j v newly-elected member for Patea, was bora 1 k, in London, and came out to this country;,., j. with his parents in 1860. He is ft son o- V' the late Mr. Charles Haselden, who v "™ I for some time Commissioner of Crown I*?., --C\-m at Auckland in the old Provincial Cofl»«* m days.;, The Stipendiary Magistrate at*" Islington is'-his brother. ' As a y oU °B'-JT|, p< Mr. Haselden .spent some -time on thegj M fields, both in New Zealand and in "f r j„ |i Australia, and he also fought in the W««J j | war, for which -he holds ft niednl. » ' I: abandoned his wandering life some 25 ye , | ago for pastoral pursuits, and first tooK "j 1 land; at Otomoa, .some 17 miles ,««*?". * I Wanganui, afterwards farming at Sha"? , for about four years., ;: At the present : - ';• | he occupies; a*-considerable'area w^ n ', -.-' % grassed country near Hunterville, Qn< 4 T l£ i I |3 . gaged in dairy and sheep farming. _ .»* 1 taken; an active ' interest in the affairs or v • | particular locality in which he bas resip '~ I and has 1 seen service"; as a-member.oft-V^,|^g : 1 local bodies. - He is . an active :wcrke»»^.-! 1... I in the prime of life, and has a w%j??p , || family of two sons and a daughter, || The members of the Thames Fiie'B«g^..,. _■ I on - Friday 1 evening last presented Mrs- . i F. ML Williams with a biscuit barrel m : fe silver egg stand, in recognition of .* ,et^ r j -■ ; ■; vices in connection with the late c q'k* •' i i held on behalf of the brigade's "^«„ (1 -, ' ■■ 1 presentation": was'made .-.by Ml. A i,JI f 1 , ftuperirrteadeat of the brigado s .. .=, ||

■■■»■■■■ j^^ j - I News of further capture by the British j ' * prisoners, cattle, arms and ammumtton Ml 3s been received from South Africa. A | ■• porous debate on the war has taken place Mhfi House of Commons. Mr. Chamber- ' I made 'a strong speech denouncing recent fir methods as ruffianism, , bringandcige, i a j mirage. He also stated that the milia situation was more hopeful than it had ' ) ■ bo for a long time past. Lord Kitchener's ] ' Bf policy had been so successful that it wild he believed, be possible to send Home a jrisiderable number of troops by the end ofleptember. The speech provoked much ' ! hoility on the part of the Irish party. " Id Cranbourne states that the date fixed '. | forthe evacuation of Pekin, except by the '' . heition Guards, is August 15, but this is ■ sufact to a few days extension. The liter-Secretary for Public Works in Egypt I; " haa-oibmitted a scheme for completing the jrrittion of Egypt and the Soudan, and j I iS ; tf Loi Cromer recommends the scheme as a vol of urgency. The Royal Titles Bill ' Jasbeen read a third time in the House 1 j - of irds. The Empress Frederick of Ger- ; \ ] 'mar has had another attack of illness, and her.trength is failirfg. The Emperor has \ cod to the Empress, who is at, Kronberg, andthe King and Queen of England will folk shortly. The Pacific Cable Board is,ttisfied. that the contractor will be able to omplete the cable by December, 1902. Thi strike of American* steehvorkers contints, the men refusing to accept the Steel Coloration's terms. A great struggle is [ thritened. ~'■■■'.■ ■ '/meeting for the purpose of further disI Coloration's terms. value taxation will thritened. jmeeting for the purpose of further disfcuk'ng the unimproved value taxation will 1 be ield in St. James' Hall this evening, yrbn short addresses '''will'; be given by sjwktrs who have carefully studied the subject ' Mr. T. T. Masefield will preside. It the annual conversazione in connection Wih the Bayfield Mission Hall, Mr. R? llbbs presided. The annual report showed tit satisfactory progress was being made ineach branch of church work. Addresses mo delivered by the Revs. Barrett and lincach branch of church work. Addresses wre delivered by tho Revs. Barrett and Grland, and musical items were rendered b the choir, Mr. C. Norgrove, Miss Nellie ' Btler, Mr. J. R. Hooper, Miss Birdie But- \ It, Mrs. J. B. Hooper. Refreshments Tire handed round. Mesdames Shaw, I Brkinson. Hulbert, and Miss Field pref led at the tables. The funeral of the late Mrs. R. J. Duncan tok place at Purewa on Saturday, the Rev. . T. Beatty officiating. The coffin was •- svered with wreaths. Mrs. Duncan was • really esteemed by a large circle of friends »Auckland, Wellington, and Nelson. Mrs. Ihncan was the widow of Mr. R. J. Duncan, wio was formerly in business in Wellington, aid who resided in Auckland for a number cl years before his death. • .» The Council of the Sailors' Home held fceir usual monthly meeting on Friday last, ?(-;.y:'|?»hen some routine business was dealt with. It was decided to invite applications for the want posts of secretary and master. The 'Auckland Ministers' Association hold their ' oraal monthly meeting this afternoon, and '• tie present position of affairs at the home will be taken into consideration. ■. The Saturday night temperance concert ' ■;; ; a: the SaUors' Hall was crowded, some :l»ving onlf standing room. Some of the "' . crew of -HM.s. ;t Mildui , a and friends : supplied the programme. ' Mr. Garland pre- - • sided, and Mr. Furceli officiated as accom- £ . panist. 'Piano solo, Mr. Purcell; song, ' comic, M, 1 . Wood; song, comic, Mr. Skerrett; son?, comic, Mr. Ward ; songs, Misses Benson ind Bell, Messrs. Leslie, Mason, ■ : .<■'. Eaper, ■; ft"ood, Smithson. Several songs were ertored. , Recitation, Mr. Warring- ' ton; Highland fling, Miss McElwain. ■ The v i entertinment • closed ■':■ with" the singing of v, ' "God-Save the King." ' We understand that Mrs. O'Brien, nolice matrffl' at the High-street police lock-up, has resigned, and that Mrs. Luke McDonnell widow of the late Constable McDonnell, hu been appointed as hei successor. - 'Those who desire to know the latest about j?iji. and of our relationship with these iswill do well to hear the Rev. Mr. jflado's address on " Consolidating a Conjuest". It is reported that several of the fellmonger proprietaries of the Ballarat dis- '- ■ trict are feeling keenly the pressure on their industries . caused by the operation of fac i tories legislation and the action of the | ■■:■-■< Wages Board in fixing at too high a mini- . mum the salaries of operatives. The owner of one of the establishments in question says, there is nothing for it, as far as he is con- '■•' : cerned, but' to close his works, as the fac- . Tory legislation has " done him to death." He points out that for the long period of i 50 years ho has provided in his establishment constant employment for a large number of hands, the discharge of all of whom K$ H is sow pending. It is rumoured that an- . ■ other ■ master fellmonger will probably follov suit. Mr. C. E. Grainger, manager of tbs Ballarat woollen and worsted mills, relates that recently he was arranging for the purchase of sheepskins valued at £3000, but •wing to the unsettled condition of things as a result of the new legislation negotia|S'ytions were brought to an abrupt termination, and the sale was not completed, al- • though the vendor promised to allow substantial concessions. • There are four fell; mongerie3 in Ballarat. " '," -.'..< The Sydney Morning Herald of July 27 isays:—Work in the ruins of Hordern's building goes along slowly. Huge "masses of dirt are being turned over by gangs of ," Workmen employed by the insurance comv , panies, and all articles of value are placed on one side, to be disposed of by auction. The boilers, engines, and dynamos, in the building where Clegg loss his life, bave not yet been recovered, but they will be taken out prior to the demolition of the damaged walls of the building, which will have to come down before rebuilding. Some of the walls of the other two buildings have been, by xperts, pronounced good enough to stand for future rebuilding purposes. The damage by water in the , tall ironmongery building on the Hay-street site was responsible for some curious effects in connection with certain electrical articles. Bell-pushes, ordinarily circular, were warped into oval ; shapes, and are now being sold at a penny each. Indicator movement frames melted ; • asunder, and most -of the delicate gear attached was rendered useless, while" such articles as cylinder induction sparking machines lost all their energy, through becoming soaked with water. Electric bells, magnets, wive, and many other articles suffered, but apparently the avidity with which job purchases were made by budding electricians in some measure brought about compensation. One of the very oldest of the Canterbury settlers passed away on July 28 in the per|,lh: son of Mr. Joseph Price, who died at his residence, Price's Valley, near Birdling's Flat, 4 the age of " 91 years. Mr. Price was in one of the early whalers which came to New Zealand, and after being on the coast several times he eventually took up his abode at Kaiapoi, where he was re- : Biding amongst the Maoris in 1831. He and several other adventurous spirits went in for whaling on their own account, and worked a small brig round the coast, making their headquarters at Ikeraki, just to the south of Akaroa Heads, where the re- ', mains of the old whaling station, with the trying-out pots, are still to be seen. He made several trips to Australian ports, where the oil was sold, and cargoes of goods were brought back, which were bartered to the Maoris. Mr. Price could tell ; some very exciting and blood-curdling stories of'incidents which happened during his early sojourn amongst the Maoris, who « at that time knew little or nothing of civilisation, and were but little better than cannibals. About 1840, Mr. Price, having previously visited Little River, and found ■ - there an abundance of good timber, estab- , ■,'-; lished a sawpit with a couple of hands, and the timber used to be taken round to Akaroa and the whaling stations by means r~ "--~ vi baleboats, which loaded at the mouth of Lake Forsyth. Later on Mr. Price took up the land known as Price's Valley, and went in for farming. For many years he had to obtain his stores from Lyttelton, and in order to transport these i a bullock team was brought into requisition, the road used being that over Gebbie's Valley Pass. «e remained on the estate up to the time of his death, and leaves a widow and grown- ' up family, 6 K>iS*V"-''' ; "''--■•■•;■'■■■'■■'.--'■■ ■'-.'■'■-' '■'' -.":'•■■" .■'...,' : r ./-■■

A telegram from Perth states :i—Mr. Williamson and Mr. Wilson Barrett are among the passengers by the mail steamer Ortona. Mr. Wilson Barrett and his company have arrived to tour Australia under engagement to Mr. Williamson, has been away six months, during which time he visited England, America, and Paris, j The company will open in Her Majesty's, Melbourne, on August 3, with "Man and His Maker," which will be presented for the first time in Australia, -Mr. Williamson has secured rights in drama, comedy, and opera sufficient to supply Australia for the next three years. Mr. Barrett's new play, "The Christian. King," will be staged : in Melbourne long before it is produced in London. The playis not, as the name would imply, a. religious ;drama, such as "The Sign . of the Cross," but a powerful play, founded upon tho life and times of Alfred the Great. Mr. Williamson has made arrangements with Mr. Charles Frosma (a leading American manager), who is also interested in London ventures, whereby the latter will send to Australia periodically the theatrical ''.'attractions":, of England and America. Mr. D. McKellar, Collector of Customs at Wellington, who is severing his connection with the Department aftei 39 years' service, was op Thursday last made the recipient of a golden chain and locket. In tho absence of the ' Landing Surveyor (Mr. Carter) through illness, Mr. H. R. Spence made tho presentation on behalf of the Customs staff, and referred to Mr. Kellar's many estimable qualities and his uniformly courteous manner. Mr. J. H. Hempton also said a few words of farewell to Mi. McKellar. That officer feelingly acknowledged the good words of the speakers, and assured his hearers that it was with genuine regret that .he.Cwas severing his connection with the service, in which he was second in seniority for the whole colony. The following prisoners were in the lockup last evening, namely, Ernest Gallott .on a charge of assault, and David Mills on a charge of vagrancy. The Rev. Dr. J. Meiklejohn, of Melbourne, who was elected Moderator of the United Presbyterian Churches of the Commonwealth, in the course of his address, thus referred to modern scepticism :—No doubt, too, there is a prevailing scepticism which is all the more widespread and all the more insidious because so much of it is due to the influence ot men who are within the Christian Church, and pledged so long as they remain there to maintain her doctrines, and which is depressing the heart and weakening the faith and chilling the zeal of many in the Church, and keeping outside of it not a few honest and earnest men and women who are in sympathy with the Church's aims. , But scepticism itself is no new thing, and if there is more of it at present than there has been in some past ages, the increase is not to be attributed to mora) causes or to a process of degeneracy, but to that growth of knowledge and that greater intellectual activity which are features —and features which are surely good rather than bad—of the age in which we live. Moreover, of the scepticism of the present time, taken on the whole, ' and .as a phase. of human thought, it can be said that in relation to the great truths of our Christian faith its attitude is more reverent and its teaching is less hostile than was the scepticism of any previous time. t For some time past (says the Southland Times) the Invercargill police were aware of the existence of a gambling " school" conducted on Sundays in ,the open among the rushes to the north-west ot the hospital, but were unable to catch the gamblers, owing to their always having a sentry posted. Recently, however, five of the police were early on the scene and secreted themselves close to the spot where- the gamblers congregated, and, pouncing:on them, caught eight young men • playing " Yankee grab." The men were admitted to bail. 'lira 20th anniversary of the Franklin Lodge, M.U.0., was celebrated on Friday night at Otahuhu by a ball. Noble Grand 'food adverted to the progress and stability of the. lodge, - stating ~ that- -• its' funds amounted to £800, with a membership of 86. Brother John McLeod delivered an address, pointing out the strides the M.U. Oddfellows are making. The Auckland district had a membership of 2600, with funds amounting to £53,000. An inquest took place on Saturday last on the body of Elsie Thomas, by Mr. Gresham, coroner, at the residence of Mrs. Margaret Dunning, Summer-street, Ponsonby, who held a license under the Infants' Life Protection Act.' Mrs. Dunning deposed that the child was born on May 13, 1900, and died on Friday morning. She received her on June 14. The mother's name was Rosea Thomas. The child was reported to her as delicate when receiving On Thursday last the child had a cough and cold, and at night-time had a- wheezing on the chest. On Thursday night, at a quarter past ten she sent for Dr. Knight, and he arrived on Friday morning at six a.m. The child had been dead about a quarter of an hour. Dr. Knight deposed that he was absent when the message was left at his home. He was absent at another case, and did not return till three o'clock in the morning. He deemed it too late to go to the house at that hour. He received-a second message shortly before six o'clock on Friday morning, and arrived shortly after. He had examined the body of the deceased. .There were no external marks of violence. Tho child was well. nourished. In his opinion the cause of death was congestion of the lungs. He had known Mrs. Dunning for some years, and he was satisfied that she was a thoroughly careful and conscientious woman, and in all respects fitted to have the care of children. Mrs. O'Brien, matron of the Auckland Police Station, and inspector under the Infants' Life Protection Act, deposed that she had known Mrs. Dunning for about eight months. The children under her care, she believed, had always received proper care.The child was last seen by her on July 5 last, and she then considered the child healthy. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence. . •