LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11950, 26 April 1902, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The Natal Government have been asked by the Imperial Government for their views on the peace negotiations. Nothing officially has yet transpired regarding the nature of the terms submitted or the demands of the Boers, though all kinds of rumours are rife. But according to Ministers the Government are determined to conclude no peace that will not be such as shall effectually accomplish the objects of the war, and be universally acceptable to the British Empire. The Boer losses since the beginning of the year are officially stated to have amounted to 5883. The shipping combine will not be able to control subsidised British cruisers, respecting which soma alarm was felt in England. It is probable, however, that legislation will be brought in dealing with the matter. A reign of terror exists in Finland. Queen Wilhelmina's condition is less favourable.

A garden party was given at Government House yesterday afternoon, when there were several hundred guests present. Several Austrians waited upon His Excellency the Governor (Lord Ranfurly) yesterday morning and complained of the difficulty in getting correspondence, with reference to naturalisation papers, answered by the Colonial Secretary". His Excellency promised to give the matter his attention. This afternoon His Excellency and Lady Ranfurly are to visit Lake Takapuna, when His Excellency will lay the foundation-stone of the new Presbyterian Church (St. George's). His Excellency Admiral Beaumont, and a large number of- the officers of the squadron, attended the garden party given by the Countess of Ranfurly at Government House yesterday. His Excellency leaves in the flagship Royal Arthur for Russell at five o'clock this' afternoon. The Royal Arthur remains at Russell until Tuesday, and then goes on to Whangaroa, leaving that port on Wednesday for Sydney.

The laying of the foundation-stone of St. George's Presbyterian Church, Lake Takapuna, by His Excellency the Governor (Lord Ranfurly) takes place at a quarterpast three this afternoon. The residents of the district are taking great interest in the visit of the Governor, and it is expected that" the ceremony will be witnessed by a large number of persons. Very • complete arrangements have been made by the Rev. R. Ferguson for the ceremony. For the convenience of tho&e who wish to go over from town, the p.s. Osprey is to leave the Devonport ferry-tee at two p.m., and proceed direct to the Lake, aftei : calling at the North Shore. There will be a 'bus from Norlhcote Wharf at a quarter-past two, and 'buses will also meet the ferry boats leaving Auckland at one o'clock, half-past one o'clock, and half-past two o'clock.

The following telegram wast forwarded yesterday by His Worship the Mayor (Mr. A. Kidd) to Sir Joseph Ward, Wellington: — "Very pleased to congratulate you upon your successful efforts to obtain universal penny postage, and that Australia has joined in. On behalf of the people of Auckland I heartily express feelings of satisfaction. - '

The weekly budget of athletic notes by " Lynx"-, will be found on page 6 of the Supplement issued with to-day's Herald. Among the branches of sport dealt with are : football, athletics, cycling, lacrosse, golf, and aquatics.

Messrs. Win. Read Bloomfield, John Edgerley, and Thomas Grainger have been nominated as candidates to fill the two vacancies on the Epsom Road Board. A poll of ratepayers will lie taken by the returning officer (Mr. Wm. Hogg) at Mr. Edgerfey's workshop on Wednesday, the ?th prox., between the hours of nine a.m. 1 and six p.m. The nominations of Messrs. W. C. Daldy, jun., J. Oliver Nicholson, Ronald R. Ross, and Jas. R. Waters were received yesterday for the vacancies for two members on the Mount Eden Road Board. It will, therefore, be necessary to take a poll of the ratepayers, and this will be done on Saturday, the 3rd prox., between the hours of nine a.m. and six p.m., the polling booths being located at the Mount Eden Road Board office, and at Bayley and Co.'s office at Mount Roskill Road." The annual meeting of ratepayers of the Mount Eden Road District will be held in St. Barnabas' Hall, Mount Eden, on Friday next, at eight p.m.

The formation of Ponsonby Road, on which a number of City Council workmen have been employed for a considerable time, is expected to be completed to-day, and in the beginning of the week the men will be put to the same class of work on Wellesley-street, after which Beach Road will receive attention. Complaints have been made of water lodging around the newly-laid tram rails in various parts of the city, and to obviate the inconvenience thus caused, the Mayor has arranged with the tramway company to put in gratings at several points near the tram-lines, so that the water can be run into the city sewers.

Dr. Mason, chief health officer for the colony, who is at present in Auckland, speaking on the latest experiment in the direction of guarding troops in Africa against enteric, said drinking impure water containing typhoid bacillus was one of the chief causes of infection, and it was clear, therefore, that by purifying the water drunk bv all troops the risk was materially reduced". Boiling water was the surest way of killing the bacilli, but then it was not always convenient, or even possible, to do so. Dr. Rideal, of London, had made a series of experiment*! with a composition of acid and sulphate of soda, and found that five grains of it, placed and allowed to stand from ten to fifteen, minutes in about a pint of infected water, had the effect of completely destroying any typhoid germs therein. Dr. Mason made further experiments, and though the results obtained have not borne out Dr. Rideal's assertions in toto, they were sufficient to warrant his recommending the use of tabloids to the Government, with the result that an order has been cabled Home for 300,000 of them to meet the Tenth Contingent at the Cape. The tabloids also give the water a pleasant flavour. A few were sent with the Seventh, and those who had them were emphatic in testifying to their thirst-alleviat-ing qualities. Dr. Mason is confident if the troopers only allow the drug to remain long enough in the water they will have certain protection against enteric. The tabloids are to be put up in light tins, containing 100 each, so that they may be carried in the pocket: So far as is known, none of the [seventh took enteric, but Dr. Mason does not set much store on this, as the experiment was on a small scale at that time. With the Seventh was also sent some typhoid serum, and none of those inoculated with it took enteric afterwards. The new drug also checks, diarrhoea and dysentery.

A number of letters to the editor will be found on page 6 of our Supplement. c

The "Prisccmail number of the Aros> lAND WKEKrjNisws, which is now on sale, contains a prwion of most beautiful illus- , trations, dealtg with a large variety of fi.fctractive ;" Bijects.";' ; Some of the beat (scenery of t) South Island is admirably | depicted in (series of beautiful■ views of Lake Wakatu, which are by far the most ,* handsome m have yet appeared. The departure ;"q the; Tenth - Contingent, the Premier's deer shooting at Motu- H) tap uj old anoew St. Matthew's, the Avondale races, t| competition for the Countess of Ranfurly'Cup, arc some of the subjects ipictorially. l*t«d in the issue, . The read- -V ing matter iso to the usual attractive style, ..;.,:, ' and as a puliation for posting to frieuds abroad, the BKK&t News is unrivalled. .; The 'Frisco til closes at half-past eleven •'■-{ this .„ forenoon. , ... ■

", Yesterday ' timing Mr. Henry «Kaiban* M.H.R.,. and \iUut», accompanied by Mr. W. A. Grahan had an interview with His Excellency the Governor. They . were invited to the gulen parly in the afternoon. The work inconicction with the laying of the tramlins at the corner of Queenstreet and Cusnn-stteet West has reduced the available Hace ir vehicular traffic to such an extea that traffic is greatly impeded. , This, is particularly noticeable about the hou of lie o'clock, when the large six-horse 'buses nre taking their departure from lower ijueen-street for the various suburbs Urea difficulty is experienced in rounting tb corner a* the Thames Hotel,;as tht slightest deviation causes the vehicle to ollide with the rails on the one sid< or to lamp-post on the other, and two >r thre of the large 'buses came in contact with one 01 other last evening. '

The district h'salth ofcer has convened a, conference of rtpresenllives of local au- ! thorities to consider th question of erecting a joint hospital ij Auckland for the treatment of infectious ©eases. Dr. Mason, the chief health officer or the colony, 'will attend the conference Yesterday Dr. . Mason had a conferenc&n the subject with, the Mayor of Auckland and, as a. result,' a circular has been issued mayors and chairmen of road boards, |s follows:—"The question of erecting ie general hospital for the treatment of irpctious diseases, instead of requiring. ead local authority to look after such cases, i addition to paying hospital aid, will be qtcussed at the City Council Chambers on' Monday at eleven o'clock. Dr. Masonihief health " officer, I has come from Wellingjn in order to obtain [ the views of the valgus bodies affected. •' Hence he would be gift if you will attend or send a member of ybr Board." , x , Yesterday, at the jolice Court (Mr. T,| Hutchison, S.M., presiding), Captain Arthur Foirester, miter of the ship Qui- ; raing, a vessel engifed in the intercom-. nial trade, pleaded uilty to a breach of the Shipping Act y proceeding on a voyage from the Biff tc Auckland with-! out a full crew, and was convicted and fined £5 lad costs £2 2s. The information /was laid by Captain W. D. Reid, hipping master for the port of Auckland, under the direction of. the Minister for Marine. Mr. Tole appeared in suppovtiof the. charge, and , Mr./ Cotter for Capt&ii Forrester, the amount of the fine havinj previously been .agreed upon by the pajies to the '' action, subject to the approwl of the Court.; Among the caste on the charge-sheet*at the Police Court yesterday was one in which a young'named woman sought a separation orde? from her husband. On the esse being ailed, the husband stepped forward and made • some remark to • the Bench that could lot be overheard from the press-box, but it was quickly made apparent that be wis promising to make amends for his sho'icomings, as; the; first question put by th? presiding magistrate (Mr. T. Hutchison); was, "So you : two have made it up agijn, have you?" ** A reply in the affirmative being forthcoming from both, the Magistrate added, "I'm glad to hear it." Ater which they: left the Court in company, and apparently on good terms. The case;will be called again to-day as a matter nr form, but only tobe struck out, if all goes will.

A large grower of fruit in the Wad* district tells' us/that he lately made a consignment of 8) cases of first-class fruit to Wellington. When ae received ( back his accounts, lie/found that, taking freight, cost of boxes, and auctioneers' fees into account, he was a loser of £1 on the consignment. He had nothing for his 'capita' or his labour. He thinks that the time has arrived fa- a canning factory or a trades union, Sir something. .

A peculiar else of larceny was heard-at; the Helensville Police Court on Wednesday afternoon, before Captain McMahon and Mr. R. M. Cimeron, justices. The circumstances of |he case were that owing to numerous thefts having occurred at the Kaukapakapa railway station, Constable Watt, stationed at Helensville, went there on Friday evening, the 18th hist., to watch. At Iweit.v-five minutes to eleven p.m., the accused, Joseph Watson, • » settler, came to the station and after examining a parcel left there, took it away with him. The constable followed and. charged him with taking the parcel addressed to Mr. James Wilson, containing three pairs of socks. The accused admitted he had taken it, and handed it back. Constable Watt stated to the Bench that thefts had been of frequent occurrence for the past few years from this railway station, the goods generally taken being* sacks of grass-seed, boncdus't, sides of; bacon, bags of sugar, and sundries, the suspected person being a man in the locality, but not the man now charged. The accused stated to the Bench that he took the parcel believing it had been sent from Helensville to one of his children, and but for the constable accosting him, would have returned it on discovering his emir. The Bench, under the circumstances . took a lenient view of the case, and recorded a conviction, admitting the defendant to three months' probation.—[Own Correspondent.] ■;-.., .... ,' ' •;.;;

At a meeting at Coroinandel on Wednesday, of guarantors of the proposed New Zealand Gold Jubilee Exhibition, matters were advanced a stage, and have assumed a somewhat definite form. -The election of officers was proceeded with, and it is hoped that a good working executive has been secured. A meeting of the executive is to be held on Wednesday next, to complete the preliminary arrangements. It is proposed to issue the prospectus in the course of a week or two, when the public will be better able to form an idey of the scop* of the project. ■'•' *■ -

The Trades and Labour Council has resolved: "That the Acting-Premier, be writ* ten to asking him to have the Conciliation and Arbitration Act amended so that preference to unionists shall be given in all awards of the Court;" and, "That Council expresses its extreme regret at the failure of the Belgian Socialists to secure universal suffrage, also deploring the fact that a number of lives were lost in trying to secure that which we already have in New Zealand."

At the usual meeting of the Parnell Borough Council to be held on Monday evening next, Mr. W. Thomas will Move, "That the Council expresses its disapproval of the action of its representative in supporting the sending of the secretary of the Auckland Harbour Board to London re Calliope Dock."

It is nnderstood that the Sawmill Employers' Union of Auckland, Southland, and . Canterbury have expressed their concur- - rence in the Wellington Union's proposals to hold a conference with a view to amalgamation of the unions, and it is probable that steps will be taken shortly with that object. Sir Frederick Sargood has resigned the chairmanship of the Board of Directors of \ the Kauri Timber Company in Melbourne* i on account of ill-health.

Mr. F. Wilkinson has been appointed tO' the post of caretaker and cleaner of the Wei* lesley-street school. ■■■'..{ \\^U^4

On Thursday night a young man named William : Ritchie had his right foot ver/ badly crashed through the wheel of a heavilyloaded 'bus passing ever it ; in Upper By- 1 monds-street. . ~:■• =■, .... 47..',:, , .:,1:,.,m:tl