LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11955, 2 May 1902, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The question as to whether there is to be any celebration of Coronation Day in Auckland came up at the City Council meeting last night, as the outcome of a letter from a firm of fireworks manufacturers, who quoted a price for an aerial display on that occasion. The Mayor (Mr. Alfred Kidd) said that lie thought the time had arrived when some move should be made in the matter. He was of the opinion that the proper course for him to pursue would be to call a public meeting of citizens to discuss the question. On the motion of Mr, J. if. Hannan, the Ji*yor was authorised to adopt this course. The shooting season opened yesterday, hut, judging from the weather experienced in town, the large number of sportsmen who have left for country districts must have had an indifferent day's sport. So far nothing is known in town of the results of the opening day's shooting. The season's prospects are at the present stage Hot very easily ascertainable. Reports from the King Country state that birds are exceedingly plentiful, aud similar reports have been received from the western side of the Waikato district, but nearer town it would seem from recent reports that birds are rather scarce. The Hon. James Carroll, Native Minister, arrived in Auckland yesterday by the s.s. le Anau, from Uistorae, and left again by special train at half-past two, for Rotorua, in order to be present at the ceremony of the presentation to the Arawa tribe by His Excellency the Governor of the Union flag sent out by His Royal Highness the Prince of •Wales. At Rotorua, and afterwards at T. uranga and Whakatane, Mr. Carroll will address the natives on the new land le rhunion. Time permitting, he will on his return to 'Auckland' go North to address the natives there.

Pedestrians frequenting Karangahape Boad, who duriug the present wet weather have hae. to wade through mud and water in order to reach the opposite side, will be pleased to hear that the necessary blocks for the formation of suitable crossings have arrived in Auckland, and will bs laid as soon as possible. The city engineer reported to this effect 3t last night's meeting of the City Council.

The City-Council had a discussion last night ob the question of cheapening water far sanitary purposes. The Streets Committee had considered the question and recommended that consideration be deferred till the permanent supply is available, but this did not suit the views of the majority of the Council, who held that as the N'ihotupa auxiliary supply had proved a success an effort should be made to at once reduce charges. Mr. Pwosser supported this view on the rather novel ground that it would result in sending a large quantity of extra sewage into the harbour, and would on that account be the means of hurrying the Count.l on with a scheme to carry the city sewage hy some means outside the harbour. The whole matter was eventually referred back to the Streets Committee for further consideration. The question of a site for the city abattoirs was reopened at the City Council meeting last night, when after discussion it was decided to advertise for offers of sites for the purpose. Amongst the sites already under offer is the Sylvia Park Estate, the agents for which last night offered the whole property to the Council for £10,000. The returns compiled by the Auckland Customs Department for the month of April, and then comparison with the returns for the corresponding month of lastyear, are as follows:—Net Customs duty, £47,267 16s 7d, as against £44,575 12s 4<l*; net beer duty, £1661 4s 4d, as against £1447 Is 6d. The gold export was £51,200 U4,3400z>, as against £57.154 (15,9340 a) ; silver export, £5954 (51.6380/.), as against £3502 (34,1140z) ; butter export £9538 (1988cwt). as against £4178 (974cwt) : cheese export. £2224 (1149cwt), as against £719 t3olcwt) ; frozen, beef export. £3004 (2426cwb), as against £4491 ' <38510wt) ; frozen lamb export, £8257 (5215cwt), as against £6050 (4003cwt); frozen mutton export. £654 (SoOawt). 'as against £2161 ÜBo2cwt).

The widow and family of Thomas Virtue, who was employed on the wharf, and who died a few days ago in the plague hospital, have been left in destitute circumstances. There are eight young children in the family, and their only mean- is the house in which they live, on. which there is a mortgage. The Grey Lynn Borough Council has constituted itself a committee to raise i fund to help Mrs. Virtue, and lists have been issued for public subscription. Mr. R. T Waruock, the Mayor of Grey l<ynn, is taking an active interest in the endeavour to assist the widow, who is most deserving. A list will be found in the Herald Office, Queen-street, where subscriptions may be left. An inquest was held at Avondaie yesterday, by Mr. Gresbam, coroner, into the death of Charles Paice, settler, which was reported in yesterday's Hi.itAi.t). Dr. G. T. Girdler deposed to "making a post-mortem examination, which in bis opinion showed that the cause of death was sudden engorgement of the heart and cardiac failure, resulting from fatty degeneration. mi being first sent for, anil on viewing the body, he had not expressed the opinion that death was due to heart disease. Joseph Powley deposed that on Wednesday morning he «aiv deceased on horseback driving a cow. Suddenly he threw up his hands, dronned the reins, slipped his feet out of the stirrups and fell backwards on the near side, on to some scrub. Deceased was dead when witness reached his side. The jury returned a verdict, in accordance with the medical evidence.

Our Waiugaro correspondent writes: —An accident of rather a serious nature occurred at the Keriken to Mr. Hairy Wheeler, son of Mr. J. Wheeler, one of our settlers. While he was mustering cattle his horse fell—the ground being in a very slippery state with the late raws—breaking the rider's leg just below the knee. Ho was first carried to the Keriken water, and then taken by boat to the Waingarc landing, where Mr. McDonald met him with a buggy and pair, placed at his disposal by Mr. Picken, and at once started for Hamilton, via Ngaruawahia. This accident shows the necessity there is for the district being connected with Ngaruawahia by telephone, as in case of such misfortunes medical help could be summoned. Postage on .otters tor he Australian States has been reduced to'ld per |oz, as from tne Ist iast.

The strawberry-growers of Birkenhead, Northcote, Rirkdale, and Mayfield are now very busy making preparations for the coming planting season. Although last season was not a good one, it is intended to j.lant a larger area than usual in strawberries. One of the most successful Birkenhead growers has his land deeply dug. It is th'.u disc harrowed and rolled, and bonedust sows broadcast at the rate of about Bcwt to the acre. Afterwards bonedust at the rate of a ton to the acre is put in the drills at the time of planting. Even this very expensive method of cultivation is found to pay. Entries for the annual examination held ia the colony under the auspices of the Royal Academy of Music aud the Royal College of .Musi'', London, are coming in freely. . It is estimated that fully 50 entries will be received in Auckland. The closing day for entries was yesterday, but the secretary (Mr. \V. Crosher) expects to receive entries from the country districts until the end of the week. The examination in the theore- | tical division will he held in the City Council Chambers, WeUesiey-street, on June 14 next. The date for examination in the practical division is not yet fixed, and will be advertised later.

Our Otorohanga correspondent writes: — A man named Alex. Watson met with a severe accident in Messrs. Ellis and Burnand's bush. His hand got caught in a wire rope used for pulling tbo logs from the bush, and was terribly lacerated. It is feared that he will lose, one or more of his fingers. Mr. Russell, the local chemist, attended to his injuries, which latter will incapacitate the sufferer for some time to come. At the Magistrate's Court, Te Awamutu, James Goffey, residing in the King Country, was charged on three informations with sly grog-selling. Constable McPhee conducted the prosecution, and Mr, O'Meagher, of Auckland, defended, and pleaded not guilty. H. B. -Miller and G. Weeks were called by the'prosecution. The defence was that accused was miles away when the sale is alleged to have taken place. The cases were dismissed. Thomas Gardiner, for consenting to the sale of liquor on his premises at Ongarue, was fined £16 and costs £3 0s 10(1. At a recent meeting at Paterangi, a discussion cropped up of considerable importance to stock-owners. In cases of the sickness of horses and cattle, it was stated very few farmers know what the ailment is, nor the cure. It was decided to request the Government to allow one of the veterinary surgeons to visit the Waikato district from time to time, and give lectures on various diseases. A number of valuable cattle and horses has been lost in the district, and at the present time there is some trouble in some of the herds in the neighbourhood, and the staff of the State Department are stated to be uncertain as to what is the disease, and will have to call in the veterinary to determine. Owing to the efforts of Mr. F.. Waymouth, of Christchurch, almost all the supplies for the relief -.hip Morning during her voyage from Lyt*.;.iton to the Antarctic regions and i.ack. and also the stores she will take i for the Discovery, will bo obtained in Christchurch. Sir Clements Markliam, in a letterto Mr. Waymouth, thanks him for his action regarding the stores and provisions left behind by the Discovery at Lyttelton. He states that the relief ship Morning is being fitted out at London, and will be commanded by Captain Colbeck, R.N.R., who served in the Newnes Antarctic expedition. Continuing! Sir Clements writes: —"I am much obliged to you for sending me. the quotations of several "provision firms in New Zealand, which will be very useful. The Morning will be supplied with provisions and coals in England for the passage out. but I intend to order nearly all the provisions for the period after leaving New Zealand, and all supplies she is to take for the Discovery, at Christchurch." Sir Clements adds that he hopes to be able to forward particulars of the requirements for the two ships in June at the latest.

The contractor lor the pulling down of the old Academy of Music in Brown-street, Thames, is making good progress. The result of the work done so far shows that the timber of the building is in a very rotten and worm-eaten condition, and the wonder is that the building did not long ago collapse. Yesterday two or three of the workmen narrowly escaped serious injury. They were in the act of removing some of the timber when nearly two-thirds of the building collapsed, and came down with a run, causing such a din that a crowd quickly collected to see what had happened. Fortunately, the workmen just had time to escape from underneath the falling debris. The Borqugh Council to-night decided to sell by public auction all the timber from the building, in order to help defray the expense it (the Council! has incurred in connection with the same. At a recent meeting at Wellington, Mr. Tom Maun, having stated with emphasis, in reply to questions, that he was in favour of temperance as part of the Socialist programme, and hud always been so, he was asked wiry, holding this view, he had gone up to Aberdeen or Dundee and opened a public-house there? His answer was that he had taken a public-house, not in Aberdeen or Dundee, but in London and that if he had taken jo public-houses, he should still he in favour ut temperance as it appeared in the Socialist programme. He was' not in favour of total prohibition, but in favour of the municipality owning and controlling the trad'.'.

Application)! will be received to-day by Mr. Ferguson, Government labour agent, for inclusion in a party of 12 men to be put on the North Island Main Trunk railway construction works. The workmen will be chosen by ballot from local married men out of employment, whose names appear on the bureau books- as eligible, for work. A letter was read at the City Council meeting last night from a correspondent, asking what day it was proposed to fix <-.s a holiday in lieu of May 24, Her late Majesty's Birthday. The matter was left to the town clerk to deal with. Mr. H. W. Heath, now residing in. Auckland, sends us the following from a Californiun paper respecting a method of destroying cndlin moth: —" Tacoma, »uircli 14. What is believed to be an effectual method of conquering codlin moths has been, discovered by C. R. Frazier, an experienced horticulturist of Walla Walla County. For several years since oodnn moths began to damage the fruit crop of this State, Frazier has been experimenting. Lust year he succeeded in producing a splendid crop of apples and other fruits while orchards adjoining his ' bore fruit that was badly worm-eaten. In an orchard of 35 acres he scattered 50 large tin kerosene lamps, so made that chimneys were unnecessary. Each night during moth time the lamps were filled and lighted, burning until morning. They attracted to them millions of moths, which were burned and destroyed. Frazier found that the kerosene cost less than his neighbours were paying j for spraying fluids. The, trouble of lighting the lamps also was much 'ess than that incidental to -spraying. To kill young moths or larvae which could not fly to the burning lamp, Frazier placed fly paper around the trunks o:t his trees. Above this ha wound burlap bands to keep the paper from the air. Whet' young moths began ascondinK the tree trunks to reach the branches they were caught on the sticky paper and died. raider's success was so complete that many other prahardists will try his plan this year. It is expected that it will come into general use on the coast." Owing to the unpropitiousness of the weather the ladies of the Auckland Golf Club decided yesterday to postpone the remaining matches of their championship meeting till Wednesday and Thursday of next week. The return of the number of births t'nd deaths in the undermentioned boroughs ('tiring the month of April is as follows : — Births. Deaths. Auckland 102 49 Birkenhead 6 1 Devo.iport . ■•• 10 1 Grey Lynn " J Newmarket 2 ft Parnell ... ...... 13 6

One of the most- difficult problems at present facing the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (says the Wellington Times) is the;best method of dealing with persons who are habitually guilty of ill-treating poultry. Shipments of fowls and ducks are continually being sent over-from Blenheim and Nelson for sale in Wellington auction-rooms, but no proper provision is made for them in any respect. In many cases the poor creatures are packed so tightly into crates that they cannot move about, and are kept in a cramped position for hours, and even days. No water is supplied to them ; neither are troughs provided to enable a chance, good Samaritan to quench their thirst; no provision is made for cleaning out the crates, and any chance food that is thrown to the fowls is trodden underfoot, before being eaten. And yet this poultry is sold to augment the food supply of Wellington citizens! The most- recent and lamentable case which has come under the notice of the society was thai of a crate of fowls which came in one day last week. Fifteen of the birds were dead, and the remainder were in a shocking condition. They had been carried as deck cargo, and exposed to wet, wintry weatl jr. The inspector of the ■ Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reports that it is no uncommon thing for fowls intended for the table to remain in the salerooms in filthy crates for a fortnight and three weeks at a time. The difficulty of the society is to locate the responsible persons. The society has now instructed its inspector to secure evidence for test' cases, in the hope of obtaining a conviction, and thus drawing public attention to this lamentable state of things. There were in the lockup last night, Robert McCoy, on a charge of theft: Robert Cashmore Moller, charged with robbery with violence from Helena Alexandra Marsh ; Anton Milicich, arrested on warrant, charged with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Anton Drajicovich, by wounding him with a knife; two boys named Walter Henry Doyle and James Stone, charged ith absconding from the Takapuna Industrial School; John (alias Kenneth) Monaghan, alias Sydney Wright, arrested on warrant, charging him with stealing certain articles of clothing, the property of Geo. Fowlds, on two separate dates, and further with stealing a suit of clothes, the property of W. H. Potter, and an overcoat, the property of some person unknown. At the meeting of the Formers' Union at Leeaton, Canterbury, it was stated that the number of members was now 25,000, and that the Trades and Labour Unions numbered 18,000; also that the Farmers' Union had 350 branches in New Zealand. At Bega. New South Wales, a young man named Ernest Yeomans went, after church, to bathe in the river. He was only learning to swim, and he got beyond his depth, sank, and was drowned. * He was married a week before to Miss Bailiff, a Sydney lady.