LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12114, 6 November 1902, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Yesterday was Guy Fawkes Day, and in accordance with time-honoured custom the youth of Auckland prepared bonfires for the purpose of burning in. effigy the man whose timely discovery in the cellar of the House of Lords, during the reign of James 1., saved the blowing up by gunpowder of the King and Parliament, and culminated in the arrest of the conspirators concerned in the famous gunpowder plot. The small boys were early in the field with their " guys " this season, and that a rich harvest of ' coppers followed their solicitations was evidenced by the large quantity of powder expended last -night in crackers, rockets, etc. There were numerous bonfires round about the suburbs, the cliffs along the foreshore of the northern side of the harbour, extending from Devonport to Birkenhead, being dotted with fires. No ill effects appear to have followed the celebrations. e

It being considered that sittings of the Arbitration Court during the week prior to the general elections would be inconvenient to many of those interested, the Auckland Provincial Employers' Association has communicated with Mr. S. Brown, the employers' representative, on the Court, asking if it would be possible to get the date of the opening of the Court in "Auckland postponed from the 21st inst. to a date after the elections. In reply, however, Mr. Brown stated that as all arrangements had been made for opening on the 21st, and as the Court had a great deal of business to do, it could not afford the loss of time which an. adjournment would necessitate.

All those interested in the development of our northern lands will be pleased to hear that the large block at Maungaturoto, known locally as Sanies, has been acquired, and is now about to be cut up into small farms, by a Hawera syndicate, amongst whom are Messrs." Tonics and Budge (the latter we are informed being a distant relative of the late Mr. Cecil Rhodes. This property has long been a serious block to the opening up of a large area in the district, and the visit of the syndicate to Maungaturoto last Saturday was hailed with the liveliest satisfaction by the residents. We are informed that at the instance of Mr. Budge the purchasers intend to present to the public as a reserve the beautiful hill on the property, Pukeringa, locally known as Punga Hill.

His Worship Mr. Brabant held a long sitting of the Auckland Old Age Pensions Court yesterday in the Magistrate's Court. Mr. John King represented the Department. The Court rejected three applications, struck out one, increased and reduced a few pensions, adjourned others, and granted the maximum of £18 to the following —Elizabeth Ann Davis, Edward Murphy, Samuel Swain, Ann : Donaldson, John Mettam, Eliza Bailey, Bridget Robertson, Ann Sparks, Adam McOluskey Janet Baxter, Jane Ann Lockhart Philip Lamprier, Rachel Adshead, Adelaide Pivott, John Driscoll, Augusta Lewis, Mary Ann Carr, Hannah McCauley, Mary Ann Buckley, Caroline Tomlinson, Jane Hawthorne, Christopher Traynor, Ann Crawford, Ann Garvey. Lesses awards were also made in the undermentioned cases: —Elizabeth Gamblin, £17; Mary Sharpe Milner, £11 Charles McCarthy, £10; and George Warburton, £9. The S.M. intimated that he would deal with a few adjourned applications to-morrow (Friday) afternoon, at halfpast two o'clock.

Mr. F. .Jameson, of Clevedon school, writes:—"l would like to make known, through your columns, that a homer pigeon descended in my garden to-day, and quite readily allowed my boy to pick him up. ihe bird is a blue rock, and has on the left eg a small brass ring, bearing a very indistinct legend, which I take to be 30 10. .Thinking it possible that the bird and its possible cypher message might belong to someone of your readers, I take this means of letting its whereabouts be known."

Our Pa'eroa correspondent states that by a fire at Netherton Messrs. Dean Eros, lost s valuable flaxmill plant. The fire occurred through a spark from the engine setting fire to the tow house, and the wind blowing the burning material hack to the mill soon caused a big blaze.

The death occurred at Mangonui on October 30 of Mr. R. O. Stewart, a well-known settler in the district, at the age of 76. Deceased, who had retired from active life for some time, was at one time magistrate at Port Waikato, and subsequently was a native schoolteacher. He leaves a widow andthree sons, and three daughters to mourn their loss.

Some idea of the effects of the drought can be gathered from this year's returns from a pastoral property in the Albury district, New South Wales. The station has just completed shearing, and in ordinary seasons shears up to 70,000 sheep, producing 2000 bales of wool. This year but 35,000° sheep were shorn, yielding 690 bales of wool Ordinarily from 5000 to 7000 lambs are shorn on the property, but this year 150 came to be shorn. This property, relatively stands well in comparison to most in the district, and at the lowest estimate there will be a shortage of fully one-third in the yield of wool in that portion of the Riverina this year,, •■"•■' ------

I A very interesting ceremony took plactf yesterday afternoon at the Tarara school,, •J Thames, where the ladies who made th« 'Whole of the cadets' ""'forms were holding their final meeting. After drill the com-' . Many < fi. maed into the sewing-room and : -.luted the ladies. Sergeant Levett Thor- * '! Hra then stepped forward, and in a neat ; Hire speech thanked the ladies for their ' ■, unless, and asked them ea-eh to accept a, i little present as a slight mark of the cadets' ' aPP re Wtion. Sergeant Nolan then banded eaclrltdy a photo, of the corps as paraded on Corcoation Day. The ladies were completely taken by surprise, hut out and all said that.they were extremely grateful to"' the boys !or their thoughtiulness.'; Threcheers for the ladies completed th: ceremony, and the company was dismissed.

An accident happened to the Culvgrden* Hanmer Springs coach on Tuesday, when returning from the springs. Descending a cutting into tin VVaiau River the coach tootcharge of the horses, which galloped dowri the hill and across the bridge, the coach overturning on the other side. Four ladies wens in the coach, bir. escaped unhurt.

- At a meeting held at the Thames laslS night, it was decided to arrange matters with respect to next Monday's holiday, in recogni. tion of the the King's Birthday, so that the laying of the foundation of "the troopers' memorial fountain and the opening of tliu Victoria Reserve and the new band rotunda erected therein, together with th» public school sports, to be held at Parawai, should follow in the order mentioned. Th» volunteer and cadet corps will fire a feu-de-joie at noon.

Aucklanders have the reputation of being" able to enjoy and appreciate a good lecture. In past years the Rev. Chas. Clark, Major Dane, and. other platform orators wero highly appreciated, and their lectures were attended by large numbers. In the Y.M.C.A. Hall to-night, Colonel G. W. Bell, who has earned for himself a world-wide reputation as a lecturer of the highest class, will deliver his celebrated oration, "The Vanguards of Civilisation." Colonel Bell is a born orator, and of commanding presence. He is exceedingly wellread, a deep thinker, and is capable oi holding an audience. A genuine treat ill in store for those attending the lecture to." night. ;,

A curious discovery has been made lyj the crew of the fishing ketch Royal Ok,! which has just returned to Melbourne form a visit to the islands oi Bass Straits. At one of these, Hummock Island, in thai Hunter Group, north of Tasmania, Captain' Leash was attracted to a boat lying in. asmall inlet, and as no occupants were visible he searched and found a body, which uust have lain where found exposed to the wind and rain for at least three months. Thej possibility of a man being alone at such : a, spot seemed improbable, and Captain! Leash instituted a careful search for sup--posed companions, but without stccess, : | He, • however, found a rifle, sword, revol-i ver, frying-pan, kerosene stove, and other articles usually taken by a party intending,' to camp out for weeks. A piece of a Mel-j bourne daily newspaper lying near tie body bore the date May 7. Nothing was discovered to give a clue to identification, but a small slip of paper, addressed "Care of Mrs. Williams, Bon Accord House, Peel« ; street, North Melbourne." \

While working on a farm at Yamiath'an/ Gippsland (Victoria), a young mm named Kennedy was in the act of turning over a'j log, when a tiger snake viciously fastened; on to the thumb of his left hand, and did not; release its hold until Kennedy, picking up I an axe close at hand, chopped the reptile! in two. ' He quickly gashed the thumb with j a penknife and tied ' several ligatures round' the wrist and arm, and then drove a distance' of 14 miles for medical help. The bite did not prove fatal. . \ '\

A man named John Baxter Frasisr was arrested yesterday by Detective on the charge of forging and uttering a' cheque to the value of £2 on the Bank of New Zealand. . V • . - .