LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12176, 23 January 1903, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The AticldAND Wek'ket News has ]6n| ' been famed fm the wealth and variety of j its illustrations, arid this week's issue con. * tains a larger number than usual of most interesting pictures. The pictures include 5fH handsome full-page and other views of Newt Zealand scenery; illustrations Of all tBB leading current events, such as the bowling tournament at Palmerston North, .Lord Hawke's cricket eleven at Wellington, etc. For the purpose of posting to friends abroad, the number is especially suited- -' and from the numerous grateful letters re- ! '" ceived it is certain that the News always ■ ■ meets with a hearty appreciation in the most remote parts of the Empire. The j '" News is now on sale, arid may be obtained from runners arid newsagents throughout Hi the" city. - , ■ ■ >'.-■'■ ■■■-:"■ Archdeacon Calder, Bishop's Commissary; Has received a cable message from the .Rev., M. R. Neligari, Bishop-elect of Auckland- ' asking" for information as to the date i&ed *$$IfyL consecration. As it would be inn possible for him to reach Auckland on th« date previously fixed, the Archdeacon re- ,; - ferred the matter to the Bishop of Dtmedk» and the. date of the consecration hag been] altered to May 21, Ascension Day. The* Bishop-elect also made some inquiries as id the Hamilton curacy, .Is he' had a clergy- &*** available to take iip the duties; and' the necessary information has been for/ warded by Archdeacon Calder. The Union Company's steamer Ovalaft ; arrived from the Eastern Pacific yesterday! i morning, bringing a large and valuably cargo of pearlshell, vanilla, copra, fruit J ' etc. On Monday last, the steamer ehcdmv -SJ tered A violent. easterly gale, accompanied! I by a very heavy sea, and had to be hove- J to for five hours during the height of the • 8 storm,; but beyond shipping some heavy se&s tlte i steamer buffered no damage, aid ''"' her consignments of fruit were landed iri very, good order. • • | All hope of the missing boat of tha ' wrecked steamer Elingamito and its occtts pants having reached the Kermadecs, m was thought likely at the time of the disteter, is nbW set at . rest by a report" from Rarotonga from Captain F. A. Wora* ley, RN.R, of the Government schooner Countess of Ranfnrly. Leaving Auckland on December 12, \ the schooner called; at the ' Little Barrier the next day, finding some * wreckage on the beach, but nothing which could be identified as belonging. to th» Eflingamite. .. 5 On the" slsth the. Sohooßei passed close to the L'Esperance ■ Rock, * p good ldokout being kept, but nothing was observed there. The schooner reached Curtis • Island the same night, and earl* next morning went around the island, keeping close in shore, arid passing within 100 yards of the entrance* but there were ho signs of life or wreckage. A landing tfaa effected at Macatilay Island the same morning, and 8 thorough examination of the beach was made. A little old wreckage arid two kauri logs were'found, but there wm no trace ot the missing boat. The depofi d " the island was found to be intact, and the schooner then went: on to Sunday, Island, which was reached the' r following ' ";' morning. The island was ■ * thoroughly! searched, ■", but nothing was discovered, audi the schooner then proceeded on her voyage ' I to Rarotonga, where she arrived on De« cember 27. . ; • In the HerAld recently there appeared an account of a mutiny at sea on'board the British ship Leicester Castle, bound from San Francisco to Queenstown, during! i which the second officer was shot dead and the captain, seriously wounded by, the mutineers, who afterwards escaped from the ship on a raft. The British warship Shearwater called at Tahiti from Vancouver early this month,, and after taking in «f supply of coal arid water, left on the Bth* ;'. inst. for Pitcaira Island, her visit to that remote island of the Pacific being probablyi: - ; in connection with the Leicester Castl* 1 • mutiny, as it was mentioned in the account . ,;'£s of the affair that the mutineers on the rafti' \ might probably reach that.island, the ship' being a couple, of hundred miles from there when the men deserted her. -;'rt&SlS ■ ' .-■£ •■■' It is pleasing to record (says an occasional correspondent) that a much-needed im« \ provement has been made by the railway) authorities in the handling of fruit. Oat Wednesday, fruit in transit from Birkeni head and Northcote to Wellington and T&ta-i riaki was carefully placed in cjean covered vans. If this treatment continues grower! ;: will be encouraged to consign fruit vial Onehunga, instead of waiting for East} Coast steamers, ' ■"'. '■■■'"' ■"■'" "- 6^:fM

-' Some extensive alterations and addition* are being made at the Wellington Gasworks As a result of the increasing output of gaS y that has been taking place, it . has been found imperative to enlarge the carbonising plant. ' There are at present two retort! houses. No. 1 is already equipped with the latest modern appliances for the ecoho* mical production of gas, and the company ' , is how having alterations effected to No, 2 retort house/which will, when completed/ ; -'. bring the house into line with No. !.•"'■ Our Thames correspondent states that two well-known Thames residents passed away yesterday, in the persons of Mrs. Ana dribble (relict of the late Mr. Samuel Cribble, one time manager of the AJburnia' mine), and Mrs. ' Pyhe, wife of Mr. C. 8, Pyne. The question of allowing doctors to travel upon the platforms of the electric cars was referred by the Tram Company to the City; Council last night for the necessary peri mission. The Council, however, declined to sanction the suggested innovation. The electric tram service was suspended for about ten minutes yesterday, on account of a break in one of the overhead wires. - - m '''''■'■. '■'• r: .''■■■'■ At a late meeting of the Wellington Typographical Union the half-yearly report of the Board of Management again mad* '; roference to the delays of the Arbitration Court, and the irritating effect of the de* lay upon parties appointed to conduct case* before that tribunal was also emphasised* In the case of breaches of awards, the re* : ; port stated, the breaches were sometimes aI J most ancient history before they wera deals with. J "*•

-( -f-- — -■ ■■■ ■ ; —"~ '■ ' A reference U the Sol.th Afrlcah wa lo(n it appears that a. meeting b? heads o mining houses, excepting Mr. J. 15. Robin sdn, suggested si contributioii o ?JBb;flbd,ftjD, which was fatiriecl liV a ton ttrenb? ; of^mer*ch^ut&,,traders, and. rfiinei-s '" btr..-74 to four, .ifews from Venezuela states .■■■: tiat.three German Warships', bombarded j^brl Carlos, and that the fort repliecj. Veiii*iiriflledc* that tlie Blockade shdiih it appears that a riieetihg "of heads 0 fig hbusfes, fcitcepting Mr. J". B; Robin suggested it contribution 0 flfitUtob, ftiiich wds ratlßeu \>f a cbri ice of merchants,,traders, and miHers \id four. News froih yeneziieU states three German Warships bombarded Fori diTlos; and that the fort repecj. yeh> '£ deniMd that the Blbekadfe shdhltl tease before negotiations Cdmrhejice, lias Weii cabled to .the Powers. The Maritime Association of New York is urging the ad- ■ tiSabiliiy. of doubling the navy in Bi-der to ;' phibWtlie idea that AhleHca'ls 1 wfe'dkiHliig gard to the Monroe Ddctrlhe. A i3fipish tiatrol dhow fcdptiired; a dhow; on tile lilahd coast, dbtitHiiliiig' guHs ahd aiii|hitihitibn intended for the Miiflali.: A fdre'e : ' mhder Lieutenant-Colonel Cobbb) is about to itaris, from Gbbia oh a. .fbtthight's rccon- . „ince towards the Mullah's ; hSndniiarI iters. . Speiutihg in : the , Reichstag : the Ger- / man Chancellor referred to the Dardanelles I incident, ahd explained Wily Gerihiiny did not Biibpbi't Britain.,. He rejoiced that the j relations between the tWb countries . re- ! mained unchanged. Germany would coiit j tihUe to follow oh the old friendly .lihes. A Stormy debate took place iii the' Reichstag upon the Imperial estimates, some Of the Kalsbr'D recent utterances being adversely criticised. , Gbiiut. vbri BlilbW', delivered a . great speech in defence of the 1 Kiiiser. ..Two thousand British farmers « and , agricultural IJitibuferS life leaving for Canada, with thfe intention of ~founding tofrhsliipS id the North-west Territories, and constituting ■ special British settletnents. ! ' I . - I ' . ,' '..-" -' f'"" 4 . The annual picnic hi connection with the ! Birkenhead Methodist Sunday-school wits j held on 'Wednesday.. The ji.s. Victbrlh, was i chartered arid the children were conveyed j to Lake Takapulia beach. , On arrival the 1 Usual games were , held. The siibeHhtcri- ! deht; Mr. A. L. White, and the teachers ~ ; untiring in their efforts, with the result that | ] the children passed a very pleasant day. Ample refreshment was provided.—[Occasional Correspondent.] A somewhat serious accident happened to '{ I Mr. Kwiiig, ehiex officer of the Gdverhhieht I schooner Countess of Raiifuiiy, ftt RarOj tdilga. \Vhilst engaged superintendiug the I discharge.of. the vessel's cargo, Mr. wing ; was struck by a sling of cargo which was ' being hoisted but, .and, knocked overboard. In his descent he struct- a. boat which was moored alongside of the schooner, and seri--1 ously injured his back. Mr. Ewing dame lip by, the Ovalau from Rarotonga.yesterday, and Shortly after his arrival was taken to the Auckland Hospitn! for treatment. J Swimmers will note that the City Council decided last night that no salt .water 'shall be supplied to the Albert-street Baths this season, owing to their being Bufficient fresh water available. .".'■.: i • ■-~.,. (■■""' 1.,, The method a person should adopj in (he event of finding a Wild unbroken horse trespassing on his property Was the subject of art interesting Civil action at the .' Paer'Oa Magistrate's Court yesterday, when jFoshua Teti'ey sued. J. Martin , for -£6,' leihg the value of a filly which the latter lad shot. It appeared fl-bnl the evidence fllat the horse had j trespassed oh. the ptoierty of J. ; Gbohan, and, the latter .asked Martin to give him assistance in impounding it. Martin complied with the request, and ; found that the animal . was very wild. ; Eventually they put a. rope, round it, with ■ the object of leading it to the pound, and Mattiii tied it lip* to the, fence iiiitil he got lii own horse. The filly, hbwevSi-i t objetted to the treatment, and in jumping to free - itself fell and broke its leg so badly that in accordance with .the ; wishes .of tioohah. Martin shot tho animal. :.. Tetley therefore ; claimed , £6. ■ His Worship held that the law provided that in the case of trespass by a Wild or unbroken Horse, thb ililinal ShOuld remain on the property ted the offence be : advertised. , If pot claimed the animal Was to be sold, lie therefore thought that the plaintiff was entitled ; to recover under the "circumstances. ( As ,he considered that £2 w-as the outside^,value bt i the horse, he would give judgment accordingly, with costs. • In referring to the decision of the Court ; in the EliUgamite inquiry, the New Zealand Timed fiayß:i~li may at first blush appiai- •■ 1 that th« sentence is severe," inasmuch as the suspension of Captain Atwbod's certificate . * for a year, along with a monetary payment : of £50, is & penalty that must press hardly ; upon tlii man who has to bear it but, on -j the other hand, when we remember the . magnitude of the disaster— lives lost and - the terrible,brings endured—and reflect i that all wis due to one man's errors of jOdg- ; ineht, it cannot be said that the punishment inflicted; by : the Cotut errs on the side of - severity.* .'; . The fact that an officer ehtrtlsted' with the care Of a large passenger iiteamer should have omitted such obvious precautions * as the circumstances i suggested will come as a severe shock to the travelling public, who are accustomed to place the most implicit confidence in ; the captains of ; vessels. Again, the fact of the'; engines Of \ ; the Elingamite being in such ; a Condition ■ ■ fts to be unreliable in ah emergency suggests the query— was not the chief engineer, or the company that owned the vessel, held responsible to some extent for the deplorable accident ? It is plainly the duty of the owners to see that the vessel is wellfound .in , every respect/ and the chief engineer, as their responsible officer, was bound to have reported the condition of the engines. If he did so report, and no action was taken, he is- free frbm blame; but what, in shbh -' case, shall. be said of the Owrjers ? 'Messrs. i Huddart, • Parker, , and Co. : have - doubtless t suffered heavily bv the wreck, and they have l acted generously by the shipwrecked people, , but public-policy seems to,demand .that in i such circumstances as those surrounding the . loss of the Elingamite, legal responsibility should rest upon the owners of the vessel as well as upon the officers in charge. A mirage of unusually natural appearance, says the Lyttelton Times, is occasionally to be seen in Armagh-street West. Between the two bridges, a distance of about' half a r mile, there is a slight depression in the road, ' and, looking along this on a sultry morning £ from the Oxford Terrace Bridge, there ap- 1 pears a sheet of placid water, with.miniature I combers breaking along its shores. It is < undoubtedly a reflection of the sea at New J Brighton, and a peculiarity of it is that the t tuddett clouding of the sun does not affect i it in the slightest. It is so natural that j the shadows of people crossing the street, apparently knee-deep in water, are projected ] along its surface just as though it were real J water.'.-:'' "

i> Notwithstanding the unseasonable weather experienced in this district, says the Feilding Star, the crops will, as a whole, turn out well for the farmers. The amount of hay which has already been harvested is abnormal, i besides being of excellent quality, and is in itself An assurance that the winter Bupplies of fodder will be ample for all local F needs, ; leaving a profitable margin for disposal oh other markets. - Wheat and oats are also looking remarkably well, and such of the latter as have already been cut have b*en quite up to the average as regards weight. : ;V

', The Farmers' Union can (remarks the Eangitikei Advocate) take credit to itself for doing something to secure greater safety for residents in country districts by inducing magistrates to abandon the practice of discharging vagrants on condition that they leave the towns. This practice was protested against some time ago, and we are glad to note that the North Canterbury Union have expressed their satisfaction with the action of Mr. Bishop, S.M., in declining to let undesirable characters loose on the farming community. The towns are the best places in which to keep the lazy or criminal, because they can there be under the eye of the police, While the scattered residents in country districts have no protection. A novel application (says the West Coast Times of the, 14th inst.) came before the " ; < . Education Board, being a request from a Ko holder of a scholarship at the Hokitiku Dist'ict High School, who is leaving with his parents to live in Scotland, to have the '•'■ scholarship extended to Scotland till it expires. Some members of the Board were in favour of granting the request, arguing that the Act authorised payment of a scholar- , ship in. another district. It was pointed out, ■ however, that Scotland could hardly be look«i upon us a " district" within the meaning '• ■ '6! the Act. The Board decided that it had ' no power to grant the request. E. I • \