LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12252, 27 April 1903, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Russia Las made some very objectionable demands regarding the evacuation of Manchuria, and the situation has become rather grave. It is stated that Britain, the United States, and Japan will Unite in a firm protest insisting on China's nonacquiescence in the demands of Russia. A British patrol in "Northern Nigeria (West Africa) has been attacked by a large force under the Emir of Kano. The British repulsed 10 charge's, killing 300,' including 11 chiefs. The ammunition was almost exhausted when the enemy lied. The War Office does not regard Colonel Cobbe's position in Somaliland as - desperate. Though he is at present unable to withdraw, he has plenty of food and sufficient water for four days. King Edward has been very cordially received by the people at ; Naples, 'and a visit to the Pope has been * arranged. It -is expected that the Prince rof Wales , will pay a ; visit to ■ the United States in connection with the St. Louis Exposition. ;;' The Macedonian bands, in order to avenge the murder of'■;■ their leader, have killed 40 Bashi-Bazouks; and 15 gendarmes. ,•> The British Budget is generally commended by members of Parliament, though the Opposition declare that a dissolution ; is'■"; foreshadowed. t; Mr. Carnegie has given dollars;?; to erect and maintain the!: courthouse and library ; for arbitration V purposes ".' at ; The Hague. IHe has also given 600,000 dollars to the Tashelgee - Institute . for Coloured 'eople, considering this the most promising, plan for solving the racial problem, in the United States,

His Excellency the Governor '' (Lord Ranfurly), received a call on Saturday from Mr.; John Webster, of ; Hoklanga, and his brother, wn'ii has lately arrived from England. Both gentlemen lUnched with His Excellency at Government douse. Yesterday morning Lord and Lady Banfurty and party attended divine service at A U Saints' Church, Ponsonby. y This morning, at eleven o'clock, the Governor and party will o-o for a sail in the yacht Volunteer, which has been placed at His Excellency's disposal by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. On Wednesday evening next, at eight o'clock, the. Governor will open the annual exhibition of the Auckland Society of Arts, in , the Choral Hall.

the judgment of '.Court of Arbitration in regard to the applications for the enforcement of the award of the Court in respect to the dispute in the furniture manufacturing trade, . was delivered on Saturday morning, by Mr. Justice Cooper, president of the Court. His Honor, who reviewed the circumstances and evidence at considerable length, held that there was nothing in' the evidence adduced to warrant a reasonable inference that the action taken by the employers cited amounted to abreach of the award, and that it could nob in anv reasonable . sense be called a lockout. , "His Honor held that there was no evidence that the acts complained of were committed with the object of injuring the ■workers' union, or for any other purpose than the necessary regulation of business during a slack season. All the applications were therefore dismissed. Mr. Brown, the employers' representative on the Bench, agreed that the applications should be dismissed, but Mr. Slater, the workers' representative, dissented from the judgment. The text of the principal portions of the judgment is published in another column.

An accident, which was due to the senseless conduct of two cyclists, occurred on Ponsonby Road, opposite the Western Park, about six o'clock last evening. The two cyclists, who were riding together, overtook a horse and trap, and were in the act of passing it when they both drew in towards the horse and vigorously rang their bells. The horse naturally received a fright, and, stopping short, it fell and threw the two occupants of the vehicle out on to the road. One of them, Mr. Duttlop, of Northcote, received ■ several bruises and a severe shaking, but he was able to walk away, after receiving attention in an adjoining house . for a few minutes. Mr. Dunlop's companion escaped without injury, and the horse also was unhurt, but the trap was considerably damaged by the kicking of the horse whilst it was on the ground. The cyclists turned back on noticing the accident, but rode away again almost immediately. An application for reference to the Conciliation Board of an industrial dispute between John Clarkin and 48 other employers and the Upper Thames Carters' Union, has been lodged with Mr. R. Goring Thomas, clerk of awards. The union, in their demands, claim that the district concerned shall comprise the towns of Paeroa, Waihi, and Karangahake, and a radius of 10 miles from each of these towns, and that 65 hours (inclusive of necessary attendance on horses on week days and Sundays) shall constitute a week's work, except in the case of metal and delivery carts, the hours for drivers of which shall be 48 per week, exclusive of necessary attendance on horses. The rate of wages claimed ranges from 48s a week for the driver of one horse to £3 3s for the driver of eight horses, grooms to be paid 50s a week. Stipulations are also made as to overtime rates (Is an hour for the first two hours, and Is 3d an hour afterwards) ; holidays to be recognised, permits for incompetent hands, and casual employment. It is also demanded that " employers shall employ members of the union in preference to non-members, provided that there are members of the union equally qualified with non-members to perform the particular work to be done." The hearing before the Board of Conciliation is fixed for May 7.

It has been stated that one effect of the introduction of electric trains would be to make residence on the North Shore less popular. With a view of ascertaining to what extent this has been so, our representative waited oh Mr. Alex. Alison on Saturday, and learnt from him that such was not the case. It is rather the other way. Said Mr. Alison. People are coming to live at the Shore. They have everything to gain by doing so. There is a good water supply, and an excellent drainage scheme, whilst the facilities for getting to and from the boats on the Auckland side of the water are excellent.

An accident occurred at the elevator in the Star Printing Works on Saturday, Samuel O'Brien, a boy of 14,. heard a call from another floor to the one upon which he was standing, and leaned over the gate of the lift to reply. The cage, which was on its way down from the floor above, struck him and jammed his head on Ihe rail of the gate. Speedy assistance was forthcoming, and the injuries, which, happily are unlikely to prove of a serious character, were attended to by Dr. Craig:

A sitting of the Supreme Court, in its Admiralty jurisdiction, will be held at eleven o'clock this morning, before Mr. Justice Conolly. The business consists of the hearing of the case of Patrick Bonfield v. the owners of the tug Pilot, a suit for the distribution of salvage in connection with the salving, of the barque Emerald, near the Kaipara Heads, on September 18 last. The usual chamber and banco sittings of the Court will be held this week, and a number of prisoners will also come up for sentence ' during the week. The quarterly criminal sessions of the Court will be opened on Monday next.

A case of ptomaine poisoning, in which no fewer than 17 men were affected, is stated to have occurred on Monday, the 20th inst., in Messrs. Faithful and McConnell's bush camp, at Hikutaia, the suspected cause being attributed to the eating of beef brawn which had been standing during the day in a tin dish. The men were all taken bad during the night with violent vomiting, and severe griping pains m the abdomen, but fortunately all have since been able to resume their work •

The initiatory lecture held at the Thames School of Mines on Saturday morning last, in connection with the science class, which the director (Mr. O. G. Adams) is starting for the benefit of school teachers, was very well attended, about 20 teachers putting in an appearance. The class is to be held every Saturday morning, and the instruction that will be given; will include all that is necessary■• for the D certificate m physics, , electricity, chemistry, and mechanics, the full course to cover a period l of two years. Certificates of proficiency? are to be granted, on the results 'I of ' the annual examinations. ■, A correspondent at Waimangu writes: — The geysei -at Waimangu has been very regular in its periods ;of action (between 32, and 34 hours) during the "past few weeks. ;On the 9th inst., at daybreak there was very heavy playing, which was much appreciated by two Auckland gentlemen, Messrs. Pollard and McDougall, who stayed the night. Several: times "they, were driven back from their point of observation,., and compelled to take shelter m the shed .wisely provided by the GoItoFTl io lf^ ? emergencies. -On v the 10th Viscount. Barmgton and party, lon the advice of Mr Warbrick, arrived in the evening from Rotorua, and were rewarded with very pretty $ moonlight displays ;be twen one o'clock and s;^.;?fishing with, a fine; eruption. y About 20 : people witnessed these displays, which is The fegest number which "has yet reniined *JJ a,mangu ' overnight. t Tfie hotel now undei course of, construction; is assuming shape, and will be a great boon to tourists The°J? any of _the eruptions occur aSht' The, commanding; site of ; the: hotel 1 wilf be of great advantage in ; some of ,th?maS mficent, moonlight displays - ' 8

.A man named Frank V. Stephens was arrested by Detective Kennedy on board steamer,Westralia,'on her arrival.from Sydney last night, on a charge of stealing

~; Our Whangarei correspondent -tat. ■*. L a case which caused a deal of hill? ?T the district lias been heard. Mi- 4 * ' Priestly, a,schoolmaster of Waikiek's 0It * school, had thrashed, some children re 6 charge for disobedience, and an inf tion was laid against huh. '' A lareS *S a " of witnesses were heard. The inf^T* 1 ' was dismissed, the Bench '• holding;; 08 there " was iio .case. .;■■;'■•;; : - - °. ltl *t • At to-morrows meeting tf the Am Harbour Board, tenders will be opened to goods shed, Railway. Wharf. Walk* will move: '• That the whole question of Z working of the Harbourmaster's • £1? ment.be referred to the Works and lL* M Committee for inquiry and report:'' ■ The business of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce has been removed from the Vi. toria Arcade to the new Chamber hi Swa-' son-street. . A . ceremonial opening of tl" Chamber will probably be arranged or * future date. The Conference of the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce wa# -J ranged to open in the new building to-m'or row, but on account of delays in the South" em Chambers sending forward their resoln tions the conference has been postponed • Our Hamilton correspondent writes •__ Mr. Metcalfe, the engineer for the Hamilton waterworks, arrived here oh Thursday, • Ho has been over the works, but as he does not consider that the contract has been carried out in accordance with specifications, he re fused to give a certificate. The Boron*}, Council, at its last meeting, requested Mr Metcalfe, by .. resolution, to give a cert}.' ficate. A requisition has been "handed to the Mayor, signed by five councillors, asking him to call a special meeting of the Borough Council for Tuesday next, for the purpose of'"' considering Mr. Metcalfe's latest report on the waterworks contract, and to discuss the i-' present position; and with a view to arriving ■ at a legal conclusion the borough solicitor will be requested to attend. .: In spite of reports which appear in some' Southern papers to the effect that faffa labour is scarce, and that even the ehticini ■ offer of Is 3d per hour brings no appli* cants, it would appear that some difference of opinion on this matter exists, for according to the Bruce Herald, local 'hirvesters are going to work at the rate of m 9d per hour and found, in lieu of the 10W U originally asked for. . ;. •'• While harvest operations are being Vigorously pushed ahead, and every hour" of suitable weather taken advantage of, theft' is yet throughout this district (say's: the Clutha Leader) a very large area to cot some of it, in fact, so late that it will never ripen. In the Upper Hillendijdis. ■'•■ 1 trict there is a large area of fine-looking crop as green as leeks. It is doubtful whether, considering the lateness of % its season, much of it can even be successfully turned into chaff. ■-■/ The Ashburton correspondent Of ;• the Ihristchurch Press writes: With regard to the Middle and South Canterbury yields : 45, 50, and up to 60 bushels per acre of wheat from the good lands are being re- > corded in many instances, while the lights* soils are giving correspondingly satisfac- i tory results. Oats in various districts are.:; threshing out averages of 50, 55, 60, -70, and up to 80 and 90 bushels per acre, while in particularly favoured districts the cen« tury has been passed in a number i of in*,; stances.' '** The Wairoa geyser, at Whakarewarewa, y was soatied on Tuesday last, and gave a y most excellent display. There were soma hundreds of visitors present for the occasion, including the delegates to the Maori j Council. Mr. Percival G. AllsOp, writing": on the subject in the Hot Lakes Chronicle, ; says: —" It is a well known fact to scientasW that the geysers of Yellowstone Park,U.S.A., were almost ruined by too fre- : quently soaping them. In spite of : thui':' marked and well-known , example, the, au- :• thorities here permit the great Wairoa I geyser to be soaped so frequently that from': playing from an hour to an hour andra-half J it has deteriorated into a short -action* of a| few minutes. •■ Not only is the geyser being | ruined by excessive soaping, but, ■ unfortunately, the public do not get the full benefit of the displays when they do take place, for it seems that anyone with influence can have the geyser soaped for their especial benefit, whilst the majority of the towns-'; people and visitors know nothing about it, and people who have spent hours and Sometimes days watching for Pohutu to play,'are' denied the greater opportunity of seeing Wairoa in action, and the reason is that the soaping of the geyser is not given sufficient" publicity before the event takes place. 'i Sir, I would suggest that scientific information be obtained as to how frequently the geyser may be soaped with the least injury to it, and that the dates of soaping should be advertised in the local and Auckland papers, so that intending visitors could arrange their visits with a view to witnessing one of the grandest sights in the world. I believe the certainty of seeing the geyser would bring a much larger number of visitors here .than we are receiving at present."

The schooner Herman, now lying at Syd- :, %, ney, has been equipped by an American syn- ', ' : ; dieate, to search for an accumulation of bul- y r ; lion which has on several previous occasions ,* !* been sought for in vain. Some 60 or 70 years ago, during one of the numerous wars which made toe western seaboard of South " America hardly habitable for peaceable per- , ,' sons, there was good reason to believe that '■ : :'■ the city of Callao would be shelled by the Chilians, and the whole of the national funds ; - amounting :; to something ■ like > £6,000,000 .' - worth of specie was placed for safe keeping- ' on board a foreign vessel which was then off • liT st - Nothing very definite has been: ■ ' published with regard to the subsequent movements of this vessel, but there have been ' many rumours current to the effect that the :' crew mutinied and took the vessel and the treasure up to Cocos Island, which lies some '- OUOI or 700 miles south-west of the Isthmus . or Panama. Captain James Brown, who is one of the parties to the equity suit-flow ■•■-'; before the Court in Sydney, claims, it is un- V aerstood, that he and another removed this: treasure from Cocos Island still further to'- * - the south-west and " planted " it on one of the islands of the Tahitian Group. He returned to America with a small portion of -' - the money, but latterly was unfortunate in ' Dusifless ,and consequently determined to' * visit his^" cache" for additional supplies. ' fy this time Cocos Island must have been ; ' : > turned over from end to end, for the search parties have been numerous and their labours ; Have been ' persistent. If Captain Brown is right it is no wonder that the searchers have - been, unsuccessful forfrom Cocos Island to /: laniti is a far cry.; Anyhow, both the mas- ';; ter of the Herman and the syndicate which purchased her for the carrying out of this ex-' pedition are confident that " there's millions f i : 4 in it." , ' -.'• ' - -In. a recent, issue the Sydney Bulleti* ■' i says: —" In financial matters an Australian ;,;■ Agent-General is a hired ostrich, who buries ' his head in the sand for a consideration, • and takes a cheerful view of his State's . Jcredit for a salary., As a rule, he does '-'i this with, the air of one who fully believes ,;; ; what he says; but it is only necessary to picture what would happen to an Agent- - General who frankly admitted in London that his State was possibly booming along vs the high road to bankruptcy, to realise the .£ worthlessness ; of his assurances that all is well." ..- ; ' < ' ; In the native section of the public gar- / dens in Christchurch, may be seen'; a fine ■ specimen. of the tree Hoheria populnea,. or ribbonwood, the houhere of the Maoris. p- It : is in full bloom at present, and the clusters ■ of pure white flowers make a very beautiful, sight. \ The bark of : this shrub tree is.;- \. fibrous, 7 and is used for cordage. In olden times the'-bark was used by the Maoris for making tapa cloth. .Tho annual meetings of householders for the election of school committees fall to m be held; to-night. The meeting of city householders is to be held in St. James' Hall, ; the Newton householders meet in St. George's Hall, and the . Ponsonby ' householders :in tie Ponsonby Hall. fcjj, i the other districts the meetings, will bo. lw* ' |ia the &ebsols,