LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12272, 16 May 1903, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The King and Queen are visiting Glasgow, where they received an enthusiastic welcome. His Majesty laid the foundationstone of a new technical college. Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria, when passing through Vienna recently, was not received by the Emperor of Austria. The strike at Valparaiso lias ended. In reply to a question in the House of Commons, Mr. Ainold Forster said that no recent naval Continental programme was so rapid and formidable as that of Germany. The Russian press is incensed at Lord Lansdowne's recent declaration regarding the Persian Gulf, which was a warning to foreign Powers to keep their hands off that part of the world. Further righting has occurred in Macedonia. President Roosevelt, when at San Francisco, witnessed a parade of British and American seamen. Admiral Bickford conveyed to the President King Edward's good wishes, and referred to the cordial relations existing between Great Britain and America.

The inquiry into the management of the Auckland Hospital, instituted by the local bodies, opened yesterday. A mass of statistics was laid before the Commission by the secretary of the Hospital Board, and Dr. Collins, senior medical officer at the hospital, with the aid of a blackboard and chalk, explained the reasons for the increases in various items of hospital expenditure, the large number of infectious cases dealt with, and the consequent additional cost being, according to the doctor's' statement, mainly responsible for the increased cost of running the hospital. After sitting for three hours the Commission adjourned till Monday.

His Excellency the Governor has, with his customary kindness, promisee! to present the certificates and medallions gained during the past year by members of the St. John Ambulance Association at the annual meeting of the Auckland centre, which is to be held at the Choral Hall on Friday jiext, at eight p.m. Other features of interest at the meeting will be organ solos by Mr. It. Leslie Hunt and bandaging competitions. There will be a roller bandage competition between the ladies of the Auckland and Onehunga classes, and a triangular bandage competition between members of the Volunteer Bearer Company and of the St. John Ambulance Brigade. His Worship the Mayor (the Hon. E. Mitchelson) will preside.

As there have been many inquiries re-

garding the enthronisation of Dr. Neligan in St. Mary's Cathedral, on the evening of Thursday next, we are requested to state that all seats will be open to the public, and that no tickets ot 'admission will be issued. At the public reception and welcome in the Choral Hall on Saturday night (May 23), the Mayor (the Hon. E. Mitchelson) will preside, and to avoid crowding only a limited number of tickets have been issued. Further particulars will be found in our advertising columns.

The clerk of awards (Mr. E. Goring Thomas) for the Northern Industrial District received the judgment in the dispute between the Southern and Auckland clothing manufacturers from the president of the Arbitration Court (Mr. Justice Cooper) yesterday. This matter, it will be remembered, occupied the attention of the Court during its sittings in Auckland some little time back, and took the form of an application by the Southern clothing manufacturers and industrial union of workers to have the Auckland manufacturers and workers embraced in the award in force in other parts of the colony. The local manufacturers, in opposing, contended that under the industrial agreement existing in Auckland, the conditions as to wages, etc., were quite as favourable to the workers as those provided by the Southern " log," and held that with all things equal in these respects, and the absence of unfair competition, they should bo allowed to continue to run their factories as they thought fit, without interference. The workers examined on behalf of the association all stated that they were perfectly satisfied with the existing agreement between the masters and employees, and the Court, in the judgment received yesterday, stated that as the Auckland employees wore as favourably treated in the matter of wages as the workers in the South, they saw no reason why the Southern award should be made to apply. An ordei was made bearing on one or two minor matters relating to the number of apprentices, and rate of wages to be paid to pressers, but otherwise The local manufacturers are allowed to continue to carry on operations under the existing industrial agreement. The judgment will be found in another part of to-day's paper.

The Mayor (the Hon. E. Mitchelson) has an advertisement in to-day's issue calling a meeting of citizens for Tuesday next, to consider a suggestion to entertain His Excellency the Governor and Lndy Ranfiuly prior to their departure for Wellington, The nature of the entertainment will be left entirely to the meeting to decide, the movement having been initiated by the Mayor from a desire to lead the citizens to do something to show their appreciation of the many kindnesses extended to them and the deep interest in the city and its welfare taken byword, and,Jbady JJajtfurj^,

The proceedings in connection with the rs Ht borough council election at DevonP'\re apparently to be challenged. The rehiring officer (Mr. J. O. Webster) has been stoned to appear at the Magistrate's (X r t. 011 Monday, at the instance of Mr. E. \ e el, w bo was the only unsuccessful cai.|j,J, atei to answer two charges alleging that v ue election was irregularly conducted. Tht c ] ]UT are: (1) That the returning officer .jjq" negligently omit to provide for the ta%g 0 f the poll at such election a room foi a polling booth, having, or in which tbe<. were, one or more inner compartments separated from, but opening into, the 'book, and having no other opening; and (2, did negligently omit to satisfy himself byv e f erence to the roll or by inspection or tin. miner's right shown, that the person proposing to vote at such election was so entitled, and had not already voted thereat.

The trial of William Richardstu on the charge of publishing two defamatory libels of William John Baker was continued at the Supreme Court yesterday, but veiy slow progress was made. The evidence oi William John Bell was concluded and four »ther witnesses, called by the accused, were ilso examined. These witnesses included Inspector Cullen and Mr. Moss Davis. As on the previous days the accused sought to obtain evidence on matters which Mr. Justice Conolly said were quite irrelevant to tin case, many of the questions being disallowed. The accused stated that he did not intend to call so many witnesses as he at first intended, but so far there is no immediate prospect of the case being brought to a conclusion. The trial will be continued to-day.

Salvage operations in connection with the Elingamite wreck have been proceeding for nearly three weeks, Mr. E. J. Harper, diver, having made several unsuccessful attempts to recover the gold sunk in the- vessel. The salvage party have returned to Hokianga, and, reporting to the agents (Messrs. Campbell, Lhrenfried and Co.), state that the diver descended to the wreck four times on April 26, each time in a different place, and without success. Ho 'found that the vessel is breaking up, and on going down on April 27 did not see any portion of her. Since then Mr. Harper descended whenever the weather allowed, but at no time did he succeed in getting near the hull, the outline of which he was able to discern. Messrs. Campbell, Ehrenfried and Co. have cabled Home to the owners, asking for further instructions.

It will be remembered that at the inquest concerning the death of Daniel Munro, the victim of the tram accident in Beach Road, the jury added a rider to their verdict expressive of their opinion that the electric cats should go at a slow rate of speed between Stanley-street and Queen-street, in view oi the narrowness of the roadway and the danger arising from horses being frightened by trains. The coroner (Mr. Gresham) forwarded the verdict and rider to Mr. P. M. Hansen, attorney for the Auckland Electric Tramways Company. Mr. Hansen has, in reply, notified Mr. Gresham that he had requested the company's chief engineer to act in accordance with the jury's recommendation.

Birkenhead ratepayers are very indignant (says our correspondent) that the Borough Council haf! had to strike a hospital and charitable aid rate of 5d in the £, in order to find means to meet the extravagant demands of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board and the Health Department. Not a, single person in the borough is receiving charitable aid or hospital treatment. The spirited effort of Mr. E. W. Alison, M.H.R., to try and curb the exorbitant demands of the above-men-tioned bodies meets with*the warm appreciation of his Birkenhead and Northcote constituents.

The new electric fire alarms placed in the streets in connection with the city fire bri-

;ade system appear to be looked upon by

certain brainless individuals as handy means of playing practical jokes. About halfpast nine last night the alarm-box situated at the corner of Ponsonby and Richmond Roads was broken apparently in some such spirit, and the alarm bell rung. As a consequence the city brigade promptly turned out. only to find on arrival at the scene that they were the victims of a senseless hoax. It might easily happen that an outbreak of fire should occur simultaneously with the absence of the fire brigade in a totally different, or widely separated, part of the city on a wild goose chase such as that of last night, and under such circumstances incalculable mischief might result.

The Court Birkenhead Lodge of Foresters is making rapid progress. The lodge now has 50 members, who have agreed to erect on a site purchased next to the ToWn Hall site a Foresters' hall The moiidv will be raised partly by the issue of debentures and partly oy the grant of a loan from the Grand Lodge. The debentures are being freely taken up by residents. The hall will be in a central position, and will fill a long-felt want.—[Own Correspondent,]

A correspondent at Bay of Islands writes respecting the proceedings of the Council which is dealing with the land at Kaikohe about which there has been so much disturbance lately. He says that everything is working smoothly, and that a large amount of work is being done.

At last night's reunion of the Old Chums and Schoolfellows' Association, in the Federal Hall, the president (Mr. Chas. Grey), before proceeding to the social portion of the evening, referred in sympathetic terms to the loss sustained that day by Mr. J. Coleman, a member of the committee, in the death of his mother. On the president's motion a vote of condolence with Mr. Coleman in his bereavement was passed.

Our Waiuku correspondent writes: — Whilst playing at football on May 9, Mr. H. C. Mellsop had the misfortune to break one of his ribs. The accident will necessitate his lying by for two or three weeks.

The Onehunga Borough Council, by advertisement in another part of this issue, announce the rate of fares to and from Onehunga by the electric trams.

At the City Hal! evangelistic service tomorrow evening, addresses will be given by the Revs. P. W. Mac Donald and H. A. Raynes, M.A., of the British and Foreign Bible Society, London. This will be an opportunity for many to hear these distinguished visitors.

Sir. John Park has resigned his position as working manager of the Onehunga Woollen mill, in order to make an extended tour of the United States of America.

As another instance of the rapid transmission of cables, via Pacific, we may mention the fact that a cablegram addressed to Ruddock and Walker came through from Loudon yesterday in, the short time of fortyseven minutes.