LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12281, 27 May 1903, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The colonial mails which left Auckland by the mail steamer Ventura on May 8 arrived at San Francisco on Monday last, due date. The colonial mails which left Melbourne, via Brindisi, per mail steamer China on April 22, arrived in London on Friday last.

The Hon. W. Hall-Jones and party left Piriaka on Monday morning. The Hon. W. Jennings left the party at Ohanga, and proceeded to Ohura from Ongarue, for the purpose of seeing to the wants of the settlers. .

The special mail number of the Auckland Weekly News, published to-day, contains a large variety of handsome and striking pictures. the subjects dealt, with being of more than usual interest. • The consecration of Bishop Neligan, the opening of the Victoria School for Maori Girls, and other interesting events of the week are magnificently illustrated. The scenic views, Maori pictures, and photographs of the Southern cities of New Zealand form a welcome feature of this most attractive mail number. As a large demand is anticipated orders for copies should be placed eariy.

Fairly good headway is being made with the Paeroa-Waihi railway extension (writes our Paeroa correspondent), the large tunnel being now a little more than half-way through. A few cuttings are also in progress on the Waihi side of the t'lunol, bus, judging by the time already taken, and the amount of work still to accomplish, it is barely likely that the line will bo completed within the next two or three years' time, if that soon, especially in view of the fact that the Premier indicated, whilst, on his recent visit to the district, that there would most likely be a reduction in the next year's appropriation by Parliament.

The following letter was raad at the meeting of the Harbour Board yesterday afternoon from Dr. R. H. Makgill, district health officer:— precautions against plague. Owing to the presence of infected rats at the wharves 111 Sydney it has been decided to resume precautions against the landing of rats ; that is to say, the ships from New South Wales must be kept clear of the wharf by baulks; wire hawsers must be used ; there must be two discs 011 hawsers ; all ropes, fenders, etc.. from ship to wharf must be kept freshly tarred at the ship's end, and at. night four lights kept burning, and the gangway drawn clear of the wharf. Port holes, pipes, scuttles, etc., to be closed at night. No boats or other ships to be -allowed alongside except by permission in Writing of the health officer. Holds, cargoes, etc., to be fumigated before coming up to the wharf. I shall be greatly obliged for your co-operation in this matter, in the same manner as last year, providing timber baulks and wire hawsers." The chairman moved, "That a letter be forwarded to the Health Department asking who was going to bear the expense in the matter." Mr. Julian said that last year the Board had expended between £600 and £700 in a manner similar to what the Board was now requested to do, but this had never been recouped to the Board.

The coroner, Mr. Gresham, held an inquest yesterday, at the Royal Oak, relative to the death of the veteran Johann Freidrich Ahrens (67), who expired suddenly after the stone-laying ceremony at the Three Kings. Honora"Ahrens said she was married to deceased in 1902. He was a manufacturer of German sausage, and formerly resided at Mount Albert. Dr. James Moir said the post-mortem examination which he had made showed that death resulted from fatty degeneration of the heart, acted upon by a sudden distension of the stomach. A storekeener named Wm, Scott stated that shortly after one o'clock on Monday afternoon he supplied deceased with a bottle of ginger ale. He complained of pains in the heart. After drinking the ginger ale he hurried away to catch a tomcat. Three minutes later he dropped dead. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.

Steadily the real old identities amongst lis are gradually becoming fewer. During the past few months the record of the deaths of old settlers has been extensive, and on the present occasion we have to make an addition to the long list already recorded. Yesterday morning Mrs. D. Hay, mother of the well-known nurseryman, Mr. D. A. Hay, passed over f o the great majority. Mrs. Hay came to Auckland with her husband and family in the ship Bank of England in 1856. Her husband predeceased her twenty years Ago in 1883. Mrs. Hay was in her 90th year. She leaves a family of seven to mourn their loss, Mr. D. A. Hay above mentioned and six daughters, all of whom were born in Britain save one, and all are married with the exception of one.

There is now on view at Messrs. Parkinson and Co.'s monumental works, in Vic-toria-street West, a white marble obelisk to the mamory of two troopers lately belonging to Bombay, where the monument is to be erected. Trooper O'Neill, of the Eighth Contingent, died in Wellington, and Trooper Manning, of the Tenth Contingent, died on the return voyage, and was buried at sea. This mark of esteem to the two young men is being erected byrelatives, comrades, and friends.

The following opinion from Messrs. Rus- J sell and Campbell, solicitors to the Board, was read at the meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board yesterday, regarding the lease of land near the Takapuna racecourse held by Messrs. Duder Brothers from the Hoard :—" We are asked to advise the Board with regard to proposals made on behalf of the Takapuna Jockey Club and Mr. J. Thornes. As to the latter proposal it cannot be entertained. Leases from the Board must take effect 011 possession from the making of the lease, so that until surrender or determination of the existing term the Board has no power. As to the club's proposal to surrender the existing lease, on condition that it becomes the new lessee, it is impracticable on the lines proposed. It would be to evade improperly the provisions of the statutes were the Board to offer land for lease by public auction, under conditions which would necessarily prevent anyone becoming a lessee, except one particular person. ° The writer of the letter from the club purports to point out that the club is not asking to be placed in any better position ill an any member of the public. ' This cannot be so, because the granting of the new lease depends upon the club being declared the lessee, inasmuch as without a surrender the Board cannot grant o lease at all." On the motion of Mr. Walker, consideration of the matter was deferred until I the next meeting of the Boards

A curious accident happened to Mr. G. C. Garlick, managing director of the Tonson Garlick Company, on Thursday last. When hurrying up the path leading to his residence he ran against the shaft of a go-cart which had been left there by some children. He did not think anything of the accident at the time, and was at business next day. On Saturday night, however, he was seized with violent pains, and Dr. Parkes, who was fetched, found that an abscess was forming as the result of the blow. Fortunately he has in a great measure recovered, and there is no likelihood of dangerous complications supervening.

Yesterday a cable message was received from the United Kingdom, via the Pacific cable, in one hour and 23 minutes, and from the United States in 13 minutes.

Mr. Gresham, the coroner, held an inquiry at- the hospital yesterday touching the death, of John Smith Bigelow, superintending carpenter for the Northern Steamship Company, who sustained mortal injuries at Calliope Dock on Monday. As already reported in our columns deceased was superintending operations in connection with the docking of the p.S. Wakatere, and whilst leaning over the dock lost his balance and fell. He was at once removed to the hospital bub died shortly after admission. A verdict of "Accidental death" was returned."

The calendar ot the University of New Zealand, which generally appears 0:1 June 1, will probably be a few days late this year, being held back for the complete roll of the new senate. The majority of the elections under the recent Act have been completed, but a few, as well as the nominations by the Goveruor-in-Council, are still to come to hand.

In reference to the hours of grocers' assistants, we may call attention to tlte fact that they are working under an award which makes a special arrangement with respect to holidays. One clause states: — " The employment shall be a weekly employment, and no deduction shall be* made from the week's wages for holidays or for time not lost through the default of the worker." There is, however, a compensation for this in another clause, by which "any employer may require any of his assistants who are not within the provision of the Shop Hours and Shop Assistants Acts now in force to work for 50 hours in the 3ear beyond the hours mentioned without payment of overtime. Such horn's shall be worked on the evening of days on which the ordinary day's work ceases at six p.m., and no more than three hours shall be worked on any one evening."