LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12362, 29 August 1903, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

1-" ' ■ There ..was v \ a decided improvement yes* terday in the condition of His Honor Mr. Justice Conoily, who was recently ! taken suddenly and seriously ill oil the bench at the Supreme Court. " An alteration has been made in the hour of the. departureof , the mail steamers from Auckland to San Francisco. Commencing with the Ventura, leaving this port on September 11, the steamers' hour of departure will be three p.m. instead Of two p.m.,' as heretofore. This alteration has been made at the request of the postmaster-General, : in order that sufficient time should be : given for the officials to get through the necessary work of the despatch of the mails. Sir Alfred J. Cadman and the- Hon. Wm. Kelly, M.L.C.'s, leave by steamer from the Manukau tomorrow to resume .their duties in the Legislative Council. , A telephone bureau &M post office Was yesterday opened in the Kauaeranga Valley, at the store of Mr. Robert Law. The intention is to provide a bi-weekly service to and from 'Thames, and for that purpose a contract has been let tor carryihgi the malls, to Mr. Geo. Walker, who made his first trip yesterday morning. The opening of the hew office (writes our Thanies; correspondent) will no doubt be a great convenience to the Kauaeranga, resident*, ' especially as -settlement in that distrist has of late considerably , increased. , The Government have agreed &6 rim a ! goods train to Karatigahake, with the view ;;of expediting/the completion of that section {. of the Paeroa-Waibi railway. The ballast- : ing of the line is • being "actively pushed i; ahead. ; The erection of the goods sheds is also to be prosecuted without delay, so. that Sv thing, will be ready for. the ; commence 4 , rnent of traffic on October 1. I Ail the bridges between Paeroft and Waihi are being strengthened* in view of the transit of the large piece of machinery which recently Arrived at Paeroa for the Waihi Company. The piece in question weighs Over 23 tons, and is to be drawn Out by the company's traction engine. At a special meeting of the Ohinemuri County Council, at jPaeroa, yesterday afternoon, Mi*. J. Black; oi Queenstownp was appointed engineer, vice Mr< ;D. who has accepted the position of engineer to the Waihi Borough. .

The quarterly sittings of licensing committees for the districts in tod About Auckland ' Commence on Tuesday next, when tin* City : Committee will ait ft tlw Magistrate's Ocuri. The Parnell Committee sit on Wednesday, '■■ Committee on; Friday,; and Hie Eden Committee oil the Monday follow- '-. ing (September 7). "Thursday next, was fixed for the Gay Lynn Bitting,but as. there is no business down to. be dvalfc with the committee'will not need to meet. " The president of the Auckland Chamber o'i Commerce has received an imitation to ' visit Hamilton, for the purpose Of forming • arid opening a Chamber of Commerce in that .'< town for the whole of the Waikato district. \ The invitation by* been accepted, and he ' will proceed to Hamilton on Tuesday _ next. : This .-intimation is now made so that if- any '■ other members \ of the - executive would like to attend they, will have the opportunity of doing so. - ,'■ : At yesterday's meeting of the Auckland Crown ; Lands Board - an application was: re ceived from Mr. J. J. Craig, asking for coalmining rights over 6000 acres of land in the parish of Pepepe. The Commissioner (Mr. •Mueller) v said that the applicant had been recently carrying on boring operations .in the locality mentioned, and the application was presumably the result. Before such rights could be granted it was necessary that the Board should know how much money it 'was intended to expend, horir it Was. intended to develop the ; coalfleid, the manner, of extracting and removing the coal (by rail or water carriage), and when operations were likely to be commenced. There must be no more coal mining granted for specu : lative purposes, and the Board must be satisfied that the,applicants meant work. This view was coincided in by the members present, and it was decided to ask Mr. Craig to furnish.the information referred to be* fore ihaking any recommendation, to the Minister for Mines with regard to the application. . ■ ' ■'~ <. . : ■ : The coroner, Mr. T. Greshwn, opened an inquiry" at the general hospital yesterday, into the. death of Thomas Parkinson, 21, who met with an accident at Messrs. Parker, Lamb, and Co.'a sawmill in Freemany Bay on Wednesday, under circum- ' stances' already reported, and. who' died on Thursday night, at the hospital. After formal evidence Was taken, the inquest was adjourned - till Monday, in order • that: the premises* of-Messrs;; Parker',' lamb; and Go.; and the Kauri Timber Company might be . inspected. 1 ' "" Tine honorary secretary to the committee appointed to. make a .presentation to Mi*. John King, registrar of electors at Auckland, who retires next week; is now calling in the outside lists, as it is intended to t close '. all i- matters on the i sth proximo. The: amount at the credit of the fund -at the Herald Office is now over £32, and further donations can be left at this. office during next week. Contributions rimy also be forwarded to Inspector McGovern, the honorary treasurer, Remuera, or to Mr. Thomas McMastoTj Queen-street. Subscriptions left, at the registrar's office will be handed over with other moneys on hand to Mr. McGovern after the-period mentioned. Detective Hollis arrested a man named William Smith yesterday oil a charge of breaking and entering the dwellihg-House of Mr. Tor g, Chatlotte-street, Eden Terrace." It is alleged that Smith entered the house in broad daylight, and stole a suit of clothes, valued at £4, a large quantity of ether clothing and bed-linen, arid somu money.; .-..;.._:• ;.. -' .;,';■ ..,.://*..;'-"', Our East Tamaki correspondent writes: <*-& most enjoyable evening; was spent on August 26, when a great number of friends assembled to bid farewell ti> Miss Carter,■ who' for several years has performed the' duties connected "with the post and telephone office of this district. During the evening dancing . was indulged in, and ' songs were interspersed. About ' midnight a . sumptuous Supper ■ was served, ; after which Miss Carter thanked the people for their great kindness. Mr. JDillman, on behalf of the assemblage, expressed sorrow at Miss Carter's departure, and thanked her for the many kindly/.acts: shown to-' wards the public. Being of a very cheer; ful and obliging . disposition, she will, be ; greatly missed. ' Thursday ; next,; September 3,/ is the \kki day on which nominations of councillors can be received for the forthcoming election, which takes place on Wednesday, the 16th. .As yet there lias ■ been very little : said or' done. . The election takes; place in consequence of the abolition of the; ward system, arid the electors may, if.; ; they choose, . put in an entirely .new Council. Twelve members have to be elected instead -. . of the present 15. -. -"It is understood that all the. present Council;will be candidates, and several new names are mentioned, such as Messrs. AmbUry, Smeefon, Entriean, and B. Tudehope. I T* r 'l "A Sufferer'? suggests that the management of His IVlaiesty's Theatre would be conferring a great benefit on the theatregoers of Auckland if the queue system were inaugurated at the stall doors. 1 Our correspondent says:'" As it is, elderly people and women,'who buy early-door tickets, and are there.in what should" be ample time to get good seats, 1 are pushed aside and almost terrified out of their lives by rough men, who have come down half-an-hour or more later, rind yet, by brute force, have forced 'them- : selves to fthe very front. ' I heard one of those gentlemen' siajr, ' v lf. %'L.:;u-k come to cheap places like this they must . put rip with rough usage.' The obvious remedy for this' is to institute the queue system— only needs a man in authority (anyone belonging to the theatre would do) to be there before the doors open, and would make all.the difference in the world, and the people who take the, trouble to be there early ; would have their just reward—-for you may be sure that women do not go to the cheap places because they prefer them, but because : their 1 poverty, not their will, consents.'" . ' W: v^T"•'-:;.£: V : «;v'-^iv>s;'> ; t;;i?;'y;';¥::'i ! :i.v''*i'.'- ; 'v~^. : f'>--¥:. ,; -'i : :r' At the Thames Police Court yesterday morning, Win. Twentyman was fined 10s, or in default 48 hours' imprisonment, for being drunk, and was sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labour in Mount Eden Gaol without the option of a tine for resisting Detective Miller, while the latter was in the execution of his duties., ' At a meeting of the Deyonport Coastguard Artillery Volunteers on Thursday evening, Sergeant Hansen was elected subaltern officer, in the place of Lieutenant Gardner, promoted to be adjutant. Captain Napier remarked that Sergeant Hansen had proved himself to be one of the smartest non-com-missioned officer!* lit the force. At a meeting.of the Parawai School Committee, Mr.-H. Hewitt was selected as first assistant master, and is expected to take up his new duties on Monday next. " The. First .Battalion Band, under Bandmaster A. William's, will render -a programme of classical and saored music in the Western Park to-morrow alternoou. Tlie run of the Auckland Automobile Association ' has been arranged ; for Avoridale, to-day, or any. other suitable destination as may airangedi The cars meet at Dr.Purchas' Symonds-streetj at two p.m. ■..'". There were seven tenants of the police calls last night, one charged with assault, two with robbery, and four with drunkenness. ; " ■;:' '." .'.' -.;/.':

THE LABOUR. DEPAIITMEtfIi /-^ ■■ * . -■--,:•,;;.,-• •'■■:.'; I* connection -with the discussloh *!„<* - £' took place a few days ago in the How, of I Representatives \ on,.'the Labour DeparifaenV -. |we may mention some particulars showing I the nature of the duties which have to b* ''•' ■ carried out here:—The local inspector ha* V 1080 factories under his supervision,! ITh 4 • ?'- inspection, includes the looking" "after", thi ; ■: ' sanitary arrangements, hours ;of work, 4 ■'' bour, wages paid, and accidents, which lat- ( ter have to be at, dice investigated." A -'' statement on the injuries received has also ■ -'" ;to be furnished by tue inspector under the lit Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act " W . Flans of new factories have to be submitted i to the inspector, whose duties in this case include seeing that all the provisions of §ft ; the Act are carried out re fire e^p eg ahd ' , i other matters. Persons under the as* m ' ' ; 16 must be interviewed by the inspector belore a certificate is given on' their editor" tional qualifications and fcta'te ,of health,* .. Another duty is to see that all public aid Jstatutory holidays* are observed. Uud*r m the Shop and Shop Assistants Act there art ; some 3000 shops in Auckland which coin* under the control of the Department. Ik 'i > some instances where men have been sect to '•'• the country their passages have been advanced, the Department getting the m»atir - ' back as soon as the men were able to par" ■ \ The families of these men had also been /■ ■ : forwarded on the same principle Them • there are the servant registry offices that rei quire a good deal of attention, thfiasb« o it or . having, to see that the fees charged are in! ' accordance with the statutory 'allowance; and 1 that applicants are not deceived in the ' ' >' places they are sent to. The Auckland Dei: partmant is not aware of any complaintshaving been made as to the , administration of the offices, bo far as either employers or employees are concerned. ;:,Wftfi: anticipate that when our ''. numerous' ' labour- laws are consolidated and are brought! into systematic working, there may be a re- , organisation* of the Labour Department. But as things now stand .we do'not hear of', : complaint as to the actual working iii'thisi . -' district,- ..:;■;. :, : ] ' -^ 'mmmmmmiiii i i ' n.ilinnnw