LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12546, 13 April 1904, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

On- page six of to-day's issue will be fouudf portraits of Lord Pluuket- (the new Governor of New Zealand) and Lady Plunket. •;

The Suez mail, which left Auckland ort!V February 29, reached London on Friday night? last. The colonial mails, which left Auck -

land via Vancouver on February 24, arrived in London on Saturday morning last.

The Electric Tramways Company hartf placed orders for a large consignment of 4teel-tired wheels, with which it is intended to replace the iron wheels at present in use on the cars. The constant chipping of the iron wheels through contact with loose metal on the streets is said to be responsible for the excessive vibration of the cars and the inordinate noise at present produced by the traffic. A number of wheels have already been tested on a few of the cars, and tha results being satisfactory, Mr. Hansen, managing director of the company, states that it has been decided to equip the whol? of the cars with similar wheels.

All accident which might hare been attended with very serious results occurred at Waihi on Monday evening, a delivery cart ■ owned by Mr. W. H. Phillips having been run into by one of the Waihi Gold Mining Company's engines. It appears, says our correspondent, that a young fellow named Mays was driving the cart, and when cross- " i ing the line at Rosemont-street he did nob \ notice the near approach of the engine., V.'hen he did notioe the engine he tried td get bis horse off quickly, hut was not in 1 time to avoid the cart being struck. One o! the shafts was broken, and the cart was overturned, the driver being thrown out on' to the road, the broken shaft penetrated the horse's leg, and inflicted a terrible wound, v Fortunately Mays escaped with a severe i shaking, though his escape was most miraculous. ; The poll on the question of allowing tlio Elect Tramways Company an extension of two years of its concession within the city (to cover the period of construction) lias been! ' fixed by. the Mayor (Hon. E. Mitcbelson) ta take place on Tuesday, the 26th inst. The poll will be on the basis of the ratepayers* roil, which contains 5572 names. > The Auckland Horticultural Society's; autumn show is to be held at the Federal Hall, Wellesley-street, on Thursday, Friday* and Saturday next, when a very large and attractive display ot chrysanthemums and 1 dahlias may be expected, these ilowere being the most prominent features of the show* In addition, there will be some very :ttrac j ' tdve exhibits of other . flowers, and also decorated dinner tables, floral emblems, and ■ designs, the whole making up a show which is sure to be admired. ~ M

A Whirinaki correspondent writes:—' At Whirinaki Sir. George Leaf passed away in his 64th year. He was a native of Hckiaaga. His father, the late Mr. John Leaf, of Park Hill, Streathain, England* came to New Zealand in the ship Brazil Packet in 1832, with Captain Crowe and the owner, Air. Ghadwick. Tiring of a seafaring life, he married the eldest daughter of chief Taku, of Whirinaki, and became one of the pioneer settlers of Holiiangaj During the time of Judge Mailing, the lute Mr. George Leaf was for several years assessor in the Native Land Court, and in .that capacity visited almost- every native settlement from the Bay of Plenty to the .North Cape, and war highly esteemed and respected by everyone With whom he came in contact. He was well connected, being related to some of the leading business men in the North, and leaves a large family to mourn their loss.

The following additional subscriptions to ■) the Veterans' Home are acknowledged by

Captain Qoodwyn-Aroher, superintendent of the home: General Sir Oriel Tanner, £2 'y Messrs. Jos. Whiting, 7s 6d ; G. S. Budge, R.N., £1; G. R. H. (Waikiekie), 10s; J. Greenwood (65th Regiment), 2s 6d; B. Morrison (12th Regiment), 2s 6d ; W. Wig*| gins, A., 2s 6d ;■ R. McLeod (53rd Regi- A ment), 2s. Church services ares conducted at the home by the Rev. P. 8. Smalltiekl, and iu these the veterans heartily join. Captain -i Archer states that the need of ail organ at | these services^' is greatly felt. " . • A difficult motor car journey has Le£H successfully accomplished bv a Hawke's Bay f|t settler, Mr. A. S. G. Curly on, who was ae* p companied on the trip by Mrs. Carlyon, Mr, D. B. Hill (of Fernhlll Station), and an experienced chauffeur. Leaving home on Good <■- Friday, the party reached Auckland in ft week, going via Puhoe, Tarawera. Rotorua, Rangiriri, Hamilton, and Auckland in day stages. At Rangiriri the car •; was seriously hogged in the roadside ftnd j two horses had to be employed to extricate g; the vehicle, which is claimed to be the largest motor car in the Southern Hemisphere, being a 14 horse-power Daimler, and weigh' jS i«g about 35cwt. The return journey will be started to-day, but the machine will f>jgw| taken by train to Rotarua, on accouut of the gpj bad road it Rangiriri. and from Rotorua the journey will be taken via Tauranga ',j i Te.akuiu /'Ppl ■m

The present number of the Auckl vni> Weekly News i? exceptionally interesting. :'Among the- many line illustrations it contains are several showing the Russian vessels destroyed fet the naval battle of CheBiulpoo. They are from actual photos, taken 011 the spot, and were sent from Corea for publication in the Wkkki.y News. Equate interesting, perhaps, are the pictures of the British exploration and relief ships entering Lyttelton Harbour, after their ventures in the terrible ice regions of Antarctica. There are a large number of miscellaneous pictures of attractive character, and a number of groups, and portraits of general interest. This issue of the Weekly News cannot fail to win the approval and interest of all classes of readers.

The proposal that the Auckland Harbour Board should obtain a- cool storage plant, which was brought forward by Mr. W. J. Parker a fortnight ago, formed the subject of a letter from the Auckland Freezing Company, which t'no Board had before it yesterday. The company stated that it was prepared to negotiate with the Board for the tiso of its plant, which, it was claimed, afforded ample storage foi the requirements of the port, having a caoacity for 550 tons, equal to 22.000 boxes of butter, independent of meat freeing and storage chamber*. It was further pointed out that the plant, which was situated on land leased from the Board, gave a direct railway connection from country stations to the ship'? side, and would thus obviate excessive handling. It the plant ami store? wore not large enough the company were agreeable to extend them, provided that terms could be made with the Board, .('he matter was referred to the Works and Tariff Committee.

The question of the removal of sand and shell from the beaches in the harbour was dealt with in a report presented to the Hartiotu Board yesteiday by the harbourmaster (Captain Duder). lie suggested that a man be employed to watch the beaches, and that he bo paid by results. He asked the Board to authorise such a coursa, and to name a fee to lie paid in case of a conviction being obtained. Mr. J. A. Walker said that, in order to secure corroborative evidence, it would be necessary to employ two men, but tho whole difficulty, lite believed, might be solved, so far as the vicinity of Narrow Neck was concerned, by the erection of a tenco along the beach. 'Mr. O. W. Basiey said if the magistrate was aware ti.it the Board was paying by result there would be a great- difficulty in obtaining a conviction. The matter was referred to the Works ami Tariff Commit tee to report on.

The extension of the electric tramways down St. Stephen's and Gladstone Roads will probably be one of the first of the new sections undertaken after the completion of the Reamers extension. The matter will lie discussed bj Mr. Hansen, managing director of the comr.nnv. and the board of directors, during his forthcoming visit to England.

A letter from ibo Perth (W.A.) Chamber of Commerce asking for information regarding the equipment of Calliope Dock and the Admiralty's connection therewith was read at yesterday's meeting of the Harbour Board. The letter'stated tint, it was proposed to construct a dock, available for warships, at or near Fremantle. It was decided to supply details as to the size, etc., of Calliope Dock, and to refer the writer to the Admiralty in regard to the application for information "as to the latter' arrangement with the Board in regard to the use of the dock for warships.

A private telegram was received in Auckland yesterday stating that tha Southern. Cross mission yacht had arrived at. Norfolk Island yesterday afternoon at four o'clock, after a fine passage. Bishop Wilson and Sirs. Wilson and the other passengers were safely landed at the town landing.

An interim dividend at the rate of 10 per cent, pei annum for the six months ending March 31 has been declared by the Ley landO'Brien Timber Company, and will be payable on and after Monday next at the office of the company.

• The receipts in the various Government departments at Rotorua for the financial year 1903-1904 were as follows, figures in parentheses denoting those of the corresponding period of 1903-3: Sanatorium fees £929 (£717), doctor's fees £808 (£539), bath fees £2464 (£1874), total £4211 (£3180), thus showing an increase on the preceding year of £1031.

The first photographs which have reached the colony from the scene of the war are reproduced in this week's issue of the Auckland Weekly News. These include views of the wrecked Russian warships at Pert Arthur, and were specially forwarded by an officer of a neutral warship. Altogether the number is a capital one, and an early application should be made for copie3.

A sitting of North Island Railway Appeal Board is to be held in Auckland this week, to hear the appeal of Fireman Cox against his dismissal from the service.. The Board consists of Messrs. H. Eyre-Kenny (chairman), H. Davidson, representing the first division of the service; and W. T. Wilson, representing the locomotive branch, second division.

Our Waihi correspondent telegraphs:- *' About 250 men are employed on the Paeroa railway extension works, over 60 being engaged op the formation work between Waihi and Waikino. The large tunnel at Karats baki is being steadily extended am? bricked up, and tie two faces are now separated by about 10 chains. Six months at the outside should see. he tunnel completed.

* The seaman Hopkins, whose leg was amputated ou Monday as a result of an accident on the s s. Sonoma, and who is at present in the hospital, is waking very lair progress.

There were in the lock-up last evening four persona charged with drenkenness, one with assault, and two with vagrancy.