LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12550, 18 April 1904, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Thr mail steamer: Ventura, with the British - mails of London* date April 2, left &','* Francisco at midnight on Thursday lm lft hours late. The steamer is due at Auckland on Mot 2. ■ The City Fire Brigade received an alarm about four o'clock on Saturday moraine and on turning out found the - hayloft over Mr. .Parker's stable in Nelson-street" 0 « fire. The outbreak was quickly suppressed - and the damage done was only triflings ' -.'■■• l ■ -. The electric car service for the Auckland Trotting Club's Autumn Meeting on Saturday afternoon at Alexandra Park was not sufficient to meet the demands made upon it by patrons of the sport. In replying to a deputation which inter, ••""'vv viewed him at Mosgiel last week, Sir Joseph Ward, Minister for Railways, said there were four railway lines in the colony that wanted doubling. The most urgent "was th* ' line from Auckland to Penrose. Nertja; . ; point of urgency was the line from Christ- •' church to Rolleston, and then came the'' Dunedin-Mosgiel section. The other was * . portion of the line to the Hutt. The doubling required would run m\o ' over half » V million of money. - -- • - •>- ;

At the last meeting of the Remuera.Roafl: Board . the time-table for the tramway, jer« vice to and from Victoria Avenue was apj proved. The week-day time-table provides for a 14-minute service for the greater part of the day, the first car in the morning leaving Eemuera at six minutes past, seven and the last from town at night at : four minutes to eleven. The fare from town to the Victoria Avenue terminus will be 3d The list of stopping-places between Newmarket and the terminus .was also approved by the Board, as follows: —Middletoa Road, St. Mark's Road, Brighton Road, public school, Market Road, half-way between Market Road and the terminus.

A man, whose appearance indicated tljatf he followed the sea, fell off a tramcar coming up Queen-street about five o'clock oh Saturday afternoon. The car was just passing through the excavation in connection! with the repairing of subsidences on the line, when the man fell off, and sustained several nasty bruises and cuts. He was, however, not. seriously injured.

The Lauds Department is offering for sal* by tender 40,632,801 feet of green and dry kauri timbers in the Hokianga, HobsonjiW Whangarei districts. The timber is only pur- ■ chasable by owners of existing sawmills, and is subject to the regulations provided for. the control of the timber industry. There are nine sections of kauri in Hobson County! (five in Tutamoe Forest and four in Tangilrua Forest), four in Wkangarei County (Puhipnhi State Forest), and one in Hokianga County (Omahuta State Forest). Tenders close off' May 5 at the Auckland Land Board office.'--'/

The statement published in Australia tflf' the effect that the New Zealand Government had written to the Government of New South Wales, stating that the labour market was overstocked here, and that relief works had to be started was, it appears, the outcome of a bogus letter. The information was given to the Sydney press by the Minister for Works in New South Wales, who now states that the Commissioner of Labour got a letter purporting to come from the New Zealand Labour Department to the effect that owing to the large number of men arriving in New Zealand from New South Wales, as well as Victoria and England, in search of work, the labour market had been considerably disturbed, and the New Zealand Government had been forced to start relief works, in order to keep the unemployed men from starving. The Minister states he is glad to learn that evidently a mistake bad occurred.

It may not be generally known that there are three known cases of leprosy amongst Maoris in New Zealand— one in the Raglan district., one up the Wanganui River, and one (a. woman) in the Taupo district. In the last report of the Department ,of Public Health, Dr. Pomare describes these cases fully and illustrations are given of two of the victims. It is specially mentioned that in each case the sufferers have been inveterate smokers and drinkers. .'''/' .

The Lands Department is offering for sale 1,150,000 acres of land in the Auckland province, of which, however, only 153,200 acres are surveyed, and 258,296 acres are bush and swamp lands. Sections for workmen's homes are available in Eden and Waitemata Counties. There are still 44 sections of Bicker staffe Estate in the market. . ,"* ;.",.

Our Whangarei correspondent telegraph* that Harry Harrison, who' met with an accident at the Poroti flax mill on Friday, is now doing well, though he was much crushed. He got knocked down, and a dray loaded with green flax passed over his head' and body. At Whangarei hospital he was attended by Dr. Hall, who put five stitches at the back of his left ear, which had been almost torn off. ■.' <■ „ "j

An interesting lecture was delivered at the Veterans' Home, Epsom, on Saturday evening, by Captain Daveney, " the subject being the war between Russia and Japan. The veterans, wearing their uniforms and medals, attended in force, and followed .the lecture with close attention and interest. Arrangements are being made by the ladies of the district for a series of Saturday night entertainments at the home.

There were 10 persons in the police cells last night on the charge of drunkenness. Others arrested included four men who will be charged with playing a game of change on the Freeman's Bay beach yesterday forenoon, while the summons cases set down) for hearing at the Police Court'to-day embrace a charge against s man and womatt for soiling liquor at Awanga without * license. - v :

Californiaa thistle is getting a u rather' strong hold on many farms in South .Canterbury, and unless stringent measures are taken for its eradication, many farms (the Presl says) will bii ruined by it. Salt very thickl|jr laid on is faid to be an effective way off exterminating it. On one farm \ whew? there was a large patch of the thistles some drains got- blocked, and a considerable number of the thistles were covered with water for several months. This killed them, while other* on higher ground were healthy. In many places it might be nossible to flood the patches of Californicm thistle, and thus get rid of them.

" A Trip by Canoe and Dog-train into tha Homos and -Haunts of the Red Indians of North America" is the subject of an illustrated lecture to be delivered this evening by the Rev. Egerton'R. Young, the Canadian Pioneer Missionary, in the Pitt-street Methodist Church. As a lecturer, Mr. Young stands in the front rank, for his fund of information is inexhaustible. • He is full of wife and humour, while his stories of thrilling adventures, humorous experiences, and eloquent; description of Arctic scenery jnd journeys over lakes and mountains, with tandem dogteams, or in Indian canoe, have secured the rapt attention of the largest audiences, both in America and England. The lecture will be illustrated with 100 splendid limelight) views. . .:.;,'-:'s

The Horticultural Society's successful autumn show was concluded on Saturday. There was s. large attendance, and the wisdom of the committee in giving special facilities for the admission of children wa* amply justified. In the evening there was a musical entertainment given by Messrs. Skeates, E. Brown, McElwain, Grindrod,( and Morton, and the Misses Laxon, M. Garland, and Morton. The accompaniments were played in a, finished manner by Madame Wigmore. Taken altogether, the show was aa unqualified success.

The Epsom Flying Club flew off a race Jj from IVankton Junction on Saturday last, an airline distance •of 73 miles. The winners were: Mr. H. Gyllies* Stepfast, velocity 1002 yds per minute, 1; Messrs. Pounfcney and Saunders' A.R.P.C.' 855 4 velocity, " 982 yds per minute, 2, ...,,-:" ; ■ ' ■'' : '/^;b'-3l!