LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12696, 26 October 1904, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The colonial mails which left Auckland via San Francisco on September 23 arrived in London on Sunday last, "the Suez mail which left Auckland on September 12 arrived in London n Saturday last.

Owing to th. Northern Company's steamer Rarawf proceeding to Wellington from New Plymouth, to be placed on the patent slip for Cleaning anc> painting, ant? to have lhamg&neso bronze blades fitted >n her propeller, the s.s. Muritai will leave Ouehunga for New Plyraxyutt in the place of the fkrwiva this afternoon*.

In to-day's supplement we publish an 'interesting interview with the Rev. T. F. Robertson regarding that gentleman's suggestions to the Library Committee for certain reforms that lid considers necessary in connection with the Free Lending Library. Mr. Robertson defines what life thinks should be the duties of thh librarian, and tildes care in the choice of books, and the el irui nation of pernicious literature from the shelves of the Library, He quotes statistics in sipport of his assertion that fiction has a great preponderance over general literature. Mr. Robertson's proposal having been broinht before the Library Committee, of which he is a member, that committee will in due course report So tie City Council upon them.

The Hospital Commission had, up to mid-day yesterday, been using the chamber room at the Supreme Court In cor sequence of . the small of the room, the chairman of the Commission (Judge Ward), who is a confirmed Iwliever in the benefits of pure atmosphere, had directed that nost of the windows and the door be kept open. This made the room very draughty in places, especially for those sitting iii a line with the windows and door. Yesterday morning Mr. R;ed pointed out to the chairman that some of those directly interested in the Commission had caught cold«, and the matter was becoming very serious. The chairman critically surveyed the room, and remarked that the windows had to be kept open to prevent the atmosphere from becoming foul, because if the air was not kept pure the;,, could not give proper attention to the business. Dr. Roberton added bis complaint to Mr. Reed's, and after Mr. Beetham (one of the Commissioners) had had to seek the protection of bis £reat-coat. His Honor save his consent to the closing of one of the doors. In the afternoon an adjournment was made to the Supreme Court, | where the inquiry- Was conducted for the I remainder of the day.

The Auckland Weekly News {issued today) contains o remarkable variety of illustrations dealing with subjects or wide in* terest. Anions; the *it pictures' will be found a comprehensive view » the Baltic fleet oh the eve of sailing for Eastern waters, and scenes at the siege >f Port Arthur, together with some of tins most stirring incidents during the recent battles. Other current events illustrated include the Grand Hotel fire at Rotdrua* the effects of..the recent severs, storm at Wellington, the Awnfoa. excursion to Northern Waif .and the Hawke's Bav Agricultural Show at Hastings. The double-page of the number is devoted tc a. picture of the great St. LouisExhibition, the view, which is the best and most comprehensive of the great World's Fair yet published, gives a fine idea m the magnitude of the undertaking,, and shows some of the places of special interest at the Fair." '■■>.:-■:■■- V- : -'~ ':■

The Grey Statue is expected to arrive by the Wdkanui to-day, and < will be erected at the angle of Queen and Grey Streets, when the pedestal is ready to receive it." Mr. S. J. Nathan, the boa. treasurer for the fund, wrote to the Har-.| bom Board asking for a remission of the wharfage and landing fees on the statue, which the Board at its meeting yesterday granted without discussion. Good y progress is being made with the contract for the erection oi the base, for the statue. The whole of the stone has been delivered upon the site, and most of the material has been dressed, There will be a bold moulding around the top course, and four polished panels. Jt is expected the statue will be erected- by., the middle of" December, audit is intended to invite the Governor to perform the unveiling ceremony.

At a meeting of the Auckland Co-Opera-tive Terminating Building Society ~• last evening, appropriations totalling £1800 were allotted by sale and ballot. .In the first group (by sale) the highest tender was £57 10a per, £200, and the tenderer, holding more than one share, took the full £400 offered. la the sixth group the highest' tender (£65 3s &d) constituted a record, and £20C was taken, sit that price. The second tender (£62 10s) took the second £200* and the tenderer, holding more than one share, claimed a further £200, thus making a total allocation of £600 ;■. it that group; , .The apprdoßttibhs bv ballot were in the second ... and fourth groups, the two amounts of £400 offered being taken by Nos. 790 and 341 respectively.

Speaking at th& .meeting of the (Sty Schools" Committee last night, Mr. Mackay referred to a, statement credited to him and coinmeiited upon bj a- member of the Auckland Education Board. When the committee was discussing the question of additional accommodation at "the Neison.istrest school, Mr. Mackay was credited with having suggested that the school was being neglected bj the i Board of Education, on account 'of antagonism towards the headmaster for his religious beliefs, and, on the statement being .reported, - was taken to task bv Mr. R. Hobbs, who referred to the matter" at tli< Education Board's meeting; holding that a slur was cast on the members of the Board., Last night-Mr. Mackay stated that the impression : gathered from lite remarks was an erroneous one, and added that he would be the last to try and belittle a body (the Board) wit! which he had been so recently tfonfieebed, and the members of which he held in ike highest esteem..;

A letter from the secretary of the Auckland Education Board #&8 read at .the meeting of the City Schools Committee last night, stating that in view- oi the decreased attendance of scholar! at tlie Napier-street, Nelson-street, ani? Beresford-streei schools during the past four quarters, it would be necessary, in accordance with the provisions of the colonia salaries scheme, bearing on staffing, to reduce the numerical of the teaching'.staffs. Tin. letter was received, and members of the committee, expressed the opinion that the falling off in attendance was largely due to mumps and other epidemics..: >'"

Yesterday Air. Alfred Nathan received a telegram from Mr. fa, J). Nathan from Roterua, stating that the party reached ■ KotorUa by '- the 'special train :'■ jit tea minutes pas't one a;hi. Mi: L. D. Nathan confirmed the - report 16 the Hekaid yesterday Of the total destruction of the hotel, and added that only the outbuildings ind some firewood were saved fron* the flatties. Mr. L..D. Nathan is expected back by the end of the week.

At the Cambridge Police Court on Monday (writes out correspondent), before Messrs. T. Wells and E. J. Wilkinson, J.P.'s, John Dare , was sentenced three morithr' imprisonment with hart, labour for breaking-into the house of J. d. Elliott, while the latter was asleep in bed, and helping himself to the contents of the cupboard.

A lumper named Rocke> residing ■: in Hobsbn-street, met with an accident on the wharf on Monday night. He was assisting to unload the Zealandia, When a bale of goods weighing several hundredweight fell on his leg and broke it. He was taken to the surgery of Drs. Murphy and Brbckway, and received immediate attention, The bale was being lowered on to a truck, which tipped up, and, shooting its toad off. pinned Roche down by the 'eg.. ... •

At yesterday*H sitting of the Hospital Commission, further evidence was taken regarding the treatment of former patients of tho hospital'. In the afternoon Dr Frost, honorary bacteriologist at the hospital, gave evidence as to matters connected with the work Of her department. The proceedings are fully reported elsewhere, . ■'■, -'. . , •

.A meeting of creditors in the; bankrupt estate of Charley Bray, jun., county engineer, at Paeroaj called foi yesterday afternoon, lapsed for want ol a quorum. The majority of the creditors ai* residents of Feildiug.

The celebration of the jubilee of the battle of Balaclava by the veterans of the Crimean wax was to have taken place yesterday at tht resident of Mr. John Freed, Pan-mure, in the form of .9 garden party, but- owing to the unsettled state oi th weather it was decided t- postpone thr celebration until January l h 1905.

lgH5!!g!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -r--T"w>«« ..- ;•■.,.■;.• * •-' —sss _ , ;I .^ The question of the Auckland pilot service again engaged the attention ox the Harbour Board at its meeting yesterday, when fib Board decided to consider the report of *• special meeting on the subject in committee ''■ on the 18th proxi Mr. Napier said there had been bad management with regard to the pilot service, for at.present the mo* : were not concentrated. Mr. Walker thought evidence, should be taken when the Board met in committee. Mr. Napier said the pre. ' sent : pilot sendee seemed to show a profit, whereas before, when compulsory, its cost was enormous. Mr. A. 'Alison: "1 be, - your pardon." Mr. Napier: "The Ferry Company had all the fees, and were paid r £700 a year bonus besides." ; The following are the titles of the seven pictures, together with the artists': : names, now being hung in the Mackelvie Gallery:— "A Spate on the River Dochart," by G. Ogilvie Reid;" "An English Landscape/*' by Miss E. Stewart Wood; "The Estuary of Aberdovy," by T. Hodgson Liddell; "Silver and Gold," by Frederick Hall; "The Bend ot the Rivet," d> Osmond Pitman ; " The Years at the Spring, The Day* ' at the Noon," by Get. Wetterbee; "Highgate, from Hampstead,"' by David Murray A..R.A. ' * '

At the meeting oif the City Schools Com*, mittet last night a lettei was read from the secretary of the Bible Instruction in Schools League, asking if the committee would ftSI grant the use of the city school buildings for religious instruction to scholars prior to ordinary school hours. The request Wal granted, subject to satisfactory arrange-' jients being made with the masters and others concerned.

The Suburban Flying Club held their second race of the season on Saturday from Te Kuiti (104 miles airline). Seventy-ikma birds from 16 lofte competed. The result • was as follows:—B. Mailer's red cheq. hen, 991 yards per minute, first; C. Johnson's S.F.C. 49, 9894 v a rds per minute, second;. A. J. Crane's blue cheq cock. 978£ yards' pep minute, third: W. J. Prober!'s N.F.C. 6 and N.Z. 7, 975£ yards per minute, fourth.' There were 12 persons in' the lockup lass : night, all charged with drunkenness. , •