LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13031, 23 November 1905, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

V ■.. ■ • ... .yr■ ■■ ■:* V .."'vV-'.'.' A PEESK.N-TME.vr was made"* by the grand jury at the Supreme Court on Tuesday that they considered the prison' conditions at Wuiotapu unsatisfactory, and thought that if the prison camp were to be continued more effectual steps would have to be taken to ensure the proper custody of the prisoners overnight. In reference to this matter we are given, to understand that the sending of a prisoner with such a record as the man Leedham Whitehead, charged at the Supreme Court- with breaking and entering, to a prison camp is a breach of the regulations under which" these camps 'are formed. These prison camps are set aside for first offenders and prisoners of exceptionally good conduct. : .

The Sue*! mail which left Auckland on October 9 . was delivered in Londoni .on Friday night last. ... vii The large shipment -of potatoes (6000 sacks and cases), by . the mail steamer Ventura., from San Francisco, was landed in very fine order. The potatoes are of excellent quality. Acting under . instructions from the Sydney consignees, 750 cases of potatoes were landed at Auckland, the prices ruling here being better than in Australia.

' The criminal sessions of [.he Auckland Supreme Court were resumed before His Honor Mr. Justice Edwards yesterday morning. Arthur Edward Jones, charged with stealing a horse at Ohaupo, was found not guilty and discharged, and the charge against a Maori named Richard Williams, of cattle-stealing at Cabbage Bay, after several witnesses for the prosecution had been called, was abandoned. - In the case against Thomas Johnston charged with committing an indecent act and an unnatural assault in a railway carriage between Frankton Junction and Hamilton , on August 22, the jury; after four and a-half hours' retirement, disagreed, and a fresh trial was ordered. The Court resumes *t half-past ten to-day, when the case against Andrew Campbell, charged with committing murder at Rotorua, will be taken. This case is expected- to last two . days. Mr. Martin, instructed by Mr. Urqnhart, of JRotorua, will defend the prisoner. The practical experience of a number of farmers in various parts of the • W&ikato goes to show that the Up-to-date potato, though not actually blight proof, shows considerable power of resisting the diseaisc

The coroner (Mr. T. Gre&ham) held an ; inquest ht the hospital yesterday upon the body lof the * little > boy John" Heard;- who MP died on Tuesday from injuries received from V if a kick • from a horse at :Kor^ Dr. Ferguson's evidence showed that the boy/when |A« admitted to the hospital on Sunday, was perfectly conscious. He was, however, suf- , fering from a terribly lacerated wound on:the forehead. An operation was performed by Dr. Walsh, and the deceased appeared 11 § to improve until Monday afternoon, when he became delirious, and later meningitis 1 £ - * set in, and the boy died at nine o'clock on Tuesday morning. According to other evi- / ■ dence given, the boy had come into his ' father's house, at Karaka, covered in blood, ' and said that he had been kicked by a horse. / ■ I He said he had thrown a, stick at it. A verdict of accidental death was returned by the jury. The Tourist Department has been advised that the Japanese deer, liberated some months ago 011 Paharua station, near Lake - ' *1 Ta'upo, are thriving well. The report states that a- stag and three hinds were seen recently together. ' All were in splendid ...; condition. One of the black tail (Cana- • ,; dian) hinds died during the winter, but the others seem to be doing well in the Tatarakine hills, near Tarawcra. The ejection of an interrupter, one who had defied anyone to " put him out," was an unexpected feature of Mr. Duthie's meeting at Wellington on Tuesday night, and. m was carried out by Mr. Duthie in a manner • which shows that advancing age and white hair do • not . necessarily imply lack of strength and determination. The obstructionist was quite taken off his feet, and all his prowess melted away in the firm grip j of the Opposition candidate for Wellington ■ North. After that the meeting was entirely orderly. ' / A poll of ratepayers of the Mount Eden . i district was taken yesterday, for the elecI tion of a member,of the Mount Eden Road | Board, to fill the vacancy caused by the - death of Mr. Richard Udy. The candidates were Messrs. , Ernest Yates and- . Ernest H. Potter, and the result of the polling was: Mr. Yates, 243 ; Mr. Potter, 143; being a. majority, of 100 for Mr. Yates, who was declared elected. • A short sitting in chambers was held before His Honor Mr. Justice Edwards, at . : the Supreme Court yesterday" forenoon. :

Probate "was granted in the wills of the following deceased ' "persons: Joshua' Cocker f (Mr. ; ■ Gregory), Alice Craig (Mr. Colbeck), George Wilson (Mr. Stewart), David - Hastie (Sir.. Stewart). -Letters' of administration were granted » in the estate of the late Robert Bell (Mr. Bailey). , . . » Mr. James S. McConechy, of- Manches- • i ter, the special representative of the. -Manchester Ship Canal. Company, will deliver ,; <v a short address in the hall of -the Chamber of ..Commerce, Swanson-street,. at ■; three o'clock this afternoon, his subject .being . ; , " Direct Trade Between New Zealand and Manchester." . The: meeting will be open not only to the members of ~7the Chamber of Commerce, , but to; all who take ian in- -wf. terest in the subject. At the conclusion of > his; address Mr. McConecliy will reply to

any questions that are of interest. The fine weather which prevailed 'in Auckland for the past few days broke again '-yesterday,. the 'wind going; into . the • • V north-west, and • gradually increasing until ': it blew a strong gale, which, raised a , sea in the harbour. In the afternoon rain : set in, and; continued - without intermission , during the night, although- the wind had ■' lulled;.: going into, the south-west. . ■ The Northern Company's steamer Ka- . - rawa,-. )vhich lias, been to .Wellington : for vu ' general, overhaul, returned to Onehunga last night, the steamer having called at New Plymouth on her way up the. coast. . Whilst at Wellington the• steamer was : taken tup on,the patent slip, for cleaning and painting. On the passage 'up•? from New Plymouth strong head winds and eeas were experienced, notwithstanding , ;< which good time was made.' The Rarawa resumes ; her . running from - Onehunga to New Plymouth on Sunday • next* ■

Rabbi Goldstein, Messrs.*. H. L. Neume- ' gen, and J. Ziman the committee appointed by Clio Auckland Hebrew congregation to collect funds for the relief of the persecuted Jews in Russia, desire to thank the •; following sympathisers for their donations . " to the fund: Miss Tibbs, Mrs. Kinder, Mrs. Mills, Canon Beatty, Captain T. M. ■■■■*■ Clayton, Messrs. Maurice Casey, J. McK. ■ , Geddes, W. Rattray, J. Carrie, R. J, Yates, and. W. and R. Hellaby, Limited. . ■ During the progress of the election of a member of the -Mount: Eden r Road Board • yesterday ,to fill the vacancy caused by the • < death of the late Mr. Richard Udy, a large number of ratepayers in the Mount skill portion of the district; were disfranchised through' not being able to pay their rates at the Roskill Hall. Provision was made in the hall for votes to be recorded, but persons who had not paid their rates 's before voting had first to do - so. This && meant a. journey to the Road Board offices - • near, the • -Mount Eden railway station, and this many,;, refused ..to/ undertake, and in . ,' consequence did not vote. The oat crops throughout the Hamilton district are looking wonderfully well this season, and should yield some record re-. •& turns. They axe well forward with a good "; even growth, and, as; the Algerian;variety has been largely sown there should be little trouble from smut or rust. The crops have i come along very fail, during the last fort-

night, and will be quite up to the average as regards earliilasu.' ■ ' ' ' Since the. opening of the season (says our . Ngaruawahia. correspondent);, there have been 'a. good many fishermen in'the neigh- \ bourhood. No very large baskets have been reported. Mr. S. Wilson,' so fair, heads the list with 25. fish, the heaviest -of .which scaled 61b. / Sportsmen report that the river . is still too high to give a prospect of larger catches. . ' '_v. >' .'. On August 1 . there were half a million dairy cows in New Zealand, and 1200 dairy establishments of all descriptions. Of the latter :84- were cheese factories, 214 butter factories, 448 skimming stations, 403 private butter factories, 70 private cheese factories, and 195 packing houses. - ; ; With regard vto the blackleg restrictions the Taranaki Provincial t Executive of the vs. j Farmers' Union has resolved to forward the -f i following; resolution to the Government foepartment . concerned: That this Council *-: [ is.-of .'opinion that an. injustice has been '.;m : done..the district between . the Patea and j Manawapou Rivers in quarantining that dis- . % i trict ; for.; blackleg, no case having occurred -. .. •- | there, especially ias a promise. was • made that it should be free if not infected for 12 months.'- ..- -

■■' For some time past activc extension I operations at the New Plymouth' breakwater have been ■ suspended, ! but with the .j advent of more settled weather work at the end of the mole was resumed this week. The blocks in stock are sufficient to, add - 1 another 108 ft to the - length of the break- - water, making, with the 74ft done last autumn, 182 ft since - extension, work was '■? taken in hand. The occupants of the "cells' at the watchhouse last evening were tour men changed with being drunk, one man charged with < assault, one man charged with breaking and entering, and a woman charged with failing to maintain her child. :