LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13048, 13 December 1905, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

As a result of Inquiries made by Mr. M. F. Carey, chief electrical engineer of the Auckland Tramways Company, during his recent absence from Auckland, it is anticipated that the completion' of the repairs to the Queen-street track will be expedited. Mr. P.- M. Hansen, managing director of the company, informs us that after the Christmas holidays certain; proposals will be submitted.to the City Council. If these are agreed to, it is hoped'that, before the winter set* in' this long-standing work will be satisfactorily and permanently finished.• »-■

The ' ArcKLAM) Weekly News, . issued to-day, deals' with a remarkable variety of subjects of both local and wide general interest. Of immediate local interest will be the fine views of the Poxisonby regatta on Saturday last, and the Maori Girls' School bazaar in the Metropolitan Grounds! Of wider interest fire the pictures dealing with the recent general elections, which include the portraits of ail the successful candidates, snapshots at the Auckland polling booths, the scene at night, showing" the vast crowd awaiting the results, and "a striking. cartoon, on the record majority of the Government. The double page is devoted to a beautiful bush scene at Ngarua-' wahia, unci the picture, which is one -of. the News' special double-page reproductions, >« beautifully executed, and is bound to be widely appreciated. Other subjects contained in the number are the New Zealand'football team in -England, the recent destructive fire at Christ-church, Hospital Sunday at Wellington and rapier, together with the usual number of high-class scenic and-industrial .views. - ■-' v: .

The (i .supplement .', issued with to-day's Hkr-vld- contains a number of varied and interesting articles, including '•Things in General," an interview on Tongan affairs, Volunteer News, Labour Notes, and Woman's World, besides serial stories and other items. A; clever cartoon with reference to the coming Colonial Conference in London will also be found in the Supplement. -

'Die annual examinations for the junior national, junior board, and Queen's scholarships "and 'free • places in secondary and technical schools were begun at Welles leystreet school.yesterday, Mr. E. K. Mulgan being chief supervisor. There were 215 scholarship candidates, and 29 junior free pliue candidates. ;'Examinations were also tield at jruatapii, Opotiki, Thames, Ohaeawai, Tauranga, and Whangarei. The examinations will be continued to-day. To-morrow Mr. Mulgan will supervise the junior Civil Siivice examination at the Choral Hall. This will last for a week, concluding on the 21bt inst. .Similar examinations will be held at Hamilton, Tauranga, Thames, and Whangarei at the same time.

A wharf labourer named T. White, working on the steamer Mokoia, at the Queenstreet Wharf, yesterday, fell from a Jacob's ladder while trying to' get from the steamer to a Colonial Sugar Refining Company's lighter, which was lying alongside. He. struck the deck of the lighter with considerable force, and broke th& small bone of his leg. Dr. Sharman was quickly in attendant:, and did all that was possible for the injured man, afterwards ordering his removal to the hospital,

The question of increases, in the salaries of employees came before ■< the Harbour Board yesterday, and a number of applications for increase were received. The chairman moved, "That the Beard resolve itself into a committee of the whole to consider the matter." Mr. Baumemoved, as an amendment, "That the question of salaries be referred to the Finance and Legal Committee to report." He urged that the ; Board should have information and reports from heads of departments laid before it in this connection. The voting was even on the amendment, and the chairman, who opposed it, gave his casting vote in favour, so -as to afford opportunity for further consideration. At the same time, he held that the -Board in committee was the ■ body to deal with salaries. There were only seven increases on the list, and they were for men who were not getting a living; wage. Those who got small increases las! year were the ones to be considered this year. The engineer said he had only heard the previous day of the • Board's intention to consider salaries, and he would like to make a report in reference to his department. On the motion of Mr. ';.Parr,, ft was then agreed to hold a, special meeting of the Board on Tuesday next, at half-past two p.m., in committee of the whole, to con-1 sider increases in salaries, the heads of departments to report to, and attend, the meetings The Board also decided, on the chairman's motion, to fix the office holi- j days for Christmas and New Year, for De-1 cember 25, 26, and 27, and January 1; 2, and 0, and the holidays for general em- ] ployees for December .25 and 26, and January 1 and 2. " . '■;,',

The death of a well-known Auckland ' citizen, in the person of Mr. William Bailey, of Epsom, is announced. The deceased, who was a native of Lancashire' ' was -an engineer by profession. He arrived in Auckland 21 years ago, ana was engaged s •'■' in. mining at the Thames for some years. He afterwards went into partnership w itW Messrs, jLeylajid and O'Brien, when, the firm started their timber mills in Customstreet West, retiring shortly before the present company was formed. Mi-. Bailey was an active member of St. Andrew's Church, Epsom, arid was of a very kindly and'charitable nature: He. will be much' missed' by many friends in Auckland, the-" Thames, and elsewhere. He leaves one' ■' son", Mr. John W. Bailey, of Taupiri, his' : ■ wife having predeceased him about four years ago. . "'

The Auckland Harbour Board has decided to request the Streets Committee of the City Council to meet the Board's Works and Tariff Committee to consider plans andsuggestions made by the harbour engineer, with reference to approaches to Hobson. street Wharf. >

The welcome rain which fell on Sunday, has come just in time to keep things growing (writes our Pukekohe East correspond dent). '. The ground had begun to crack-' and the crops were showing signs of drying' up. There is a good quantity of hay cut, and a start is being made on the oats this week. The crops are up to the average, but there is not much ready for cutting yet,, the main crops being a little later thai*': usual in this district. Potatoes are standing the blight fairly well, although innearly all cases they are more or less affected. There is a splendid show of fruit this season, especially plums and pears. ■ ~'

Mr. C. Bowler, of Pukerimu, sustained a peculiar accident a fevr years ago (writes our Cambridge correspondent). He was engaged in dressing the carcase of a pig on Mir.' N. Mackay's property, when the knife slipped, and inflicted a severe wound near the right eye. The injuries were such as to necessitate several stitches being put in by Dr. Roberts. - ' :i ■" )„

The Stephens Island wren recently bought by the Otago Institute, for the museum, cost no less than 20 sovereigns, insignificant-looking little brown bird though he is. Dr. Hocken reported th« matter on Monday to the University coiuv cil, and that, body, at his suggestion, committed themselves to the expenditure oh £5 per annum, for four years, so as to re- ? coup the institute. -'^.

Mr. Horace G. Brinsmead, formerly; managing director', of tha English piano: firm, of John Brinsmead and! Sons, Limited,, is just concluding a lour of New Zealand., Mr. Brinsmead, on resigning his position with the parent "Brinsmead" firm some" two years ago, entered into business as a piano manufacturer on his bwn'account. In the course of a chat with a Herald representative yesterday, ' Mr. Brinsmead im-'-: parted some interesting facts, regarding, musical culture in New Zealand .which.; he has gleaned by his observations during hi?' tour through the colony.. The colonials generally, he stated, are very large pur-? chasers of pianos, hut New Zealand .is inthis respect far ahead of the other colonies. " It is an undoubted fa-ct," he added, " that in proportion to population the people oh New Zealand are the greatest purchasers of pianos in the world. There, is no other country where the sales reach such a relatively large figure." The standard of musical culture in this colony, in our visi-; tor's opinion, is ahead of that in any. ohthe other,colonies, and that, he. remarked, -; was a great deal to day when it was found from - comparisons- that the colonies '-as ■»; whole were'far ahead in : musical matters of England and the Continent. Mr. Brins--* mead, who left for the South by the Manuka last evening, states .that his father, {Mr. Johu Brinsmead) and his mother are.,acknowledged to bo the , oldest married' couple in .England. Mr. Brinsmead has'; passed his 92nd birthday, and Mrs. Brins':, mead has also reached the advanced age of 91 years. They celebrated the 68th anniversary of their wedding on June 5 last, and amongst the congratulatory letters re- f i ceived was one from His Majesty the King. - ( -

The following is .the programme to bo 'l performed by. the Garrison Band in Albert { Park at eight o'clock this ; evening:—,: ■March, "Manhattan Beach" (J. V. Sousa);* raise, "Alcazar" (Boeder);. selection, " Snl- £ l'ivan's Operas" (Sullivan) bolero, "Tri-. cotrin" (Hume) fantasia, "Sunny Tennessee" (Boettger); march, "The Thun-" derer" (Sousa). Lieutenant A. R. Hunter,, bandmaster, will conduct. ■

A stable, 1 situated in Hill-street, New-if market, tied by Miss Nuttall, was com-; pletely destroyed .by ■ tire about four a.in. yesterday. It was being painted by Mr. Smith, who lives in a small house- near,; by. He locked the 'Stable at five p.m. on > the previous evening, 'when everything appeared to be quite safe. , Early in the morn-" : ing Mr. Smith heard a commotion among/ several horses -which were in the stable, ; and on looking out he found that the stable :•' was on lire. The door was then loch.d, but Mr. Smith succeeded in opening it and getting the horses out without injury. There, was a loud explosion during the fire, caused through two drums of oil catch-,, ing fire. The Newmarket Fire Brigade ■•' turned out, but the building was practically destroyed before they arrived. Be- 7 sides the horses, a buggy was also saved," J but a bicycle and a quantity of harness was destroyed. The value of the building » exceeded £100, and it was insured for £50 in the Royal Insurance Company.

Dr. Pomare, native health officer, h«i> ; returned to Wellington from an inspection * • of a largo number of Maori settlements .hi'..*; the North Island, He observed an improvement in the sanitary conditions a*'-" many of the villages, but found that in ; nearly every place which ho visited tha natives were in great distress over th» failure of their potato crop. The Govern-, ment has supplied the Maoris with a largo;, I quantity of seed potatoes, and in some cases food has been supplied. Large areas are being planted with kumeras for winter - consumption. ;'"■ " During last month the' Wellington tram- - way service carried 19,664 more passengers,'" and took £203 13s 4d more in fares tuan '. « during the month of' October. The total.,, number of passengers carried during No-■••■. vember was 1,054,791, who paid £5907 16s ' Id in fares. . ~-. - - ■ The mails via Vancouver, which left Auckland on November 1, arrived in London on Saturday morning last. Tha mail? via Suez, which left Auckland on Octobci ' 30, arrived in London on Sunday morning last. -: . Probate has been granted by His Honor Mi'. Justice .Edwards in the estates, of Enoch Burden, deceased (Mr. Thome), and "E. P. Ogle, deceased (Mr Peak). His .. - Honor has also granted letters of adminis- • tration in the estates of Jane Elizabeth . Goodail, deceased (Mr. Brookfield), James Rout, deceased (Mr. Buddie), and Donald :.f Mckenzie (Mr. Armstrong). A calf whale, 18ft long, was stranded is % Coromaßdel harbour last evening. '% The occupants of the police cells-, last. night consisted of five persons charged wita ; drunkenness, and one with theft.

■ -' - ■ ■ • -•- ■■- ■ - 1 • t——M^ —". ■". ■' ■— »„ . babbits are increasing in.-'myriads'at' Col- ' iarendabri, New South Wales, and doing , • much barm to stoekowners, but proving profitable to many others, Numbers of men arcs employed skinning rabbits.- From one.station alone ; 5000 are sent away every forts'.-/, . night. Rabbilers are.'allowed, by the station the free use of pits in return for keepv: ing them/clear of rabbits, which arc piled in keaips a few yards from the pits, and left there to rot, each;day increasing the size of the heap. No attempt is ■ made to burn j,t them. A drover was recently fined at the ' local court for /leaving a dead sheep oil the. road, but rabbilex'S appear to be exempt. ?

A sensation was created at Ravenswood (Queensland) recently by the death of a prize-tighter -in'the ring. Alfred' Hardwicke, a well-known Charters Towers heavyweight, and Arthur Murray, a coloured pugilist, were engaged in a fight, and in the third round Hardwicke dealt severe.punishment to.Murray, who went down and was "counted out." , When the seconds went to carry * him to his corner it was found he was dead. An examination of the body was made, but no blood or bruises were found. - Death is believed to have been due to heart failure. Hardwicke was immediately arrested. ',•:"'

By the lonic, which arrived at Wellington on Wednesday Inst, '''from London, Mr. E. Short, the well-known sheep-breeder-of Parorangi, near Feilding, imported three Romney Marsh rams, purchased for him at the Ashford Romney sale, in Kent. ; 'One of the rams, bred by Mr. Charles File, of Canterbury, was the highest-priced ram at the sale. Another was bred by Mr. J. E. Quested, of Chentou, Folkestone, and the third by Mr. A. Amos, of Ashford. The animals, which will be a valuable addition to one of the most successful: Romney flocks in the colony,,will be kept on Somes Island for the usual quarantine period. ■•-

On Monday last, a Toko resident found on the roadside near, the township ,a . board bearing a message- to the effect that 1 the writer was tired of life, and intended to commit suicide. The board was brought in to the Stratford police; who immediately prosecuted inquiries. Constable Ryan found thatrthe writer of the alarming, messago was a'boy who on the Saturday previous had left his home at Tariki and. went to Toko, where he put up-at; the hotel./ There lie 'was -found'' on : the Sunday- by his father. ; The reason given by. the boy for his strange,conduct was.that he.feared the ordeal of an examination for which he was to sit during the' week. ."/' ; ?-■ , / v: ■■:

' Says the , Hawke's Bay Herald : —The elections are- over, and .the; constituencies will," we,suppose, resume their normal re : pose for another three years. : f, In this district- we view the result with mixed feelings. The defeat of Sir William Russell is a severe blow', to the Opposition and to the House. ,' Whether the late member did or did not do enough to receive a large share of the spoils for his constituency,' he was, and always*would be, a prominent figure in our colonial Legislature. "."---He is a- part: of the tradition of our polities, and it is,

we expect,, Joss from the colonial point of view that he should be .withdrawn from the '" ~ fcphere in which ho.has so long worked, and ■ in which he has earned the".esteem of all his fellows. Mr. Dillon, although he is a ; man of grit, and a successful man, and although he may prove a useful member so far as his constituency is concerned, cannot hope to occupy the place in the House and in the country which his predecessor occu- ■// -pied. -1,. : :/.--//.•-•...-.;-' ; -,:"=.«.•■-/!■-/

"Is it the usual practice to ask for payment of-your" fees in advance?" was' the Sf-Djfquestion put by counsel to a witness at the Supreme Court, Christchurch, recently. ':' " "Well," replied*" the witness, *'- people '-< generally ask'Hhe'fee when they come, and |§ I t-ell'. .them I would not mind having it ;;. ; . beforehand." Neither would . I," was • counsel's fervent comment. " I think I ■■ . have heard in my practice," remarked His Honor, " of lawyers asking for payment of ',"' costs before entering upon a case of some magnitude. " I don't think I. have ; ever done that," replied counsel, " but" '{again very fervently) "I've very often been,sorry, that I hadn't." The Wanganui Harbour "Board-have re-' - ceived plans and advice .from Mr. Leslie Reynolds for the improvement ;of the river- - mouth. For an expenditure of about I ." £53,000, Mr."": 'Reynolds f estimates that a depth of not less than 16ft at high water can be maintained on the bar,, and generally the depth should be a foot or two better than ; that. His -proposals; include ; two moles or training . walls running '■ through the sandy beach into deep water, an internal training wajl .and, dredging a .channel 20ft wide through shallows inside the present bar. (This, dredging has already been in hand ?for*'some time.) The ; plant for constructing the moles he puts - down at £9000. The Harbour .Board resolved to postpone the construction of the '"■■•'.; moles, and to proceed 'at once with the interior training wall, which is estimated to cost about £12,000.. 'The, engineer proposes .to make ibis of rubble to a depth of lft above low,?'water, ' x surmounted by - a coping'of' concrete to half-tide level. -"•'-; The Government .statistician of Queensfmd lias prepared a return allowing the estimated population of that State at the end of September last. The total- number of persons is 'set down at. 528,465, of whom - 290,653 are' males and 237,832 females, thus showing a. considerable disproportion in the sexes, the males predominating to the extent of 52,801. - During the quarter the population has increased by cnly 2110 persons, \ while ■ in tne nine. ;' months it has improved by 6810. Of the /■ latter total, 6215 is represented by the na- ;: tural increase, and not more thans9s, by I excess of arrivals over departures by eea ' ' and by rail. 1 ■