LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13157, 21 April 1906, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

The northern portion of the Sehvyn Estate, which was acquired by the Government for closer settlement purposes last .rear, will be opened for selection at the Crown Lands Office, Auckland, for lease in perpetuity, on Monday next. The total area is 37,444 acres. The ordinary farms consist of 24 subdivisions (comprising. 29 sections), and there are five suburban allotments and 15 village allotments, the total are;, of these three classifications being 15,087 acres. There are five small grazing mas, of a total area of 22,557 acres. These runs will be opened for lease for a term of 21 years. Applications will be received from 10 a.m. to four p.m. od Monday, and the ballot will be held on Friday next, -_-■

To-day's Herald consists of 18 pages. The leading article makes an appeal for local effort for the relief of the sufferers at San Francisco. In the Supplement will be found articles by " Tohunga" on " The Fall of 'Frisco;" on "Rangitoto," by "E.M.D. ;" on "Labour in the House of Commons," by Mr. Thomas Burt, M.P. The stories " The Lost Earl of Elian," "The Garden of Heart's Delight," and "The Nether Millstone," are continued. There are also all the usual features, and two humorous illustrations.

A man named James Merrick, whilst working at a flaxmiil in the country, on Thursday afternoon, had his left arm drawn into one of the machines and badly crushed. He was brought, in to the Auckland Hospital, arriving early yesterday morning in a low condition. It was found necessary to at once amputate the arm. The unfortunate man is do'mg as well as can be expected. ; ■ . ■ .

The Auckland Horticultural Society's Autumn Show was continued yesterday. There was a very large attendance, the hall being crowded during the afternoon and evening. A number of musical selections were rendered, and a pleasant entertainment programme was provided. The display of chrysanthemums and dahlias proved /a great attraction, and the prize blooms were inspected by many horticulturists. A very fine collection of begonias, exhibited by Mr. W. U. Timewell, of Devonpert, came in for special commendation. The various officers of the society spared no effort to make the show a success, and to the secretary, Mr. W. W. Bruce, especial credit is due for the conduct of the show. Altogether the society has reason to be proud of its autumn exhibition of 1906.

The iron fence at the gardens in the Domain is nearing completion. No doubt this fence will be the means of attracting the passers-by to the gardens. In the past the high, close fence gave many the impression that the gardens were not open* to the public. i

The tender of Mr. J. D. Jones has been accepted for the erection of the new business block in Fort-street, adjoining the poet office.

The annual meeting of householders for the election of the Auckland District School Committee will be held in St. James' Hall, Wellington-street, at eight p.m. on Monday next.

Mrs. Brame, widow of the late John Brame, journalist, died early yesterday morning, after a brief illness. Mrs. Brame, who was 71 years of age, arrived in Auckland in the Victory, in 1864, and was for many years closely identified with the religious and temperance work of this city. She was the first president of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, and tip till the past week took an active interest in the work of the Central Mission, with which the family have been identified since their return, a few years ago, from Australia. Mrs. Brame was a woman noted for good works, her special care being the men of the fleet when in this harbour. Her son, Mr. Victor Brame, founded in Hobart the navy clubrooms for men of the fleet. Her eldest daughter was married many years ago to Colonel Wright, the founder of the Salvation Army in Auckland. Two other daughters (one Mrs. T. Clark) reside in Auckland. The funeral is advertised to leave her late residence on Sunday afternoon, at half-past two o'clock, for Purewa Cemetery.

Our Wairarapa correspondent writes: — Surveyors have been to Featherston and surveyed the Rimutaka Hill, through which tunnels are to be carried in connection with the Government's proposal of electrical scheme to work the railways. One of the power houses will be at the bottom of the cutting entering Featherston from the Rimutakas.

According to a Wellington exchange im-portant-changes are pending in the dairy division of the Department of Agriculture. Mr. D. Cuddia, Assistant Chief Dairy Commissioner, has been offered the Chief Dairy Commissionership of Victoria. Mr. Thornton, dairy grader in Auckland, has also been offered an important appointment in the projected Dairy Department of Victoria. ' It is said that the recent visit to this colony of the Hon. 0. Swinburne, Victorian Minister for Agriculture, is not altogether unconnected with these offers.

| Our commercial cablegrams from London report that the butter market a steadv. There are complaints of improper grading of Victorian butter, inferior butter being marked " to* grade I Choicest Australian is selling at 965; >e w Zealand butter is selling readily at from 99s to 100s. on account of its excellent quality. Unnltcd butter is fetching 103*.

Mr. J. S. Lennox has had a rather ! unpleasant experience while motoring from | Rotorua to Tauranga, via Te Puke. He j was seated in the back seat of the car, 1 there being also in the car Mkses J. S. ! Lennox and Hume, and Messrs. Kosabs, i Shepherd, and A. Wrigley, when a bullet, ! struck him in the back. The bullet cut away a portion of -Mr. Lennox's coat. vest. and shirt, but indicted no serious damage. It was discovered chat the shot was fired by one of a party of deer shooters.

The following contributions to the fund for the rebuilding of the Parnell Orphan Home are gratefully acknowledged by the Trust Board:—E. D. Ashton, 10s; Sun-day-school children, Te Awamutu, £1 Is; Tonson Garlick Co., £10; J. J- Beatty, £1 Is; Rev. D W. Runciman, 10s. These contributions bring the total to date to £2512.

Our Wellington correspondent says that the Minister for Justice is having inquiries made into the truth ot the report that a batch of long sentence prisoners who were recently sent from Wellington to Onehisnga got out of control. It was stated that the prisoners were allowed to roam about the s.s. Takapuna—only one warder being in charge— misconducted themselves on board to such an extent that the captain refused to take them beyond New Plymouth.

Before leaving Ohristchurci) for Wellington on Wednesday last the Hon. A. Pitt informed a deputation that the Government would be exceedingly careful in regard to the granting of any new club charters. It will not grant them iinless there are special circumstances to justify such a course. It certainly will not be sufficient for a number of people to band themselves together and say they would like to have a charter. In any case no charter will be granted to any club that has not passed a rule providing all members must be over 21 years.

The Christehurch morning papers are very severe on the Trades and Labour Conference for its resolution advocating disturbance of leases in perpetuity. The Times characterises it as " advocating unmitigated robbery," and says: "If the conference had carried Mr. Paul's compensation amendment there might have been something to be said for the confiscation proposal, but it should have nothing to do with honesty in its mode. The confiscation must be outright. Might is right, and brigandage is the fashion of the moment. It is difficult to be patient, with men who believe that the Stale lias the right to resume land without paying compensation. Principles like these, if they are once brought into operation, cannot be restricted in their application. If the State could resume leasehold land without paying for it there would be no reason why it should not take freehold land without paying, and, if the State could do this thing, it could give local bodies the same right. It is certain nothing will more prejudice the public against labour in politics than this advocacy of the violation of a State contract."

In a letter published in Public Opinion (London), of March 16, Mrs. Emily Nicol, writing from Auckland, says:"The New Zealand Herald comments upon an article contributed to Public Opinion by Miss Marie Corelli, and says she has fallen foul of the unemployed, and is almost as bitter about them as if they were reviewers. I fail to see where Miss Corelli has erred in touching upon either topic. That tired feeling among the unemployed is very conspicuous even in our own up-to-da.tc, democratic New Zealand. In our public streets you meet with scores of able-bodied youths and men, hanging about publichouse corners Sn a slovenly attitude, with no desire imprinted on their faces for work. Then, again, this insatiable desire for holidays at the loss of a, day's work betokens eves, the ' tired feeling amongst the workers, and a statement given forth from Labour circles a few weeks ago as to the probability of their moving for a six-hours' day carries with it the impression that this ' tired' feeling is on the increase, or the degeneracy of the ra.ee has set in with a certainty. With labour to-day there is no thought of tomorrow. . . . The unfortunate Chinaman seems to be a thorn in the side of the British worker, but it says little for the Britisher that such an uncivilised foreigner can come into his own country and beat him at his own game. For sobriety, thriftiness, and haird work, the Britisher has no show against the Chinaman. We have much to learn from even these despised foreigner*! Then, as to the attractions of football. To see two bodies of men attacking, rushing, bumping, felling, straining every nerve and muscle to overpower each other, utterly regardless of terrible consequencesbroken bones, strains, sprains, bruises, internal injuries of all descriptions, which must tell sooner or later upon the physique—is to feel that we are still confined to the brutal, bull-baiting, old-time customs of heathen nations. The pleasures of the game seem to lie in its brutality."

The Auckland Garrison Band will play the following selections, to-morrow afternoon in the Albert Park, commencing at a-quarter to three o'clock:—March, "Hie Et Unique," McAlister; waltz, " Estudiantina," E. Waitenfil; medley overture, "Society Girl," Boettzer; selection, "Norma," McCosh ; an African two-step, "On the Levee," Milt Hal!; descriptive fantasia, " Smithy in the Wood," T. Michaelies; march, " Itimutaka," Trussel. The First Battalion Band, under Bandmaster P. H. Moiir, will play in the Western Park, commencing at three o'clock. The programme is as under: — Contest march, "The Challenge,"-Calvert; grand selection, "Attila," Verdi; waltz, "Ever True," Wilson; contest selection, " Halevy," Halevy ; intermezzo, " Dainty Daisy," Laski; valse, "Sweet Harmonies," Ord Hume; march, " Marmion," Smith; "God Save the King."

The occupants of the police cells last night were four persons charged with drunkenness and one with being illegally on premises.