LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13160, 25 April 1906, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

i ' '-eg* i It was stated at the last meeting o. the i Auckland City Council that a intiler was t > be placed over the escape steam-pipe at the refuse destructor. Freeman's Bay, to abate the nuisance caused by the escaping steam. Unfortunately, however, owing to a point of difference between the contractors and the City Council regarding the j taking over of the destructor, the muffler j has not, so far, been attached, and the nuisance continues. The muffler is ready | for placing in position, and the work j would only take about an hour and a-half, j but until the Council take over the dei structor it is not considered advisable to do anything which might prejudice the position, although the Council is very anxious to have the nuisance a baited. A final meeting of the Grey Statue Committee was held yesterday at Mr. J Speight's office. Insurance Buildings, Queen- I i . street, for the purpose of disposing of the I balance in hand, and dissolving the commit- ! | fee. Tito treasurer (Mi. S. Nathan) re- j | ported that after all accounts had been | I - 11 paid in connection wit.li the movement the i sum of £12 13s 2d remained. It was unani- j mously agreed that the amount should be handed to the Campbell statue fund. Mr. | Speight (chairman) a.nd Mr. Nathan were directed to write letters of thanks to a number of persons and firms outside the colony to whom tho committee were indebted for services and remission of charges. A cordial vote of thanks to the chairman and treasurer for their arduous work during tho past six years concluded the meeting, after which the chairman declared the committee dissolved. The special San Francisco issue of the Auckland Weekly News, issued to-day, contains a remarkable wealth of illustrations, showing all the places and buildings of interest in the ill-fated Northern Pacific city. A magnificent double-page panoramic depicts the city as it stood before the terrible earthquake, and conveys an idea of the widespread nature of the disaster. Other fine j views include the park, where, the homeless inhabitants found refuge from the destroying elements, some of the palatial mansions. hotels, pleasure resorts, and great business blocks, which have been wholly or partially destroyed, together with special drawings of the occurrence by the News artist, and a realistic picture showing the effects of fire on a modern American city. The collection is most complete, and the number will be valuable as a pictorial and literary record of the great disaster. Orders for copies should be placed eurlv, as a large demand is anticipated. The bronze statue of Sir John Logan Campbell, for erection at Cornwall Park, was landed from the s.s. Rakfiia yesterday, and conveyed to the site where it is to be placed in position. Everything is now practically in readiness for the hoisting of the figure on to the pedestal, and Mr. Fallon, the contractor, will push the work on with all possible despatch, so that the statue should be in position in the course of a few days. The secretary of the Statue Committee has received a telegram from His Excellency the Governor, stating that Empire Day will be a suitable date for the unveiling ceremony. A special meeting of the committee will be held in the secretary's office on Friday, at three o'clock. To-day's Supplement, in addition to the usual features, contains an interesting special interview on the East Coast railway and several excellent pictorial illustrations, depicting streets and prominent buildings of the ill-fated city of San Francisco. | A disturbance occurred in Grey-street yesterday afternoon, wliep two men are said to have assaulted Joseph Best and seriously injured him. Best's condition was such that he was conveyed to the hospital, where it was ascertained that his ribs were injured and he was otherwise knocked about. Two men named Robert Purcell a.nd Thomas Francis Wilson were arrested and charged with assaulting Best, and they will be brought before the Court this morning. Arrangements in connection with the Dairying Conference to be held at the Auckland Freezing Works on Thursday, commencing at nine a.m., have been practically completed by the grader, Mr. A. A. Thornton, and a large attendance of dairy factory managers and others interested is expected. The parcels of butter from the various factories will be set out early on Thursday morning in preparation for the grading, and after one or two preliminary addresses, the grading instruction v.-ill be commenced, and the various faults and merits of each parcel will be detailed by the grader. Subsequently discussion on matters pertaining to the dairying industry will take place. Several Auckland members of Parliament intend paying a visit of inspection to the Pinko Swamp lands, in company with Mr. H. D. Haszard, Government surveyor. The site of the proposed channel which is to be cut at Iverepehi will be visited, and other points of interest will be inspected. As the opening of the Piako lands is to be brought prominently before the House this session, the visit should enable the visitors to more freely realise the valuable asset that the Government possesses in this huge block of land, which, if drained, should prove excellent for agricultural and pastoral purposes. Several areas of Crown land will be thrown open for selection (lease or sale) i i the Auckland district shortly, among them being section 6, Block IV., containing 360 acres at Otauewai (Tauranga) and sections oSS, 353, and 080, and a forest reserve at Waipu (Whangarei). The annual examination in practical subjects under the auspices of Trinity College of Music, London, which usually begins ' about the first week in September at Auckland, will be held earlier this year, owing to the growth of the work. The examiner appointed for New Zealand was expected to arrive in Auckland by the next San I"rancisco mail steamer, but may lie delayed, owing to the disorganisation of shinping, caused by the recent disaster. I he Clifton Estate, at Mount Eden, the property of the late Mrs. J. O. Firth, was offered by auction at the rooms of Messrs. Warren Blvth and Co., Queen-street, on Monday. The sale attracted more than usual attention, there being a large attendance, but the bidding for the residence and grounds was slow. Eventually the property was passed in at £2700. There was very keen bidding for the Matamata property, on which the hot springs are situated, and the good price of £350 was realised. After June 19 all shops, except those specified in clause A of ifection 15 of the Shops and Factories Act, in the borough of Te Aroha, will be closed at six o'clock in the evening on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, at one o'clock in the afternoon on Thursdays, and at ten o'clock in the evening on Saturdays. Tobacconists are exempted from the provisions. The Gazette announces that the Colonial Treasurer is in receipt of 2s 5d " conscience money, lor the Railway Department, from , tome j)erson unknown, I

According (> 'i return published in Us# Government Gazette, tho population of Auckland and (suburb* 'is 76,625. During the month of March 162 births were record* cd, 114 in Auckland and 48 in the suburbs and the deaths were 46 in Auckland and 13 in the suburbs. The proportion of death# to every ICOO of the pupulation was 1.13 for Auckland, 0.72 Birkenhead, 0.58 Devonport, 0.48 Newmarket, 0.82 Grey Lynn, and j 0.33 I'.irnell. The causes of death in Auck'laud for persons of both sexes under and over live years of age. respectively, were: — | Specific fcbril or zymotic diseases, two and I three : dietetic diseases, one and one; constitutional diseases, none* and nine; developmental diseases, two and three; local diseases, 11 and 19; violence. none and two; ili-detined and not specified causes, five and none: total.-*, 21 and 37. The.-<» figures do not- include the road districts. The inclusion of the suburbs tends to lower the rate at Auckland, Wellington, and ! lJunedin. I i The Rev. W. Lush, vicar of the Epiphany, j Newton, speaking at the annual parish j meet last evening, said: " Last winter | wo had two men's socials, which, I hear, j scandalized certain prudish people, l>ecause they were honestly called smoke concerts. | It is a sin to smoke, according to some people, and a thing the Church should never recognise. As 1 am not a smoker. I may, perhaps, be allowed to say that, though I don't think much of the habit, yet in moderation it. seems to be pleasant to so many people that to frown it down and treat it as a sin is only laying an unnecessary burden on poor humanity, whilst there are people who are scandalised at it who tolerate in themselves far more objectionable habits. The men's smoke concerts will begin again soon, no matter what these foolish people say. The concerts were a success, and they are worth having." Probate has been granted by Mr. Justice Edwards in the estates of the following deceased persons:—Thomas Quoi (Mr. Clayton), Johanna Munro Wilson (Mr. Stewart), Christian Fried rich Kretschmar (Mr. Mahony), Margaret Logan Baiderston (Mr. Mahony), Robert Neil (Mr. Jackson). Letters of administration have been granted jn the estates of Matilda l'uckcy (Mr. Parr) and Edith Janie Outram (Mr. Waite). Mr. F. La wry, M.H.R. for Parnell, lias been informed that the Government do not intend to set up a Royal Commission to inquire into the means of preventing the disease of black quarter in the colony. It is notified in the Government Gazette that forest land containing 95 acres on© rood 29 perches (more or lee*>), in the Tarawera survey district, has been set apart for a State forest, under the New Zealand State Forests Act, 1885."' A I'ies.s Association telegram states that a Mark Master Masons' lvodge, E.C., was opened at Dargaville on Monday night, by Mr. Bankart, of Auckland, and eight other Grand officers. Mr. R. 15. Peat was installed W.M.M. Our East Tamaki correspondent writes: —" At the meeting of householders in the East Tamaki district on Monday evening for the purpose of electing a school committee, the sub-leader of the Herald of the 23rd inst., relative to secondary education. was read, and it was unanimously decided that the chairman (Mr. A. R. Harris) be asked to represent to the Education Board that the liouseltolders present approve the views expressed by the Herald, and hope the Board will act upon the suggestions contained therein. We are informed by Mr. Percy H. Basley, registered patent 'agent, of Bradford Buildings, Queen-street, that the following inventions for the Auckland, district have been accepted and gazetted: —With provisional specifications; R. E. Bell, lens; H. J. Suckling, cinder-sifter; D. Gilmour and another, polisher; B. F. Cranwell and others, broadcaster; J. W. Mackay, propclip ; W. E. Garey and another, polisher; J. J. Maoky, bottle; D. McKenxie, chair; F. W. Smith, liquids drawer; C. Perkins, pittcatch; H. T. Rawnsley, harness. A rather striking contrast, as marking the progress of the,age, was illustrated (says the local paper) at tho Westporfc golf links. Mr. Maekley, a member of the club, was engaged cutting out the stump of an old rata, tree, and striking something hard with his axe made an investigation, and found embedded in the roots of the tree., about a foot below the surface of the ground, a piece of a sharp Maori greenstone axe. How long this relic of a bygone age had been secreted there it would be hard to say, for the broken part had a time-worn appearance. Mr. Maekley was of the opinion ' that a Maori in the far back days had broken the axo when cutting the tree, and that he had been unable to extract tho broken piece. The edge of the axe was unsually sharp. A lady correspondent of the Evening Post 'Wellington), who was doing Parihaka and Mount Egmont lately, writes thus:"We had driven all day through fine scenery, always dominated by the mountain. The rich, brown soil, the lush grass, the thriving cattle—all bear witness to the prosperity of Taranaki. I saw turnips a foot and a-lialf in circumference, and the most wonderful fruit and flowers, justifying the eulogiums of half a century of 'The Garden of New Zealand.' The soil is rich, choco-late-tintfed, and a baby might dig in it with ease with a wooden spade. The children look plump and happy, and we saw no signs of the child-slavery so much talked of. They seemed to have a happy time." Commenting on the Premier's speech and financial statement at Rangiora, the Lyttelton Times says:—"The Premier, so far as we can gather, is in no great hurry to get rid of the surplus. We presume that a half-million will again be transferred to the Public Works Fund, but apparently the remissions of taxation promised during the election campaign are not to be made until next year. We confess we cannot see in the dangers that always surround tariff reform sufficient excuse for delay. The piesent Government have done a good deal towards the realisation of Sir George Grey's dream of a free breakfast table, but, as Mr. Seddon showed last night, a good deal remains to be done. The poorer classes contribute by far the largest share of the transfers that are made to the Public Works Fund each year, and it is quite time they were given some additional relief. We should be glad to learn that we are mistaken and that the Premier intends to proceed with tariff reform in the first session of the new Parliament. He has suggested himself how his strong iinance could bo maintained by an increase of the graduated land tax, and really there is no sound reason why anomalies and inequalities in the existing' tariff should be preserved." There were in the police cells last night three persons charged with drunkenness, one with having been illegally on the premises, and two with assault causing actual bodily harm. The Commissioner of Customs notities that curio tartar, apparently a substitute for cream of tartar, and having properties which enable it to be used for a similar purpose, is being imported into the colony The duty on cream of tartar is Id per lb,' and the same duty is levied on corio tartar i from April 12.

fr WTiile Miss Maud Stevens, of Hastings, Hawke's Bay, was lighting a spirit lamp the other evening, preparatory to making soring tea, she spilt a portion of the spirit, which * ignited on the table. Miss Stevens turned By . her back to get a cloth, to extinguish the i'i tire, but in doing so her pianfore got caught with the flame. She was unaware of the accident until her little brother-in-law, who was forunately present, raised the alarm, and Miss Stevens, whoso clothes by this time were well aflame, ran shrieking into the street. A number of residents in the vicinity promptly took her in hand and, rolling her in the grass, succeeded in quenching the blaze. The poor girl, however, sustained sonio severe burns from her neck to her waist. She also suffered a very severe shock, but the latest reports show that she is recovering rapidly. A most exciting incident occurred at the Kaiapoi sporty 011 Easter Monday, when during the race for the ten miles motor handicap, the machine driven by C. E. Jones suddenly blazed up into flame. Mr. Jones was travelling at about 40 miles an hour at the. time, but he displayed great presence of mind. Slackening speed, he ran on to the. grass and fell clear of t:ie burning machine. By this time, however, his trousers, socks, and boots wore saturated with blazing petrol. Several officials quickly rush, to the spot and smothered the flames with their coats. Mr. Jones' trousers were not burned to a.ny great extent, but he was considerably bruised and shaken, and had his wrist wrenched. The occurrence was due to the breaking of a petrol pipe. Pigeon fanciers will be interested in a remarkable' feat performed by a hen bird belonging to Mr. Tucker, of Palm erst 011 '.North, on April 15. The bird was purchased by him from Mr. A. Stewart, of Cbristchurch, over three years ago, and since that time has been flying around with the other inmates of Mr. Tucker's loft. On the morning of the above date, however, she apparently suddenly made up her mind to reiturn home, and went straight for Christcliurch, arriving there that afternoon. The. incident appears more remarkable when it is stated that the bird had never previously shown any desire to get away. The amount of butter exported from the port of New Plymouth shows a decrease with the advance of the season, but is still ahead of that exported from all the other ports put together, for large quantities are ItciiiLT stored. The principal English demand is for the finest brands of factorymade butter, probably because this article lends itself to the " faking'' process. There is 110 request for sccond-grade or dairy butters. La Depec-he Coloniitle (Paris), referring to the abandoned proposal of the French Government, to send out Convicts to Tahiti, and of the proposed mission of M, Verignon, a former director of* the Penitentiary Department, to the Pacific, in connection with the establishment of a convict station on one of the islands, states that it has always most energetically opposed this proposition. It is believed, however, that the idea of making another New Caledonia in the Eastern Pacific was vigorously combated by the French Colonial Office, which brought pressure to bear upon the Department having the disposal of convicts in its charge. At a recent Taihape marriage a floral arch was erected over the chancel, and from the centre of this was suspended a huge wedding bell, composed of white blossoms and fern fronds. As the nuptial knot was being tied a cord released part of the suspended bell, a deluge of flowers falling o»x the bride, while the organist burst into the strains of the "Wedding March." The potato, crops^of_New^. Zealand are. subject to attacks of blight, but those of Victoria have an equally tuber-destroying plague to contend with. A writer in the Melbourne Argus says that 95 per cent, of the potatoes placed on the Melbourne market are rendered unfit for human consumption owing "to being tunnelled and retunnelled by the potato borer grub. The grub leaves an evil smell behind it, and unless every affected part is cut off the potato cannot be used. Allegations have been made at Perth (West Australia) that while , a goods train was passing through a fruit-growing district it stopped, and those on board proceeded to rob, the adjacent orchards, the train stop- ' • ping for half-an-hour. It is alleged that quantities of fruit and poultry have been missing at various times, one man losing 80 turkeys in two years. The train was left absolutely unattended during the half-hour in question. The Railway Commissioner „ admits a complaint has reached the Department, and an inquiry i.« being held. «* — —