LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13285, 18 September 1906, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

| Ay inquest was lipid nt the Empire Hotel, Victoria-street West, yesterday mornj nig, into the circumstances surrounding the death of Captain R. Streater, jvhich took place on Saturday as the result of injuries received in an accident on the s.s. Ayrshire, about a month ago. The Coroner, Mr. T. Gresham, presided, and the proceedings were watched by Mr. Russell (on behalf of the widow) and Mr. Singer '(on behalf of the owners of the vessel). "Evidence was called;? to show tint' while a launch was being taken on board the Ayrshire, under the directions of the deceased, the shackle at the masthead broke, and the derrick came down and struck deceased and two others, inflicting severe injuries. Captain A. St. Clair Whvte, who was present at the time of the occurrence, said that it- was pure accident, and could not have been anticipated. When the. shackle broke ;he did not think that there could have been mare than eight of 10 tons strain on it, as the launch, which weighed some 15 tons, had not been raised out of the water. As far as lie saw, the gear was in order. Dr. Sharman, who attended deceased, said Captain Streater died from injuries to the spinal column. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased met his death from injuries sustained through the accidental breaking of machinery on board the Ayrshire. f . A nine-year-old schoolboy, Henry John Frame, was admitted to the hospital* last evening, suffering from a fractured leg, sustained at Oachuaga,

It boa been reported to the police that a man: named William Haigh, employed by Mr. John W. Duffus, ftf Eden Crescent, as caretaker of four houses in Grey-street, left those premises about nine aim. on September 6, and was last seen on the wharf shortly afterwards. Mr. Dtiffus did not bother about him, thinking that he had become tired of his until one of Haigh's friends, named Carwardeii, gave him certain information, which led him to report the man's disappearance to the police, who are investigating the matter. Before leaving the house, Haigh gave a man named John Brown (one of the tenants) a shawl arid a new suit of clothes. Haigh is described as about 60 yeairs of age, sft 9in high, stout, well made, with an erect bearing, gray hair, and blue eye.*, but it is not known how lie was dressed. The Union Company's steamer Mourn- left for Sydney last night with a number of passengers and a large quantity of cargo. Included in the shipments from Auckland were three boxes gold, valued at £10,677, shipped by the Wailii Gold Mining Company; 154 cases kauri gum for London and the Continent, and lines of timber, concentrates, ore, hemp, whale oil, etc., for Australian ports. ' ' "" During the meeting of the I'akura.ttga Hunt Club'on Saturday last, a son of Mr. Paul, of Mangere, had the misfortune to be thrown, from his horse, sustaining slight concussion of the brain. Dr. Murphy, who was fortunately present, attended to the sufferer, and ordered his removal to the hospital. He was taken to. g, private hospital at piichuriga. On latest inquiries he is* reported to be slightly improving. Some eighty volumes have recently been, added to the reference department of the Publio Library. Included in the works are Japanese Life, the Roman Empire, and English and Italian histories, whilst art, science, and industries are fully represented. Imperial problems, electricity, radium, geology, archaeology, botany, telegraphy, Antarctic exploration, the steam turbine, physical science, and psychology, are all covered by standard works. The Boer and Japanese wars are included in the works of well-known authors, and German industrial conditions, the.free trade movement, and other current topics, will be found in the reference section-. In the fiction department a. large number of tile latest works by well-known authors find places. Whilst Mr. James Hardy, of E. Porter and Co!, was driving two grandchildren and a. friend to Otahuhn in his motor car, on Saturday afternoon, lie'had a most unpleasant experience. In trying to steelclear of a fractious horse standing on the road ilie wheels of the car went on to the grass, and side-slipped to such an extent that the car went over a bank and capsized. Miss Clayton had the misfortune to sustain a broken arm. Drs. Mackellar and Girdler set the injured limb. ■None of the other occupants were injured. About ten a.m. on Sunday as a young man; Christopher Frame, was being driven from Parnell towards Newmarket', the horse shied at an approaching car, and a wheel of the vehicle, which was in the tramline, was broken by the jolt. The two occupants of the gig were thrown to the ground, but neither was injured. The tramcar was promptly brought to at standstill by the motorman, and a collision Was\ averted. f Mr. John Campbell, Government architect, will confer with Mr. Kettle, S.M., this morning on the proposed new Police Court for Auckland. Yesterday, he inspected two sites for the Court, one in Bow'en Crescent. - and the other next to the Auckland Society of Arts Gallery, Co-burg-street. Personally he favoured the latter position. In. connection with the Grey-street fire, it if stated that the insurance i>olicy on the furniture was allowed to lapse last week. Mrs. Maher, who occupied the premises, maxle inquiries, with the object of increasing the amount, but- owing to the necessity of revaluation a. delay of several days occurred, and it was during this interval that the fire took"' place, thus causing a, loss to Mr. and Mrs. Maher of something like £250. The building was insured in the New Zealand Insurance Company for £100. Representing himself as an inspector from the Health Department some person lately caused much inconvenience to a householder. Dr. Frengley, district health officer, desires the public informed tha.t by section 78 of the Publio Health Act the rules to be observed for inspections are strictly laid down, and further lie suggests that, unless the inspector,be known to him, no occupier should allow any inspection to lie made unless a warrant card be shown. All inspectors of the Public Health, Department have in their possession a warrant card and railway pass, stating their full name and official standing. "

Tenders closed with Messrs. R. Reals and Sons, architects, yesterday for the erection of a block of brick shops at Devonport for Messrs. Alison Brothers, the following ; being received:—A. Pollard and Son, £2877; G. M. Hand cock, *£2854; J. Guthrie, £2843;' ,T. J. Holland. £2665: W. Philcox and Son, £2646; 11. C. Small, £2398; C. Blomfield, £2395; W. G. Smith, £2390; J. W. Jones and Son, £2390; and Craig Brothers, £2297. ■ , Speaking at. His Majesty's Theatre oil Sunday afternoon the Rev. Pastor Clark, who was referring to the totalisator, mentioned the name of the late Mr, Seddon as the author of the Totalisator Act, whereas he intended to mention the late Hon. Mr. Dick, of Dunedin, who originally drafted the measure.

j An Omaio, Roy of Plenty, rorrespondent writes :During lie past week there lias been an important gathering at Oreti Point. Natives from To Kaha, Ban-' kokore, mid adjacent settlements assembled to talk over matters relating to the telephone wire that is being erected along the coast towards Opotiki. A very earnest spirit of enterprise was manifest in the meeting, and .the natives present* subscribed £27 towards the cost of the wire, while the men at (he different settlements through which it comes seem to do the work of preparing the posts and setting them up with praiseworthy readiness! Mr. Sydney Williams, of Tuparoa, has generously subscribed £200 to the telephone now being . erected -along the coast. It. is expected that the wire will be open to subscribers for the transmission of messages to and from. Oreti Point in November.

A misfit in false teeth was the cause of an action heard by Mr. W. H. Bishop, S.M., at the Cliristchurch Magistrate's Court, the other day. The defendant, who was sued for the "balance due on a. double set of teeth for his wife, refused to pay, on the ground that she could not eat with thepi, and that they had never been put ' right, though fitted several times. His Worship commented upon . the expensive luxury of false teeth at eight guineas, and said .he regretted ' that the wife and the teeth were not in Court, so that he might form his own opinion regarding the tit. Plaintiff's solicitor agreed that the teeth should be made to fit, and in giving judgment for the amount claimed, Mr. Bishop said, ''When you !bring the teeth in to be altered, bring your jwif© with them." \ * •

—1 " = An unfortunate accident happened at th;, "V old wharf, Opotiki, last week, resulting in. • y.< the death by drowning of a valuable mare;l:|S|i the property of Messrs. A. and G. New. !~ sham. The animal was in a cart being used ife for carting coal from a schooner, when it ' || hacked over the wharf, falling between the structure and the vessel. . The Wairar.ipa Daily News supplies the ' following returns of a dairy farmer in tWf§|§ Pnrkvale district:—He milks ten cows of t */ Shorthorn cross and Jersey cross. Even ■ though the herd did not come in fully till - ■ the middle of November, these . ten cows gave for the factory 72.1381b of milk, averaging 72131b each. " The factory average for each cow was 3051b of butter-fat, equal to 3561b butter. With butter-fat at Is OJd, ; each cow earned £15 18s sd. With a few • pounds for whey and calves, the total per } cow is brought to £16 13s 2d. • ; 'Jf The local bookmakers, says the New Zea- * land Times, are apparently not in the least V degree perturbed at the decision of the Government to deprive them of telephone privileges as from the end of th<- present month. Questioned by a reporter, one of these persons said that the innovation would ?\ c . he welcomed by many of the fraternity. i Telephone betting often led to disputes, and S was certainly conducive to bad debts—which | • class of business the "bookie" is the last - * < person in the world to < encourage. . From this it would appear that the Government's •| J decision to cut em off the list is not a deprivation after besides, other people • ~i> have telephones. (/.• - - 1 A dog poisoner has been operating in _ - Blenheim (says the Post) to such an extent that an indignation meeting of citizens has been held, and a Dogownens' Protection So- ■<3 ciety formed. A reward of £50 for convic- , tion of the offender has been offered by tho -|£ association. Tine method of the poisonci is to put poisoned meat in the public streets, and already several working sheep dogs, besides household pets, have met Untimely deaths. , The three survivors of !>he • Pitcairn ;|;||| Island's crew who ' hail from New Zealand pM are to be well cared for when they arrive . in England from South America. The Minister for Marine, the Hon. J. A. Millar, * at the instance of a Wellington shipping man who lias been talking tin interest in the boys, has sent ft cablegram to the High Commissioner in London' requesting him to look after the lads jn London. If they are i able to work, berths are to be secured for them on vessels bound for New Zealand; if they are incapacitated, free passages to. the colony are to be provided for them ' tinder the provisions of the Destitute Seamen Act. The three boys are W. Waddilove and C. Lambert, of Wellington, and F. Hayward, of Normanby.. It is feared that they are suffering greatly from the effects of the exposure and hardships they , underwent between the time of leaving the >' ,/• burning barque and arriving at the hog. 1 pital in Valparaiso. . . < " The following is the state of His, Ma- ; ' jesty's prison, Auckland, for the week ending September 15:—On remand, six males ; . ; awaiting trial, two males, one female; ;y----penal servitude for life, three males; hard \ : ; labour, 228 males, 26 females;' imprison- ; ;?;i ment, three males; default of bail, ■ one male received during the week, 28 males, y four females ; discharged, 26 males; total in prison, 243 males, 27 females. : • Six fatal accidents occurred in "the colony's coal mines last year. This was ,-igg at' the rate . of.;. one f fatality /for*'every /• 264,292 tons of coal raised, ■ -