LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13358, 12 December 1906, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The New Zealand Insurance Company, which was the first office to resume business in temporary premises on its own site after the Sun Francisco earthquake and conflagration, has made rapid progress with the settlement of its losses, and a very close approximation of the total amount can now be made. It is estimated that when all payments are completed the total net losses will not exceed £285.000. The prompt manner in which the settlement of air just losses has been made bus placed the name of the company in the front rank in America, and the directors have', received many spontaneous tributes expressing the highest praise at the way in which the company has met all its liabilities.

The Afcklam> Wieft&t Kb***, published to-day, contains a wide variety of highly interesting illustrations. Among the most prominent may be meati«*n<'<l * striking series of pictures on the double page of the number, illustrating .sir John Gowk's visit to his old home in the Witfcato. There are also pictures of hi* ♦rait to Auckland, and the official reception in the City Council Chambers. (Hirer stents illustrated are the arrival of the English cricketers, the boating .spawn in Auckland, scenes at the New Zealand International •Exhibition, opening of Kelson Post Office. unveiling of trocars' memorial at Dunedin, the Nelson A. and P. Show, ami the first steam navvy used in New Zealand, at work on the North Island Main Trunk line. The miscellaneous illustration?, which are exceedingly varied, include, among others, a full page of sketches of well-known Wellingtonians, portraits of Mr. Lang, M.H.R., the new member for Manukau, and of Mr. G. de Montalk, who was killed in the recent motor car accident near Christ church, and a topical cartoon entitled, "The 'Northern Farmer and the Bee."

The Auckland Savings Bank has offered to take up £50.000 worth of Auckland Harbour Board debentures, at 4£ per cent., to be paid in instalments of not less than £5000 monthly, and yesterday the Board decided to accept the offer.

Owing to the Auckland Dock gates being left open on Monday, fur the convenience of the s.s. Manuka's passengers who desired to gel from Queen-street to Hob-sou-street Wharf, some small boys managed to gain an entrance to the dock, and three of them were- almost drowned through fulling off the punts lying afloat in sft of water, in the bottom of the dock. Fortunately the screams oi the. boys were heard by Mr. Findlay, the engineer, and a constable, who rescued the lads in time. In importing the circumstance to the Harbour Board yesterday, the harbourmaster said the dock gates were also left open on Sundays when the passenger steamers were at Hobson-street Wharf.

It is stated by a domestic servant, who arrived by the Corinthie. last week, tint if the rule of wages ruling in New Zealand for servants was known, in England and Ireland, many more girls would come out to the colony. The Hon. d. McGowan points out that the. Government lias authorised the High Commissioner to grant assisted passages to domestic servants wishing to come out to the colony at the reduced rate provided under the scheme adopted some time ago, which means that a young woman would have to pay £10 to get to the colony. .All information regarding local conditions would be supplied by the High Commissioner. No special instruction has been sent in regard to making it widely known that domestic servants are wanted in the colour.

Yesterday morning a young nun entered the girls' playground at the Grammar School, and is there alleged to have assaulted one of the girls. A scholar was sent off to inform the police, and a number of masters and boys gave chase after the man, ami captured him in Weilesley-street. He was taken to the police station and lodged in the cells, and will be brought up at the Polite Court this morning.

An accident happened to Mr. August Wenstrup, veterinary .surgeon, while riding past the Itotorangi creamery yesterday morning. His horse shied and threw him heavily to the ground, with the result thathis arm was broken. , The limb was set by Dr. Edmonds.

After* making inquiries the Minister for Mines has' informed the Auckland House Painters' Industrial Union of Workers that, ho is'unable'to hold out any hope at present of granting the union's request for the acquisition by the State of a coal mine in the Auckland province, and the establishment of depots in the, city, on the ground that the retail prices of locally-produced coal do not appear to be unreasonable.

The fancy goods warehouse in Customstreet West, occupied by Messrs. Rawlinson and Ifwersen, wan- visited by a burglar on Saturday evening, and goods to the value of £5 were stolen. A handbag} filled with electro-plated goods by the visitor " was left behind on the counter. An entrance hud evidently been effected from .Messrs. YVitigate and Co.'s .store in. Little Queenstreet, by a small door being forced open. A wooden partition, in thickness, then separated the burglar from the fancy goods warehouse. To overcome this difficulty a brace arid bit was used, and by this means part of the board was forced out, an operation in which the burglar must have injured himself, for blood was found on the wood.

Our Huutly correspondent writes:—"On Monday the TaUpiri mines, through a shortage in the supply of railway waggons, wore abliged to stop work at twelve o'clock. Last week the mines 'worked only four days and a-half. With the advent of the holidays and the consequent withdrawal of waggons, the prospects of steady work are very poor. - '

About five o'clock yesterday morning Mrs. Lydia Scott, a widow, aged 45, died suddenly at the Manukau Hotel, Onehunga. The deceased lady, who was a relative by marriage to Mr. 11. T. Michaels, licensee of T.he Manukau Hotel, arrived from Sydney about six weeks ago. She bad not been well for about a week, and she thought that she was getting an attack of influenza. She retired to bed about nine p.m., and "about one o'clock yesterday morning she complained of pains in the back of the head. Mrs. Michaels applied hot fomentation and other remedies to ease the pain. Mrs. Michaels wanted to send for a doctor, but the deceased would not hear of it, and about five o'clock her condition became so serious that Dr. Tresidder had to be sent for, but on arrival could only pronounce life extinct. An inquest was held yesterday afternoon in the Manukau Hotel, before Mr. I). A. Sutherland. J.P. Mrs. Sarah Stewart, Dr. Tresidder, and Mrs. Michaels gave evidence. The jury returned a verdict that diseased died from natural causes.

A vote of £10.000 was sanctioned last session for the purchase of diamond-drills and appliances, and to cover working expenses in connection tlterewith. Nine applications have already been received for the use of the- drills. Th«>«e drills were ordered, of 1000 ft, 1500 ft, and 2500 ft boring capacity respectively- The smaller drills have reached the colony, and the other is expected by the January steamer. The Department has had the medium-sized drill installed at the Point Elizabeth mine, the object being; to thoroughly test its merits, as well as to ascertain what the working expenses are likely to be before lending the drills to private individuals or companies.

The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce lias been notified by the Telegraph Department that, the establishment of telephonic communication between Auckland and Hamilton has been authorised, and will be put. in baud at once. The Cambridge Chamber of Commerce lias beer joined by the Hamilton Chamber in an agitation n.t similar facilities between Cambridge and Hamilton and intermediate stations.

The English mail, via Suez, which left Auckland on October 29. was deliverd in London last .Sunday afternoon. *

The liarbourmssier reported to the Harbour , Hoard , yesterday that he had instrutted the master of the s.s. I'akeha to be in readiness to shift the ship during the afternoon of Xofcrnher 30, and as these was BO steam lip, he requested the master to provide tugs to move the ship, but theagent of the company refilled, and he {th* harbourmaster) was compelled to order lags on behalf of the Board, at a cost of £10. The Sussex was then in the harbour waiting for the berth to be vacated by the Pakeba, being the only one at which the Sussex could work her cargo. Iho PaJceba had occupied the berth 10 days, most of the time not working. This was the first occasion on which a master had refused to find power to shift a vessel. The matter was referred to the Basra Committee for report.

In a sermon at Christfchurcli mi Sundaj morning Archdeacon Averill, who recently returned from England, took up the cudgels in defence of English society. Ho Raid: "Without professing to be an expert in such matters', 1 did make many inquiries in England on this and many other subjects. from those who were qualified to give an opinio!), and 1 cannot help but feel that people often confuse the term 'society' with a small and noisy section known a* tin 'smart set.' It is evident, I think, that there is a class of people in England, as elsewhere, who purposely disregard the laws of Hod. the laws of right and wrong, ami who lay themselves out to shock the sen sibilities of their nobler and more refined neighbours. Uut*!)^forbid that wo should ever think that these people represent English society! There is no such downward tendency in the real English society to-day. as possibly soma of us may have imagined there is." As to the supposed decay of religion, and the falling off in church-going, he said a wry thoughtful layman in-Eng. land had told him that there was less of the mere traditional religion, but, wherever the clergy were men of Cod, wherever they spoke from conviction, one would find no signs of a falling oft in the attendance at church, or weakening of the interest taken in religion. "These opinions absolutely coincided with my own impressions,'' said the Archdeacon, "and though ft great responsibility is thrown upon the clergy themselves, yet I believe in ho 'oug run it will be the very best thing foi the clergy." The Harbour Board has resolved to enter into communication with the Auckland (bis Company, with & view to de termining the company's riparian rights, on that portion of its property lately acquired from the Roman Catholic Church. A coal lease of over 1055 acres, at Lake Waahi, near Htmtly, in the Waikato district, ha,* been issued in favour of the, Tatt-piri-West Coast Mining Company, which principally consists of working shareholder!-. At a meeting of the council of the. Auckland Acclimatisation Society yesterday the president. Mr. F. Earl, reported that since April last no less than £86 18s had been paid by the society for hawks' heads, making £150 during three years. This, be considered, Avas a great deal too much, and more than the society could afford for such a purpose. The remarks of the president were supported by the other members of the council,. and on (lie motion of Mr. Earl it was decided to cease payment for hawks' heads, . . ' The Political Reform League social, which was to have been held a Pukekohe some time ago, but was adjourned on account of the death of the late Mr. fa. M. kirkbride, .will be held at Pukekohe on Friday evening next. Mr. Massev, Leader of the, Opposition, Mr. F. W. Lang, the recently-elected member for Manukau, and Dr. Bamford will be amongst the speakers, and various musical items will Ixj contributed during the evening. The post office authorities notify that large numbers of postcards bearing imitation postage Stamps ate being passed through the post. As this is contrary to regulations such postcards will not be sent to destination. Mrs. Ken-, a middle-aged woman, residing huaiHhe post office. Mount Albert; fell from a. moving tram-car in front of the Hkkai.d office yesterday morning, and sustained an injury to the face. She -was removed to Mr. Ai< kin's pharmacy, and after a short, stay, recovered from the effects of her fall. Mrs. Kerr was under the impression that the car, which was slowing down at the time, had stopped.

The twelfth annual picnic of the Parnell district school will be held at Motutapu Island on Saturday next, Hi© steamer leaving the. Queen-street Wharf, at half-past nine o'clock, and half-past one o'clock. This is one of. (he cheapest excursions of the year, as tea, sugar, and milk is provided free, and the return fare is Is, children being half-price. Excellent trophies have been presented by the various storekeepers of Parnell and the committee, and given fine weather a good day's outing m anticipated.

An inquest was held at the Wad* on Monday touching the death of an elderly gumdigger named William Logan, who had been found dead near his hut at Wainui. At the time of his death a bucket of water was found near the deceased, and it is presumed he had been carrying it. The evidence showed that there were no marks of violence on the body of the deceased, who had been living in a. filthy and destitute * condition in a hut. The jury returned a verdict that death was due' to natural causes.

The new club, (the Pacific), the formation of which lias been in hand for some time past, is now, we understand, an accomplished fact. Spacious rooms, situate in Bndean's Buildings, Queen-street, have been taken for a term of years, finished to suit the club's purposes, and is now being suitably furnished throughout. The opening will take place on Wednesday, the l&tii iust., and invitations have been gent out by the committee to members of the club anil a few public people for a lunch on that day and an "At Home" in the evening. Details of the opening ceremony will be fixed when response*- to the invitations have been received. At a meeting of the Thames Ministers' Association on Monday evening the. following resolution was passed " That, while congratulating the Premier on' the introduction of the Anti-gambling Bill, we deplore the fact that there is no provision in the Bill for the abolition of the totalisator, the root of the gambling evil in the colony, and strongly urge that the Bill be so amended as to'provide for its abolition." An extraordinary fact was brought to light at the inquest on the body of Geo. Wight, who met his death as the result of a fall from the face of a quarry at Mil' burn (Otago) on Saturday. The medical evidence showed that the man's hear had been removed from the left to the right side;.' of the body, and was about 10' m from the normal position, the wmulei being that deceased lived at all aftei the accident happened. The occupants of the police cells last evening were two persons charged with a breach of the peace,-'two-with diuukenn*»v and another w:th indecent assault. ~',•:'