LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13483, 9 May 1907, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The hearing of the industrial dispute between the Auckland Electric " Tramways Company, Limited, and its employees was continued at the Arbitration Court yesterday. After calling medical evidence to show that it was necessary to provide seats for motormen, as protracted standing had a tendency to produce varicose veins, Mr. Rosser, the men's representative, closed his case. Mr. W. Scott, on behalf of the company,* contrasted the condition of the men to-day as compared with the old horse-car days. The men were very much better off now, he contended, than they were then and before they entered the service. Referring to the men's demands, he stated that they would mean ah. increased expenditure of £16,230 per annum. He protested, on behalf of the employers of the colony, against the Arbitration Court, in connection. with the tramways or any other trade, granting payment for work not done to men who were in receipt of pay for overtime. Among the witnesses called was Mr. P. Ml Hansen, managing director for the company, who stated that the company was prepared, when the cars were stopped during church hours, to pay those men for the time during which they were unable to reach the depots. He also stated that the company was prepared to provide seats for motormen under certain conditions. ■ The further hearing of the dispute was adjourned until to-day. ,

The Federal-Houlder-Shirei steamer Durham, which left Hohart for England on the 12th ult., carried the largest cargo of apples ever shipped from Australia, over 100,000 cases. The 5. following, figures will give some idea ■ of ; the quantity sent away: — the making of the cases to hold the fruit, 625,000 super, feet ;of timber were : used, - equal to about 28 ketch loads. , For stowing the fruit in the cool chambers, battens, etc., were placed between the cases, so as to allow a free circulation of air. For that purpose. 40,000ffc of. timber were required. . The cases, if placed end to ■ end," would reach nearly a third of the distance from Hobart to Launceston, making a continuous line '40 miles long. ,i If placed on their flat, they would cover a piece of land nearly four acres in extent. In the making of the cases, it is estimated that 3,750,000 nails were used. The cargo is equal to about 60 river steamer loads, and these, if placed end to end, would extend a distance of over a mile. Finally, ; the cargo is more than sufficient to provide every man, woman, and child in the Commonwealth and New Zealand, with about three apples each.' The cargo is the largest ever carried in cool chambers from any part of the world, and exceeds 100,000 bushels. The loading of the steamer gave employment to 120 hands, and a representative of the shipper is provided with a free passage to watch their interest.

The case of attempted suicide by a young woman swallowing carbolic acid, which she found in her mother's house, on Tuesday night presents some sad features. She is only 20 years of age, and on Saturday last left the district hospital after undergoing three or, four operations for a mental trouble. Apparently a complete cure of her ailment had not been effected, for, on Tuesday morning she complained of suffering from severe pains, and threatened that if she had to return to the hospital she would do away with herself. The mother went out during the early part of the evening and on getting back to her home found her daughter lying on a sofa, writhing and groaning in pain. In answer to her mother's inquiries, the young woman said: "I have done it I have taken the carbolic, and no doctor can save me." An. empty bottle, which was on the floor near by, previously contained about an dunce of carbolic acid. Dr.-' Hardie, Neil 'was promptly summoned, and besides administering an emetic used a pump to good purpose, subsequently \ having the ' sufferer removed ,in an ambulance to the hospital, where she now lies in a precarious condition. A cardboard box (full of nails) was found in the house, and a farewell : message scratched on the lid contained the following pathetic sentence: .'.." Mum,— of life, and this will put me out of pain."

The United Dairymen's Association yesterday decided to order, its own funeral, and formally agreed to die. .'The association was once formed of dairy farmers who send milk to Auckland city and the retail supply firms here, but the farmers were not satisfied ; with the arrangement, considering that the association should get better prices, and they "severed their connect tion," forming a little trust on their own" account, under the title of the Wholesale Milk Suppliers' Association, and demanding 7d per gallon -in summer and 8d in winter from the- retailers, who in turn are expected to screw a little more out of the consumer. The farmers having , withdrawn, there was nothing for it but to wind up the association, and the retailers are now* forming an association of their own.

The following programme for the celebration of Empire Day has been suggested by Lord Meath:—(l) Assembly of local dignitaries, officials, military, volunteers, cadet corps/ or schools; (2) hoisting of the Union Jack; (3) National Anthem (4)'," saluting the flag" and singing of the "Flag of Britain;" (5) an address on the. duties and responsibilities attaching to; British citizenship; (6) a short lecture on the Empire, illustrated by the Howard Vincent or Navy League map; (7) a lecture illustrated by magic lantern views of some colony or dependency, of.the Empire; (8) the recitation of some poem illustrative of heroic duty and of self-sacrifice on behalf of the . nation (9) the recitation of Eudyard Kipling's recessional hymn, "Lest We Forget;" (10) the National Anthem and final salute.

Measles are rife about Auckland at t),'.. present time, and one result of the wiA? ' spread epidemic is a considerable in,] n "r tion in the attendances at the focal school*' ". At one school it is reported that the a V' semtees suffering from the contagion mint ' ' her about 200. The Health Department has, in most cases, made free use of disin fectants at the schools affected, but it i, not considered advisable to take Ie ex treme measure of temporarily dosing down the schools unless the position is far mI acute than it has so far proved to be. ! The Chief Health Officer {Dr. Ma soa ) states that .- new Hill which is to U brought up next sejwhm will define ti>* • standards for various liquors, complaint » to the quality of which has been made in Wellington, and will place the whole mat. ter of inspection upon a . definite bask" After a death had resulted from lead xsiii soiling, : publicans agreed not to alj<, w liquor to come in contact with lead surfaces This matter was referred to by I) t ' Mason. The new Bill aims at giving i},'. Health Department powers over appliance used in the preparation of food as well m over the food itself. ■'■■:■..-■ Work in connection with the erection of the new bath buildings in the Sanatorium Grounds, Rotorua, has been somewhat retarded of late, in consequence of the unfavourable weather conditions. Most of the work now to be. carried out is in the internal part of the structure, and »J. - though the woodwork of the roof is w<>H completed, the work of placing the til« in position has been impossible during the ' extremely wet weather that has prevailed for, some time. This is now being proceeded with, and as it progresses the internal fittings will be pushed on. A fair idea of the interior and size of the building may now lie formed. There remains a large amount of detail work to be done, and I should the contractor succeed in, completing the building by the end of the present year, he will have accomplished much. The scarcity of surveyors was referred to by the Hon. J. A. Millar yesterday, ir. the courso of his interview with the promoters of the Waitemata-Manukau ' Canalproject. '•' The Government, he said, could - do with 20 extra surveyors now if it could get them. The other day,when eight su>. veyors were required to follow up the Native Land Commission, they could notbe. obtained. ■ .. ..■■■„■.•.■■,;;:■■ The country school-mistress occasionally '. undergoes a rough experience. One, who teaches a school a few miles out of Masterton, and who returns to town every evening on a bicycle, nearly came to grief during the recent flood. On her. road home aft school she found a rush of water across the road which was 2ft in depth. She ought not to have faced it, but did wade through, dragging her cycle by her side. On tin . other side it was impossible to re-mount, and the teacher had to walk some Hum miles into town and lead her cycle the wlioli distance. ■ •.: -' " ' '■ '•'.- ' ■' '■"v-^SMS Poultry-keepers in the Mount Eden dis- ; trict have suffered serious losses recently owing to the depredations committed by dogs, in one case 14 pure-bred fowls being killed in one. night. It. is to be regretted that the owners of these canine prowlers cannot be traced and made liable for the losses inflicted, A boy named William Davis, a pupil at the Remuena, public school, when exercising on the parallel bars, yesterday, fell And?::??:? ! broke his arm. Miss Davis, one of the teachers, is a medallionist of the St. Join ( Ambulance Association, and she promptly rendered "first aid." After the arm bed been placed in temporary splints, the boy was sent home. A lad named William Davis, whose parents reside at Remuera, had the misfortune yesterday to fall from a horizontal bar>fj| at the' local school, and had his light arm broken in three places. He was admitted "to the District Hospital for treatment. ■ i The occupants of the police cells list ; evening numbered eight males, six having been arrested on charges of drunkeunees and two for alleged petty theft. ' ■ ' An inquest is to bo held by Mr. Thos. ; Gresham (Coroner) at the Alexandra Hotel, !J Durham-street, to-morroy morning, concerning the death of a male child three weeks old. The infant in supposed to have been . overlain.