LOCAL AND GENERAL MEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13485, 11 May 1907, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL MEWS.

The Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister for L* bour and Marine, addressed a well attended"»JV meeting at the Royal Albert Hall last evening, the Mayor presiding. /Mr. Millar dealt with the financial position of the colony, -labour matters, the Crown lands > and native lands questions, tariff revision, ,;' and the matter of reciprocal trade. In ' ! regard to the last mentioned subject, he foreshadowed; negotiations with the Com- ! monwealth Government regarding a treaty " with Australia. As to the tariff, he saW ' that a revision of the existing duties would be submitted during the coming session. A vote of. thanks oo» P U*i «,'ii one -of confidence in- the Government, w«£-' J carried, ... - ' '- r .Now that the Waitakerei water supply is. available the water from the Nihotupn ' auxiliary supply has been temporarily shut off, in order to permit of the cleansing of the dam and reservoir. This will, it is •' anticipated, remove -i the complaints lately made as to the 1 discolouration of the city water. The Nihotupu • supply will probably be available again about Monday next. ' " ' j The , question of preference to unionist* - was broached to the Minister for Labour , (the Hon. J. A. ; Millar) by Mr. T. Long, » - member of the deputation from the Seamen's Union that' waited on the Minister yesterday. Mr. Long;urged that'it wat unfair that men who contributed nothing to a. union should enjoy the benefits sc-" cured by unions at considerable expense to themselves. Shipowners, he said, were ~ always-ready to ask the Seamen's Union ';, to accept the responsibility for misconduct on the part of men, and he did not think .they should be called upon to take this responsibility unless they had, preference to unionists. Mr. Millar, in replying, repeated his former statements that he hoped during the coming session to be able to -introduce a measure / that would give a certain amount of protection to those who \ formed unions. He agreed that it wa* •- "unfair that workers should suffer inconsequence of their connection with unionism, whilst and benefits derived were participated | in by those who took no part in securing ';' -. ! them. I In replying to the toast of his health at {the inaugural function in connection with I j the Waitakerei water supply yesterday, Sir | John Logan Campbell spoke of an incident jof early Auckland. Forty years ago, he said, he instructed Mr. Jas. Stewart to pre- , pare a scheme for supplying water fawn the ' Onehunga' springs. When, however, he . asked the Hon. J. O'Neill to get an Ait , passed through the Provincial Council to authorise the raising of debentures for the ■ scheme, the' reply he received was: "The great attraction of this country is thai we'"; have no :taxes." (Laughter.)"■'■" bate ■ now got over that, at all events," added $'» *, John, amidst renewed laughter. I A Press Association wire gives the fol- ' lowing copy of a circular sent to officers of the Lands and- Survey Department" ■ * ' am directed by the Hon. the Minister for Lands to call your attention to the fact that ; it is highly inexpedient that. Government officers employed in th« Lands aud Survey *' . Department should be allowed to select sections of Crown lauds which are open for * public selection. The same disability ap- !J plies to the wives of Government officers, as to the officers themselves. It is under* stood -that in some districts officers of the Lands and Survey Department or of the -w Roads Department have been allowed to acquire sections either by original application i or by way of transfer. As a. matter of fact it is considered that no Civil servant em-

ployed in auy of the Government Depart- • .; meuts should be an applicant for Crown lands, either by ■way of original selection or by.transfer, so long as such person holds ''• a position in the Civil Service." . | ' During the year ended March 51, 1907the animals killed at the Auckland Farmers '•• Freezing Works at Glasgow, near OtahubU' ;. Jtotalled 55,576, made up as follows: — Cat -„, | tie, 7549; pigs "and sheep, 3119; lambs, 44,908. Of this lot 720 head of cattle and.J 240 sheep were intended* for local consumption. f ';■•;'"■',' '•"' .:;.■'.■'■Y'.,'. : ■•■. ■'' ■ ■ • ■ ' i l.'hose who ire desirous of hulling the Exhibition Orchestra, unci have not already done so, should avail themselves of the last '■:• > .two opportunities afforded them this after noon and evening. The orchestra will di J baud after to*night'« performance. ..member* leaving for'the South .to-morrow and Sya- .;; ney on Monday. . <

To-day's -Herald consists of 18 pages, ■nd covers a, great range of matter. In the Supplement' Tohunga writes on "The English in India," E. M. Dunlop on "Tamihana and His Day," A.D.B. *on "In An Old Album, Wynyard Pier," the Rev. Canon rf-selden on "The Jubilee of Church of ''*' province of New Zealand," and F.E.W. ; begins a series on " Quack Doctors and their • Methods." The Supplement also contains ''Local Gossip," by Mercutio; Ladies' Gos«in humorous illustrations, and all the other ■''•■' usual features. The fine story. "Neither V - storehouse Nor Bam," by Allen Pame, is begun in this issue, and " Kate Meredith " , and "The Avenger." are continued. 'Hie Hon. J* A. Millar received a deputa- ; { tion from the Seamen's Union yesterday, and in the evening addressed a public meeting in the Royal Albert Hall. He leaves , or Wellington to-morrow afternoon. • The Hon. Jas- McGowan, Minister for Mines and Justice, arrived in town by last evening's express. He will leave for Wellington tomorrow afternoon. The Government valuer, Mr. B. J. Esam, has lately been engaged on a revision of the city valuations for the purposes of '■•'., ' land taxes, death duties, etc.. necessary for ' 1 the Government Valuation Department. :.-w Queen-street properties have been raised all round by about 25 per cent., but no other important alteration has been made. The sale of Messrs. Cruickshank's property, which was purchased by. Messrs. Winstone, Limited, formed the basis of the valuations, this investment returning a profit of • five per cent, on the money laid out. The city roll comprises about 7000 freeholders. ~' A fire broke out in a stable belonging to • - Mr. J. F.Atkinson, at Avondale, last evening, but was discovered and suppressed before much damage resulted. During the .£#:.■■ afternoon Mr. Atkinson had singed a.horse, and it is surmised that some live cinders fell "; amongst the straw in the building and ;§.:';:..-:'■ smouldered on undetected till they develop- ::■■■■■.. «d into a blaze about seven o'clock.- Mr. ;;v • Percy Kelly first saw the outbreak, and with the assistance of Messrs. Morrison and Parker, used a. small hose and water to good purpose, mastering the flames after several minutes' active work. It was promptitude ]■ that saved the budding from complete de- ;. , struction. As it was, a quantity of straw, together with some harness and other gear, were mined. A trap horse which was tied up nt the end where the fire originated, broke loose, but was rescued after being considerably singed about the ihead and mane, by the little band of amateur firemen. The Australasian squadron, which sails from Wellington to-day, is expected to reach :?i' Aucktad on Monday, and accompanying ,'Vi I the fleet is the training-ship H.M.s. Pioneer, which has vacancies for about 12 seamen and eight or 10 stokers. An" opportunity is also provided for firemen serving in the local steamers to join the Royal Naval Reserve. ;.;.) Candidates must be of good character and physique, and must have resided in Australasia for at least three years. Applications may be lodged with the' R.N. registrar, at the Drill Hall, Auckland, from the 15th to the 23rd of this month. One of the most respected residents of Onehunga passed away at her residence, $>:-/, Campbell Road, on Thursday, in the person of ilis. Elizabeth Park, relict of the late Mr. James Park. The deceased lady had I .been ailing for a considerable time, and s had been attended by Drs. ■; Scott and • Lewis, and lately by Dr. Dudley. Mrs. 'Park, who was in her 65th year, was. a daughter of the late Mr. John Roberton, contractor and builder, of Edinburgh. In. 1875 she left Galashiels, Scotland, with her ■ husband and family, in the ship Marpesia, and arrived several months later at Wan--nambool, Victoria, where the family remained until 1883, when they left • for . Oa'maru. . Two years later they moved to Onehunga, where. Mr. Park took tip the -managership of the. Onehunga \ Woollen Company, a position he held until his '•'-'•'.^ti>y'^?^y"" l ''^ B '^F T - ; ''^ &CM -- Jia -"' :w< *- s '' t:for ' ;a ' ; ' ■ A,\me succeeded 'by his- son.'- • Mrs. Park had a genial and charitable nature, and alII , though not able to get about much, was known to nearly everyone in the district. She is survived "by five of her ten children, four daughters and one son, namely, Mesdames Bell and,Menzies (Ponsonby), Menp," zies (Melbourne), Miss M. Park, and Mr. John Park, borough architect, of Queen- ' street, Onehunga. The funeral will take place at Waikaraka Cemetery at three p.m. ■■'■:•■/,- ■ ■ to-day/ '•■<■ p' J'.•.■■■' Mr.> A. L. Ferneybough, architect, has re- j . ceived the following tenders for the erection j of • a residence ,at Mount Roskill: —J. W. Bambury, " £1213 ; Grayson - Brothers, j £1247.; A. J. Holmes, £1533; W. Maddaford, £1373; Sayers and Cook, £1511 T. j ' .K. Williams, ' £1537 ;'■ M. Evans, £1573; -A. .Pollard and Sou, £1608. - The tenth annual meeting of the Auckland! ' Co-operative Terminating Building Society.-j is announced by advertisement. In addition to the annual report, etc., there will be • ■ » distribution of £5600 by ballot and sale, | ■ ' the largest amount disposed of at any one j meeting. Attention is also drawn to the society's offer to members, or persons becoming members, to arrange loans on - suitable properties on favourable terms. I