LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13488, 15 May 1907, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Two offers were received by the Auck-* land Harbour Board yesterday to take up the third issue (£100,000) of debentures in connection with the harbour improvements scheme. The offers were from the Citizens' Assurance Company and the A.M.P) 1 Society, each company offering to take the whole issue at 4£per cent, at par. A suggestion was made by Mr. W.?J?" Napier that the issue ; should bo divided between the two companies, but this did not meet: with favour, and an amendment, moved by Mr. A. Iveyes, and seconded by Mr. J. K. Kneen, that the offer of the _A.M.P. Society, be accepted, was negatived. ■:: It was. then agreed to refer the matter to the Loan Committee.

The Auckland Weekly -News,': published to-day, contains a large f number of interesting and ■■■■. high-class illustrations. Among the most prominent of , those of recent events may be mentioned a; remarkably fine full page of the .tramway disaster at Wellington. Other current events dealt with are the turning on of Auckland's new water supply, and views _of the new waterworks at Wa-'takerei, new pictures for Auckland's ' Art Gallery, : football ■ match: City v. ParnelJ, hockey tournament at Remuera, visit of the Australasian squadron, New Zealand Rugby Union's Conference, and the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club's meeting; There ;is-;also'a,; striking picture of the salving of the Suevic, and a view of the; launching of the world's biggest battleship, together with a; wide variety of interesting miscellaneous illustrations. .

■■■■■ A report received from the ranger (Mr? Spratt) at last', night's 'meeting of .the Council of the Acclimatisation Society stated that extra vigilance had.' been : ol>served for a fortnight prior -to the opening of the shooting season, but that little or no evidence of illicit shooting had been discovered. Mr. E. Anderson, whilst agreeing with the ranger's statement, said that some complaints had been made regarding the early hour at which shooting, was commenced on the opening day of the season. In one or two instances, he said, the guns had opened fire by moonlight ,at five minutes past twelve on the morning of May 1. The result, he said, was that later on in the morning there was very little shooting to be done. When ducks Were shot at night they became so scared that they kept away from the place for months, and it had'been suggested that the opening of the season should be fixed for dawn, or some definite hour. Mr. W. H. Hazard said he had also heard of midnight shooting. It was resolved _to communicate with the Colonial Secretary as tc the question of fixing a definite hour for the opening of the season in s future. The colonial mails which left Auckland on April 3, via Suez, arrived in London un Sunday afternoon last.

I 'Ihe stormy weather of Saturday, $ „ 1 day, and Monday -moderated \..,..' ' morning on the WVM Coast, and ;, , : L the ,t«uiers weather-Uum] ... One« a „,,/ were able to leave port. Th» ii r , t „ ... her departure wa« th" l : .i;> x; ;i 0*», a,' eight a.m., and who was K.lh.we." i,. ',i" ■ "■■! lakapana at twenty minute* „ 1( , „• a.m. At r..q» a n,.r ... Hcvui a..,,. t ;,„ ! Torgauten left, and tin- Tirana -1,1 a £ '. " I m the afternoon, at iwmylW* m ' 1 j past three c «.k,. k. \V!,«„ tiie' x ri k*p- ' | crossed the bar, a o |ei:.vi' i/tlbik-."-. ihir-'-^3 ! was still a very heavy .mm running, ;»,,[',' j moderated during ifrc day. •' " j Ferdinand (.Vl.ju, *, an ~,„,,:„,t . of J.-' j Deroiiport Ferry Company, met wit;, 1 I unusual accident at Novliicote v«&tf ' He was carrying a sack of potatoes W the wharf on to a terry st'camer, wh-r-V,', vessel '-lurched slightly and he was, throw! into the water. Cartonest, who »a„J . . swimmer, swam a few strokes and <*~}', hold of a .stringer, eventually elambcit! safely on to the;'wharf. * * ' The result* of the. Government in--.,.-.;, | of tlie Harbour Board dredger, X«. mI were referred to by Mr. J. K. Knoen "at yesterday's meeting of the Board. H> : said that the members of the Board should ■ have, a look at some of the plates nhj,' they ..had been compelled to take- out of the dredger. The authorities, he saiy were very particular regarding the di*d<»<?' which was working in the harbour for the whole time, but other vessels, ])* , a( which were not in nearly such a good cot.' dition, were allowed to ''leave port with a coat of asphalt.*' ' In. answer to a qu.-v tion, the engineer* stated that two crank shafts, which were being replaced by new ones (ordered from the builder of ; th« ■ dredger), could be repaired here. ,1 Commissioner Dinnie, of the Police Be. partment, and Inspector Cullen returned to Auckland last "evening, after an official visit to the northern police districts. The officers left Auckland a fortnight ago and journeyed as far north as the He;, bora district. Although the roads were in a bad state, an average of about 40mile* daily Was covered. The disappearance of a Maltese woman. > % 30 years of age, from her home in Mount Eden Road, "is at present engaging polios attention. The woman, who is said.to ? havo been in a melancholy state of mind • for some time past, left her homo on Friday afternoon, and lias not since been heard of. {She is about sft Sin in height/ and of slight build and dark complexion. When last' seen she was wearing a dark skirt, a fawn-coloured jacket, and a. Mack hat, with: a high turned-tip rim. The provincial conference of the Auckland seel of the Farmers' Union will be ' j opened at the Chamber of Commerce. at* *' ten o'clock this morning, when the president (Mr. L. R. Phillipps) will deliver hi* - address. The "order, paper is a very long one, and the business sittings will .occupy two days. This evening the dinner will be held, and various speeches will be mack ' ' by delegates. Included in the subjects (■>»• discussion during the business sittings the-! 1/ '-■ aro numerous remits from branches. several dealing with tho Land Bill question and native' lauds, tho shortage of trucks, and suggestions, for the establishment of jan f til agricultural bank. Detectives Hollis and McMahon, arrested a man yesterday on a charge of stealing a gig, horse, and harness, valued at £35, the property of Thomas West, of Eltbam, The accused will be brought before the ; Police Court this morning. ;; '£he, question -of f tlio discharge .of,*ew» j into' the Auckland Harbour will bo *;&&• i sideivd by the Harbour Board at a special meeting on June 10. In the meantime the town clerk will be asked to supply copies of reports and other data for tho'iiiformation of ihp. Rnar.l i >" F f

- - - - Strong protests were made at the meeting of the North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral 'Association on Saturday, against ■ the action of the Government in connection with the State nursery at Kurow, If appears that two years ago the, Government acquired an area of 40 acres of land, for a, State nursery at Kurow, and ft large i amount of work lias been done toward** the • raising of trees. More recently, when Logan's farm, close to the -same township, was acquired under the Lands for' Settlement Act, 900 or 1000 acres were reserved as a. plantation, area, arid the work of ; ploughing and fencing off was commenced... P with that end, in view. During last week, however, the Otago Land Board received ', instructions that the area was to be surveyed into 50 to 100-acre sections with a ■■■■ view to settlement, and a notice was r*f,fif ceived at Kurow that ploughing was to be >-', stopped and fencing material to be transferred to the railway station and consigned whence it- came. The head nuroeryiran . and his assistant 'were informed that they ; would be required to, remove to another part of the colony. It is .-stated that the • Minister foe Lands will visit the district on. Friday to go into the question of, effecting economies in the present system of pre wine: tree.". Recently Mr. H. Robinson, a Moe (Vic.) fanner, was unable to account for the sud- . den disappearance of one of his dairy cows. The animal had been milked the . previous evening, and was afterwards enclosed in, a securely-fenced paddock. A - : search was made, but no trace of the cow j could be found, until nearly mid-day .on the ■ following Thursday, two and a-half days after her disappearance. She was found concealed about 20ft inside a hollow log. Tlie animal, it is thought, entered the hz » for /•shfcUss' from the pelting rain. Site was on her knees, the cavity in which she was discovered being only spacious enough ; to permit of her remaining in n lying' down position. In order to extricate the - : beast a large hole was hewn. The cow on being released rushed madly about the: paddock, until "she reached the remainder of the dairy -herd. She had broken off .'' both horns while, confined in the Jog.-, - On. the invitation of the president of the - Clevedon Trout Club and Captain Shaw,; Mr. H. Spratt, chief ranger, recently paid a visit of .inspection to the Wairoa River. The object was.-,; to obtoir expert opinion , upon the procedure necessary to make tin* a first-class fishing river. After a stay 4 two days, Mr. Spratt pronounced hims*' l pleased with the river's capabilities and. suitableness for carrying vast quantities of fish. . sir. Spratt is of opinion that litt™ .■;;. or no harm will happen to the fish through - the late floods. He also expresses tb* opinion that yearling trout should in future be supplied in fairly large numbers. -J ' The value of exports from the Tort of Kaipara for '■■ the quarter ended March 31. 1907, were:—To Victoria, £10,428; t* New South Wales, £10,905 ; to South Australia, £3796; total, £25,129. It all con- ' ; sisted of timber, and totalled 6,383.560 , superficial feet. The export of timber from . Auckland (including Thames) was 2,485,683 superficial feet, valued at £26,657. The. ; § total for the whole colony was 13,424,5y» superficial feet, valued'at £57.050. vw- , in" lite corresponding auarter of IT?" *'■" export was valued at £61.601 Klevja sailing vessels and tluec ni.Mineis, wiia trews numbering 178 men. carried toe M. 1 . ■ ■ ■ ■ * ■ para export. The police cclii contained two v< «*'" last evening, otto charged with, drunK eu \. .:. , tie*?, and the other' With theft.