LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13494, 22 May 1907, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The Land Purchase Board for the Auckland district, consisting of Messrs. D. Barron (chairman), J. Mackenzie (Commissioner for Crown Lands), and -Robert Hall, > has, during the past 10 days, been examining estates in Auckland land district with a view to purchase for settlement purposes. The estates inspected were in the '■ Waikato, Whangarei, Upper Mangakahia (Northern Wairoa), and Dargaville districts. ■ During the past two days the Board has been sitting in Auckland, and Mr. Barron left for the South yesterday. So far nothing of the proceedings, or as to whether any recommendation is to be made has been allowed to transpire. The Auckland Land Board has been preparing several areas for settlement, and it is understood that, within the next six weeks or so, amongst other lands being opened, will be a block of 30,000 acres at Opotiki, and the famous Waimana Block of 5000 acres, near Whakatahe. '.; These lia,ve been surveyed and subdivided, and the'conditions are now being printed. ; The Church Mission block, near /Pe Awamutu, will be opened in small lots to extend the township, and various other areas in Auckland are being got ready for opening. \

The first Auckland Winter Show will be formally opened by the Minister for Lands at half-past two this afternoon in the Drill Hall. Arrangements were well forward last night, an army of men working up to a late hour to have everything in readiness. At the opening' ceremony speeches will. be delivered by. the-president of the Agricultural Association (Mr. John Massey) and the Mayor (Mfc, A. M. Myers). The interior of the buildings yesterday presented a very fine sight, and it was evident that the show had resolved itself into a provincial exhibition of great interest to town and country-people alike, as both city and rural industries are represented on a most comprehensive scale. Such attractions as the district courts, the Maori Arts and Crafts section, Agricultural Department's court, and Industrial Association's exhibition are also of interest to all. A bandstand has been erected in the centre of the hall, and there will be promenade concerts to-night, to-morrow, '•, and Friday and Saturday evenings. Further contingents of visitors arrived in the city yes-, terday, and large numbers are expected to arrive by train and steamer to-day.

A public meeting will be held to-night at Tarry's Bay View Hall, Northcote, under the auspices of. the National League, for the purpose of organising a Northcote and Birkenhead branch. Mr. Cadness will preside and addresses on the defence movement will be delivered by Mr. Poole, M.H.R., and other speakers., A special musical programme has been"arranged by Mr." Horace Stabbing,

An important agricultural eocene* i ' connection with the Winter Show wilt '2"' opened in one of the won,, in the &?« Hall at half-past ten a.m. to-morrow V, Caddie, Chief Dairy Commissioner, win'j ' ' ' liver an address on " Cow-Testing' Assad*. tions," and discussion on various lus'ttt connected with the dairy industry wilt 7«k.' place. At two o'clock Mr. Keafc*. M.R.C.V.S., will .peak on contagious $' eases affecting dairy stock. At half-pjA ten on Friday Mr. Boucher ((Jovcnij. nomologist) and Mr. Jacques {expert V fruit canning and preserving) will sneak on matters of interest to orchardisij. % the afternoon Mr. Johnson, flax grader at 5 Auckland, will meet those interested intha fibre industry, and Mr. Hyde, poultry «*. pert, will speak to poultry fanners" f) h ' Saturday morning Mr. Jackson. agricat v tural instructor, will deliver an address on "Promotion of Agricultural Education." To-morrow evening the Provincial Dairymen's Association will hold its annua] ' meeting at the Federal Club Rooms, Wei-lesley-street, and on Friday evening tie, Agricultural and Pastoral Association will tender a smoke social to the show judge* at the Federal Hall. ' *' Dr. Mason, the chief health officer, amV ' • j ed in Auckland yesterday in connection witfc I the two suspicious deaths which occurred I*4 .'■- j week, and which are now stated, as the re- - I suit of bacteriological teste, to have been ' due to plague. "These cases," said tli» • doctor to a Herald representative lag. night, "appear to be merely isolated in'. stances, and there is no cause for ahum There is also no likelihood that our coinmuuication with the outside world will be ir. terfered with." He also stated that the De- ip' partment had forwarded a number of i* . j quisitions to the City Council, among which ' was one urging that, all property-owners tin Queen-street should be compelled to replay the present wooden floors in their cellars with concrete. He considered that tie methods at present being adopted by the City Council for the cleaning up of the city, were admirable. The Minister for Lands and Agriculture (the Hon, R. McNab) will arrive in Anck- ) land this morning in order to officially open the first Winter Show at the Drill Hall ■it . half-past two this afternoon. It was Mr. J McNab's intention to deliver an address u the opening of the Agricultural Conference to-morrow, and to then visit the Stat* farms, but he finds it is not possible to carry-out this programme, and has sent the * following telegram:—" Owing to the illness of. the Acting-Premier and consequent pressure of work, my visit to Auckland lias to be confined to Wednesday. lam arriving by the morning steamer and returning ; ,", the' same afternoon after opening th* show. Upon his arrival Mr. McNab is to ' be waited upon by a deputation from the National League and the Auckland Headmasters* Association, with a request for Government assistance in the establishment Of rifle range*.. ■ ..'.

At the request of some of his constitu. ,-exits! Mr.-. Massey, M.H.R., called the at* tention of the Minister for Customs to tun fact that Australian chaff was being ins* ported as "fodder," and on that account "• j paying less duty than would foe payable' lis ' chaff. Mr. M'assey has received the following reply: —" I have to inform you that the importation of fodder to which you refer was fully gone into. The last shipments landed at Greymouth and Kaipara were found not to be fodder but chaff, and have been held pending the payment of duty collectable as chaff. Instructions have - been given and all importations of similar character have to be thoroughly examined, I .before being , permitted . in*„,««. animals.'" r --. -i ' ■ 8 In a letter to the town clerk, Mr. P. A,' Vailo asked: Was professional advice, sought as to the, suitability or otherwise of: the various sites proposed for the projectj ed Town Hall before such sites were sub- - emitted to the decision of the ratepayers. To this the town clerk has replied that by the Auckland Reserves Exchange and ■ Change of Trust Act, 1881, section 6, the ';-.'■ Council was empowered to erect a Town Hall on the reserve (allotment 57, of section 29) at-the corner of Grey and Queen Streets; that in 1885 the Council purchased two adjoining portions of section ■ 29, to enlarge the site; that in 1901 a pro- J posal was put before the ratepayers to purchase Philson's block for Town Hall I purposes, but was rejected, the ; opinion' j, expressed" at vfehe public meeting held toj consider the proposal being strongly us favour of the Queen and Grey Streets site; I and that the ratepayers by* a poll taken j on May :■ 9, ;< 1906, endorsed the Council'* 1 proposal to build the Town Hall on lh« Queen ? and Grey Streets site. A second question was: In the Mayor's forecast of - the year's expenditure no special mention is made of any allocation for the radical improvement of roads and streets. The city engineer has, I understand, intimated that to bring our streets into thorough order and repair, the sum. of £120,000 is required. What amount, if any, will be -specially devoted to improving th* ..■■• streets?' In reply Mr. Wilson states thatthe;-' Mayor has made no forecast of thsyear's expenditure, but - in his installation address made special mention of the Coun<. - cil's intention to reconstruct and improve - the city streets work which has been carried on steadily during the past two; ■ years, and will be continued year by year... The following estimates have been framed; { ■ and will be submitted to a meeting of tba. Streets Committee:—Lighting, £2000 ;-| g| streets maintenance, £24,000; streets; works authorised i and in progress. £11,376; contemplated expenditure on new works,?* £4624. Total, £42,000. These were, ofcourse, subject to amendment by the Coun-" cil. : . - Probate was yesterday granted by the I Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) in the fol- / jj | lowing matters:—Harry Sims Hardley, i storekeeper, Lite of Hamilton (Mr. Clayton), Charles Henry Huxtable, gentleman, - late of Auckland (Mr. C. J. Parr); Ed- -■-; ward Louis Smith, boardiiighouse-kcepcr, late of Te Puke (Mr. Buddie) Malcolm • McCallum, settler, late of ■ Tauranga (Mr. Buddie); Francis Humphreys Heigh waj, , gentleman, late of Mount Eden (Mr. Buddie); William Cuthbert, settler, late of Auckland (Mr. McGregor); John Birdsall, , late of Whangateau, farmer (Mr. Stewart); and John Clouston, late of Waiuku, medical practitioner (Mr. Jackson). Administration was also granted in the estates of Eliza- Jane Spencer, late of Ho wick, widow (Mr. Gittos); Hannah Maria Parker, late of New Lynn, married woman (Mr. Nicholson); John Tiller, late of Takapuna, settler (Mr. Bailey); Edward Claude Stephenson, late of Auckland, warehouseman (Mr. McGregor); Herbert . Edward Woods, late,of Ohaeawai, saddler ' ' (Mr. Prendergast); and Robert Digby ' Morton, late of Katikati, creamery manager (Mr. Buddie). The criminal, sittings of the Auckland tj Supreme Court will commence on Monday, before Mr. Justice Denniston. His Honor . ;■;; is expected to arrive in Auckland ■•on;lv|:"|| Thursday, from Gisborne. '* ~< . . ■ - On Monday afternoon three small boys at - Onehunga were practising with a pea-rin?> with the result that first an elderly max, and theu an old lady, narrowly escaped mjury, several pellets* passing close to their heads. It is probable that a police \n-osicii- * tion will follow. • ' '_ ':■■■•-■■•' > '3 . j 111

' " The Auckland Weekly News, publishI 1 : *' >*A to-dav, contains a large number of :n ; westing and high-class illustrations. Pro-. , Lent' among them may. be .ment.oned; a ,rkablr fine double-page of pictures v.: g!wt?d from■' the"Weekly News »% I" The Auckland Weekly which publish- , , t. O -daY, contains a large number of interesting and high-class illustrations. ProLent among them may be mentioned a remarkably fine donble-page of pictures Elected from the Weekly News ninth hotograpbic competition, which has just closed. Among the numerous current ! rents will he found pictures of the Takapuna Jockey Club's Winter Meeting, Pakuranga Hunt Club's meet, big fire at Hastings, visit of-the Australasian squadron, new Grimsby trawler Nora Niven, a New Zealander at the Court of Spain, and fef'"a striking view of the shipping at Newll@ castle (New South Wales). The miscel- : laneous illustrations are exceedingly varied, and noticeable amongst them are views of \ " Palmerston North's new drainage works, Me towns of Gore and Ashburton, a group Iffeof the Auckland pipe band, big game f". •' hunting in Africa, a group taken at i' the Fanners' Union Conference, and a large • i ; number of scenic and industrial views. The Papakura, teachers, under the direction of the agricultural instructor, paid a visit to Wairangi experimental station for the • purposes of seeing practical pruning and tree '" ' culture. The expert horticulturist, Mr. Barrett, treated a tree that was being ruined by woolly- aphis, by covering it with a tent and applying hydrocyanic gas. Myriads - J-'r of aphides were found to be dead in the . course of half-an-hour. The pruning and core of grape vines was also demonstrated. ' A ramble over the farm followed. Hundreds of,acres are systematically laid out with most promising fruit trees, and the budding and grafting plots are examples of success- '• . • ful management. The teachers were shown the educational^and scientific experiments ' with manures, grasses, etc., ready for the .< Is-.Winter Show, and agreed on the great educative value of a visit to the farm. *' Several properties have changed hands in * the vicinity of Te Aroha recently. Mr. i James Walker, who recently purchased Mr. T. McGloin's homestead block at Waitoa, has imported 100 pure-bred Lincoln ewes, " bred by Mr. F. Wilson, of Waverley. He > also 'brought up a number of pure-bred rams, ' bred by Mr. Wyburn, the largest Taranaki breeder of Lincoln sheep. The progeny of these animals will be at the disposal of Wai- ' • katci settlers next year. Similar rams have ' been sold by Mr. Wyburn for the Argentine, at'lOO guineas each. jtfr. W. H. Smith, of Hastings, has notified Mr. T. E. Donne (of the Tourist DepartI® ment) that the family of Japanese deer re- - leased on the Taliarua station has again been increased by two. The herd now comprises the original buck and three does, two /Syoung bucks and two fawns. The animals spend most of their tigie in the bush, but ! -;come into the open occasionally, and it is • ■ then noticeable that they are in good condition. The parents of the family were a - sift to New Zealand from the Duke of Bedford. ' '• " ■■, For the position of caretaker at Dunedin Athenaeum, at a salary of £2 a week, some I 50. applications had been received up to yesterday (wires our Dunedin correspondent). About . two years ago, when the same posi- . tion m advertised, abou# 150 applications were sent m. --\ \