LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13649, 17 January 1908, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Ox account of the large amount- of advertising matter, and also to ensure correct classification, advertisers for Saturday's issue of the Herald are requested to send in their advertisements as early as possible to-day.

The present summer season is proving a record one in the number of people travelling, and Rotorua continues to attract large numbers of visitors. The result is that accommodation there is taxed, to the utmost, though additional houses arc being erected every season. This time last year few could travel owing to the floods all through the Waikato, but this year is making amends, -yesterday morning the express conveyed aUout 500 passengers from Auckland, about 200 going through to the thermal regions There wore 13 vehicles attached, nine being passenger carriages. The express brought about 275 passengers back to Auckland from l'otorua, and tho other centres along tho .line. There were 12 vehicles attached, eight being passenger cars. Both trams ran promptly to time,

Many handsome lour and five storey buildings have been erected within the inner city area during the past two or three Years, but these sr» now to bp eclipsed by the erection of still higher and more commodious premises. Recently it was an nounced in these columns that it had been decided st.o erect seven and eight storey brick buildings in Wyndhani and Custom Streets respectively, and now comes the information that still another big building is about to be erected. The latter is to assume the form of an eight-storey brick building for Messrs. L. D. Nathan and Co., at the corner of Custom-street and Fort Lane. On the completion of th» structure the firm's" present offices at the corner of Shorthand and High Streeta will be put into the builders' hands and materially altered, and built up at the rear. The plans and specifications for the new building in. Custom-street are at present being drawn up by Mr. J. Currie, architect."

The City Council last night received a letter from the Parneil Borough Council, enclosing a resolution to the effect that in view of recent statements in the Police Court as to a lady being assaulted in the Domain, and Judge Kettle's suggestion that a clearing of scrub and undergrowth was advisable, the City Council should give effect to the magistrate's remarks, and it feasible light the main drive by gas. The city engineer reported that he would endeavour to have the undergrowth cut down as much as was consistent with the preservation of the natural beauties of the Domain. No amount of clearing in such a place* however, would prevent occurrences of the kind referred to. He could not recommend the lighting of the Domain drive at present. Mr. C. J. Parr said that he had received several complaints from residents, who could not. send their children intj the. Domain, even in the day-time, without risk of molestation. Something should be done in the matter. The subject was referred to the Streets Committee.

The Secretary for Agriculture (Mr. J. D. Ritchie) and the Chief Stock Inspector (Mr. E. Clifton) left for Kaipara yesterday afternoon, for the purpose of inspecting the BickcrstalTc Estate, which was recently acquired by the Government for closer settlement, and of which an area of 1506 -acres has been retained for the purposes of an experimental State farm. The latter is at present being got into working order, and it is not yet quite certain what experiments will be carried out, but whatever is decided upon is bound to be of importance to the agricultural community. The other experimental -stations in the province will be visited in turn. On Monday week Mr. Ritchie will meet, the Minister for Lands at Ruakura, and will return with him overland to Wellington. I °

" Tho sly grog-seller is a public nuisance," said Mr. Dyer, S.M., in delivering judgment in a case yesterday. "He not only breaks the law himself, but he demoralises the whole community. Men pay heavy fees for licenses to sell liquor, and they arc bound to comply with the licensing laws, but men like you"—addressing the defendant—"carry on your demoralising trade after the hotels have closed and on Sundays. You are a perfect nuisance and a pest." Later on in the proceedings leniency was asked for in the shape of a fine. " Fines are no good,'' the Bench said emphatically. " The only way to put, this traffic down is imprisonment, for when men are faced with the prospect of going to gaol it is generally effective." The maximum sentences were imposed in each case.

The men recently appointed as dairy inspectors are not to be sent out among the daiiy farmers of the Dominion as educators in cleanliness—the most important subject concerning the manufacture of butter and cheese—until they have received some training specially bearing on their future work. The Hon. R. McN&b, Minister for Agriculture, states that it is intended to select special men to carry out this instructional work, which will include elementary veterinary knowledge, particularly in the direction of the means necessary to be taken to ascertain the presence of disease, and simple sanitary conditions necessary to be adopted for tho production and handling of milk in a condition suited for the manufacture of high-class commercial products. It is intended, he says, to develop these classes of instruction, so that all officers of the Stock Department may have an opportunity of acquiring a knowledge of subjects necessary to them in their special duties. The instruction classes to be t provided for the dairy inspectors will be commenced immediately, so that no time may be lost in initiation of tho scheme of milk inspection the Government has decided on.

At last night's meeting of the City Council Mr. H. M. Smeeton complained of the dust nuisance in Queen-street, and urged that the street be watered more frequently. Mr. G. Knight said it was not only Queen-street, but the whole of the city, that needed the water-carts. This had been one of the worst- years on record for dust, and shopkeepers and warehouse-owners were complaining bitterly of it. Mr. R. Tudehope asked : "Is there any news of the electric sprinkler?" To this the Mayor (Mr. Myers) replied that the reason the sprinkler was not on the road yet was that it was not considered advisable to use fresh water owing to the very hot weather and the fact that the Council's impounding reservoirs were not completed. Mr. W. E. Hutchison said it was a great mistake not to put the sprinkler on. There was no shortage of water. We had the Western Springs. The Mayor said there was no overflow at the Western Springs at present. The water consumption was 2,000,000 gallons per day. The city engineer stated that more watering was being done this year than in previous years. The extra dust was due to the abnormally hot weather and high winds. The water-carts were sent out three or four times a day, but no sooner was the water laid on the roads than it evaporated and was blown away. He hoped shortly to be able to water at any rate the sides of the streets with salt water. " Rats" was the subject of a letter from the district health officer (Dr. Purdy) which was read at last night's meeting of the City Council. He suggested that the property-owners in the vicinity of the wharves should be approached on the question of having their premises made rat-proof, and thai as far as possible this policy be also tried out in Queen-street. He also advised the regular inspection of cellars in Lower Queen-street every three months, and the use of a certain exterminator, which, he said, had been found to be efficient in its work. The matter was sent on to the Streets Committee to deal with. A sum of £5000 is voted annually by Parliament to provide subsidies for public libraries, and applications are now urine; in to the Secretary for Education from all parts of the Dominion. The list will not close until January 27, but about 450 applications have already been received. The allocation is based upon the receipts lor the year from special rates, subscriptions, and donations towards the current expenses of the libraries, but a subsidy will not be given to more than one library in the same town, and tho whole of tho subsidy must bo expended without delay in the purchase of books. The distribution will be jnnde on February 4.

In the course of tlio City Council our.* cussion last night on the city electrical scheme Mr. C. J. Parr took exception to a remark by Mr. Knight that the schenw was likely to be a failure. Mr. Knight, he said, appeared to be in "Darkest Africa" so for as electric light, waft concerned. The Mayor took the view that it wa* not necessary for one councillor to refer to another as being in such a dark place, and accordingly Mr. Parr amended th« statement by saying, " We!!. I will k>,v that his knowledge of the subject, is limited." The Mayor: That i* better. "I may know as much about the matter as Mr ran.." retorted Mr. Knight. A spectacle of marvellous beauty was seen from the Mountain House on Saturday morning about sunrise (says the laranaki Herald). 'Beneath, the country v,.w entirely hidden from view by masses id fleecy white clouds, having in the imperfect light somewhat the appearance of a great sea. stretching eastwards to Kt:apeha. which, with Tongariro and Ngauruhoe, stood tip clear-cut and majestic, (he first-named snow-clad at the top. With the approach of dawn the black and white of the mountains and the clouds give place to lovely tints of orange and pink. .lust as the sun rose behind the forest from the point of view of (lie beholder the fleecy white clouds suddenly took on a beautiful silvery appearance, while the mountain tops became suffused in light of a rose-pink shade. .Neither pen nor artist's brush can adequately describe or depict the extreme loveliness of the scene, which alone repaid one for all the trouble, of reaching the Mountain House. On th* following morning, at Timaru, a remarkable cloudscape was observed. A large I area of sky was covered with a thin cloud, as of a pattern like a lot of long narrow triangles and lozenges fitted together. " Here we are going in for an elaborate town hall," said Mr. C. J. Parr at. l.irl night's meeting of the. City Council, "and yet, although we have a population of 80.000 in a semi-tropical climate, wo cannot boast of decent saltwater baths." He did not, he said, wish to say anything about the town hall, but. he thought the question of saltwater bathing for their children was of even more importance than the erection of that building. At a meeting of the Newton _ School* Committee last evening, at which Mi. C. 11. Sexton presided, the principal business was the selection of a headmaster for the new school at Richmond out of six names which had been submitted by the Board of Education. After going carefully in the matter the committee, decided to recommend the appointment, of Mr. John Campbell, of Newton West school. The name of Mr. 15« H. Paterson, of the Normal school, was the second one selected.

"It is monstroussaid Mr. It. C. Bruce at Palmerstou North 'j" Monday, "that seven irresponsible men could have power to upset a great industry. Ihi« port of tiling has clogged tho wheels of industry, and it only wants more of it to slop them." He was retelling to the " seven shearers of Huntervillo," who are supposed to constitute the Shearer*' Union, or who, at any rate, are the only tangible members of the union so far revealed.

Dr. Find lay, interviewed in Christchnrch, stated that the Maori Lands Commission was doing excellent work. He expected the Commission to finish its labours in about twelve months, which is the time fixed by the Act. The work of the Commission had already been of grc.it benefit, both to Europeans and Maoris. Th« Government would now be able to decide on the area and character of the land that should be taken by Europeans without injustice to the Maoris.

Under the new electoral boundaries, JUo torua is the capital ami ccntrc of the Bay of Plenty electorate, and the clerk of tin* Court, Mr. Bout, is now hand at work on the electoral joll J'ho electorate is most unwieldy to work, as the boundary now runs right down as far as Waerenga-a-Hika and Ormond, both within a few miles of Gisborne. One portion of the electorate is almost inaccessible to the other except by difficult tracks. If the Gisborne IV)torua stock track were opened up properly, it would be of great service in morv ways than oue.

A strange visitor to New Zealand was discovered on the hillside at Livingstone, Canterbury. A bird about the size of a small pigeon and of the procellaria genus —wing weary and evidently considerably exhaustedwas picked up and taken home. The bird, which would be more easily recognised by the term " petrel." has taken quite kindly to its new life, being now in the possession of a resident of Oamaru, and recovering strength swiftly on a fish diet. When it is considered that, although this species of bird is the most strictly oceanic nt sea birds, this particular stranger must have traversed some 6000 odd miles from its natural habitat the Maldive Islands—its presence in New Zealand is sufficiently remarkable to be chronicled. Another curious feature with this bird is that while possessing webbed feet, in captivity it has acquired the habit of clambering up wire-netting with the facility and manner of a parrot.

Detectives ITollis and Shine arrested a man named Robert Mnrsdeu, of Onehunga, yesterday morning on charges of' theft and forgery, the amount involve*? being £7 14s. The complainant is S. W House, of Mangere.

At a meeting of the Swedish residents of Auckland last evening it was decided to hold a picnic at St. Heliers Bay on the 29th inst. Count Morner, the Swedish Consul-General for Australasia, will be present and will deliver an address.

Some weeks ago complaints were made to the City Council alleging partiality on the part of one of its officials in the discharge of his duty. The Finance Committee, to whom the matter was referred, reported last night that the charges had not been substantiated.

The Finance Committee of the City Council recommended to last night's meeting of that body that the complaints of fruiterers as to competition from hawkers should be brought under the notice of ~th» Government, with the request for the provision of a remedy by an amendment of the law. The recommendation was adopted.

The quantity of butter manufactured at the Pukekohe Central Factory for December (writes our correspondent) totalled 122j tons. It is worthy of note that this output exceeded the total for the whole season of 1900. This shows th* rapid progress that the dairying industry has made of late years in this prosperous district.. The milk supply is falling rapidly now, though feed is plentiful.

The Kanaka and To. Ami Estate?, both within a few* miles of Gisbornc. ami comprising about 20,000 acres, will be thrown open in February next. I lit' large ustal« known as Tauiari, situated beyond Cambridge, and comprising some 8000 Acres, will also be open lor settlement at- an early date. • The survey* ot this estate will probably be put in the hands of private sot* veyora.