LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13723, 13 April 1908, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The p.s. Jfokoia, which arrived from the South .yesterday, had a very large number of passengers on board, 174 in the saloon and 100 in the second class. She present-

Ed a fine sight as she approached the wharf, all the passengers being assembled along one side. Included in the number were about 70 immigrants from Home, who transferred from the steamer Tongariro, in Wellington, leaving arrived there last Thursday. Tradesmen «re

mostly represented, but there are also ft few iarin hands. They are said to be of a good class.

For some tiro* past Chines©, have been leaving Australia bv almost every boat, and the majority *of them have landed in the Dominion. By the Manuka, which arrived yesterday, 13 natives of the Flowery I.and arrived, but only one, on this occasion, intends remaining in the Dominion, and adding £100 to the revenue. lie others intend proceeding to Tahiti by the Manapouri to-morrow.

The supply of fruit for the local market, which was rather depleted until the arrival of the Manapouri from the Islands on Friday, was further augmented yesterday, when the steamer Manuka brought 600 cases of fruit- from Sydney.

The cable steamer Iris, which has been lying in stream for some time past, left for Brisbane yesterday forenoon, under special instructions. It- is understrod that some defect in the cable between Brisbane and Norfolk Island has been reported.

An exciting incident occurred yesterday morning, when the fire brigade were hurrying to 4 a fire in Shortland-street. Two tiremen were seated on the hose reel, which was coming down Queen-street at a great pise, and when turning into Fort-street, the vehicle capsized, the two occupants being thrown heavily on to the road. Luckily they escaped with minor injuries.

When ihe steamer Mokoia arrived at Napier, on Friday, a heavy gale was raging in the harbour, which made it impossible for the vessel to work at the Glasgow Wharf. Two attempts were made to tie the steamer to the wharf, but twice Iter moorings broke. She ultimately had to bo anchored in the stream and tendered by the lighters. This necessitated a great amount of delay, and it was after three o'clock on Saturday morning before the Mokoia was able to resume her northward journey. The steamer arrived at Gisborne at 11 o'clock on Saturday, and her passengers of whom there was a large number, were landed at one o'clock.

Yesterday being fine, large numbers of people took advantage of the fact in the afternoon, and visited the Albert Park to hear the massed bands. The city's breathing area presented a very gay appearance, about 3000 people being present. A collection in aid of the Auckland Garrison Band, which amounted to a considerable sum, was taken at the gates. The Onehunga Municipal Band, under Bandmaster Howe, made its debut in the city. The following was the programme: — Massed march, "Quartet Column," (by 180 bandsmen); selection, " Songs of Other Days,," (Ist A.M.It. Band) ; selection, "Gems of Song" (City Band); operatic selection. " Maritana" (First Battalion Band); fantasia, "Rosy Morn" (Onehunga Municipal Band); selection, "Massanello" (Newton Brass Band); descriptive selection, " Smithy in the Woods" (Garrison Band); contest massed march, "Rylander" (massed bands).

The whole of the members of the Northcote Borough Council made an inspection tour of the borough on Saturday afternoon. The party were driven from the wharf, and paid special attention to wo>ks required on the roads and side paths in the upper portion of the borough, while the water supply works and reservoir were also inspected. The footpaths of the southern portion of the district are to be the subject of another special visit by the Council shortly. The next meeting of the Council takes place to-morrow evening, when the matter of rating, the appointment of a foreman of works, and annual contracts will come tip for consideration.

The Northern Company's steamer Raravra did not get away from Onehunga until four p.m. yesterday, having been delayed" in order to ship the Southern portion of the Brindisi and Australian mail. -This amounted to 217 packages and hampers, in addition to a local mail of 12 packages and hampers.

At. the meeting of the Hamilton Borough Council on Friday the following tenders were received for the. erection of the, traffic bridge:—No. 1 contract, the complete work: (>. M. Fraser, £20,311 13s lOd ; Massev Bros.. £21,134. No. 2, supply of steel: W., T. Johnston, Wellington, £7862 ss; Massev Bros., £11,870 (landed at Hamilton). The tender of the American Bridge Company was not in order, and was not considered. No. 3, concrete, earthwork. and erection: G. M. Fraser, £9456; James A. Moonev, Auckland, £9260; Massey Bros., £1*0,533 ss; W. T. Johnston, £10.018 10s. It was decided to submit the tenders to Mr. Fulton for his report.

The fourth day's sitting of the Onehunga Assessment Court will bp held at the Courthouse, Onehunga, this morning, when Mr. H. W. Norfhcroft will preside. It is expected that on this occasion the last of the lengthy list of objections will be disposed of.

An elderly man named Roger Upton met with an accident in Hobson-streec on Saturday evening. He was riding a horse past the corner of Wellington-street, when the animal took fright and bolted colliding with a verandah post. Upton was thrown to the ground and sustained various cuts and abrasions. He was taken into Mr. Escles' chemist's shop, where his injuries were attended to.

During the voyage of the steamer Manuka from Sydney, a concert of exceptional excellence was hold. The sum of £5 was collected in aid of the Shipwreck Relief Society.

Accompanying postal notes for lis, received by the Victorian Railway Commissioners, was the following anonymous let"Many years ago the Railway Department conveyed one of my children from C'ailtein to Seymour, and by a trick wait not paid for so doing. Having altered mv views on the matter, I beg to enclose liii as payment, believing that ' owe no man anything' should include the Railway Department. ' Render unto Caesar the thmgn that are Caesar's.'"

One effect of the ciowr settlement of North Ota go (savs the oama.ru Mail), ha# been the great multiplicity of the number of sheep brands and ear-marks. Ar regards* the former, they can be "easily arranged for; but the Government registrar of brands must be sorely put to now to find fresh earmarks with which to enable the law to Ikcomplied with. Years ago, when the whole of the sheep in the district were owned h>20 or 30 settlers, there was no difficult v whatever, but it is very different now when 1200 ear-marks have already been registered. When it is remembered that after all the ear of a sheep is very small the ditfi cidty will bo appreciated. * lit five years tha number of ear-marks has been almost doubled,

On Friday night, savs out V*mrm cx,rr»+ " pendent, at about 7.30, th« fire alarm b?ll sounded,'. On investigation it wm Unni that a monkey belong*. g to a trweßifi-, '5 , show was the cause of the alarm. 'fh* , % animal had climbed the foil tower, *a 4 J§ was plaving with the tongue of the bell ,*-^5 P«cttniM% speaking,' the oyster ***{« T* - makes a wat little addition to th» i ircuki. jug medium of the plaf® (states a Blag cor respondent). Settling Hp thy tome* m* % month. Th* second settling day of the |§|tt son came round the end of l«« week. j r . rough numbew thi< month's "take" \* down at 5500 sacks Allowing 80 dcvis to the w . the market value of tiw»*e is, §> £1500, Roughly put. its distribution is 4W . follows: —One-third to the dredger#, one- ; : : third to the boat, and the remaining thirl' to the company. Ten or 12 boats, the majority of which are cutlers, hare been en. gaged in the work, and they are rrmrnvd by>f3gjt 58 dredgers, a**i*ted by 12 wharfinger*, ft is stated that 20s per working day i« nrct-.'-'-'iS far off the average pay. An interesting announcement wis m.td« by Mr. (in!lick (New South Wales Govern* K-! ment printer), at the annual picnic of the ' Government printing oftice. at Cabarita. R* stated that a few of them in the £)ep_-t~ •..; ment hud, behind the scenes, practically achieved natural coloured photography. and he was only waiting for apparatus to arrive ' from the Old Country in order to put lha work before the general public on a large "yi seal* 1 . For five yearn he had been closer "plugging away " at the new art. for the past three years particularly so, and he olid the officers of the Department associated with him had produced results which would awaken sentiments of pride, pleasure, arid interest in the people of the State of New South Wales. (Applause.) There was absolutely no risk about it now. lie had sent a member of his staff t< Mount Koji- -4 ciuskc., who had brought back 50 exquisite pictures, showing the colours of Nature absolutely as they wen.:. When the public vmk the photographs it would In" rtaliM-d what a great result hail been achieved on lines which were scarcely known in the world sjs yet, although they had been introduced in ii Germany. (Applause.) Few had attempted the work outside' the technical schools of ]|j Berlin. He wanted the Government to un- ■.understand that its printing ofiieo couid follow in the steps of the highest trained experts . that could be brought forward. (Applause,} v In duo course lie would ask the members of the Ministry to attend .aid see what had been gained, and what cuild Iw done with the new art in the future. (Applause.) ;