LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13756, 22 May 1908, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Auckland had a fresh excitement yesterday in the form of a general strike of the Tramways Union of Workers, about 250 men ceasing work at noon. On the stroke of the hour a red flag, the prearranged signal, was displayed at a. window of the Palmerston Buildings, and in a remarkably short time there wan an enormous crowd congregating in Lower Queen-street.. Previous experience had taught the crowd what a tramway - strike is like, and .the people rushed to join in the demonstrations; as the motormen and conductors left their ears. Probably it was one of the most orderly strikes of any magnitude in the history of the Dominion, the men leaving their cars and remaining more as spectators than as participators in the demonstrations. Within two hours the crowd had dwindled away, and beyond the fact, that the' car service had ceased, the ordinary traffic of the city was resumed. Interviewed last night, Mr. J. J. Walklato, manager of the company, jaid lie was waiting to see what transpired. The union is standing (irmly, so that it is not possible, to say whether settlement of thy strike will come speedily, or whether there will be a protracted struggle. The outcome of the .strike, of course, was serious inconvenience to the public, those who depend upon the cars for transit to and from the city being obliged to walk, drive, or journey by train, so that the sooner a settlement ie arrived at, and the service resumed, the better the public will be pleased. The company has now not only got a. strike on its hands to deal with, but the City Council is proceeding against it in the Supreme Court tomorrow for £700 damages for failure to supply sufficient ears, and another case i" pending over the power quest ion. It is understood, in this connection, that the company, when the case is called on, will apply for a change of venue, desiring, for reasons to be set out, that the cause should be heard in another centre of the Dominion.

"The past year," said Captain Allen Bell at the Provincial Conference of the Farmers' Union yesterday morning, "has not been a record one for the fanners of the Auckland province. The unfortunate drop in the prices of woo' and flax, the disastrous bush and swamp hies, and the period of drought experienced after the Now Year, eonsideinbly reduced the annual returns of those engaged in these industries. Had the weather conditions proved favourable, the year would undoubtedly have been a record one for dairy farmers, butter having reached an abnormal price in the London market. Owing to the splendid weather experienced during the autumn, the effect's, of the drought have been minimised, fair crops of turnips being obtained where they had given promise of being a failure, whilst the growth of grass during the past two months has been abnormal." Captain Bell struck an optimistic note in hi< ensuing remarks. "As far as can be seen at present." he added, "we may look forward with confidence to the coming year. Indications point to most- of the products of the soil, with the exception of wool and flax, maintaining a fair value. The whole province is progressing to a remarkable degree; but 1 would take this opportunity of again sounding a note of warning against the creation of boom values in our rural lands, which will suiely have a disastrous effect on the bona-fide tanner."

At last night's meeting of the City Council a report of the city electrical engineer, recommending an alteration in the present scale of charges for power, was adopted. The engineer reported that at the present rate of 3d per unit lor the first 50 units per month per kilowatt installed, and 2d for all in excess of this, amount, no consumer was likely to get on to the lower rate, and he did consider the method of charging on the kilowatts installed a good one. The present rate of charge for power in Wellington, he added, was 3d a unit, and he recommended that the charge should be 3d a unit for the first 5000 units a quarter, ami 2d a unit- for anything in excess of this amount. He also recommended a minimum charge of 5s a quarter tot each power service, independently of the lighting.

.-.The attendance rt the Auckland' Society! v of Arts Exhibition ' yesterday'. v»t naturally .ufeatil by the ttunkw»y strike, but the gallery wu* visited by a fair number of arfc patrons dtntinVtii,- day. Since The opening of tit* ' :: -t exhibition the following pictures have been sold »<> private purchasers, sa addition to . those secured for the national collection: — •?.:. "A Problem." by A. .X. O'Keet'e. £5 5-; Avon Head Cot toga." by K. Way mouth, £6 6s: " Early Morning. Quern Charlotte . ~' .Sound.'' by .1. Douglas Perretf. £5 s*;

"The Morning Pipe," by H. H. I'attle, £1 10s; "The Swagger." by She same artist. £1 10s. A quantity of the band-painted china, exhibited by Mi« JFakim has also been sold. It is understood that £10*') wis paid by the trustees of the picture betp»s; fund for W. Wright's " Burning Of die Boyd." and £52 IDs for Charles N. VV.nsley's *' Otira Gorge."

Th- secretary ot the Auckland Provincial Industrial Association (Mr. .1. R. Maekie) hue received a letter bona th« Wellington Association stating hi th« Railway Department hoi) agreed to gi;«nt excursion rates on dune 5 and 6, at the time of the New Zealand industries display in that city and Christchurch. Th» Wellington Industrial Association, and the shopkeepers have combined forces for the purpose of carrying out the project to ~ successful issue. Window bills are being printed, "New Zealand Industries Week: AiT goods in this window guaranteed manufactured iu Now Zealand." Five thousand window cards, worded, "Made in New Zealand," are ah?o being printed. it has been decided to offer two prizes, the first oi two guineas, and the second of one guinea, for the best essays written by children not exceeding 15 years of ago. The cesayi' me. to relate to any manufactured article seen in the .shop windows during industries week, and are to consist of about 500 words. Mr. C. Wilson, Parliamentary iibrarian, has been asked to act aft judge of the papers

Several matters affecting the conduct of the Hallway Department were before yesterday's conference of farmers. It w.i* resolved to approach the Department, and request that when trucks are ordered for flag stations they should be labelled in the name of the person who gives the order and reserved for him. The Department will further be asked to provide "locals" of such a. size and description that titer.' mae be room for the names of all consignees, and to see that all "locals" are tilled up in a legible manner. It was further resolved, "That, in the opinion of this conference, the regular passenger trains should not be delayed on race days or any other occasion, but should be run as far us possible according to the schedule time."

The Finance Committer! recommended to last night's meeting of the City Council "that a remit bo sent to the Municipal Conference that the -Municipal Corpotations Act, 1900, be amended to jvermit of the two immediate ex-Mayors having a seat in the Council until removed in iota I ion by. the expiry of the term of office of the sitting Mayor." Mr. John Court suggested that the matter should be referred back to the commit tee. He, thought that in view of the probability of the early formation of a Greater Auckland the present Mayors of the diiferent boroughs, together with the two immediate ex-Mayors of the city, should be elected the first aldermen. Eventually the matter was referred back to the committee.

Speaking at. Wellington Mr. Allan Hamilton, the well-known theatrical manager, .said the time had arrived when Now Zealand must, get the best theatrical fare it was possible to import, ami the Dominion could no longer be regarded practically a* an Australian dependency. Now Zealand was the first place of call en route from America, and it should be, whenever convenient, the scene of many premier performance*. In support of his views, Mr. Hamilton intends to bring a companj to New Zealand before it appears in Australia-

"The Department has improved tho laying capabilities of the bird* in its charge, by 50 per cent, ill three year*," said Mr. D. D. Hyde, chief of the Poultry Department, to a. HkkaM) representative, yesterday. " We, had » big demand for our stork last season, and a bigger demand for egg* — in fact, our stock of pullets is almost depleted. We keep the best for breeding purposes, but unless" they give us 100 eggs for the first six months they are. east aside. A few years ago birds that laid 100 eggs in a year would have been considered good enough to hold to breed from." Questioned as to what was being done in experimenting with the birds at the Department's farms, Mr. Hyde mentioned that a gwod deal was being attempted in feeding and other directions, and lh*l he was eery hopeful of the results.

Tfie Northern Company's steamer Weka, engaged in the Manukau Harbour trade, is at present laid up tit Onehunga, undergoing alterations and repairs. Among the alterations are the removal of an ungainly corrugated iron awning, which will be replaced with something up-to-date, and tin; construction of a new smoking-room on deck. Since last Monday (lie Muriiai has-been engaged on th« Onehunga-YVaiuku-Manukau Heads running, but will be relieved to-day by til'' Waitangi. The Mnriiai will leave Onehunga this morning' fur Auckland, where she will relieve the Waiotahi on the Mercury Bay running, while the recentlypurchased Rimu will take up the Mnritai's Onehunga-Opunake-Wanganui timetable. A man named -J. S. Miller, employed by the Union Steam Ship Company on one of in* coal hulk?-,, met with a painful accident yesterday morning, his hand being lacerated through being caught in the winch. Ho wan taken to Mr. H. 0. Wile.-' che-iniM ! .-hop, in Lower Queen-street, where temporary treatment was rendered until the arrival of Dr. Clark, who found it necessary to put in several stitches. The injured man was then a bit- to proceed to his holm*. There was a lengthy di«ei«sion at the annual Provincial Conference of the Farmers' Union yesterday, bearing on the fad that mining companies were being allowed to destroy valuable agricultural and pattoral areas by deposits of tailings. "Which is the most value--the gold or the land':" asked one delegare, and a farmer hailing from the Thames Valley, who Lad complained most bitterly .of the devastation caused by the gohl-winneifc, made answer, "The gold will all he done iv a year or j two, but the land ill be there lor ever."

It is estimated by die head »t one of tb«leading mercantile institution- (telegraph* our Gisborne correspondent}., that the effect to this district alone, of the drop in the price of wool meant £200,000.

During the last fortnight 8399 units were generated by the City Council's electrical plant, the machinery being in ufe for 151 hours. Four new customers «'*•■* secured, making the total now 67.

On account of the large amount of advertising matter, mid also to ensure correct, cWitieation, advertisers for Saturday's issue of the Ukkald are requested to s<md in their advertisements us early as possible to-day. i