LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13782, 22 June 1908, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Ax English mail-, via Suez, which left London on May 15, arrived from Sydney by the Mokoia last night. Personal items and other interesting news iVom our London correspondent will ba found elsewhere in this issue. A mail from Canada and the United States also arrived by the Mokoia. The Hon. G. Fowlds, Minister for Education and Public Health, will receive several deputations, at the Government Buildings, Custom-street, this morning, and in the afternoon will open the new Costley Ward, at the hospital. In the evening the Minister will attend the Richmond Cruising Club's social. He leaves for Wellington to-morrow.

The Labour Department has been kept particularly busy during the, la*t few days attending to the requirements of the immigrants who arrived by the Cornwall on Thursday last. The majority of the men. appear to be pleaeed with their prospects, and a number have already secured employment ; in the city, while others have left for the Waikato to undertake agricultural pursuits.

Speaking of yachting in New Zealand to an interviewer shortly after.his return to England (writes our London correspondent), Captain A. A. Dorrien-Smith, D.5.0., who recently spent some time in the Dominion, mentioned that Westcountry people fond of this recreation might be interested to know that probably the most delightful place in the world for yachting was in the Hauraki Gulf. It was studded with islands, and was full of beautiful,, harbours, in which navigation was simple, for the water was deep close in shore, and practically there were no submerged rocks which could not. be clearly seen. Moreover, fog was unknown. The days were warm, without being oppressive, and the nights were always cool. "It is, in fact," be said, " the yachtsman's paradise, and only rivalled ; n beauty by the Inland Sea of Japan."

A vehicular accident occurred at Eden Terrace on Saturday evening, resulting in Mr. Thomas Kilgour, caretaker of th» Avondale racecourse, and his sister-in-law, Mrs. Rhodes, being capsized and slightly injured. The accident occurred through Mr. Kilgour trying to avoid a tramcar and another vehicle coming in the opposite directions. The two vehicles collided, with the result that Mr. Kilgour and Mrs. Rhodes were thrown out. They sustained cuts and bruises about the head and face. The driver of the other vehicle whipped up his horse and drove off without waiting to ascertain the result of the accident.

Although the several local bodies interested in the drainage of Onehunga, inasmuch ae they may be able to connect with a main, scheme at a 'ow expenditure, have appointed delegate* to attend a drainage conference at Onehunga, no meeting has taken place yet. The reason for this is that! each date suggested for the conference ha« been unsuitable for one or more of the delegates appointed, owing to other important arrangements. The Mayor (Mr. John Rowe) had arranged for the conference to meet to-morrow evening, but this would not suit two of the local bodies, End an adjournment for another three weeks has been decided upon. As the question of drainage is of much importance to the borough, the Mayor is most anxious to have the proposal thoroughly discussed, especially now that the work on the new waterworks scheme is well under way.

The Claymore, on the Onehunga-Hdki-anga running, is proving very welcome, and the steamer, in addition to.carrying, a fair amount of cargo, always has a good passenger list, her complement yesterday totalling 19. It is confidently anticipated that an extensive regular passenger txaflje will be forthcoming shortly.

" ■ Notice ;ha* been given ■by ■ Mr. 'J. -•., Macfarlarse "-id", mote at ~tbe next Harbour Board mating that the' time for receiving tender* for electric craftcs 'fee extended for two months, and that the tenders from manufacturer* wit inn the Dominion and Commonwealth he lodged at the offices of the Board instead of »l the offices 'of tin* McArthur Engineering Company", London. He will also move a second resolution, proriding for the calling of alternative tenders (a) for delivery f.o.b. at ma English post.; ,'b) supply and erection complete on the wharf at Auckland.* A third resolution to bo moved by .Mr. Madarlane » to the «4fect that section 1 of the clause in the specifications regarding term*, be amended by adding he words, "In esse of tenderers within the Dominion, the necessity of having previously installed similar crane.* under test shall not apply, but the tenderers shall undertake to erect the crane* to the. satisfaction of the engineers of the Board." " When I look around, and we the many faces of bearded men who came to me as little boys, it makes me think that, the Kami Timber Company is not a bad place t i be. employed in.'.' observed Mr, T. H. White, manager of the local mill of the company, when responding to a presentation made to him by his fellow employee*. on Saturday, prior to his departure to Sydney to take over the managership of the office in that city. He had himself been in the company's employ for nearly 31 year?, and there were many around him whose service*? extended over 25 years. It might surprise, them to know that 50 per cent, of the employee? of the company had been in its service for upwards of 15 year?, which he thought was a record. There will be an official opening ceremony in connection with, the extension of the Costley Wards* Auckland Hospital, this afternoon. The Hon. Geo. Fowlds, Minister for Public Health, has, at the invitation of the Hospital Board, consented to declare the new wards open, and speeches will be delivered by the Ministei and the chairman of the Hoard. Some months ago the Onelmnga Sawmilling CompanyVtscow Reliance was floated off the shore, where she was si landed, south of the Marmkau Heads, and towed to Onehtmga. Since then the Reliance has been lying m the sheltering inlet near the Onehnnga Gasworks, awaiting repairs. The work of making the Reliance seaworthy again has been taken in hand by Messrs. Goitk Bros., and it is expected that the vessel will bo commissioned in about a month's time. The entire tram service was temporarily disorganised in Queen-street on Saturday morning by a peculiar accident. A small fox terrier by some mysterious moans got underneath the guard of a Kingsland car, and was entangled in the undcrgear. The car was promptly stopped, but it took some time to extricate the clog, mid before he was set free there was a long line of wailing cars behind the Kingsland one. When the dog was got out he was uninjured, and frisked delightfully away. Speaking of the Hospitals Conference t » a Dunedin reporter, Mr. J. M... Galloway said he considered that the results of the conference would be of great assistance t»» the Hon. Geo. Fowlds in re-drawing the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill. "I say 're-drawing'," said Mr. Galloway, "because, in my opinion, if, as I believe, the Government is in earnest in its desire to render these institutions more effective at a reduced cost, the provisions of the Bill will require to be recast. At the .outset it was arranged that the delegates slma'd agree among themselves who should record the vote of a board or institution, and that the voting should be recorded on » voting paper. This record is the Minister's guide, because it shows him how the representatives of each institution voted, and enables him to appraise, the value of each vote. For instance, a majority of votes are recorded in favour of the continuance of separate institutions. As separate institutions were largely represented at the conference, the Minister may reasonably infer from tho record the value, of the vote for continuance. The delegates were almost unanimous in the opinion that hospital and charitable matter? should be administered by one board, but a majority considered that the present mode of election should continue. The Government suggestion that the members of the board shall be elected by the persons for the time being entitled to elect members of a local authority will, 1 think, notwithstanding, bo the basis in the now Bill."

On Thursday night, during the passage across Lake Rotorua, a punt laden wit! sulphur, which was being lowed by on# of Mr. Rogers' launches, turned turtle Mr. Rogers was at the time on board tin' punt, bailing out water, and went dowi with the punt. Fortunately, he succeeded in getting from under it, and was then taken on board the launch, suffering from a wetting only. The punt was left where it capsized, and the launch proceeded to Rotorua.

A prospecting party of six men, who have been working in the interests of an Auckland syndicate, ir.centlv returned to Rivertcn from Dusky Sound. Their search for minerals has been rewarded by the discovery of copper, ea.ye the Orepuki Advocate. The find is some distance from where that indomitable prospector, the late James Jhxheity, located his lode in 1877, thus proving the existence of (he mineral over ci wide area. Tho leader of the party, Mr Mackesey, is taking some excellent samples of ore to his principals, which should lead to further'exploitation of the mineral wealth of the West Coaet.

A correspondent, signing herself " A Mother," writes from CoHihgwood, Nelson, to give expression to a grievance which she states is the experience of many mothers when travelling with young children—the difficulty of securing accommodation. "Upon arriving in Nelson one morning at 6.30, 7 ' she writes, " with my four small children, the morning being bitterly cold, we had to trudge about for an hour and a-half before we could obtain lodgings. Neither hotels nor boardinghouses would take us because 'they objected to children.' A friend of mine (a clergyman's wife), on one Occasion in a similar predicament, had finally to take refuge in a third or fourth-rate hotel, after visiting nearly every accommodationhouse in ».he town." The writer of the letter further states that she met with the same difficulty in Wellington and other places, and she asks it" there is any law in force to compel keepers of accommodation houses to take in women with children.

The Tapanui Courier avers that the Government is making a terrible blunder in trying to retain sheep and deer on the same ground. The squatters kill deer whenever they can, ways the Courier, and destroy their feed and cover by burning. A lessee of mountain runs recently applied to the Land Board to clear ground on tin runs. The- 'mountain yields a larger ie venue from deer licences, than the tunholder pays in rent for 'grass, and, tlnr» fore, stalkers are entitled to some consideration. Th. Government, it is con sidered, should proclaim some deer forest reservations as national parks fluo.;,\:.H V the country, una not attempt to n;n $»;'?p and deer on the a&ine ground.