LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13834, 21 August 1908, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Since he fund promoted on the suggestion of a correspondent signing himself " Justitia." for a presentation to Messrs. Reuss and Spry, the two tramway employees who refused to go ova* on strike with '■'•- rest on May 31, was closeo. several additional amounts have been received, which brought the total up to £118 12s. Thir sum was paid over to Messrs. Reuss and Spry by Mr. C. Grosvenor, secretary of the Employers' Association, yesterday, and the recipients conveyed to Mr. Grosvenor their grateful thanks to the subscribers whe had so liberally recognised the spirit of devotion to duty which had actuated them in refusing to strike. The proceedings at the Supreme Court this week have been notable for the number of acquittals which havs taken place. On Monday and Tuesday verdicts of not guilty were returned in three separate cases, while on Wednesday and Thursday in three further cases it was not considered necessary to will on the defence, and the prisoners were forthwith discharged. The " acquittal procession," however, was interrupted yesterday afternoon, when a young man named John Ross was tried on a charge of theft from the person, and being found guilty was sentenced to 18 months' hard labour.

Although Fleet Week is over, there still remains much to be done in the way of squaring oft' accounts and attending to the hundred and one details that always need adjustment after any big organisation. Consequently the secretary ot the Fleet Executive (Mr. H. G. Palethorpe), the Government Fleet Commissioners (Messrs. Hamer and Donne) and their respective staffs, are still " going strong," and do not expect to finish the last of the fleet celebration business till next week. Both offices are just as busy now as they were the week before the fleet's arriva', and the heads are immersed from morning till night in vast piles of correspondence, bills, accounts, and other documents.' The Fleet Executive will need to have several more meeting? before their share of the work is finally done with, and probably there will be one final meeting of the whole of the General Committee.

The City Sinking Fund Commissioners are notifying mortgagors that the rate of interest is going to be raised, owing to the higher price of money. Consequently notices have been received by all bodies holding mortgages from the Commissioners that they will henceforth have to pay 5 per cent, instead of 4£ per cent., the increase taking effect from next quarter-day.

The losses occasioned to importers through pillaging of cargo were referred to by Messrs. Ellis and Co. in a letter to the Chamber of Commerce read at yesterday's meeting. The firm complained of persistent petty pillaging •of goods arriving from oversea, and as a remedy suggested that subscriptions should be invited from importers in Auckland and a fund established, so that a reward of up to £25 might be offered for information leading to the conviction of the pilferers. The writers offered to start the fund with £2 2s. Mr. J. B. Maefarlane, the Chamber's representative on the Harbour Board, said that when the* new wharves were finished there would be a full body of police on duty, and the Waterside Workers and Wharf Labourers' Union were taking the matter up. The wharves, when finished, would be properly controlled. The Courts were also showing an inclination to deal out exemplary sentences. It was decided tc reply that the Chamber understood the Harbour Board and the Justice Department were taking special steps in connection with the matter, and the question of a fund might be left in abeyance in the meantime.

The "new tourists' guide book, issued by the New Zealand Government Tourist Department, is now in preparation, and will be ready for the coming summer season. At least 15,000 copies of the work will be printed, and they will be distributed among ail the New Zealand tourist agencies throughout the world. The guide will contain the itineraries of all the tourist trips in the Dominion, the distances between places and how traversed, information about the shooting and fishing season, etc. The preparation of the work, which is well got up and profusely illustrated, entails a good deal of extra labour on the officers of the Department, as it has to be brought thoroughly up to date.

In a letter received by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce yesterday the Post-master-General acknowledged receipt of Chamber's memorandum on the subject of mail communication between the Dominion and the United Kingdom, and stated, in reply, that negotiations were "still proceeding. Mr. Graves Aickin remarked that the mails were a very long time under consideration. Mr A. B. Roberton complained of the delay owing to the s.s. Moana being told off to search for the s.s. Havrea, and suggested that the Government should be asked to ascertain why the mails were sent by the Moana instead of the Ma.rere, but after further discussion, the meeting decided to leave the mattei till the result of the Government negotiations was made known.

John Sedman, a man of about 32 years of age, was charged at the Police Court yesterday with having deserted from the United States hospital ship Relief. Sergeant Hendry asked for a remand until Tuesday next, stating that the American Consul-General had given the police instructions to arrest the defendant. When Sedman was arrested he was wearing plain clothes, having discarded his uniform. Defendant denied having deserted the Relief. He was paid off, he bade those on board " farewell,'' and was sen* ashore in a launch. The remand was granted.

The secretary of the ■Takapuna Tramways and Ferry Company, Ltd. (Mr. H. Gilfillan, jun.), has received a telegram from the Under-Secretary of Public Works, stating that the Order-in-Council for the tramways construction had been signed by the Governor. As the plans and specifications connected with this work are already prepared its active prosecution will be shortly undertaken..

The steamer service between Onehuitga and Wanganui was the subject «f ? letter received by the Chamber of Commerce yesterday- from Messrs. Ellen Bros., of Hunterviile, who wrote to say that Auckland firms were now canvassing for orders in that district, hut until there was a more reliable sen-ice between Onehunga and Wanganui Auckland would be heavily handicapped. The delay and uncertainty prevented goods from being ordered from Auckland. For instance, the writer." had a shipping note of some sugar, dated August 13, but up till August 18 there was no sign of the sugar. In consequence of such delays the people of Huntervilie district had to go to Wellington for supplies The Chamber decided to request its Shipping Committee to furnish a report on the matter.

The Auckland Art, Gallery was largely patronised during Fleet Week by the sailors of the American fleet and other visitors. A total of 6524 people visited the institution during the period mentioned.

The poultry season is beginning very favourably, and the record of last year, when some two millions and a-half eggs were graded at the Government depot at Auckland, will, it is most probable, be exceeded dining 1903. It will He October, however, before the industry will be at its height. Up to the present there has been a good increase in the number of eggs coming forward for each month, with the exception of July, and already last year's figures have been exceeded by 24,000 in eggs, while poultry show a corresponding advance. The egg season i* inclined to be a little later than last year. During Fleet Week the supply was quite equal to the demand, and though the price advanced slightly there was no shortage. The New Zealand poultry exhibit at the FrancoBritish Exhibition, which secured firet honours, was prepared at the Chrietchtirch depot.

Telegraphic communication was interrupted at 9.40 a.m. yesterday, the cause being the collapse of three poles one mile and a-half north of Hamilton. It was 12.20 p.m. before communication was restored, and by that time there was a considerable block of work at both ends. By two p.m. the arrears were well in hand, and at three p.m. the staff was working under ordinary conditions. Intimation has been received by the Collector of Customs that the black buoy, reported on August 7 as missing from the Middle Bank. Poverty Bay, ha? been replaced. The buoy was torn from its moorings during a high gale- and heavy sea about August 5 or 6, and it was subsequently discovered on the neighbouring beach.

Apart from a pronounced artistic success, the Auckland Society of Arts achieved a financial' success from its recent annual exhibition that should do much to encourage local artists. From the sale of pictures exhibited a sum of £540 15s was received, as compared with £375 14s last year. It should not be forgotten that by far the larger proportion of the pictures sold are small-priced works, suitable fo. drawingrooms, ranging from £2 2s to £7 7s, so the sum mentioned, after allowing for several large pictures secured for the Auckland Gallery, under the picture purchase fund, represents a very fair outside patronage of art.

A paragraph which appeared in the Herald of yesterday, to the effect that the opossums in the Fordell district are playing havoc in the orchards there, affords an example of the force of environment which would have been studied with interest by Darwin. There are about 13 species of Australian phalangers, or opossums, as they are commonly called, but the one referred to is probably the common ringtailed opossum, one of the smallest of the tribe, which was introduced into New Zealand about 25 years ago. In its native land, the ringtail feeds exclusively on the leaves of the peppermint tree, one of the eucalypts, and has never been known to interfere with orchards. If the statement is true that he has taken to this kind of food in New Zealand, the choice has been forced on him by the absence of his natural food, for the peppermint tree has not been acclimatised here to anything like the extent that the white gum. another eucalypt,has. If circumstance has compelled this graceful little creature to change one of his habits so completely, it would be interesting to know whether he has followed suit in other respects instance, has he lost his nest-building instinct? It is not stated if the ringtail is destroying the fruit or the foliage of the fruit ees but it is probably the latter. Some resident in the Fordell district with a turn for natural history might investigate the subject furtherit is certainly wtrth investigation.

John Purcell, contractor, Auckland, has been adjudged bankrupt on the petition of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company. The first meeting of creditors will be held on the 27th inst.

Although the sheep tax was abolished last session it by no means follows that owners of sheep are relieved of the duty of filling in their sheep returns for the Department of Agriculture. A wrong impression is abroad that the abolition of the tax has done away with the necessity for the return, but such is not the case, and failure to comply with the regulations will bring about a. prosecution in due course.

The Agricultural Department has received a communication from Herr Seegner, l German Consul, stilting that lie has been informed try the German Government at Samoa that on July 2 a shipment of fowls arrived there by the Atua, suffering from an infectious disease. A number of the birds died on the way, and the rest upon arrival. In consequence, the importation of poultry from New Zealand, Fiji, and Tonga is forbidden until further orders. The Department is not aware of any unusual disease existing in- the Dominion among fowls.

The Taranaki Fanners' Union has made the important discovery that there is a chipping ring controlling the overseas trade between Great Britain and Ne - v Zealand, and that German goods are being introduced via London, at lower freight charges than were imposed on British goods, the shipping market being controlled on the rebate system. The union has communicated the- information to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, and asked for suggestions as to how to deal with the matter The Chamber, being composed of simple merchants and importers, probably doesn't know much about the movements in the world's trading affairs, but it has seme idea that a Shipping Rings Commission is sitting at Home in connection with these matters, and a letter will be sent to the Taranaki Fanners' Union mildly suggesting, indirectly, that the discovery should be communicated to the aforesaid Commission.

The Railway League deputation, which is to wait on the Minister for Public Works relative to the pushing on of the North of Auckland line and the East Coast railway, will leave for Wellington at the and of next week. The secretary to the Auckland Railway League (Mr. R. R. Hunt) has received intimation from the Minister fixing the interview for Monday, August 31.

A suggestion was made, « * Itettee rewived by the Auckland Chambe. of Commerce yesterday from the Wellington Chamber, that, a conference of chamber* of commerce of the Dominion might be 1»W to confer "« matters baring «p important bearing, directly or indirectly, on trade and commerce. Prominent amongst these »** the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. On the motion of Mr. J. B. Macfarline '- was decided to support the proposal for a conference and to send delegates if possible.

The statement roadie by the Rev. H. F. ; L. Palmer, of Sydney, As to Auckland be- j ing treated to a " Bacchanalian orgy" daring Flee* Week has aroused strong expires- j fions. of dissent from several member* of i Parliament who were in Auckland during the fleet festivities {telegraphs our special correspondent). • Mr. Baume, who ha* taken the trouble to ascertain the views of a large numbei of member* on the subject "states that the consensus of opinion is that the -marks of Mr Palmer were quite uncalled for. and that the general behaviour of the visitor*. a« well m °* the Auckland people themselves, during Fleet Week was most creditable. Br. Chappie, a. member of the no-license party in the House, speaking to the Hkbald representative, said that he- was surprised, not to sav indignant, that a statement so much at* variance with facts (should have been made bv Mr. Palmer. "As one who observed the conduct of the American officers and men with a critical eye" he said. " I may say that their conduct throughout their stay in Auckland was most exemplary. I saw absolutely no intemperance amongst the officers, and practically none amongst the men. I was also very gratified to notice that the proverbial respect shown by Americans to women was exemplified in the conduct of the American sailor*." Mr. Laurenson also expressed the greatest astonishment at the statement. Taking the whole of the circumstance* into consideraI tion, he considered the small extent of ! drunkenness to be seen was phenomenal.

Although New Zealand will not send a delegate to the international congress on tuberculosis, to be held at Washington, from September 1 to October 12, it is not intended to allow such an important congress to go by without there being some representation from the Dominion. The matron of Te Waikato Sanatorium (Miss Rochfort) is interesting herself in the matter, and intends forwarding; to the congress, through the Public Health Department, a well-written pamphlet, prepared by herself, dealing fully with Te Waikato Sanatorium; also a series of special views of the institution and its surroundings. In addition to this, there has been constructed in the workshop of the Sanatorium, a neat model of a shelter at the Sanatorium, which, together with a model of a tent used in the open-air treatment, will be forwarded to the congress.

The Northern Company's steamer Waitangi leaves Onhunga to-day at nine a.m. for Raglan and Kawhia, while the Claymore departs for Hokianga at one p.m. The departure of both vessels has been delayed by the unfavourable condition of the sea on the west coast. The same company's s.s. Rimu is bar-bound at Wanganui.

One of the party who travelled by the train from Auckland U Wellington, on Monday end Tuesday, took careful note of the duration of the various stops (telegraphs our special representative from Wellington). There were 19 in all, ranging from five to 45 minutes, and the stoppages totalled three hours 56 minutes. As the -total time occupied on the journey was 19| hours, it appears that the distance was covered in just under 16 hours, or an average of about 27 miles an hour.

Mr. Poole is urging the Government to open a State coal mine in the Auckland district. He states that in view of the immense amount of coal being raised in the Auckland province, and the very high charges being made, it was necessary for the Government to step in at once and regulate matters in the interests of the people.

An English mail, via Suez, which left London on July 17, is expected to arrive at Auckland by the Wimmera on Sunday.

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