LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13844, 2 September 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

For the month of August just closed there were six less births in the Aucjdand province than last .year, the numbers being 236 and 242 respectively. There has, however, 'been a gratifying decrease in the number of deaths this year, as compared with last year. Last August there were 129 deaths, this year the number fell as low as 99. In August/ 1907, 89 couples entered the bonds of matrimony, and during the. month just closed that number was exceeded by five, .making a total of ,94. ■ • ■~..' ' -: : "The wreck of the steamer Star of Japan has delayed the arrival of the material for the construction of the Railway Wharf shede by three months," explained the Hon. E. Mitcheleon at the Harbour Board meeting yesterday. Mr. Heather remarked that as there was such an enormous quantity of cargo being landed on the wharves, the Board should try to get the contractors to roof in some of the filleds. There were two steamers now lying' in the stream waiting to discharge cargo, and they would, apparently, have to wait.an-., other couple of days. Mr. A. E. Glover said that the requirements of the port were growing beyond measure, and the construction of the iiheds should be pushed on with all possible haste. The congestion at Hobeon-etreet Wharf had been "something awful" of late, and was resulting in damage to the fruit - landed from the Islands. Hundreds of pounds' worth of fruit that was carted to • the destructor might have" beeß saved had there been proper wharf and shed accommodation. Mr.'' Mitcheleon replied^-that the engineer would interview the contractors, with a view to I getting one shed completed forthwith. . Owing te the Northern Company's steamei Claymore, having been bardxmnd at Hokiang? for several days, that .vessel will not arrive at Onehunga until this morning. As the Claymore was scheduled i to leave Onehunga last Monday with cargo for Fiaglan and Kawhia, which it was necessary to get away, the Rimu took up the running for the trip. Yesterday the sea along the ' west coi st had reached normal conditions. A number of the Orakei natives are now in Wellington (telegraphs our correspondent) i with -the object of .placing . their views in regard to the Auckland drainage scheme before; the Local Bills Committee., ' *

The visit of. the great Americau Sydney - has: been watched . with keen . |- f terest by New Zealanders, and this wees c issue of the Auckland Weekly... Ne\, V published to-day, constitutes ; an excelht, £ pictorial record of the event." A fine sets c of illustrations depict the great woe { fleet steaming in past the frowning x:lfe 1 which guard, the entrance to the harboj, 1 whilst the official landing of Admil i Sperry, the brilliant procession throe i 1 the streets of the city, and the great m- 1 • tary review in Centennial Park, in whh 1 .2600 American sailors and marines part - 1 poted, form some of the interesting I - .< turec given in connection with the histoc « occasion. The match between Taran. i 1 and: Auckland,, at Alexandra Park, is a a i fully dealt with,' snapshots of the gar, i and groups of the opposing teams being l- i eluded, whilst other current events flu- 1 trated include deer shooting in the Vil- ' rarapa- district, the running of cars on-te < new Mount Roßkill line, some of the Use i owls imported at Dunedin to cope ; ym 1 the small bird nuisance, prime Aui'klad I meat on view at the famous Smithrad ] .market, London, where , it realisedJj|p prices, the Olympic games in England! ig ] game hunting in Africa, the building ® a < battleship, and an interesting series if ill *.i historic Auckland landmark. An exciting incident was witness* 1 j Queen-street Wharf about five o'clocl j;s- ( terday afternoon. ' A fireman belongirato . the steamer Lord Sefton,. which was Jbjut to sail for Sydney, arrived on ■ the w i'f . ' when the boat had cast-off, and when \ 11 clear, sir" was announced. The ve?l was too far out from the wharf for -ie late-comer to jump aboard, and for a tie he stood gazing at thesteamer immuring, We parted on ; the shore." .A.. i brilliant idea then suddenly struck hi, , and calling out to his companions on ie , steamer to throw a line to him, he promt- ] ]y secured it, and, placing it .round.is ■.< waist, jumped into the water from the q -j of the wharf. In coming to the surfce ~ he discovered that he had lost his cap, id , asking for "more rope" he swam a 3r . •it, and secured it. 'He was then l aud .^ aboard the Lord Sefton by his comp ns , without further incident. .- . j ; ] At yesterday's meeting of the Auik nd '! Harbour Board a letter was read froki lie; J United States Consul-General) Mr. WA. ; Priokitt, stating that a., copy of the irbour Board's correspondence with him If, regarding the remission of port chaies, pilot dues, etc., in connection with lie vessels bringing coal for the Amei4tn fleet, had been forwarded to the Uifed States Government, and an ackuowligment of the Board's courtesy would; io doubt, be received in due. course. . In' ie ' meantime , he' desired to stiite. officially id personally, how much he appreciated j ie f courteous manner in which the Harjar Board had treated all matters in. conned n . j with the fleet's visit. ' The Board's geir- 1 oils contribution to the entertainment ful\ the beautiful decorations of its buildi;, } the remission of all port .charges, and . e valuable' services of its chairman on e j Civic Committee, were all .gracious is which would not be forgotten. ■ j One of the pleasantest features of e * Auckland climate is the remarkable ni- 1 dity with which the rigour of the winr vanishes to the first breath of spring." Ie * Auckland' spring sets in early. Its lr- * bingers of bursting buds and mild " si:mery" , days are apparent here at leas a 4 fortnight before they appear • in • Sydn, 1 , which, on the whole, has a climate ' - ( ! markably like ' Auckland's, and '-'IV' 1 bourne's spring is later still, which; p- 5 haps is just; as well for the residents f - a city noted-' for its / breathless hot sii- j • -.sneri - The lame of'^Auckland's'.'sunmx/' , > • by the way, is pretty well known' in Aj- j • toria as the summer of " warm : days. ad , cool nights." Australians, who have Id j experience of " the Auckland summer '<- 1 mate, prefer it to any of their own varjl ( samples, because of this reason. • But fe most delightful period of - the equable imate of Northern New. Zealand is ; idoubtedly the spring, and such a- sprg 1 as we are having at the present time.; l 5 tourist summed up the climate yesterdi, i when lie remarked, '' Auckland may .ra • ' a lot in the winter, but after experience '" ' a couple of,' its spring days, you forget; 1 , ] about that." , ' : ' - , . ■ "■ : j - - A high compliment to the conduct t < Auckland hotels was made public at. ; ? t meeting of the City Licensing Commits f yesterday in the shape of a letter from je j Auckland Young Mens Real Tecapei-a'e ' Club. TKe report of the Young Men's 3license Club was referred to in .the jletl', i • which' stated',that careful : attention ' been given to the conduct of city hotl, < which had been visited at irregular int- - ■ vals by members of the temperance club ■] that purpose. Their conclusions werelt 1 variance with those formed by the i* license club; and'were very favourable jo ( the city hotelkeepeis. • It was stated ™ ( they, with hardly art exception, , conduct! : - their Shotelfl .on law-abiding -1 inee up J every - regard for the obligations due |r them to the public. The licensing las ' were strictly observed,'; and the hoursjf j closing were properly adhered to. E*i : during the "Fleet Week rush the hots -; j were admirably conducted. The lelJr , concluded by stating that the Aueklid j hotels r .were a credit to .the city. "Re - , . ring to the letter, the chairman of the c<|- • niittec, Mr. Dyer, remarked that so vol ' j statements had been made about the c - ( duct of the city hotels during Fleet We , ( and lie invited Sub-Inspector Gordon a j clear up the.matter. . The latter did soy ; stating that, the conduct of the city 'hoi \ was good, and . that .the police had .had So ■- trouble during , Fleet Week. A mem \ j of tho committee referred to the ■ "be- , chanalian orgy" accusation, but Mr. - Dp . pointed out that it was not advisable j ■ ] take notice of irresponsible - • 'j ho old fetish of " Prime Canterbut' ' still chop's up in reports of London st s 1 of New Zealand mutton, despite the ft £ that the Auckland meat has long n 1 reached the same standard of quali.- * Advices just received by • the secretary f ' the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Compel { show that a line of frozen lamb sent 'fn Auckland brought from 6J'd to sgd per i,' ( and a quantity of Auckland beef sold L ( 4d and 3|d respectively for hind and fo- j quarters. The High Commissioner's •. • 1 port for ' the same sales "quotes Canterbt' t lamb at and other brands' 5J,d, al J beef at 3sd and 3|d. respectively for hit [ and fore-quarters, which goes to show th' even the High Commissioner's reports r. { not as infallible as indicated by Sir Jose Ward the other .day. It also goes to'shi t that Auckland, 'when it gets a chan. t isn t always last in the race of . common ■ V if it is at the tail in the . matter of .r&ilw ' construction; V 1 - A cable message has been received ! 1 the Auckland Harbour Board from . | engineer, now in London; stating that, I ?■ had opened the tenders for the new -st] i' tionary suction dredger, Required by tit Board, and the lowest, was that of Messij t: Fleming and; Ferguson, of Paisley. , Tl 13 engineer recommended the 'acceptancef] 11 Messrs. Fleming and Ferguson's ■ tendd J but did not state the amount. , The cab tl also stated that the amended tenders ,f a the electric capstans had been'mailed., T ; e ' • chairman intimated that the tenders .f the dredger would be considered by t ° Board, and no -tender would be accept d , except by the Board.- ; - - • * : ,i

for business yesterday the' i»totoelerVib'ji^Sp| denly indicated an electrical . storm heavy thunder, but the threatened disinrfeMMi^ ance proved to be only a storm in a cup. Mr. G. W. Basley, noticed that tMHR place of the secretary of the Board [Mr^j|fpi Brigham), who wis away ;in Wellington'.' i had been taken by a member of the staff* - who was not the ' chief clerk, : and Mr. Baa- "K £ ley, in a lengthy speech, questioned why. ■ He said that if any officer of : that was to be promoted or disrated it wa«.thr-|||| Board's ; business to do it, J and ;,noi;:ff|{||^^M chairman's. While the officer acting'l^^^ a very capable man, the chief clerki'^j^^y the only person who had the right to ba'fSp in the secretary's chair in the : lattervllfi absence; He took; it as a great reflection - • upon the chief clerk. The ' chairman mild,' J ]y replied that while the chief clerk was:""'! (- the officer next to the secretary, the officer ;f t I acting for Mr.; Brigham was the only M e I in thorough ; touch with the work, and the chief clerk's duties did not, I touch on the matters that came before $|§pp I Board. The officer acting was associated I with Mr. Brigham in the secretary's !deV®'S partment. Mr. Brigham was the tiea|S;li officer and controlled everything, and the ® | routine work of the actual secretarial nofeflll tioh was carried out by the officer then " 1 present- 1 ."After this," added the^ man warmly, "I shall do nothing in' : -wCTmI official capacity without the Board." Entrican then rose and said the matter ■ I had been brought up unnecessarily. ; The Board had every confidence in the chair.' man's' wide experience and knowledg*, and could trust him to know what should' be done, and what shouldn't. «*' i '.V 1 •" ■' ' " -. " '■' i' S They '-were', discussing the weather on i 'Change yesterday. "I never thought : ;;|o|||t: was going to rain," lamented one mm in' the group, "so ' I left my umbrella m* home." "So did I," chimed in another, !" and my coat-.-too. i. y "The, glass, was high 'when I looked at it." "The best, V jj ' weather-glass' J know," observed a third k' speaker, ;" is jny daughter's hair, It « § I naturally: light'.in colour, but whenever there is going to be rain it becomes lights ; still. V J • have heard her mother advise her in ; the morning 'to take her ttackitivji't \ tosh with her, and; on my daughter -a&'?,,£ ing why., tell her to look at . her-" hur||fflHl| the glass." , Your daughter,'' the first man-, "ought to be', able » a good billet as assistant to Captain Pltl win." One would Have thought , | possessing so reliable a '' w the fortunate father would have ; been pro. • tected '' : against yesterday's showers. ■ 'Bat - <■ no ; he could not have seen his daughter' r.r ' before leaving home, for lie closed the-dii||r|jte. cussion by seeking; to borrow an' umbrella. Ip "• • '■ '■■■"■ ';' •; The fact that the suburban : bodies have j secured representation in the contM ; iof||||||H| Auckland drainage scheme led Mr. J. Kneen to ask, at the : Harbour. Board meeting yesterday, why the Board had not " also been granted representation. The chairman replied • that there was an agreement between the City Council and the Harbour Board, and the Board could not go beyond • J j that. ;As the Board paid ii<? contribution, ■ , it was riot entitled to representation. To this Mr. Kneen retorted that tho Board | was paying all the time to the co6t of cer-' v ; tain sewers, and the ;drainage. : was'; goir» to" pollute the harbour, while : all th»r : pro- : tection the Board Had was the word "nuisauce" the agreement,. which . would . , ; ;7 cause -.endless; litigation. ' : He ; would give notice of. motion' in this connection later on. The chairman replied that the Board was quite competent to see (that no nui- a sance was created. •" •. ' " ; Seven > tenders ' : were v. received yesterday by Mr. ; , H. GilfiUah,v jun., secretary of ths //' Takapuria Tramways and Ferry, A°mP®y- : pi" for the , supply of rails for the company's. undertaking. , The tenders.; were referred. to the company's engineer , (Mr. H. Mumo Wilson), and will be considered ByiitiaHß directors on Friday next. /llimS The hearing of the case of W." A. ; Ryan and Co., Ltd. v.. Oldham and 'Walker, a claim .for £265; 10s " 6d, on a promissory note, and a counter-claim for £100 damages and return of the promissory note/W: was continued at the Supreme Court, be- J|pf fore Mr. Justice Edwards, yesterday. Mr. ; Earl -(instructed by Mr. ■ Wypyard) appear* ed for the plaintiff company, and Mr. R. Reed - for: the ; defendants. ..: After the case on the .counter-claim had been i p'reMMl seated a conference was held, . and ft : fM settlement- was arrived at. "" ' Leave was; granted to mention the case again or/ Vi, Thursday.;. This morning the case of Johii|S Knight v. Peter Oliphant, an action relief from forfeiture, will be taken, .'apdrSraipS Thursday eviderico will:, be • heard, in : tho case of/the Auckland ' City Council 'v. ' tins Auckland Electric Tramways Company, 1 Ltd., ;an action to recover £784 for alleged ||| breach of deed and. Order-in-Council. J: Ml : ..." We were • served with notice by the j m City Council that it intended to take certain land alongside the .'. Freezing Com- S pany's reclamation,'!! said the chairman <fJ S the ' Harbour! Board (the Hon. E. Mitchclson) at yesterday's meeting, and as socb ;? t as I saw the plans I noticed that the ' ' Council: had encroached beyond the boundary of the company's reclamation, • and, in fact, would thus be taking riparian rights. The engineer made a survey, and found the line indicated by the City Council was 2fb over the boundary, andtherefore; taking riparian': rights'.V I move that the seal he affixed to • the Board's objection to - the i < City, Council's notice.'' Mr. Entrican said , ; ,i that Mr. Hamer's plan 6f v the harbour frontage shewed lines of railway in froni-' of -.'.where; the city proposed to take th»i J land. .To this the chairman replied. thfu» f - . Mr. Homer's plans .showed the frontage as it would be after all the reclamation work was finished. " Oh, i then there has, been a mistake made in., the surveying," -: said *. r Mr. Entrican, " foe the City Council does. 1 not desire to take riparian . rights. ; The mistake "can be easily rectified." The land \ C A\ referred to is behind the freezing works j-' } and; the City Coundil requires it for a power station in connection with the elec- ... J tric light and power supply. VjH ' The Auckland Society of Arts innovation, in the direction of holding a free exhibition, of pictures at its' gallery, Coburg-street, : has ; been appreciated by the general public, judging by the mini- 1>" bers of. people >»vhp have visited the gallevy.;since it was opened. The idea of the society is to encourage-. local' art by , dis-pyrty play ing; ; the. pictured of 1 New , Zealand artists for sale, and connoisseurs > and artj/'^ ! | patrons are; invited visit the gallery for I the purpose of -securing promising exam- ;'J| pies of local art. ' Sjome . of ••• the pictures that were displayed at the recent e::hibi- J tiohj have been left \by their, owners: for Jfef thepresent exhibition, and others have . •|| been forwarded. ,; At I the present time ; i|j| there are more than VBO oil and water-' !,'l colours—some of » considerable merit —dis-,2[r played on; the walls. (Oh the whole the !.m| exhibition is well worth a visit. - ; On the "morning of May 23 last, society .j® in Tahiti (writes a cometipondent) •• was.. Lhrovvn into • consternation at learning that;, ; -'rj the evening before, a well-known : medica! ;|'j man ; and the wife of tone of the ' leading !l'gi merchants in Papeete taken their de is; ?arture in the . Haurbto,- It ravelling under :as !|| filmed names. tlt has njkv been ascertained A iliat after staying at 'an liotel ;in . Auckland ,f W® later on at a they sail; id for: Sydney as-man aii< ! wife. •It is .eaiq|'^^P Lhe doctor's influence' ojper his accomplice, originated , in . the practice 'of hypnotisni,; Vuid that ( it is likely t»ci episode will, lue. course, , have- mor 3 j serious develop*-;.';#, ueata TClgre the'prope] courts of justice* ' t