LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13875, 8 October 1908, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A shipment ■of fruit, principally bona-: nae, arrived from the South Sea Islands yesterday by the s.s. Atua. On examination, the fruit was found to be in excellent condition, there being no signs of the fruit fly. Although in many instances the necessary certificates from' the shippers' at the Islands were forwarded, the regula-' tions demanding them were not enforced." It is stated, however, that the regulations' will be carried out on the arrival of the ; next Island steamer. : ■ !

-.. In accordance • with a resolution passed by the Auckland Executive of the Farmers' Union, the secretary has forwarded a circular letter to all branches of the. union in the -province, bringing under notice the; advantages to farmers of co-operation in. trade matters. A strong committee, has now been formed to collect information, and propound a scheme to enable the members of the union to enter into trade or the co-operative system, and this commit-' tee .will report in extenso before the provincial conference next year. The executive, in electing the committee, expressed the hope that it would give earnest and care-' ful attention to the subject, and do all in : its power to further the idea. !

The search; for John Bishop, - the prisoner who escaped from custody while on the s.s. Takapuna, when that vessel was making her way up Manukau Harbour cn ! Friday last, is still being continued.v Ever since the desperado made his bid for 'iberly; mounted troopers have kept a constantpatrol of the shores of the Manukau in case he might have got ashore, but so far without success. In view of the fact that the escapee was not found on the Takapuna after a careful search and strict watch, the theory that he jumped over-; board at a favourable spot is now being more generally accepted, and the f act that a lady passenger on board states that she noticed an object in the vessel's wake like a man swimming in the water lends additional colour to it. -

While speaking to the third reading of the Education Bill on Tuesday (writes our special correspondent in Wellington) Mr. Massey pointed out that a teacher of two half-time schools required to keep a horse for the purpose of carrying him backwards and forwards between the schools. Mr. Massey suggested that in such cases some extra allowance should be made. The Minister for Education, Mr. Fowlds, in reply, stated that the teacher of two halftime schools drew two salaries. Mr. Massey contradicted this, but it was reaffirmed with considerable heat by Mr. Fowlds. Both gentlemen were continually called to order by the Speaker. When the House met yesterday Mr. Fowlds said, by way of personal explanation, that he had been in error the previous evening. Mr. Massey said he was quite satisfied with the Minister's explanation, and the matter dropped. ;

. The women's labour bureau branches am all doing good work, according to Mr. Lomas, the Chief Inspector of Factories. The trouble, of course, is in getting servant girls for places. The Christchurch bureau last month • placed 60 servants... 4 he Auckland one 69, and the Dunedin one over 40. * Wo have the right, people in charge of these bureaus," remarked Mr. Comas, " and the mistresses all speak highly of the way they are man.; aged./- ■ ;, ■ : ; ; ;

• ■ • • • w 1 There was a lively disunion it corrupt tee at a. meeting of •' the • Auckland Ex^ij. tive of the Farmers' Union yesterday ]nom . iug relative to the action .of a vioe.nrwf **' dent, Mr. F. Colbeck, of Clvdon £ ' i advocating single tax theories, these-' te- '* ing directly opposed to the platform of ife union. Press representatives were n«t " V ' permitted .to be present ' during /,tlie :i : |^|®||i' cueeion,' but it transpired subsequently tha< • ' j:' Mr, Colbeck, recognising that'the feeliij! " v of the meeting was strongly against him iff/V the point mentioned, intimated his ■ integ tion of resigning his position as vice-pt#.f | ' •' The hearing of the case in which' Miikc The hearing of the case in Lorie claimed from Bond and Bell £70 I damages, and £7 'for failure to deliver' t n ? connection with a transaction in chemical ;l u ' 5 manure (basic slag), was continued befol# , ■ ' Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., in the Magistrate Court yesterday.. Mr. R. McYe&gh, Mf appeared for the plaintiff, aid Mr. T. Cot,' ' ter for defendants, addressed the Court at considerable length, after which Mr. Kettle %]J ' i reserved his decision.- , , " v . The matter of paying allowances y>r ted <■,! money on occasions when -.members 'of- the' Civil Service ate called upon to do work at night, for which they receive no extra pay, has been promised consideration by ' the Government. .. ' ; i'j Strong south-westerly prevailed along the west coast yesterday,\ while, - heavy sea, was running. The «.!?. Hotoili, ■'* H which arrived at Onolmnga hi the morning,- 1 ' i left again in the afternoon, hut did net cross tilt Manukau bar until 6.15 nm. " "experiencing 1 rough time : m '■i The Northern Company's Eimu left f)y.t, hunga for Opunake and Wanganiii, but it ';c was not expected that she would lie able 1 -,, 'i to negotiate the bar. The eamo company^" steamers Waitangi and Claymore,. bound ' r-' l' for Hokianga, remain in. port, the weather conditions outside not being favourable f<pp|§f the run to the Northern port. -e|' An inquest was hold by/the Coroner \Mr. 'T. Gresham) at • Waikumete yesterday | the body of farmer named Arthur Pitt' I • • nington, who collapsed - suddenly wniU -• bathing in a creek at Waikumete or Mob-" VvV day, and was drowned* The circumstance,• i?;. V, as disclosed .in evidence, were-;- the. sane - as already published, and a verdict -.vai • ? returned in accordance with the medical evidence. ' ' 1 , The proceedings in connection with tl»e ' \ Auckland Diocesan Synod will commence r . this evening with a choral festival in St, Matthew's Church, Wellesley-strcet Woei^'-'-PA^ ■ " ■'jf ' ■"'• ■ • On board- the .Indravelli, which arrived at Auckland on Tuesday, 1 f.vom r-VatV?!'*?,-couver, there were two interesting specl- •"'* mens of the canine breed, neither of whiqfc/ however, jVio be landed in the Dominion. ;V; For that matter they cannot he allowed'to % wander from the ship, a heavy penalty being incurred otherwise, as dogs have to be quarantined for some time before they be- ; 5 : ■>« come desirable immigrants." One 6f:tb«||fp.: visitors is a Canadian, sleigh dog— reality not a dog at all, but a domest^tM||^, wolf. It lias no wolfish - tendencies, howjf r-, \yj ever, and 'on the contrary is playful to % yH--. marked degree, except where fowls, are"' tIS concerned, and towards them it ehows great antipathy. The other dog is a crow 1 . ]i, bet ween a Chinese dog and a Canadian fox, . . . In connection' with the " Union ' Steam, Ship Company's annual summer cruiee to the West Coast Sounds, the s.s. Waikwqfl M"; will leave Dunedin on January 16, tjnl .. whole trip occupying 12 days from Dun-'. * edin and back. The cruise ie deservedly : popular, and numbers of tourists viwt|;ug< these shores'avail themselves of^ha^pi)g*Vi , tunity to visit one of New -Zealand's' wob-S;-* r derlands. The trips to the Sounds jw'J; . ' quite unique, and : partake more of thi; i:.nature of a picnic than of an ordinary «e»\, trip. ; A number of special attractions aw' „ added to the'cruise in the shape of * regatta, a ball, and otbor functions. A bind of musicians will accompany the steamer/!-' ' Twenty competitive designs have bwd' | received for the enlargement and extewwaa' . of the Wellington Hospital. , The - generally provide for extension on a krg« | scale of the whole hospital building, eluding the addition of another ' storey t»£ * I each of the wards, the provision for an- an- | other operating theatre, a cancer ward krV.y | five male and five female patient*, a*d_' |j an eye, ear, and throat ward for fi*e and five female patients. A : hew chilinA*s|||>|?ward ie .to; be provided,' and the prwat fever, ward (ah old wooden structure) i«'to r be destroyed. •.. The whole of the wt*fc, which wall be done in sections, will cost,' 1 .- approximately, £30,000. ■: 1 y The Taihape Cricket Club has decided to play cricket on Sundays. At the annual | meeting of the : club » a few ■ days ago j tMj Wm advantages ;of Sunday against >. were : thoroughly . threshed out, •. in. favour I of the former. The principal argument|• j 'K for Sunday was that it is the only day,' " £ on which the mill " hands" can get aw»y, p ; tod that if Sunday playing is abolWi<d | | cricket in Taihape will die. Cup n»aich«*' ' | in the township will therefore take pi**]:'!•' *■ ■i on Sundays. • ' 1 The Hawke's Bay Presbytery has I**® 4 - | the following resolution: — • This Pwebr- !! tery deplores the; widespread Sabbath ~r desecration . within its bo'imds, and urges || the people of the vaa'ious congregations tfl -1 •.we their influence in the direction of Sib- 1 v i bath observance, and recommends that | ministers should preach on the Sabbath -j| on some suitable date."' Tlm/Bev. XE. 1 Hill said he had b&m for nearly' I months stationed in ; the new charge » H Taradale and Clive. In Taradale there 4 * J were three tea gardens, and two were with' ( jft in half a, mile of the church and , ■> ■ while one was within a few yards of tiW ( ~ |j chiirdi. In these a great trade was doflJ v r| on the Sunday, f and when grapes 'ripe there was a constant stream'-of people > ■ going to and from the gardens. The cb2|"y"' J dren, who were very keen-righted, uoticfu , || these things. . Tlien there was the Gi'eoi' , g meadows bowling green, where playing .1 | • carried •on oh the same d ay. The <W: a hiki golf links were, roughly, so® 6 two | : miles away from Taradale church, and tlicy .■ -i were largely used on the Sabbath— 1 1j; 1 more largely than on other days m h : : week. In* Olive there' was something g tl» same state of affairs. . They,'.• pi people playing tennis, . croquet, K fo^^,»:^||' m and cricket in adjoining paddocks ( . * n ~< H seemed that Sunday was the day of ajnui«- | ment in tlie district. ; '. §| ■It is stated that the Jmport^j^.^||.. g Oregon , pine into the Dominion M . In. looked, upon by West Coast eawTOill MM with a certain amount, of equanimity, t I® sequent upon the possibilities connec * 11| g with the export of red pine to Anstrata-j., . j|p Although i from time to time shipw®® - VyiJ |1 red pine have been made to Melboutt m architects in that city have been ra ' |i| chary of adopting it, whir Is due M extent to the fact that,/hough the || was sufficiently seasoned for New Z. , li requirements, it wag not so for tb® g| bourne climate. . JKecently a:. tunW» v, a-' chant 'in that, city had 100,000 ft jo ? 1 I pine seasoned to i leet local tc 9 ulien,t 1 > iffi and;' had it. used - for different das*&, | work, the results losing highly... eatie!rac ,|, K A' representative . .fit , the ;We Cote _■ V H millers has receatly returnttl wit 1J - • B ■ orders for red pine for the Melboniuflj'. • B; ket, and there is every-probabditj ■, ,Jm the trade will e^tt v nd to Sydney and - laide, ,|