LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13876, 9 October 1908, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

It is pointed out with reference to the resolution passed by the ;!i Eden Terrace Road Board to the effect that the Government be requested to take steps to have the tramway line duplicated, that the Tramways Company for some time has not only been willing but anxious to duplicate the line, but liaß not been able to tho Board's consent. So far back as July, 1907, the company made application to the Board in this direction, but met with a refusal. .'■■/..'■

As far as Auckland is concerned," says Dr. Purdy (district health officer), in his annual 'report; to the Health Department, which has been presented to Parliament, "we are still in ewaddhng cloflies with regard to progressive sanitation/ The past year has not been without its object lesson of the dangers of procrastination. Fortunately, however, 'owing to the initiative and strenuous advocacy, in season and out of season, of our leading citizen; the much delayed comprehensive drainage scheme now bids fair to pass beyond .the stage of discussion." In regard to the Greater Auckland question, Dr. Purdy : remarks, " Seen through spectacles untinted by parochialism, it seems unnecessary to prolong the present; multiplicity of control. A city which not only in name embraces socially and commercially one community, one watershed, one water supply, one drainage system, with streets continuous or contiguous, at present controlled by 17 representative bodies, calls for one responsible authority in ; order to do justice to its unique natural advantages, its . : present prosperity, and its future as a centre of commerce in the Southern Pacific." " - In replying tc a letter from the City Council with ; reference to] the complaint received from the Trades and Labour Councilrespecting brake, blocks, the general manager of the Trannvayr Company stated that wherever the conTpany can obtain supplies of equal value within the Dominion at, a reasonable price it is quite prepared to do so, but in the particular instance referred to the price of the local article was, very much higher than the imported article. .

Government buildings in Auckland have never been notable for their beauty or architectural finish, and they compare most unfavourably in this respect with the public buildings of Southern cities, but. the latest erection probably tabes the palm for ugliness amongst Government buildings in airy centre in. New Zealand. This comprises the etore and workshop of the Public Works Department being erected in front of the Agricultural Department Building in Beach Road. The structure was shifted to tha+ position from' the other side of the railway yards, and the material is the same old timber and rusty iron roof. The nicely trimmed lawn of the Agricultural Department block made a pleasant break in the rather monotonous appearance of Beach Road generally, but even that is now to be practically concealed by the unsightly shed the Public Works Department is erecting. ■ •

The choral festival held in connection with the opening of the Auckland Diocesan Synod in St. Matthew's Chureh, Wcllesleystreet West,; last evening was .largely attended, and proved most impressive, the music being rendered by the united choirs of the city churches. The Rev, S. W. Young, M.A., was the preacher. This morning the opening service of the Synod will be held in St. Paul's Church, the preacher being the Rev. W. E. S. Connolly, M.A. In the afternoon the Bishop's commissary (the Rev. Canon MacMvirray) will deliver his charge, after which notices of motion will, be taken and sessional committees appointed. In the evening a, missionary meeting will be held in the Choral Hall. The Bishop's commissary will preside, and the speakers will be the Revs.. M. Warner, H. A. Hawkins, A. H. Colville, and Mr. Riapo Pnhipi. On Sunday special services will be held in the various Anglican churches throughout the city and suburbs. On the 12th, 13th, and 14th inst. the Synod will sit in session daily, from 2.30 to 5.30 p.m., and from 7.30 to 10 p.m.

• The tender of Mr. J. T. Julian for the erection of the Archhill reservoir has been accepted by the City Council. Th© contract price, was £12,597, Only one other tender was received, that, of Messrs. Coulson and Co., at £15,231 Is. The engineer's estimate was £14,700.

■:" If people transacted their business in a business-like, way this Court would not be troubled with one-fourth of the cases which come under its notice," remarked Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., during the hearing of a claim in the Magistrate's Court yesterday.

The balance-sheet of the Veterans': Home, for the year ended June 30, 1908, shows that while the capital account has increased by £400 the revenue for the year has decreased by £433 19s 6d, as compared with the previous year's results. . The Government has consented to place £500 on this year's Supplementary Estimates, although it has not been earned on the £ for £ basis, and it is felt that unless the.receipts from subscriptions, donations, and entertainments are kept up to £500 per annum the Government may reduce the annua 1 contribution. It ie, therefore, hoped that more annual subscribers will be secured until such time as the capital account reaches a safe position.

The question of the changing of the name of Karangahape Road, which has been much, in evidence lately, will be considered at a meeting of those interested in the Orange Hall, Newton, this evening. At last night's meeting of the City Council a petition in favour of altering the name to Fleet-street was received, the idea no doubt springing • from the i-e.centfvisi.t of the American fleet. The petition .was referred tq ;the $Vprk» Committee;

It was easily apparent that electoral fed ing •is .- already., growing decidedly @;||||i| in Grey Lynn, where one of the" y_ , fights in the Dominion is expected, vhh. . the audience gathered at St. George's Edl ' '. '■* to hear Mr. Oliver Nicholson, the lodapen * ' dent Liberal candidate, last evening. '■ y,* beis of people were unable to gain admit sion, so crowded was the building. ■ „ " before eight o'clock every available seat'*"! occupied and standing room was at -. pre. mium. , Extra seats were provided ip front and the platform was crowded, but even then there were many people crying to fort* their way in, and at last they ranged «p the aisles in a closely packed mass. T] le . candidate, whose speech is fully reported elsewhere, was accorded an enthusiastic re- - ception, being greeted with prolonged cheering, and while there were interruptions at times and some humorous sallies, Mr Nicholson was, on the-.whole, accorded i' most attentive hearing. There 'g little • doubt that the contest is going to be a very ' keen one. A telegram was received by Inspected Cullen yesterday from the constable sta- ' ' tioned at Te Kuiti stating that 9 farmer ' named J. C. Meyer had been found drowned in the Mangaowekp River the prcviom ' evening. The telegram also added that the " circumstances pointed to suicide. The City Council last night had under ' consideration ■'! the complaints of tramway passengers being carried beyond their stopping places by inattention to the signal*, and due often to the failure of the car .J. officials to reverse the connection of the . electric bells./ It was decided to draw the attention of ihe Tramways Company to Vibe need for rectifying the matter. ! ,V;' A meed of praise to the Auckland climate is given by Dr. Purdy (district I. health officer) in his annual report (tele < graphs our special correspondent in Wellington). He writes, Aspersions haves been made on the climate of Auckland as to 'hot and muggy weather.' My obser- : vations do not bear this out. After residing a year in Auckland, I have conitf'loSlW the : conclusion that the climate is, eatijel- ■ lent. The appearance of the school, jfeldren, illustrated, for example, by the boys of King's College, in their hygienic costume, or by a visit to the school cadet ' camp, certainly ■'■ -negatives a contrary " opinion. The fact that in athletics the , young men and women of this district not only hold their own, but are at present " ahead of any other part of the Dominion; \\."'\ is also confirmatory evidence. When '■'< £ss!;C medical inspection of schools becomes gene- • : ral, it will bo found that the anthropo- ■ sophy of the children of"the northern half ■'< of the North Island will compare with 7." those of any other portion of the Empire." : More immigrants are expected to urin by the Corinthic, following on the heels of the Athenic, which has just arrived at Wel- ' lington from London. It is stated that over 700 passengers are coming by the vessel. The increased umber will consist largely of returned New Zealanders, who will be travelling in the first and second saloons. - •■ - " - " A letter was received from Mr. D.Holt at last evening's meeting of the City Coun- ' cil, drawing attention to the failure of the Hospital Board to remove the hospital buildings on the Domain, despite the Cjouncil's previous determination to have then ' ! shifted by July. He hoped there would be no more delay, and that the Council' i would ceo that the buildings were removed immediately. The city engineer reported that the buildings were now being removed. ' -''■"-- .': : '.:-" .'-'•••"'•.;• , ■■■' : :v: : ■■■■■:.. . ;; - : :''''/:-'3|S|||lp Last evening the Mayor of Onehunga (Mr. ■ John Rowe) met the Library Committee, and placed before them a proposition of his • own wherein he propounded a scheme for. , an up-to-date brick building, to be used as a public library, clubroom, and town hall ~ for Onehunga. The scheme was warmly approved of, after which the Mayor mid • Messrs. J. H. Simpson and J. P. Part (borough architect) were appointed a committee to go into the matter. ' At the City Council meeting last night a letter was read from the bandmaster -si* the Auckland City Band, stating that hi ■« had offered ■• the services of the band to' , the St. John Ambulance Association, with the object of playing- in Albert Park on ■ : ' the Sunday afternoon following Ambulanoi Saturday. The association would take up a collection, as was , done last year. H« wished to know whether the proposition ' would have the Council's approval. The , application was granted. ■ ~-. So far only a few trout have been noticed rising in, the river (writes our Humbly correspondent), and no reports ihave been re- ' ceived concerning the neighbouring lakes, into which yearlings and fry were put dor- [■;.};. ing the previous two seasons. The fry reared on Mr. Church's property in the pond made by the Rod and Gun Club have grown well. These were, liberated in th« Kimihia Lake, where large trout have been seen periodically. . • The lonic, which left Wellington for London yesterday, is the third direct boat to take dairy produce for Home this seaeon. Her cargo from New Plymouth consisted of 6127 boxes of butter and 341 caw* of cheese. About 6500 cases of butter and ' 500 cases of cheese came from Pate*, and from Wellington there were about JSOC cases of butter and 500 case? of cheese. The Auckland district also sent a quantitj of butter and chees* Referring to; tohungaism' in the caurs||p|]|,. of a sermon .at Hawera, the Rev. Haddor 'deplored the fact that the pakeha to-' hunga was allowed to prey on the Maori -- . people. He mentioned the case of a wsman who in Hawera recently was doing a good business among the Maoris by ''■■ tune-telling. It was something new to the! ; Maori people, and they all rushed in, paying their half-crowns, and half-sovereign* to have their palms read. As soon as he found out the state of affairs he a: <:*-* ..;;; got the police to take action to stop, this going on, because he knew the woman had been turned away from other centres for the same thing. People said til* Maori tohungas should be prosecuted, but there were pakeha tohungas as well as Maori, and little notice was taken of their doings. When the police went to I*'' place at his request they found a dozen Maoris getting the palms of their hands read. j About 40 of the large number of immigrants who arrived in Now Zealand by tn» I Athenic this week came on to Dunedin by the Talune yesterday (telegraphs our correspondent). * The Labour Departing officials are receiving a good number of inquiries for employment, particularly m>ra oversea strangers. Those who have kno*' .• ledge of agricultural work are readily ', i placed in the country, but the Department* 1 . . officers find ...difficulty in placing. B^||Jff j tradesmen, of whom there are many fc»°»S . I the strangers. Things aw on the qui* ; . side just now in the local foundries »« trades calling for hard and skilled *&*', '' ■ ] and in all probability the quietness -•' continue for a month or two. / On account of the'krge amount of adver- . :;■ tising matter, and ;also to ensure correci y classification, advertisers for Saturday* > issue of the FußAiii are requested'. to ■**« '. in their adjertiseiftente as *&Ay as ***" [ sible to-d*y.; / Mn^y-P ':':- &%■■ , , j,[ff " ' ■ '■■"'-:' - ■>' '■ ■■■-. ■■'■:■ > ■■& ''' '?;.-J>'fe:: X*?K% '- ! . v ( V<9 l'll!