LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 13983, 12 February 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Amongst the subjects the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce desires to be discussed at the Now Zealand Conference of Chambers of Commerce are the reestablishment of the San Francisco mail service, the urgent need for the completion of railways now in course of construction, with particular reference to the North Auckland .and Gieborne lines, the encouragement of trade with the Pacific Islands, the need for the Government continuing to actively advertise the attractions of the Dominion, and to continue offering facilities for assisted immigration, reduction of cable rates, and amendment to the Bankruptcy Act.

The Auckland visitors to the site of the proposed Waikato-Manukau Canal returned from Waiuku yesterday, arriving at Onehunga at 4.30 in the morning. At Waiuku on Wednesday night the visitors in attendance at the smoke concert set up a committee to carry on the details of the proposal canal scheme. This committee was constituted as follows:—The presidents of the Auckland, Cambridge, Hamilton, and Onehunga-Manukau Chambers of Commerce, the Mayors of the boroughs interested, and the chairmen of the Raglan, Waipa, and Waikato Counties, and of the Raglan, Waiuku, Waipipi, Mangere, and Mount Roskill Road Boards.

Increasing interest is being shown in the forthcoming licensing elections, especially so far as the City Licensing Bench is concerned. It is expected that when the nominations are closed there will be about 14 candidates for this committee, including Mrs. Emily Nicol, whose name is mentioned as a probability. The temperance party has decided to support the present committee, who are pledged to enforce the maximum reduction of hotels. It is likely, however, that the Temperance Crusaders will nominate a separate "ticket." The Citizens' League has decided to support five other gentlemen, and the "ticket" to be run by " the trade" is now under consideration. The Parliamentary roll is to be used, and so far the supplementary rolls for City Central, East, and West have not been very largely increased. Only about a dozen names have been added to the first-named, and about 100 each to the other two. It is not anticipated that the contests in the outside districts will be very keen. The supplementary rolls close on Monday next.

The suggested lighting of Karangahape Road with flare arc lamps was again referred to at the City Council meeting last evening. It will be remembered that the Auckland Gas Company pointed out to the Council recently that the present cost of lighting the road wa6 £46 per annum, one-tenth of the cost of the flare arc lamps, that in larger cities the flare arc lamp was not favoured, and that the lighting of Karangahape Road could be more efficiently improved by gas. The Council decided last evening, on the recommendation of the Works Committee, to instruct the city and electrical engineers to confer and submit a comprehensive report on the policy of street lighting throughout the city by electricity.

Speaking at Waiuku on Wednesday night, in connection with the proposed Waikato-Manukau Canal, Mr. Lang, M.P., spoke enthusiastically of the advantages if such a canal. The cost would be small, be considered, compared to the large benefits that would accrue from using the Waikato River for navigation to farmers' and to merchants in the Waikato, Manukau, and Auckland. Mr. Lang emphasised the necessity of dealing with the scheme apart from other canal schemes. Once it was constructed the other canals would follow. Mr Massey was, he said, responsible for having the route surveyed.

A petit signed by 19 persons, was presented to the Auckland City Council last night asking that fruit hawkers be permitted to sell from barrows in any street at a distance of not lees than 20ft from the kerbstone of Queen-street, under the control of the inspector. The petitioners declared that the sale of fruit by the hawkers was a great public boon to the citizens. "We submit," they added, "that the assertion of certain fruiterers in Queen-street that they have the sole right to retail fruit is preposterous and totally against the freedom of British subjects." The petition was presented by Mr. Patterson, and on his motion was referred to the Works Committee for consideration.

"That the cost of small navies for defence should be encouraged in self-governing States of the Empire," will be the subject of debate at the inter-University debating tournament to be held in Wellington, at Easter. In the first debate Otago will take the affirmative and Auckland the negative, while in the second debate. Canterbury will take the affirmative and Victoria Colbge the negative.

A petition to be adjudged bankrupt has been filed by William Edward Winship, paper-bag manufacturer, of Pitt-street, Auckland. The first meeting of creditors will be held next Thursday afternoon.

. The City Council has had a proposal to cut down Lome-street to permanent level under consideration for some time. A number of property-holders, however, are affected in the matter, and last evening the city engineer reported to the Council that the Auckland Savings Bank, the Post and Telegraph Department, and A. B. Shalders had approved of the plans and consented to the proposal, but the Loyal Fountain of Friendship Lodge would not agree unless paid full compensation, and Tanfield, Potter and Co. asked what the Council proposed to do for them, seeing that the work would necessitate alteration of premises. The Council decided that it could not proceed with the suggested cutting-down of the street, owing to compensation being claimed, but expressed the hope that, in view of the important issues and the improvement to the street, the property-owners would reconsider their decision. Several councillors expressed the opinion that as the street improvements would enhance the value of property, it was surprising that compensation should 'be claimed. At about 10 o'clock yesterday morning Mrs. Hansen, of Mount Roskill, had a narrow escape in Queen-street through alighting from a tramcar whilst it was in motion. Thinking that the air was about to strap she got off and fell heavily. On being picked up Mrs. Hansen was found to have .sustained a severe shock and to have bruised one of her arms. She was able shortly afterwards to return to her home. An elderly man named Angelo Davis died suddenly at his residence, Waterloo Quadrant, yesterday, death being supposed to be due to heart failure. .No doctor berag able to give a certificate, however an inquest will be held by the City Coroner to-day. " As far as Otago is concerned there is a sort of wave, of conciliation going through the land,' said Mr. W. Scott, secretary of the Otago Employers' Association, in* the Arbitration Court the other day. He said that the Court at their sitting in lJunedm this month had put up something of a record for of the eight disputes that had been Wed every one had been settled without the Court's intervention. He hoped that this happy state of affairs would lons continue.

" it ie a great mistake to allow prohifc, lion orders to lapse," remarked Mr Tr" W. Bishop, S.M., during the hearing' of a case in which a woman anplied for-*},! renewal of a prohibition order against h husband at the Magistrate's Court, Christ church. The magistrate went on to re" mark that if the orders were allowed to lapse the person to whom they applied usually went on an "awful drunk," and:' then came back and had a fresh order' taken out against him. Miss Ada Ward, who has created tom ; "' sensation by leaving the stage for th Salvation Army, of which she in a prom* ".' nent member, will arrive in New Zealand on May 5, and will occupy three weeks in this Dominion speaking to the people Following is her itinerary :—Petone, Wei' lington, Masterton, Dannevirke Wanea, nui, Eltham, Palmerston North,' FeiklinY Waihi, and Auckland. This officer of the Salvation Army is conducting a six months' : campaign throughout Australasia, and it is understood she will be unable to extend the lime set down as sufficient for New Zealand. " The present demand for fresh flat fishin New Zealand exceeds the supply," ea id Mr. J. J. Niven, Napier manager of the New Zealand Trawling Company, to a.'press representative, "and there should be scope for further enterprise by traw. ling companies." A possible deterrent, however, was to be found in the initial expenses, which were very great. The Sydney market absorbed all the fish unsold by his company in the Dominion, and, which were shipped in a salted condition. Asked how it was that, in the main, the country districts between Napier and Wellington were so badly served as regards a fish supply, Mr. Niven stated that it was because the fish would not keep. New Zealand fish were caught in warm waters, and were always subjected to a higher temperature than, say, those captured ba the great fishing grounds near Iceland. Such fish were laid on the deck of a ship during a three weeks' voyage to Great Yarmouth, and then sold in a quite fresh con*, dition. A large shark, about 16ft in length, hasbecome rather too familiar with several of the fishermen's boats that visit the roadstead off Oamaru. It follows the hooked cod and groper as they are being hauled up, and bites them off the lines if- it is able, but, unlike the usual run of shark, it displays no particular ferocity if it is unsuccessful. Some of these monsters either try to bite the boat or strike it) with their tails as they move away, but the one referred to has not so far made any display of aggressiveness. One of the fishermen tempted the shark with a' couple of large hooks, a cod, and a device contrived of a, wooden structure, hut the--6hark bit the cooper wire fastenings through as if they were made of dough. He took the hooks and cod, but would' have nothing to do with the wood. ,'„*"*'< The Lands Department will offer the 'f leases of a number of pastoral runs in,,, the Canterbury district for sale by public auction at Christchurch. and Timaha this month. The runs to be offered at Christehurch include the Rogerson Station, near Hanmer Springs; the Mount Algidus, Manuka Point and Glenthorne Stations, at the headwaters of the Rakaia, Mathiur. and Wilberforce Rivers; the Spit and Wait koka Stations, on the spit between LakeEllesmere and the sea; the Springbnrn' Station, near Alford Forest; and parte! t the Clent Hills Station, in the Ashburtonf Gorge. The total area, to be offered is I 172,534 acres. The individual areas rang* from 1500 acres to 101,300 acres, and theupset rentals from £50 to £425 per nut'.' The South Canterbury runs to be offered at the Land Office, Timaru, include three | subdivisions of the Peel Forest Station and V a small block of Mount Peel; : the Black Forest Station, on the Waitaki River; and► the Tasman Islands Station, above Lakel Pukaki. the total area being 32,267 acres. The individual areas range from 585 acres a to 20,800 acres, and the upset rentals from; £49 to £460 per run. With the excepi I tion of part of the Clent Hills Station, which is to be let for seven years, the, leases are for terms of 21 years, dating from March 1, 1910.

The Oamaru police desire a claimant for 52 bottles of whisky and a half-dozen of beer. At first sight (says the Mail), 1 it would appear easy to place such; delectable refreshments, but ownership would' carry with it certain responsibilities. 1 ' If | a thirsty soul gave. way to the temptation to make it his own, the police would ask him all kinds of questions, such as: Why is it not labelledj or, Why did not the clerk of the Court receive notice of its being sent in? The magistrate, during the hearing of a case affecting this same liquor, remarked that these might,under certain circumstances, be viewed as ■ technical offences. Is there anyone daring enough, in order to become sole pro-* prietor of the necessary adjuncts to .».* small bar, to accept the risk (if the Bench adopting such a view? •' Mixed bathing, of a. kind, has' corns' into vogue at the Te Aro baths witt the; :. breaking of the barrier between the sexes for the purpose pi alterations and extensions (says the Post). Venturesome maidens swim out of their depth round the piledriving punt, and into the forbidden waters of the bath reserved for the other sex. One fine afternoon last week . a trio of mermaids crossed the Rubicon, and, fraternising with three mermen, climbed the retaining-wall and sat sunning htemselves there for an hour or so. Presently up sailed a small craft, which manoeuvring alongside, took the gallant sixaboard. Away went the yacht with her company of lightly-clad passengers for a cruise in the harbour. Then, accoutred as '■ . they wore, they plunged in and disported themselves in the deep for the space of a few minutes. The captain of the pirate vessel then steered on the homeward tack, and, returning to the wall, aided his fair passengers to disembark. They all resumed their marooning. Meanwhile, on the punt were a score or so of interested males i watching the evolutions of the ladies ; within the limits of the smaller bath. The performance, with variations, is repeated daily, weather permitting. A patent electric fire alarm and temperature recorder, with many uses, but. particularly applicable for announcing spontaneous combustion in flax and wool cargoes, is being placed on the market by the inventor, Mr. C. H. West neat, of Napier, who, after fourteen years' work at the idea, claims to have an appliance which, placed in the hold of a ship, will instantly indicate a rife it: temperature above a certain point by ringing an electric alarm. The apparatus has the appearance of a large-sized thermometer, which can be regulated from 30 degrees below. zero. _ ■ ,j The leases of the Canterbury grazing .; runs, covering hundreds of thousands of acres in the back country, will run outnext year, and for some time past there..', has been an agitation that the country, should be relet in smaller areas, in order that; | small farmers might be able to take up ■■ 4 the leases. A few weeks ago Mr. T. b. Taylor, M.P., wrote to the Prime Minister on the subject, and he has received a reply stating that a special report is being secured from the Classification Commission-, - era on the subject.