LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14069, 24 May 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Since the installation of the Main Trunk i railway service the. shipping trade on, the j •west coast; has'shown a decided falling off. As a result both the Union and the Northern Shipping Companies discontinued one trip per week between Onehunga and New Plymouth, and still further changes are* proposed. The Union Company's steamer Rotoiti, which ,- leaves Onehunga for the South to-day, is not to resume her running to the Manukau, and with the Takapuna is to be diverted to another trade. ' This means that the company will only run cargo vessels •to the Manukau, abandoning the passenger traffic to the Northern Company. In the circumstances there is a, probability of the Rarawa having to - make three trips weekly instead of two, as at present. The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court will open this morning, and prisoners for sentence will - be dealt with tomorrow. ' . •■■-". <•"■ •■" * In all quarters in . Dunedin there ( is unanimity of opinjon among business men that the city occupies a financial position thaV-.is sound beyond all question. A Daily Times reporter interviewed a . number of gentlemen prominent in the commercial community, and everywhere found the same view : expressed. No cause for complaint at all and, if anything,; trade showing signs of improvement. This was the pronouncement in some warehouses in.which luxuries formed the chief iines of business. A few of the merchants were not inclined to make any lengthy statement! - - "We are going, on all right," was the substance vof their reply. "We find business steady and : good, and no difference oetween this year and last year." This vas the view taken by the managers of perhaps half a dozen large businesses. Others refused outright to com- | merit on the situation. There was* no peed lor', it, and why give % thought- to a.' position that did not exist? Everybody; is hopeful, not 'only that the depression that has 1 been felt will speedily pass away, but that 'a substantial increase ..will*, take place ■in trad© before'long.

One of the events of the year, for those engaged in the dairying industry i through-; out the Dominion, is the announcement of the awards in the butter and cheese show,' which forms a large section of the Auckland Winter Exhibition, to be opened by His Excellency : the Governor [tliis afternoon. Judging in all the export classes was completed on Saturday, and the results are set out in another column in this issue/ together with the opinions of the, judges. j The only one *>f the principal butter competitions not yet announced is the grading points contest, but it is known that the Manawaru dairy: factory, near Te Aroha, heads the list, %is taking the Weddel challenge cup for the year. In the export classes open only to Auckland factories the Matakarut and Whangarei factories have merited high places, but ;n the class open to all New Zealand factories , South Canterbury heads the list, although Waipu comes within half a point if it, while the class open to factories outside Auckland resulted in a tie for first place between Rangitikei and Cheltenham, both Wellington factories. The cheese section also provided very close contests. Two of the open export classes were captured by Taranaki and Otago factories, but Opouriao factory (Auckland) scored in j one. open class against allcomers, while it secured a second and a third in the other two, being only a point behind in one and a point and a-half in the other, a most creditable performance against competitors from the older cheesemaking districts. All the exhibits in the butter and cheese section will on view to-day. >''_

• The wet weather 'of the latter part of last week gave way to pleasant sunshine and infrequent showers yesterday, though until late on Saturday night the conditions * were anything but promising, a drizzling x rain, with occasional heavy showers, being experienced. The rainfall for the last, three days of the week was not ■ excessive. The record for > the 24 hours ended at mine. a.m. on Thursday last was 1.05 in, for the 24 hours ended at the same ". hour on Friday; .02in, and for the following 24 hours .09in.

A member of the : Tim Commission who.made a point of observing closely the conditions prevailing at prison camps, especially at Waiotapu, near Rotorua, is none too favourably impressed with the effect they have on the reformation iof criminals. Speaking to a New Zealand Times reporter . he observed : — " From inquiries at the prison plantations throughout the Dominion it seems to me that the majority of -. . those ■';. who' are termed criminals' at these camps find their way back into gaol at the' completion of their term. I found that where a man -has, say,'been twice in gaol for a " sentence extending over 12 months, he generally comes back again. Ido not think that the system has accomplished its object with 'regard to confirmed criminals,"; though I recognise that it - may perhaps do some good in the case of a person sentenced for th« first time." * ■. ' ". l : '

On the 21st inst. the New Zealand Dairy Association, Limited, distributed amongst its milk suppliers £10,477 ■:, 2s, covering butter-fat , delivered during April. : The corresponding payment last year was £7755 15s. '; Thus there is an increase of £2721 7s for the month: ■ ;

Mr. J. R. Reed was cross-examining a witness in the Supreme Court on Saturday as to where he got the money to "go on the spree'' which he v admitted' that he occasionally did. ]y At first the witness . refused to say where he got ' the money, arid then declared that; he' did not know, but that he got it. His Honor observed that it was a peculiar thing , that rid matter how poverty stricken some persons seemed to be, they could always manage' to ' get enough money to be very drunk. '.'■■ He v did ; .riot understand r it," neither, apparently, did the witness, but it was so. ■■■.'■'. Z'; 1 x">"- : .."%..- ■.'

Speaking at the annual dinner of the Commercial- Travellers' and men's Association, on Saturday; evening, the president (Mr. J. F. Connelly) said that - the membership of .the • association now stood at 500, and he hoped that the day was not far distant when V\ they would be able to build a handsome residential club. I , ', s A tramear and a horse came. into collision at the . corner ■of •-.'■ Wakefield ■ arid Symonds Streets last evening. The horse > had escaped from its i stall ; ; at a livery stable, and was being pursued up Wake-field-street. A ; car, - bound ) for Queenstreet, was approaching, and struck the horse before the 'animal could clear i the line. ■./: The animal i was so severely ? injured '"_ that it had ;to be destroyed. The front of the tram ;was. slightly damaged.

'. A noticeable feature in cohcection. with the Mount Eden .fire; on- Saturday night was the reflection it cast, considering its size. The v lurid, dull,; brick glow, evi- ; dently partly caused by the rain, was ob served \in i every ; part of ' the city, \ and for miles around' the countryside. Such a magnitude of * flame did the reflection seem' to indicate, that ". before ■ half an hour had elapsed .; there were many thousands of people gathered at the scene of the conflagration. '

Mr. Alex. M. Ferguson, acting-Consul for Belguim, has been advised that the King of the Belgians has offered a 1 prize of £1000 for the best work—Belgian or foreign—written or ; fully published on or after March 1, 1909, descriptive of the progress of aerial ; navigation, and setting forth the most efficacious means of -: promoting the same. Works for competition will have to be transmitted to the Minister of i Science . and Arts, 'Brussels; ' before March 1, 1911, and they may be written or printed in English. A jury of seven members, comprising three ; Belgians, and four foreigners 'of '■ different nationalities, will decide whether among the works submitted'' to them any one deserves the prize, to ; the exclusion of the others, and if so, which one. -

An accident occurred at i the 'Railway Workshops, ■;■ Newmarket, on, Saturday to one of the employees, Thomas Crisp. Along with a number of others he was engaged removing a portion of an engine from the forge, 1 when his left hand got caught in the ; chain, arid was severely crushed. First aid was quickly rendered, and it was discovered that a portion of ; the middle finger of the hand had been crushed off; The services of ; Dr. W. G. Scott were .' requisitioned, and "subsequently, the sufferer was taken to his home at Qnehuriga."!;;^

A leading Wellington land and estate agent was interviewed by a representative of the Dominion as to the state of the property market. During the last three weeks," said the: agent, " there; has been a good demand for email farms and;; city "properties. '■' In respect to city property not much badness has been^done ? as buyers have* been disinclined to come up to sellers' prices. .... There has been no noticeable depreciation in the' value \ of city property. : I have people on my books waiting \ for ' bargains,' but the bargains don't come. .' There is a; strong demand for four and five-roomed:houses in all- par.t.s of the city, and nearly all those houses at Island Bay that were; to let a few months ago ' have' been supplied \ with tenants. Taking everything into consideration, there is a healthier lone in the property market. It has been very bad, though

_'A statement-of his Affairs ha* h~j¥ \$ filed, with the official assignee £ ]£. fi Donald, builder, of Auckland, Vt ' I \ hied his petition in • bankruptcy H I states that he commenced business about j 15 years ago, with a capital of a b<J ' i ' £200. Shortly after he" entered £ ' I partnership with Mr. John Gray <? ■ partnership lasted for about three yea I and during that time his average earnings varied from £3 to £4 a week Sin * j the dissolution of the partnership he had had heavy losses in contractu* which he attributed to competition and : "■ underestimating. He was also-?]! f O . five months in 1907, and this results in a. loss of £149 on a contract. ■ His total losses on nine contracts amounted to about £800. The total liabilities are stated at £1065, of which £780 is onsecured and £284 secured. The assets amount to £231, consisting of property which is held as security by the- secured creditors. The first meeting of'creditors will be held to-morrow afternoon " The way in which dangers to navigation have been discovered around the New Zea- . land coast, in the absence of a systematic detailed survey, was referred to by. Captain Cozens in an addrese at Wellington. It appeared to be the custom, he = na. to wait until things happened, and when a vessel struck an uncharted rock -it se- . cured the doubtful honour and glory of having the rock ever afterwards'called: by the ships name. hue, we had on the East Coast the Hawea, Monowai, Tomoana, Tokomaru, and Waihora Tocks, all of which' had been "discovered" by these vessels. This was how the surveying of New Zei. land coasts was being done! *' , ' '. ' ■; A visitor to Wellington, writing, in the ! Post,- says that he is not ■ surprised' that several members of the Zoo at Newtown have died, as the institution never seems ■ to be ■ provided , with : water. "If . one watches the lion being fed," the: .writer says, "he will see the man whose duty-it ; is to feed him throw in the meat, but never "V does he give it a drop of water. ..Water is very cheap, and the authorities.could - at least afford to' buy a Teceptacle to hold it, and then the lion would have fresh water to drink whenever it began to feel a little dry. If all the animals could have waterin their cages they would -be more healthy specimen*. ". I don't say that the animals never get water, for I suppose they get a drink sometimes, but how would : anyone like to be deprived of water,.and only given it at set times? An animal should always have access to water." r • '•' ' ' After -visiting the .locality where .the' steamer Makarora was wrecked recently en Lake Wanaka, Mr. E. Roberts, C.E, considers the task of raising the steamer almost hopeless. She was found to be ly- \ : ing almost on end at the edge of a steep rocky face, her bows -alone being viable, 1 above the water level. • The position is j nearly inaccessible by land, and as it is very • much exposed to all bad weather,.the only /.y-J craft available would afford very little pT<«p||| "cal 'assistance, being too email. As the ; total insurance only amounted - to £260, v Captain McDougall is a heavy loser, and sawmillers at the head of the lake are also - losing heavily by, being thus cut off from their customers down the lake. • ■ v Speaking at a social on the West Coast Vr-. Mr. P. F. Munrosaid, although Newcastle yy coal was obtainable for lis a ton, ships came to Westport to load coal.at a*.high y'y. a figure as 19s a ton, and carried the coal to Yap, Matupi, and Samoa. Yap and ; ; y Matupi were small places, but Germany;- . was converting • them into naval stations . and storing up Westport coal for use should yy occasion arise. Germany recognised what, -v ; : a. great advantage it would be to-have a ''. coal superior to that in use on';, the wor- ; ships of an enemy. Instead'of; spending £2,000,000 in purchasing a Dreadnought \' that might be blown to the bottom of the,', ;'■. sea at the first encounter, the New Zea- '-;.y land Government should have expended half a million in making Westport harbour" suitable for despatch of large coal cargoes ;. for British ships when; engaged in war.'g|g| '' Business is slack in Westport and money, y is tight. ' Owing to the refusal of the Go- : vernment to advance . moneys at 3} per cent, (interest and sinking fund) on muni- - cipal leaseholds, building operations are not as brisk as formerly. . The refusal « ". ; the Government (says the Westport News) y is hitting the owners of municipal leaseholds, as these lands have" not the same speculative value. The Government takes up the position that trie Act requires the , loans to-be for 33i years, whereas the municipal lease has only a 21 years tenure. In other parts of the Dominion, the position . is felt as keenly as in Westport and effort* , are being made to place 1 the leaseholders ~ on a more favourable fpoting.- The que* tion will probably ; come up for discussion ;. • in Parliament. The Gorge bridge over the Manawato ;,•. River at Ashhurst, which will connect tb<> Manawatu district with Hawker Bay, *» been passed by Mr. Nathan, Government engineer. It stands on steel cylindersi fitted, with concrete sunk from 40ft to 50ft below • the river bed. It is a truss bridge of seven spans, each 147 ft in length. The road- ~ way is 12ft wide, and stands about S»| above the ordinary level of the river. 1W design of the structure was supplied by th. Government Roads Department, and Mr. H. J. Hayns has been the engineer in charge, the contract price being £18,853. We may reasonably hope ( sa y s Lyttelton Times) that finality has been . reached in the Westport murder case wittt . the exhaustive trial and conviction jfum- ' i nolly. But there are some aspect* of 'i r ~ deplorable business that must stili wscupj 4he attention of the Government, ana however anxious the authorities may oe I to hear the end of the matter, they cannot afford to ignore the plain lesson? tf the case. If the administration of the law | on the West Coast had been in the hands i of competent officers it would not n* token 12 months to ascertain the truth m, ; ■ this matter. There is clearly, plenty- j,, - work for the police to do in Westport, | Indeed, the evidence in the trial direct . and incidentally threw a strange light upon the condition of society in the town, i»* y townsfolk seem to have taken drunken- : ness and rioting as a *»»"**££ and it is plain that they have no^ tion of active intervention on *jy*g the police in the protection .of ,^non^ property No P^/^TUIhe his son to sea if h f „ ;„fo the sort of voun- man would fall into tne fp» society, in which Connolly seen.' moved, or if he WPpwed thaUg« ings in port would be fpentu-tW f The houses of such a town «.We* police '^ffiJXw* careless, and the history « < J l^& f that it was also characterised by s^up y and incompetence. No doubt ™ will engage the attention of the M» for Justice. . :.',", • Though the demand for the workers dwellings erected by the variou/parts of the Dominion has b^ of a very satisfactory ;naUue,aU^|g»| no more houses are resont^Si now are six which ; are. TO1 "£ t_ d vow || Addington, though they ; «wij^«J time ko- They elper eme with crete, the : Government s «P«« n NeW . , 1 hat material in budding cottages at * town and Petone having shown >J» eminently suitable for .the , at the same time, is very —y a** than »w J .