LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14145, 21 August 1909, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

There is a possibility of a new theatre being erected on the site of the Strand Arcade, destroyed by Monday night's fire. No definite scheme has yet been formulated, but a local syndicate has approached Mr. Arthur M. Myers' representative on the subject. At present the matter has gone no further than a suggestion on the part of the syndicate that a theatre should be built, and that they should undertake to lease same for a certain number of years. The terms proposed are under consideration.

Some trouble arose at the Morningside quarries yesterday, ending in work being temporarily suspended. It is stated that the 32 men employed on the works took exception to some of the conditions connected with their employment, and made representations on the matter to Mr. Ray Wilson, the engineer in charge. A deadlock is said to have resulted, which brought quarrying operations to a standstill yesterday morning. The engineer, on being seen by a Herald representative, stated that the matter at issue was likely to be amicably settled.

The contractors for the Grafton bridge expect to commence the concreting of the main arch on Monday.

Waterside workers, who have been having a rather dull and unprofitable time of it lately, will be provided with plenty of employment on the wharves towards the end of the present month. Among the steamers expected to reach Auckland within the next fortnight are the Cornwall from Liverpool and Australia, Glendevon and Tomoana from New York and Australia, Umta and Aparima from Calcutta, Tynieric from San Francisco, Marere from London and Australia, Talune from the Eastern Pacific Islands, Koromiko from Fiji, and the Corinthic from the South, besides the usual intercolonial and coastal steamers. - :

One of the pleasantest sallies made at the meeting held last night to do honour to the Leader of the Opposition, «-as that of Mr. F. M. B. Fisher, M.P., in referring to the present day legislators of New Zealand. These gentlemen he likened to nine vicars of Bray, who, if you went to them to settle the question of whether you should drink beer or lemonade, would say, "Mix them, my boy." Amidst roars of laughter, Mr. Fisher proceeded to criticise what he termed the "shandygaff" legislation of the-Government.

By invitation, representatives of the principal contracting firms using the Mount Albert roads for heavy traffic met the Board in conference on the question of the enforcement of the heavy traffic regulations. As a result, it is probable that the difficulty will be solved on the lines of a compromise. On the motion of Messrs. E. A. Craig and H. S. Wilson, a hearty vote of thanks was passed to the. Board for calling the conference, which Mr. Craig said he believed was the first of its kind held.

A prisoner who had been found guilty in a Southern Supreme Court stated during the course of a plea for leniency that he had been astonished to hear the verdict. His Honor remarked that the prisoner must have been the only man present in the Court who was astonished. A moire clearly proved case ho could not remember,

In the literary supplement issued *it» M to-day's Herald Tohunga writes "J M "The Fascination of Fire," Frank M°* S ton contributes an article entitled "j** "PI gannath," James Drummond has a I ther instalment of his Nature Notes, and I Frank Fox writes about the House IP Lords. The sketch on "Living New Z lit land Poets," by Arthur A. D. Bayldon If S continued, and a further instalment' S the three serial stories, "Lassie," "c S mour Charlton," and "In Fear of Throne," appears. The usual budget 0 Local Gossip, London fashion notes and chess and draughts is also given a literary and theatrical jottings are con S tinued. y : WM

The "taihoa" malady is apparently D £ unknown to the Post and Telegraph D partment. At yesterday's meeting of th, -' Auckland A. and P. Association Mr. J ' G. Rutherford said a notice of a meetini '-£ tr> be held on the 11th of the month did' 'HI not reach him till the 13th. Mr. A. ~W< ft I derson produced a letter which tie post. fi t marks showed had been posted at Auckland on a certain day, and received at SSI Onehunga two days later. Mr. R. g a ii |p also gave an instance of a notice of »' S meeting not reaching its destination till Hi after the meeting, whilst Mr. E. Hall W (secretary to the association) stated that il a few days ago he had handed in a tele. ill gram at Frankton Junction, addressed to *tH his house in Mangere. He, however, ar. HI rived home before the message was de livered. , \. A majority of the witnesses at the cri- H minal sittings of the Supreme Court have S3 been natives, and all have elected to give ~~i their evidence in the Maori language, K with the result that the services of an sinterpreter have been necessary and pro. gress slow. "I suppose these witnesses -• can speak English," His Honor remarked yesterday, as an intelligent-looking Maori : entered the box. The interpreter inter. ■ rogated the witness, and received a negative reply. His Honor: "If someone M asked you to have a drink, would you not 19 understand?" The bland face of the" fit native turned to the interpreter, in wellfeigned surprise, but the joke had appealed too strongly to his risibility, and IPs a broad smile illumined his face, to the amusement of those in Court. The services of the interpreter were, however, not dispensed with. ' I

When Thomas Neville, a railway cros-sing-keeper, was walking down to the Railway Wharf yesterday morning he was seized with a fit of coughing, and broke a .blood vessel. He was taken to the Sailors' Home, where, after being attended to by Dr. Watson, he sufficiently recovered to be able to be conveyed in the ambulance to his home in Nelsonstreet.

The Public - Works Department will shortly open an office at Whangarei. Mr. McEnnis, who will be placed in charge, is to have control over all roads, bridges, and railway construction in the North. The work will be directed from Whangarei, instead of from Auckland, as in the past. / : : :

The constitution of the Court of Inquiry into the mishap to the Earawa some time ago was adversely criticised at a meeting of the committee of the New Zealand Shipowners' Federation yesterday afternoon, as it was considered that in a purely engineering matter both assessor! ■should be engineers. A telegram,was sent to the Minister for Marine conveying the views of the federation, and asking that the Court should be reconstituted on the above basis.

The conference of delegates from tin local bodies has adopted the scheme for the new infectious diseases hospital at Wellington (says-a Press Association message), costing approximately £13,000 when completed. The local bodies are to find half the money, and the Government half. The Wellington City Council will be responsible for 84.43 per cant, of the £6500, the rest being distributed among the neighbouring local bodies. %

At a recent meeting of the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce (writes our correspondent) * the president mentioned the fact that the Government is largely engaged in commerce at the present time, and he thought the time had arrived for asking why the Government should not be placed on the same footing as those engaged in commercial pursuits. He instanced the manner in which the Railway Department repudiates claims made against it for loss •or shortages. They accept delivery of goods from the public, tender a receipt, but for goods consigned to flag stations or private sidings they decline responsibility for the safe delivery of the goods, and it is impossible to get any satisfaction whatever. The Government made laws for regulating commercial matters, but although themselves similarly engaged they were beyond the Jaw. He urged that the time was opportune for chambers of commerce to take the matter up, and moved that the Auckland Chamber of Commerce be asked to take the initiative in trying,, to, secure an emphatic expression of opinion on the question of Government trading and the use of the Crown Suits Act in connection' therewith. The motion was seconded by Mr. Tudehope, and carried:.

A petition in bankruptcy was filed yesterday by Donald Hugh Aloysius Bourke, who has been trading during the past fire months with Charles Nicholson, as tailor: 1 , at Auckland and Hamilton, under tie style of "Kino's." A meeting of creditors will be held on Friday next.

The example made of several men employed on the relief works for not doing * fair day's work has not had the desired effect (says a Wellington paper). Warnings have been freely distributed by the gangers, but it has been found necessary to dismiss five mors men from the Victoria College works and one from the Wadestown Road. It is stated that the rejects were quite able to do a fair day'* work, but they preferred loafing and " pointing."

Gratitude does not appear to be a strong feature in the character of many of the men helped along the road by the Benevolent Trustees (says the Wellington Post). When a man applied on Tuesday for a swag, Mr. J. Wakeham, a trustee, asked if any of the men helped away returned the cost of their outfits. Mr. H. Cook, a very old member of the Board, said he had never known of a case of that sort. ' The people disappeared, but entirely forgot the help they had received. The chairman observed that the trustees would certainly like to see some return, not for its intrinsic value, but because it would show that people really appreciated the j help they had received.'

Once more there are rumours of trouble/ at the Petone railway workshops. It is stated that discontent prevails with regard to methods of working. Several meetings have been held, and " passive i* t eistance " was decided upon. Further d*» velopmeats may be expected*