LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14209, 4 November 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A resident of Beach Road, Mrs. Mallett, aged 65 years, was found dead by her husband, at four o'clock yesterday afternoon. For the last few months deceased had been complaining of hot feeling well. She had a hearty meal at midday yesterday, and appeared much better. Her husband took a tram to Remuera attwo p.m., and returning at four o'clock l> found her lying on the bedroom floor. He at once called in Dr. Moir, who said she had apparently been dead for some time. An inquest will be held to-day. ■ A fireman, aged 40 yearS, named Edward Kiernan, belonging to . the s.s. . Ngatiftwa, dropped dead at his work yesterday morning. He only joined the ship on Tuesday, and little is known concerning him, except that he is a married man. He was seen to stagger and fall in the stokehold at eight o'clock yesterday morning, and when the officer on watch went below, a few minutes • later, he was" dead. An inquest will be held to-day. ■'

A smart rescue was ■ effected «*ri evening by Moorman Victor Haw* who was in charge of tramcar No m''- > bound from Kingsland into the city '? i the Victoria-street intersection of Q : ? street, a man, stated, by some bysUnd*' : to bo under the influence of li quor '"* , , against the car. The motorman had ' • ''' : stantly he grasped the situation Paf *'? ■ the emergency brake. Thin, , '"$ was riot quite enough to avert an acd '■'" dent, and the motorman promptly }S ': ~ ••■■.■••■■ r "'"Pwy lean*.* i over the apron, of the car and, deftly •,»'-' his arm round the man's neck, thus ing him from injury.- The whole wdfcnf I only lasted a jew seconds, and the had gone on before most of those who I nessed the affair realised what had > ha' pened. A similar feat was ' performed ' the same motorman last June, at 1/ Shortland-street corner of Queen-streef * ■ r . The total insurance on Messrs. as . jr Andrew and Co. sash and door factor? etc., in which a fire occurred on TuesJ. afternoon {telegraphs our Paeroa curVef pondent), was £4000 in the North Briii*', and Mercantile Company. Of this amount £3050 was on the factory plant, stocfc and fittings that were destroyed. The'loy will be considerably in excess of thfe amount. Messrs. McAndrew [Co. will probably rebuild, and they are already making arrangements to carry on tee;, porarily. . While working at the l, Fireman McGeehin was struck by a fall' ing beam, and sustained a severe bruise ' on the shoulder, which will necessitate him laying up for a week or two. Near!? all the employees' tools -were lost in the fire, and Mr. Briggs, who had 'a;polity for £20,' was the only one who had-any ■ insurance. - ~.»-.• .... . •; ■ >•■-•" %?4'?> •■■"•'.* .■■-■■ . During the 24 hours ended 9.30 - a.ifc yesterday a fall of -33in,rain occurred| There was a steady fall' in the glaa throughout yesterday. .-. , ,■■ I The question of a standard of efficiency for the drivers of motor cars was touched I upon by the Mayor at last night's meeting of the Newmarket Borough CowjdL. Some motorists, he said, had got quite »', ■' mania for speed, and it was getting'ab-; solutely dangerous. "The streets of New-' market were- highways to the city, and he thought the Council should insist upon' some standard of efficiency for those who I drive motor cars. This arose out of a ' recommendation from the Streets Commit tee to the effect' that the Council coin, municatei with the Auckland City Council with a view to the forming of by-laws with respect to the regulating of motor, car traffic and the qualification of drivers. > The recommendation of the committee J was adopted. -- j

In reference to the account published'iV;': the Herald some time ago of the - old ■>' organ in the Museum at Wanganui, there, is (says our Bay of Islands correspondent) , in the pretty little church at Paihia, in ,' the ? Bay of • Islands, another old organ which is said by the old settler? to be V counterpart or. fellow to the one: at Wg» nganui. It is believed that the two or- t ' gans came to New Zealand togethek aaU were the first ': organs _j brought : J to Sthftl colony. The one now at Wanganui shad » chequered career,-and' at one time was; in »-'i t urn. a , bad way, sure enough. The one at ; Paihia has, it seems, remained in good i keeping all its history, and is now in very j ! good order. Musicians will be interested' j ! to know that whilst the instrument has' the ordinary keyboard, there is also jiM over it a row of small metal hooks, in ' the vestry of the chul'ch is a barrel pro. perly -wired for eight.or ten tones.' Than barrel can be put in place in a' few ? minutes, and so, in the absence of a skill*' ed organist, any one acquainted with the, markings can grind out sufficient music J for, an ordinary service. The s.s. Atua, which arrived from Syd-.; ney, via the Islands, yesterday morning, l , brought further particulars regarding the' steamer South Australian, which grounded; on'a reef at Wallis Island on October 6,-; and was subsequently refloated. ; ; The y news of the stranding of the South Australian was brought to Levuka by,.'s»'. second officer, in a cutter of five tons, on;, October -22, the purser, third engineer, and the bo'sun accompanying .bun.' , arrangements were at one? made to seed assistance, and a German man-o'-mr which was then in port at Levuka, left for th© scene of tho disaster, about 200 miles north-east of the Fiji Group. It was at first intended to despatch the Ataa .;■ to render assistance to the South Australian, but after consideration, the underwriters decided that this was unnecessary. The latter vessel then resumed , her voyage to Auckland. The cutter , covered the distance from Wallis Island.' to Levuka in the smart time of five days Some; critical remarks were made. by Mr. Kinder at the meeting of the Newmarket Borough Council last night, on the action of the City Council in leasing,V" or proposing to lease, certain of the tennis courts in the Domain > to 'i one » particular v club. v : Mr. Kinder ; moved to that it having been reported that .tie . City Council proposes leasing a - portioe of the Domain to a club for.lawn.tennis,, etc., this Council 9 protests .-against, any ; portion -of the Domain being set apart far ■the benefit of a. small section of the community, ;as it , reduces the area for'*the recreation of the rapidly-increasing population of the surrounding districts. :,; , One , .or two other members supported the remarks made by Mr. Kinder, and the Mayor referred to the City Council's action as thoroughly undemocratic in character. The motion was carried- 3 The Mayor of Newmarket (Mr. £ ! Davis) intimated to the Borough Council last evening that he would not be alia to again accept nomination for membership of the Auckland Hospital Board. He had been on the Board now for two years and owing to pressure of business; |taj| would not at present be able to again accept nomination. It was, he said, "0 sinecure to be a member of the Auckland Hospital Board, but whatever might be said about the Board outside there w* not such * a bad feeling on the - Board « the public were ? led to believe. ' It was absolutely wrong to say that it was owj i a Board of contention the members ;tw| as much interest in the institutions"under j ! their control as did other bodies. Councillors hoped that Mr. Davis would rei consider his decision, and ( urged upon h* to do so. but Mr. Davis,' while fully appreciating the sentiments expressed; " [ the councillors who spoke, said he i" l 5 \ unable to again consider his decision. ; . The loan of £52,000, which was recently ! authorised by the ratepayers of MOOJ* ! Eden, appears to have a fair chance f being issued under the Government's « proposals for advances to local bod l ** j The Prime Minister told the Maraffi Mount Eden (Mr. Oliver Nicholson), *&• ] ing the visit of the latter to Welfi||| j last week, that ha saw no reason . wn 3||i' j should not be done as soon as'^3S| [legislation had been enacted. " v^P