LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14219, 16 November 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Two : men, .injured as,the , result of. accidents, were admitted to the hospital at four p.m. yesterday afternoon. . Chas. Shaw, a married man, aged 30, was working at the New Lynn brick works, when a fall of clay, weighing about live tons, fell' upon him and fractured , his left leg. Albert Maulfs, a married : man, aged 37, an English labourer, , who' has only been in the Dominion five months, was .working at the Waitakerei- Waterworks, quarrying stone, when he fell 25ft and . was badly crushed. No bones were 'broken.

The Government training. ship Amokura is expected to reach Auckland to-day from Wellington. She is, on. her. way to the Kermadecs, where she will replenish supplies in the depots for shipwrecked sailors. At Curtis Island a new- depot wil' be erected.

' During the hearing of a . case at the Court yesterday, in which a tramcar conductor was charged with carelessness in not pulling up his car in order to enable a lady - to alight, thereby causing her serious injury, the magistrate, Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., said there was far too much risk, taken by passengers in boarding and leaving cars while in motion. He also referred to risks taken by ferry-boat passengers, and • said ■ he believed a serious accident would occur one of these days at the Ferry Company's wharf. The practice was to rush -to the shore side of the ferry boats when they neared the wharf, and so soon as they were within a - few feet passengers jumped promiscuously on to the wharf. This would end in a passenger one day losing his footing and being crushed between the ship and the wharf.' - The public - would then cry out asking why the police did not take steps to stop this .risky habit. .

The twin-screw bucket hopper dredger Hapai, for the Auckland Harbour Board, was launched. on September 30 at Paisley by Messrs. Fleming and Ferguson. She has been designed to raise. 1200 tons per hour from a depth of 45ft.

A telegram from, our Rotorua correspondent states that the boarding-house proprietors and coaching and launch companies have entered into an agreement, including all except three boarding-house keepers, to. abolish touting. The arrangement came into force to-day, and will obviate what was.recently stigmatised by Mr. R. W. Dyer, S.M., as a disgrace to Rotorua. . .

Seven tenders were received by Mr. Jas. Stewart yesterday for the road contracts on the Dilworth estates, comprising, work on Hall and Dilworth Avenues. The portion between the railway line and Great South Road is not to be done just now , pending a decision concerning the bridge over the railway line. v A footpath is to be formed between the railway and the Great South Road.

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland (Dr. Lenihan) has lately been acquiring a number of properties in.various parts of his diocese with the object of providing for the future developments of the Roman Catholic Church in this, province. Among the '. most . prominent of these purchases is the old Falls Hotel, Henderson, with 18 acres of land attached, the price paid being £1857. . Sections at Puriri and" Hikutaia have also been bought, as well as a two-acre block at Morrinsville. Some properties in the city have also been purchased, including a section of one and,' three-quarter acres on Epsom Avenue, between Mt. Eden and Epsom, also a section, 30ft by 63ft, in East-street, and adjoining St. - Benedict's Hall. A property of two acres in Ver-mont-street, Ponsonby, , has - also been iought, ; and it is stated that other, important, purchases are gibout to be made.

The criminal sessions of the Auckland Supreme Court were commenced before Mr. Justice Cooper. yesterday. ■ In : all 36 cases .were presented for trial, including four charges of Murder. > The grand jury threw out the charges of murder against the girls Yates and Sinclaire, but returned true bills against them on the counts of concealment of birth. A true bill was also found in the case of the man Allwood, charged with committing murder at Dargaville. The grand jury only got through a little - more than a third of the cases, and will continue its deliberations to-day. Prior to* the commencement of the sessions Mr. Justice Ed-wards-sentenced' five prisoners," who had pleaded guilty, to various charges in the lower Court. . ; ;

; The . secretary .of the Opotiki A. and P. Association, Sir: A. SP. Day, who has been attending the Gisborne show, travelled over the route of • the proposed railway between Motu and the spot where the works are now in-progress, passing the railway. camps, where, he says, about 500 workmen are located. -As far as he could ascertain, the majority of the Gisborne people are not .particularly eager for the railway to come beyond Motu, as they have gone in for expensive harbour works, with the result and wharf dues are heavy, and will be required to pay for, the outlay; and, under the circumstances, an outlet at Opotiki for the Motu district is not, in their eyes, particularly desirable. From conversation with railway officials and others, however, Mr. Day gathered that the railway will reach . Motu in about two years' time. The greater part of this period will be occupied in the construction of a viaduct, and in all probability the railway will be pushed on from Motu to Opotiki as rapidly as possible.

The entries of horses; cattle, pigs, and sheep for the Auckland A. and P. Association's summer show next week are expected to total over 250 more than last year's, which far exceeded any previous year's figures. .

At a meeting of the Parnell Borough Council last night the Council decided to forward a memorial to Dr. Findlay, Minister for Justice, pointing out that although Constable Donovan was recommended for promotion five years ago, he had not yet received it. They were fully aware that. Constable Donovan was now over the age limit for promotion, but notwithstanding this he was physically fit to perform his duties. They suggested that the constable be promoted to the rank of sergeant and stationed in Parnell. • • ' ■ *rV. ' -

The attractions of the Cook Islands, both for settlement* and as a tourist resort,'are evidently appealing to New Zealanders, numerous applications having been made at the tourist offices of late for information. / Half- a dozen inquiries were received yesterday morning. The Department; has issued several pamphlets setting forth the attractions of , Rarotonga arid other of the islands as winter resorts.

At, the Supreme Court v yesterda Ifflß' A.' W. : Donald, ' who ' had been • waning ft to serve on the grand jury, was for non-attendance, with the ' =111 that the fine would be remitted wiNlt showing good cause for his ab S en ce . I A poll was taken on Saturday to ~ 1 if, rating on unimproved! values should? 1 adopted in- Matamata County. A ma - . j of the councillors were against it -■ they carried their point by a majorltv!! jS 113 out- of 431 votes recorded. '' ' ' ' '■ The Northern Company's steamer a ' V 5 tangi, which has been laid' up at 0 8 hunga for some months past, ,i s to jJ?" her re-appearance in the Waitemata Ver !' '4 shortly. Yesterday she was 1 the slip at Onehunga to undergo 'age® | overhaul, after which she will sail 'Jo • K' Auckland. • On arrival at this port thel] Waitangi will be placed in the \Vhan» 1 rei-Auckland trade, making an additional"' steamer for that trade. Captain E." Dj« fi ling, late of the Claymore, has been &p. J| pointed master of the Waitangi, and'®? f M. Pierotti, late second officer of-'tjj / Ngapuhi, chief officer, of the WaitangL j |j Twenty-nine "general service" men I came out from England by the lonic sigsed f off the. vessel's articles -at- Wellington.o & other, morning, and they intend to settle ia I New Zealand. The men joined" the aha 1 in London as stewards, assistant * steward*, 1 pantrymen, etc., in order to cope with % larec amount of additional work entailed 1 the big number of. passengers travelling % .New Zealand. On the Homeward ru| | there would be little or no necessity ! for'»- | their services, bo a clays© was •inserted' is !! the ship's articles at London that the men § would be signed off on arrival in Nev l! Zealand. They received the n regnlafj? 4 |] wage for the employment in; which they 1 were engaged."; 'i Bibby c Bros., who bad a buck-jutupini | exhibition at the Manawatu ; Show, .wtj] I' charged at the Magistrate's .Court; on tin :-f information of the Palmerston North So- | ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Ani- a mals, with cruelty to a young horse -in ja».; | sooing and throwing it several times, »Sf, I J. H. Hankins, president of the society, ap- 1 peared for the prosecution, and .Mr.' H. ; ; 1 Cooper for defendants. After hearing evi- ■ I dence Mr. A. D. Thompson, S.M., said that $ these buck-jumping contests were generally contests of. skill between man and beast, and : jj| there could .be nothing better than .-this Ji wholesome , sport, the only pity' being that / ' such sport did often degenerate into cruelty; In/the present instance, he was satisfied that , f| there had been cruelty, and inflicted a find | of £1, with costs £2. ■ . r ''£- : -i An -interesting story relative ,to the aged § Maori woman who was bu;,it to death at a| Gisborne is . related .in the Poverty Bey % Herald. The investigation . of- certsi' j|' claims respecting a large-block, of land in the vicinity of -Te Karaka was' the subject p of a . big case before . Judge Barton in. tKj s| Validation Court, and Heni WiUoughby-, ■ unsuccessfully fought her claim to certain, | interests, which, ifc was proved, had been |» disposed of to Europeans in the early eighr | '.f----ties. Subsequently, when the block caw /§ up - for partition, Heni was again in if minence, and so persistently 'did she advo-j || eate her claims that the leading natives, .-/? rid themselves of the . annoyance of her per- J sistent loquacity, promised to reserve soin| t % 20 or 30 acres in the; most valuable portion; of the block. The woman concurred, and' n she a, certain area that is located' p alongside the Puha railway station, aw j$ which is now of considerable value. 1 a • ■ y t \"' > v ' •;* • " ' •'*^ •' From v ; Rangataua; " on • the Main Trial 1 line, through - the ' Tongariro National Patki 1 to - Mount Ruapehu, the track is - do#" ai -J accomplished fact. During the coming J summer those - desirous ; of climbing- this m mountain will -be able to.'do :so with com- '4 parativeVease..f By 'starting froni;lUingitetf: tj at an early, hour. in the morning on?hm«-| | back, the journey.to the summit and bud j| should be completed , easily in the one dat, » Horses can be taken to the foot of the moua- : p tain (about nine miles), through some of fl* s| finest bush . scenery in New Zealand. ij doubt those to whom mountain climbing 5, peals-will .take advantage of this easy and >| pleasant mode of enjoying a.- holiday ' . amongst the snowy peaks. * ( ''VI I ; •' ' •' ■ '■ ' '••• | Hokio -. beach is becoming. famous asij | fishing i ground ■ (Bays, the;' Levin Chroniclfj. || A few days ago, Messrs. Langley i and, |; of Foxton, concluded a most successful trial of - the 'locality, landing in , five days^ lines no fewer than 250 schnapper.;;"-!® 1 largest haul for one day was 84, and tli j next largest 63. . Mr. Langley used an iflft J flat-bottomed boat, and being a skilled 0# | man and • fisherman; his f operations • WCC f| watched from the shore ,by • quite -a / j | number of - interested visitors to , the. beach- ; |j The natives say this portion of the beach, 9 from the scene of the ' Hyderabad wreck.to j; the , mouth of the ,Ohau River, is an old fishing ground, and it is considered by sOJMI 0 who are. supposed to know that a fishing | depot for . regular; supplies could without jl difficulty be established there. ' , * 1 • "Here is a story of something that hap* ( , ; pened on the way here,'' said- Mr. W. . >' Crooks, M.P., - to the audience which received him at the Sydney Trades HalL | Mrs. Crooks has not heard it before, so perhaps - it will ' interest' her. great man -in : Australia who was on the /? boat told another : great person that M i| was travelling to Australia on r the 'MB" ';k boat - as Will - Crooks, V the Labour mart-. | Oh, r indeed,* said : the other, ' what sort m of a fellow/is he?' 'Well,' said the |g great man, 'Crooks himself is absolutely y| no class whatever, but his wife is aye#| ambitious woman, : who dictates & thing to him, and he has to do it.' g came as a revelation to me," said : ;& |1 Crooks, " but.you never really know vfba 1 you are or what you ought to be.. > ' ; ® | The Otago Daily Times supplies tpM I stance of . quaint mistakes made occasion- <. ally when messages are sent over the jw * graph wires. A gentleman in a JNort * | town, learning of a journey •to be- •.3 by a Southern friend, wrote; inviting , 'd to stay a night. The reply was , t . y factory. ' It was ' the laconic " Think sold chaff ; going straight hon» yj Telegrams demanding " explanation || exchanged, official channels moved,l last the original message came throug ... " Thanks, old chap ; going straight ho® < » ' Fishermen - at the Bluff are f (states the correspondent .of tho _ i Daily Times) against the protection. o£ | at sea, a measure -which they 'conten ? altogether uncalled for. - They point i : g fact that . trout i are ; . most : vor«cg, J creatures, ' devouring everything g comes in their way, a " d -? i are strongly inclined to the % that the small fry, especially S™un» , in whose welfare the public at |..S e . || deeply interested; are, to an a | tt [" in f | tent, exposed to the ravages of tn g A prosecution of New River is in process for netting trout at ~.. g brought the matter to the , fore. ft A double-decker car ran off the ■ 1 the top of Syinonds-street - last cv . § necessitating : » delay in the » | about , half-an-hour. At about ' » was a brief stoppage of .the jg Queen-street, owing '.. to a slig"B the overhead eysterUj which Ps lepaired.