LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14336, 5 April 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

A lad named Gordon Wade, about 10 years of age, a son of Mr. J. C. Wade, of Whitford, met with a nasty accident about noon yesterday. While playing in the district school ground, lie got into close proximity to a horse owned by one of the scholars. The . horse kicked out, and struck the boy on the left thigh,.causing a fracture. The unfortunate- lad was immediately brought .to town by the .launch' Floral, end conveyed to the Auckland Hospital, where his injuries were attended to. He was reported last night to be progressing favourably. * "'.

Information was received yesterday by Messrs. Russell and Sorriere,.local agents for the P. and 0. Company, from the head office of Cthe; company, in; Sydney, to;the effect that a monthly service of the P.. and 0. steamers will be run to New Zealand from November to April next. v The service will be commenced by the Mongolia, leaving \ Sydney on :• November' 19. . This vessel will be followed in turn, at fourweekly, intervals, by the Mobltan, Mantua, Marmora, Mongolia (eeoond trip),; and Mooltan (second trip). The respective dates of arrival of these steamere,; commencing with the first. trip :of the Mongolia, will be November 23, x December 21, January 18, February 15, March" 15, and April 12. ' The last P. and 0. steamer, to call here during the present season will the Morea, due on the 13th inst. . Messrs. Russell and 'Somers point out that their advices contain no intimation that the company's steamers are to call at Wellington, as was recently rumoured. '

Great indignation is, expressed at Huntly (says our correspondent) at the conduct of an unknown thief who stole from its moorings the boat belonging to the widow of the late Mr. Wm. Mclntyre, who died so suddenly a fortnight . ago. . The boat was under offer for sale at the time, and the proceeds would have formed a timely aid to one who has been left in very straitened circumstances.

The schools under the control of the Auckland Board of Education resumed yesterday, after the Easter holidays. In some instances, considerable damage was done" to buildings by the recent heavy weather. The building at Karangahake had 40 sheets of iron blown off the roof, and the shelter-shed at Te Aroha. was blown down. The difficulty in 7 finding teachers to fill all the vacant positions still exists, but there are now only three schools not in operation, so that the Board has done the best they could. r

; No date has yet been fixed' : for the opening of Grafton bridge, but.it is'anticipated that the opening ceremony will take place about the end of the month. At present the ; work of laying the Neuchatel asphalt on the decking is proceeding,' and about one-fourth of the length is completed, but owing to the Easter holidays and the wet weather, the men have worked only about one week out of the past fortnight. ; The asphalting done so far -represents about 2£ days' work. x The ferroconcrete work is how practically , complete, and the remainder- of the asphalt-* ing will probably take about 10 days or a fortnight. ..': " *

The work of cutting down Lome-street to its new level is making very fair progress, but it has been interfered with to a great.extent by the weather. This has necessitated a stoppage more - than once, and the recent rains have made the street into a veritable quagmire. Pedestrians are able to. get along the footpath on the lower side of the street, but,, of course, all vehicular traffic has been , stopped. ;>» It will be some six weeks before the work is completed. *. '

A Chinaman named; Yet./was charged at the Police Court - yesterday morning with working on a recent ■ Sunday, l_ at Eemuera, in view of a public place. ■On Mr. Ciitten, the magistrate, asking him if he understood English, the '; accused answered, "Oh no, not much." After evidence had been given, the magistrate asked defendant if he ; had anything 'to; Bay in answer to the charge. .'. 7 Gee's ■ face broadened into, a- bland smile, but -he answered never a word. The police offered to fetch an interpreter. I, Mx.{ €utten, However, l thought. he ; would; try? ana* ■ make accused understand things. "The, magistrate: "You understand you live in a British community, v and i must obey the law? The Chinaman still maintained his attitude of .smiling silence. ; The magistrate :"Perhaps you will understand a fine —5s and costs." ~i" s '.'--;■" ,*''■„'..' '

'According to Captain G. G. Smith; Royal Naval Registrar, who is at present in Auckland in 1 connection "with" the visit; of H.M.S. Pioneer, a large number of candidates have'come forward < for enrolment in the Royal Naval Reserve and navy. ft The men, in the majority of cases, come from the: Auckland district, .and are at ': present awaiting medical examination. .'.'.: ■■:■■ ;i.'-,

The local superintendent of mercantile marine, Captain Plemming, has been ", instructed by the Marine Department ,to inform masters-of vessels; using Cook Strait that the new gaslight will .be? shown from Jackson Head beacon on and after to-mor-row. It will be, a ' white occulting ,■* lights giving three seconds light and three seconds darkness. ; . - _'..-- ■ .":--'• ,'"..''..-.'-.--•

A communication from a legal firm was read at the Parnell Borough Council meeting last evening, in which the ; Council was informed that : action! would be- taken on behalf of Mr. B. C. Chilwell, architect, if an account amounting to £63 3s ,was not settled immediately. ;; The money, is alleged, is due to Mr. , Chilwell for preparing plans for the proposed Carnegie Library which . was to be erected at • cost of £5000. .1 The Council.still considers that Mr. Chilwell has no claim to the /amount, and the letter was received without'discussion. '' '• ; ■'.•'"■> v : ■ . ';!■'■ ..";,. '■. •■.■'.•;-'.'.":"..:v-f; -i- : '\"'

Sittings of the Assessment Court will be held in the city and, two of) the suburbs this month. The Assessment Court for the city sits in the Council Chambers, on April 26 for Parnell, in Parnell Council Chambers, on April 12, and for Archhill in the ; Road Board office on April 28.

Instructions have been issued to officers commanding districts that all lads#foet\veen 14 and 18 years of age attending high schools and .colleges (including private schools) who are liable for service as .senior cadets, and who are not at present being trained as such, are to- ; be either enrolled in existing companies or new companies formed to ensure that all undergo military training. " ' ,« ' ''' '

The Under-Secretary for Justice .(Mr. F. W. Waldegrave) is at present ■in Auckland, attending to business connected with the Police Department. In reply to an inquiry by a Herald representative last night, Mr. Waldegrave stated 'that while in Auckland he would make /&_ full investi- j gation into the alleged { congested state '. of I the Mount Eden Gaol, and report on the i subject to the Minister for Justice on his•; return to Wellington.; . ,'-'/.;.,■ J ;■ "':.' ; H|; Mr. W. R. Haselden, S.M., stated .when) hearing a case in Wellington on Friday that he was not prepared to admit, either ; that a general demand for fares addressed by a tram conductor to the passengers in a compartment was sufficient or that a passenger found by an inspector to Be without'a ticket was to be presumed to have refused to pay his .fare. In regard to the first point all depended on how the demand was made. Passengers paid their . fares with; a better grace, for instance,;; if asked quietly and civilly than they' did when ; a conductor roared out-"Fares!" V V "~-

: The lighthouse-keeper at Tiri Tiri Island reported late last night that just before dusk he noticed "a 20ft tuck-stern yacht drifting in a/north-easterly direction. The boat. l was partly filled with water,' and appeared to have no occupants.