LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14689, 25 May 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

His Excellency the Governor (Lord Islington) and Lady Islington were the guests of tho Northern Club last night, at a ball given in their honour. This morning Lord Islington, will visit the Auckland Society of Arts, for a private view of the pictures on exhibition. Arrangements have been made for His Excellency to visit the Town Hail and the Newton East and Devonport schools to-mor-row, under the guidance of the Mayor (Mr. C. J. Parr) and the chairman of the Education lioard (Mr. G. J. Garland). In the evening the Auckland Garrison Officers' Club will hold a social evening, at which His Excellency will be the guest of honour.

i The death occurred yesterday morning of Mr. William T. Rateman, chief engineer on the dredge Hapai, who was injured seriously on Tuesday morning. An inquest was opened before the Coroner, Mr. 'J'. Gresham, in the afternoon, and after the evidence of identification had been taken the inquiry was adjourned till 10 a.m. this morning at the Criterion Hotel. Flags were flying half-mast in memory of deceased on the Harbour Hoard buildings, vessels in port, and shipping offices yesterday. The funeral of the late Mr. Hateman will leave his late residence at Walter's Road, for W 7 aikumete cemetery, this afternoon, at two o'clock. Deceased was a momber of the Waitemata Masonic Lodge, and a number of the brethren will attend the funeral. No regalia will be worn.

A correspondent informs us that at least in one place in the King Country the census papers have not yet been collected.

An interested visitor to the Auckland wharves yesterday was Mr. J. Vigor Brown, M.P., of Napier, who until his retirement this year from the chairmanship of the Napier Harbour Board had held that office for nine years. Mr. Brown was shown over the harbour works by the chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board (Mr. J. H. Gunson). The Railway and Queen-street Wharves were inspected, and a visit was also paid to the Calliope Dock and other works in progress. In conversation with a reporter last evening, "Mr. Brown stated that as one who has taken a- keen interest in ferro-concrete construction since its introduction to NewZealand, he was very much impressed by the appearance of stability presented by the new Auckland wharves, of which he made a close inspection. He mentioned that the Napier Board has constructed a large and two small ferro-concrete wharves. The former has been in use for some years, and it has proved more than satisfactory in every way.

, A seven-roomed . house at East Tamaki, owned by Mr. Michael Luther, was destroyed by fire on Tuesday night, the owner being absent at the time. The building was insured tor £200, and the contents for £110.

Two Maoris named Kewhi Waitohi and Kakiri Whcoki, who were arrested on the 14th inst. on a charge of stealing horses, pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court at Mangonui on Tuesday, and were committed for trial.

Charges against farmers as employers of

labour were challenged warmly by delegates cat the Provincial Fanners' Union conference yesterday. The following remit

forwarded by the Waerenga branch was

adopted unanimously: "That this conference emphatically denies the charges made

against the farming community re farm labour, and- records its sound conviction

that the conditions of the agricultural

labourer are at least equal to any of the large industries of the Dominion, and as regards the prospect* for capable and energetic men are infinitely better." Mr. Alex. Ross, speaking on behalf of the Waerenga branch, said that industries were now faced with a coming scarcity of labour. The

farming industry, being progressive, would feel the pinch more than others. To make

hings worse, men who ought to know bet-

ter went about the country stating that anyone who worked for farmers was in for a bad time. "The farmer," said Mr. Roes,

''is charged with three cardinal sins (1) That he gives his men poor accommodation, (2) that he pays small wages, and (3) that he works his men long hours." The accommodation provided on farms, said Mr. Ross, was just as good, and very often much better than that provided in the towns. As a general rule men had not to work long hours on farms their hours were regulated just as those of men in the town were. He also denied the charge in regard to low wages on farms. Workmen in the towns, on the other hand, kept up the old cry .that they were only able to run on and make things meet.

A vigorous effort is being made to enrol as many boy scouts as possible under the new Defence Act. With the idea of furthering this movement the scoutmasters in the different areas have made arrangements to be in attendance at various public places at specified hours for the purpose of receiving enrolments. Those scouts who have not yet sent in their names, and others wishing to enrol as boy scout cadets in accordance with the Defence Act, are reminded that they must be registered by June 2.

. The story of the splendid bullock's head, which surmounts the entrance to the Agricultural Department's court at the Winter Show, is an interesting one. The head was that of a Highland bullock, presented to the OUgo A. and P. Association by the president, Mr. W. Charters, of Taieri, for the purposes of a guessing competition at the last Winter Show. The strange surroundings had <i most injurious effect upon the big beast, for it lost its reason, and had to be shot. Subsequently the head was presented by Mr. Charters to the fields and experimental division of the Department of Agriculture, us a mark of his appreciation of the assistance given by the division to the winter shows conducted by the association.

Notification of the transference of the following police officers has been received by Inspector Uullen : —Sergeant MeNamara, recently promoted at Cambridge, has been transferred to Newton, where he will take up sectional duties. His place at Cambridge will be taken by Constable McCarthy, of Kihikihi. Constable Evan has been transferred to Kihikihi, and Constable Dandy, of Gisborne, will replace him at Taupo,

Th© Mayor of Auckland (Mr CT""tt >: was asked by a Herald ,enr« *> yesterday to make a statement r V * city's standpoint. regarding *h« th « of the Auckland Education Board m City Council should include i n i , t , t| * scheme a proposal to raise a loan * , ° less than 10,000 towards the d, not of the Seddon Memorial Technical C?** such Joan, if taised, to bo the Government at the rate of x> t * Mr. Parr replied that he w as J" * sanguine that the proposal would \ tertained by the City Council, a 8 ? '"" not altogether reasonable. "] t Was remembered," he id, -'that the""?only about one-quarter the area of p ' S er Auckland, while its population capital value only amount to about half _ Most of the students attending' lechmcal College come from the sub J Tho suburbs, therefore, benefit just" much, if not more, than the city f rom ,J* institution, and if the city is to heln V suburban bodies should certainly doTl wise. i recognise that the city !la duty to do something in the matter J not everything. i im;l „ in(>) if p»J are to be made to the ratepayers at J they must be on the basis that the J' urbs contribute on the basis of their c •' tal value in proportion to the contra!"' tion of the city. it should not be f * gotten also in considering this matter tr..' the City Council has already done m i to assist the cause of technical education locally by providing a magnificent sit, for the Technical College right in v, heart of the city, free of cost.'' ?

A little scene of a somewhat unpleasant character occurred yesterday afternoon a t the Criminal Court, between the Cm,™ Prosecutor, Mr. J. A. Tole, K.C. .*d Mr. It. A. Singer. A case in man was charged with araajilt and robber, was called on. The accused intimated t]»t he bad engaged counsel (Mr. Singer) ( appear for him. That gentleman was no' present and the case proceeded, the prison! er conducting his own defence. Mr. Tole' before any evidence wa.s taken, explained to the Court that he had informed Mr Singer earlier in tho day that this ease would have to be gone on with when it was called. Later in the afternoon Mr Singer appeared in Court and explained to His Honor that he had certainly under. stood Mr. Tolo to say the case would not be taken that day. What promised to become a heated controversy between counsel was cut short by His Honor, who curtly observed that it was counsel's dutt to be in attendance when tho case* in which they were engaged were called on, and he could not have it supposed that Mr. Tole had given any ground for censure or comment in this matter.

The Pitt-street Methodist Church a undergoing a thorough renovation outside I and inside. This work will soon be completed, and the three-manual organ, which ;is being built by Mr. Croft, is nearly finished. This will probably be one of tie finest organs in the city, both for capacity and quality. Tho interior of the church will be greatly changed. Instead of the choir being behind the congregation in the gallery, they will be in front of the congregation on a raised platform. The memorial and lead-light windows give the church an ornate, new and pleasing appearance. During the past four weeks services have been held in the King's Theatre, and they will be held there for one or two more Sundays. Great preparations are being made for the reopening services in the cathedral of Methodism in tho Auckland province. The Warrimoo, which arrived at We!' lington yesterday from Sydney, brought an Australian mail. As the vessel arrived too, late to connect with the Main Trunk express the Auckland portion of the mail, consisting of 29 bags, will not reach here till to-morrow morning. Talcing the last six trips on this service the train connection at Wellington has only been made once, viz., by the Moeraki on May 10. The postal authorities advise that the outward Suez mail by the Aorangi from Wellington reached Sydney on the 23rd inst., too late, to connect with the Melbourne express, and therefore missed .the connection with the Suez mail. The mail was sent forward by the Norddeutscher-Lloyd steamer yesterday. This means that the mail will arrive in London four days later than if it had caught the P." and 0. boat.

A Maori case came before Messrs. G. Dickinson, C. W. Keeley and Dr. Bob* erts, J.P.'s at Cambridge on Tuesday, J native woman named Ani Waata suing a native named Rua for unlawfully assaulting her on May 10 last by striking her witjf a post. Mr. W. F. Buckland appeared for the defendant, who pleaded not guilty. Sergeant McNamara, who prosecuted said that a dispute of long-standing si Maungatautari culminated in Rau ere* ing a fence across some of the land conprised in the 3000-aere block, and blocking thereby the means of ingress and egress of one Tu Whakarau and his family. Complainant, as champion of the aggrieved person's cause, went along on the day in question to expostulate with Kau in regard to the feme. The outcome of Ani's mission was that an hour alter she had set out she was found lying on the ground in an injured condition. The evidence for the prosecution went to show that Am sought to remove some ! of the posts which Ran had sunk, whereupon a struggle ensued, Ani trying to root the post out and Kau trying to prevent her. While so engaged, Rau let the» post go, and it struck the woman on th« breast. The struggling evidently continued for some time, the honours being fairly evenly divided-. Kau admitted to the Court that on one occasion Am secured the fall, and, she followed up the advantage by dragging he.' unwilling victim along the ground. Against this, it was deposed that Riria Rau, » bl girl, of 15 vears of age, pulled Ani front her father, 'seizing her hair to accomplish this purpose. The Bench considered that Ani (who was pafined to her bed for a week aiww the encounter) was entitled to sua** and gave a verdict on her behalf, fin«* , Rau £1 and costs £4 13s 6d, or in default, , four months' imprisonment.

The owner of a vacant block of bag* ings, containing both shops andjrfßCM has reported to, the police that am. represented that he came Iron) » ' » a firm of house agent*, had earned * «. bunch, of kevs with the object of m ing the building, and had not retu™ them. It seems necessary for P i •, owners to lie careful aboiinl hanaini, the 'ir to callers who cannot give proof « bona-Hde wish to become tenant?. A curiosity in (he torn, of . 1 i«i ewe attracted some attention.'" ini oI( ], side salevards last week. ->* . ' ds the freak animal weighed -fjjjgfcg more than its pen mates. , r t<> ft grows from the k'Fl hmd qi.a>; , y couple Of inches off the S™ u " d ; il^c d the odditv in the leg is that n is tuinC After opposite way from the other «v----shirting at 2s 6d, the found er in tire person of a prominent street butcher at lbs id. An unusual case was twite in Wellington - v . o ; ul taill a p"* - when an employer sought to obu tfho hibition order against an «» £ ago , oil met with an accident some timaf ff the ground that lus drinking " n m retarding his recovery, lne t fho *| considered that the evidence d£ that the defendant drank to act.' dismissed the application.