LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14701, 19 June 1911, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Ax exceptionally largo European and American mail, via Vancouver, and an Australian mail arrived by the Maheno, from Sydney, yesterday morning. The mail consisted of 757 bags for all parts of the Dominion, 320 of which were for Auckland. The balance was despatched South by the Main Trunk express last night. Personal items and other interesting news from our London Correspondent,, together with the usual budget of Australian mail news, will be found elsewhere in this issue.

A blackguardly attack was made on a doorkeeper at the Foresters' Hall, Onehunga, on Thursday evening. Court Shaldrick, A.0.F., Females' Lodge, was holding a social evening, when four or five young fellows entered the anteroom and sought, admittance to the hall. Bro. Jas. Williams, who was guarding the door, remonstrated with the men, and .was endeavouring to get them out, when he was tripped up from behind, and while on the floor was closed with. A struggle ensued, during which Mr. Williams was kicked about on the face and body. Assistance was not rendered for some time, owing to tho music and dancing deadening the sound of the outside strife. In the end the attacking party was beaten off, and the police informed of the occurrence. Four of the parties to the assault are known, and will, it is expected, duly make their appearance before the Court.

That the Union Company's turbine steamer Maheno is capable, in favourable circumstances, of showing a good turn of speed, was again proved yesterday, when she made the passage from Sydney direct to Auckland in 3 days 15| hours. Although the Maheno has been discredited with having mane several slow passages between Sydney and Auckland, she has only missed connection with the Main Trunk express once in the last five voyages. The Maheno covered 320 miles during the 24 hours of Thursday last, while on Friday she logged 354 miles, and on Saturday the distance covered was 346 miles. She left Sydney shortly after one p.m. on Wednesday, and passed Cape Maria Van Diemen at three p.m. on Saturday, anchoring in the harbour at 5.30 a.m. yesterday, which is the earliest occasion in which the Sydney steamer has reached Auckland on a Sunday morning since the Manuka was en the same run several years ago. The Maheno made the run from Cape Maria. Van Diemen to port in the smart time of 14A hours.

At a meeting of the executive of the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce on Friday evening, a letter was received from the Wellington Chamber of Commerce asking the local institution to give its consideration to the matter of mail connection between Australia and New Zealand, with a view to obtaining some improvement in the distribution of the inward Suez mail. Inter alia, it was mentioned that Wellington should be made the distributing port for the inward Suez mail. It was desired to know whether the various Chambers approved of the proposal, before Parliament and the steamship companies are approached. The chairman remarked that, it looked like an attempt at centralisation —Wellington versus Auckland. Mr. Reid considered that- their interests were better served by Auckland, and that, therefore, they should uphold a Vancouver or 'Frisco route, as against Suez. On the suggestion of the chairman, consideration of the matter was deferred till the next full meeting of the Chamber.

According to our Opotiki correspondent, Mr. D. C. Martin, of Tybton, had rather a startling experience while on his way home on a recent evening. He was driving along the road, when suddenly he was held up by an unknown man, and forcibly requested to hand over any valuables that he had about him. Fortunately Mi-. .Martin had no money in his pockets, and the enterprising " highwayman" borrowed" his coat and decamped. Further developments are expected.

As was mentioned in the Herald a few days ago, a. gentleman who lias recently come from the Bouth, and who appreciates the work done by the St. John Ambulance Association, generously offered to give £5 towards the cost of building and equipping an ambulance station for the city of Auckland, provided nine residents each gave the same amount. With his customary liberality. Sir John Logan Campbell has sent a cheque to the secretary, Mr. William Rattray, and Mr. Arthur Myers has written promising to be one of the nine, and expressing the hope that the necessary amount will be forthcoming. Several other gentlemen are giving the matter their favourable consideration..

A barber named Thomas Brown Wa , sent to prison at East Ham for 14 <j av (writes our London correspondent), on th charge of being a stowaway " found on board the s.s. Corinthic. On March 24 the ship left Wellington, and the next morning the prisoner was seen by a steward walking about the deck. Brown was ag {. . for his ticket, and then he admitted that he was a stowaway, lie now pleaded that he "wanted to have a look at England," and when he was found on the, steamer he offered to work.

Hie following notices-of motion have been given for (ho usual meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board, to be held tomorrow :—Mr. Cunson to move: "That the question of providing office accommodation upon the main wharves for receivers and stevedores bo referred to the Works Committee for consideration and report." Mr. Bradncy to move, : "That with a view to ascertaining the true cost of dredging the secretary be instructed to prepare a statement showing (1) the number of dredgers employed in dredging the ha.rbr.ui for the six months ending March 31 ion (2) The, number of punts filled l, y eac jJ dredger, the number of yard* credited to each punt. (3) The number of si camera and oil launches employed in towing the said punts, and the cost of working such steamers and oil launches. (4) The separate cost of the recent overhaul to dredgers Hapai and 121." In addition, Mr. J. H. Bradney will move for the admission of the press to meetings of standing committees of the Board.

It is understood that after the Coronation Westminster Abbey will be opened for the inspection of the public for a. longer period than on the occasion of the Coronation of King Edward. Tim thrones and all the special structure* will be left exactly as oa Coronation Day.- In 1002, sifter King Edward was crowned, the Abbey was open for seven days and was visited by 97,000 persons. This year it will be open for. 10daw or more. Any surplus remaining after collections lost to various institutions whi!« the Abbey is being prepared for the Coronation have been made good will probably be devoted to removing the debt on the Abbey. The Dean and Chapter owe the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in respect of repairs to tho fabric and other charges nearly £12,000.

Largo numbers of people, perhaps unaware of the extension, of season, and being under-the impression that Saturday was the last opportunity to see the Society of Arts exhibition, flocked to the gallery for a last look at the pictures. During the day twe more sales wore effected, the one, Mr. Goldie's " Sophia.," the other Mr. Frank Wright's principal work, "Evening Calm." The society contemplate drawing their art union on Wednesday afternoon instead of in the evening, and as many more books of tickets have been disposed of this year than has been, usual, tho number and value of the prizes will be in proportion to the extra number of shares, so that winners will be able to secure good works. The extension of the time during which, the exhibition remains open is to enable country visitors coming in for the Coronation festivities to see the exhibition.

Another endeavour is to be made to get legislation passed for the purposo of license ing those engaged in the tobacconist trade in the Dominion. The question is to be discussed at a meeting of tho Canterbury Hairdressers and Tobacconists' Association, to bo held shortly, and if a decision in favour .of the proposal is arrived at, it will be considered at the annual meeting of tho New Zealand Hairdressers and Tobacconists' Assoc-., iation, to bo held in Wellington nest' month.; .■:'.'■■■

It is raw. that a person who has been in the Christelvurch Magistrate's Court more than once makes an appeal to the sentimental side of Mr. H. W. Bishop, S.M. But one did last week. "I'm most unhappy,"- he said. And he obtained sympathy, for Mr. Bishop's memory is long. " Oh, I know that,"', he said. " Yonr wife is the most loquacious woman that I have ever known.. She took possession of the Court."

It is stated that a party of Canterbury farmers who have been inspecting the bush lands round about Kaitieke (off the Main Trunk line between Taumarunui and Raurimu) are determined to lose no time in getting into the locality. They are already negotiating for a large block, and expect to have a large area of bush felled this season.

Commenting editorially under the heading of "Auckland's Exhibition," the New Zealand Times says: "The citizens' committee appointed at Auckland to consider the question of holding an international exhibition in that city have very wisely, we think, abandoned the more ambitious ' project, and come to the conclusion that an industrial exhibition be held two yearshence. The decision will no doubt lie a relief to the citizens of Auckland as well as to those impetuous people who have lately been pitching into the Government because of some supposed intention to assist the exhibition. The cost of an international exhibition is far too great to permit of such an enterprise being undertaken very frequently, and as only a short period of time has passed since the exhibition at Christ-church, it is exceedingly doubtful whether any benefit would be derived from now repeating the business. Indeed, the measure of a great exhibitions usefulness is so comparatively small that it would be a grave error of judgment to have such exhibitions except at long intervals. Twenty years hence would be quite soon enough to think about holding another in New Zealand. In the meantime there is good work to be done by the promotion of industrial exhibitions on a modest scale. Certainly the idea of over £100,000 being spent- on temporary buildings at Auckland lor purposes of a gigantic "show" appears not far removed front recklessness. The brutal' frankness of the Mayor in telling the citizens that their first, business is to "cot rid of their legacy of hall a century's dirtiness"' nitty not be pleasant for them to hear, but it reflects hard commonsense and indicates a line of civic activity much more desirable than plunging into gaudy schemes of advertisement."

A new railway regulation that come into force a. few days ago,' has created much consternation (telegraphs our Christchureh correspondent) among those Ashburton residents win. have been in the habit of visiting C'hertsey, which is outside the "dry" area, with "a baby" enclosed in a sack. On Friday several persons who had made their "baby" heavier, as a result of their visit, went to the railway station to catch the last train for Christchurch to Ashburton. ami deposited their charges on the plat form until the arrival of the train. "Are you travelling by this Main to Ashburton?" asked the stationmaster, and on receiving a reply in the affirmative, those who had a "baby were, lo sav the least, not agreeably surprised when' the stationmasler informed then that under the new regulation they wens obliged to pay Is as excess rate, and o allow their "excess luggage to bo ton yeyedin the guard's.van. Hit Jg sengers have been privileged to tak '•babies" into the carnages where. tne were either put under the seat depos,t«l on the. rack, or placed on the scat, •«- cording to their bulk. *