LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14855, 5 December 1911, Page 7

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

The weather still continues very boisterous. Yesterday morning was ushered in with a strong south-westerly gale, with heavy rain squalls. Tho conditions ini proved somewhat towards mid-day, the sun appearing at intervals throughout the afternoon. As night set in, the force of the wind abated, but occasional heavy showerv, fell during the evening. The weather early this morning still bore a stormy appealanco. The coastal steamer Squall is making a lengthy passage from Gisborhe, but as a high sea is undoubtedly running on the coast she has probably sought shelter in one of tho bays. Otherwise coastal vessels have not been delayed.

An inquiry was held last week at Roto Ron by the Rev. J. Kyall. visiting adviser to the Prison Department, in response to a petition from 27 inmates. No complaints were made, as to tho comforts or food provided, but objection was made to the opening and reading of letters addressed to inmates, and a widespread feeling was evinced against the length of sentences and the varied methods of different magistrates. Mr. Kyall informed a Herald reporter that as the complaints were not against tho Department or the Salvation Army authorities he was satisfied there was no ground for complaint, but some of the inmates hold that the whole question is deserving of inquiry by a Royal Commission.

The following are the result® of the weight-guessing competitions hold at the recent Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association's Spring Show —Bullock, dead weight 8951b : Mr. F. E. Hitchcock (Mangere), guessed 8951b, 1; Mr. M. Millington (Whangarei), 8941b, 2; Messrs. A. W. Hall, R. McCorquindale (Whangarei), and T. Baster (Ponsonby), each guessed 8971b, 3. Cow, dead weight 5561b : 'Messrs. C. Downer (Helensville) 5571b, F. Hall (Hamilton) 5371b, and C. Munro (Clovedon) 5351b, tied for first, second, and third places ; Mr. 'A. H. Waring, guessed 5401b, highly commended. Three sheep, dead weight 2511b : Mr. W. A. Wallace (Otahuhu) and Mr. W. Gollan (Panmure), each guessing 2491b, tied for first and second places; Mr. D. Alison (Waipu), 248j1b, was third. The championship prize was won by Mr. D. Alison with the three best guesses of the weights in tho three competitions.

At the inquest' held by the Coroner (Mr. T. Gresham) yesterday on tho body of the child Annie McNamara, who died in the hospital on Saturday as a result of bums through matches igniting, the jury returned a verdict that death was due to accident. The Coroner and jury tendered their sympathy to the parents.

Industry, close attention to business, frugality and abstemiousness no doubt go far in making for success in any walk in life, but there are some factors often overlooked which are absolutely requisite if a dealer proposes to keep his head above water. Yesterday, in the Supreme Court., a young man who had made a bold struggle to successfully carry on a grocery in a neighbourhood where apparently no such store was required, _ was charged with having committed a breach of the Bankruptcy Act. During the case Mr. E. Gerard, who for a considerable time was official assignee in bankruptcy m this city, gave some interesting details as to the possibilities of " money-making by grocers ( in this part of the : world. He said that in* this , particular case the gross profits .made in the business was 10.96 per cent. 4 , and that amount was not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses incidental to the successful conduct of such a store. Mr. Gerard added that such a business could not be successful unless the gross profits on the turnover were 17$ per cent, at the very least.

In answer to a question at his Parnell meeting last night, Sir John Findlay stated that he had already begun the work of setting up a tribunal for dealing with charges against children. A boy charged with a trivial offence should be punished without the need for blue papers and policemen. In America they had a system, which he intended to follow, whereby an erring boy , could be corrected by his schoolmaster, without any reference to criminal courts, with their attendant stain.

Owing to the exceptionally large amount of cargo to be taken on board, the steame. Maheno did not get away for Sydney until a late hour last night. . In addition to the ordinary cargo booked at this port for Sydney, there were large transhipments from the Island steamer Tofua. The Tofu*i is lying at the same tee at which the Maheno was berthed, and as the cargo, con sisting principally of copra, was hoisted from the Tofua's holds it was trucked through the shed, and deposited in th? Maheno's holds. The local cargo shipped by the Maheno consists of large lines of kauri gum, hides, fungus, sand, timber, sawdust, and sundries, while 14 horses and a dog arc also included in the manifest. Altogether, 11,724 sacks of copra were tran shipped from the Tofua to the Maheno some 1500 sacks being shut out, as the vessel's holds are full to the hatch combings. The number of passengers making the trip total 170 in both classes. The Maheno cleared the Queen-street Wharf at 11.15 o'clock, in fine trim, and on an even keel.

Daring the month of November the following cases of infectious disease have been reported to the district health officer:— Scarlet fever: City, nine cases; suburbs, five cases; country districts, 12 cases; total, 26 cases. Diphtheria: City, two cases, suburbs, two cases; country districts, six cases; total, 10 cases. Enteric fever: City, two cases; suburbs, three cases; country districts, 13 cases; shipping, one case, total, 19 cases. Tuberculosis: City, four cafes; suburbs, threo cases; country dip tricts, seven cases; total, 14 cases. Bloodpoisoning: City, two cafes; country districts, two cases; total, four cases.

The chairman of the Auckland Mutual Sports Protection Association (Mr. W. E. HackcU), .in referring to the .controversy about th» association to a reporter yesterday, raid the last of the many pronouncements of tho board of control of the New Zealand League was to the effect that in future the league's action would bo that of studied opposition irrespective of party politics to all those who were not wholehearted with the league. Yet the league had passed a resolution against the Parnell branch of the Auckland Association, and it was now palpable that since the selection of Sir J. S. Dickson in preference to Sir John Findlay every means had been used to belittle the association and misrepresent their objects. As chairman of the' Auckland Association ho quito approved of the action of the Parnell branch. It was remarkable that the adverse criticism was all coming from one quarter. In conclusion Mr. Hackett stated that the membership in the city and suburbs of the Auckland Association was now. well over 6000. He believed that, apart from party politics, the rote of Parnell would make the privilege of indulging in sport a permanent feature of the Dominion's national character. ' . . ,