LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14927, 27 February 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

An inquest was held by the Coroner (Mr. T. Gresham) yesterday, on the body of James Gibbons, which was found floating in the harbour off No. 4 jetty in Quay-street, on Sunday afternoon. The medical evidence showed that death was due to drowning, and that the body had apparently been in the water for a week. Sergeant Ramsay stated that a bottle of lysol and a fishing line were found in one of the pockets of deceased's coat. There was no evidence, the Coroner pointed out, as to how deceased had got into tho water, and the jury accordingly returned an open verdict.

The question of establishing a fishmarket in Auckland having been referred by the City Council to its Finance Committee, data is being actively collected, so that the matter may be thoroughly gone into. The Mayor (Mr. C. J. Parr), who is strong in the conviction that something should be done to' cheapen and facilitate the supply of fish to the public, is anxious that anyone having suggestions to offer should communicate with the committee.

The fine weather which has been experienced Sjt the last few days came to a rather sudden termination on Sunday. The sky rapidly clouded over during the day, and rain began to fall about six p.m., and it came down steadily during the greater part of the night, clearing up about 7.30 a.m. yesterday. The fall was decidely heavy, the amount recorded at Albert Park Observatory at 9.30 o'clock yesterday morning being 1.47 in. This represents a rainfall of 150 tons of water for every acre on the Auckland isthmus. It is a somewhat remarkable coincidence that on the 24th of February last year a rainfall of 1.56 in was recorded—within a few points of the fall of Sunday, and within two days of the same date. . But there is a real difference, meteorologically, between the two months. Last year the total rainfall for February only amounted to 1.76 in. This year, with two or throe days yet to pass, the fall recorded for the month amounts to 3.01 in. '.'"'•

,• The preparatory work in connection with the laying of underground cables for the telephone system in the city is progressing well. Up to the present 926 ft of underground work has- been carried out, and 2778ffc of concrete ducts, or conduits, have been laid beneath the footpath on the east side of Queen-street. Operations have now been commenced on the west side of the main thoroughfare. When completed there will be six ducts on each Hide of the street, capable of carrying 600 pairs of telephone wires. This will pro-, vide for 3600 subscribers on each side of Queen-street. The overhead wires will not, of oeurse, be touched until the cables are laid in the underground conduits.

The Conciliation Council, which has already devoted some five days to the consideration of the waterside workers' case, will resume in the Supreme Court this morning. It is stated that the possibilities of a settlement of the dispute are regarded as hopeful.

A boUlo of lysol was found on the body ofa man discovered floating in the harbour on Sunday. At the inquest yesterday, the Coroner (Mr. T. Gresham) remarked that the unrestricted sale of lysol would soon be stopped, as new regulations were about to be issued which would bring lysol and other preparations containing carbolic acid within the operations of the first schedule of the Poisons Act. Anyone purchasing lysol in future will therefore have to comply with the provisions of the Act governing the sale of poisons.

The Commissioner in New Zealand under the Board of Trade is seeking information from merchants by circular to enable him to put would-be buyers of particular goods in touch with the agent who handles such goods to facilitate the classification of agency houses according to the class of goods handled, inquiries being not infrequently received from the United Kingdom for the names of suitable agents; and to secure a list of British firms interested in the New Zealand trade to whom reports on local trade conditions may with advantage be sent by the Board of Trade. Information as to foreign competition, or complaints against British firms, good?, or trade methods, is also asked for.

" 'In what way can I be of use in this world V is a cry I am constantly hearing from many well-qualified young Australians." said Sir Henniker Heaton in his speech at the conversazione held in his honour in the Sydney Town Hall last ■week. He said that as far as politics were concerned everyone could not be a Gladstone, a Palmerston, or a Disraeli, but ho would advise every young fellow ambitious for good, everyone who had not the allround great qualities of these statesmen, to try to become a sort of Paganini and play perfectly on one string. Ho hoped to live to see the .day when Australia would send a young fellow to be Prime Minister of England, to win the Derby, or a young fellow to be Archbishop of Canterbury or Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, though he was told that these ecclesiastical appointments would be the more difficult because of the great absence of veneration among the young people. But he would warn every aspirant for distinction that one quality was necessary, and that without it a young man was doomed to failure. This quality was not knowledge, though this was absolutely necessary; it was not eloquence, though this was most helpful; it was not force of character and the hide of a rhinoceros, though it was essential it was belief in one's cause. Without this faith or belief wholly engrossing one*'s mind the critics of the great men and the eimnlo would, soon find one out

A useful purpose will undou/ jV mm A useful purpose wiU undou/ Si served by the new library to 1 "St II hi Upper Symonds-street. " Spea ' H Herald representative on tl • '' 91 yesterday, the Mayor (Mr c i' ,: ' H stated that tenders for the bui •■' ffl probably bo called in about a I Kfl the meantime the city librarian isly H aside a number of " volumes "5° Bi co pi of winch are included'in " V 11 Library collection, and these wil S M good nucleus for the new librar} . hi ' W. include many works on science V* to II besides general literature. Air pU.il .1 City Council. It as important JIT E thought an endeavour should U'JS !° ■ enlist local interest by * I committee of management, tjJ* , local B comprise the city councill r* and $?*' If interested. The new libruy tin ? 1 added, serve not only at y V r nn ' f '° II end of <1,„ city, but will 'h™*^" 1 ■ Eden, Eden Ten-ace, Ktogslaad Jr""' |j lying districts to draw upon. T» W?. ii to the lending department, theSS ? a fine lecture hall, and Mr. Parrot, i Council desired to encourage th e \ f|j this for lectures such .-is have helped tl K popularise the Leys Institute in Con! fl by. Ho hoped also that the 1 alfc 1 be used by athletic and social IS 8 tions for their meeting! T helping ■ centralise them. v *\ l 0 B In addition to the waterside workfc I case, which is now being considered ■ several other disputes will shortly , o ma before the Conciliation Council, flic fell '■ mongers' dispute is to be taken on ThurJß day next, the adjourned coopers' diSB on Monday next, the cab-drivers' diapntaH on March 8, and the New Plymouth cariß penters' and joiners' dispute (at New Plvlfll mouth) on March 18. Other disputes, u,"\m which dates have not yet been fixed'are] the Waihi engineers and the professional! H musicians' cases. \m Proposing a vote of thanks to Mr T Cheeseman, curator of the Auckland I Museum, and also to Mr. J. Griffin, whose H duties in connection with the institution 1 are multifarious, Mr. J. Read referred to I an interesting incident at the annual HI meeting of the Auckland Institute last I evening. Mr. Read said that recently 1 Messrs. Cheeseman and Griffin had been I approached by some folk who take an in- fl terest in those unfortunate members of the I community who have lost God's greatest 1 gift—their eyesight, It was asked that 11 these poor benighted ones should be con- i ducted through the museum and allowed fl to " touch " with their finger tips articles fl likely to interest them. The request was fl most readily acceded to, and while direct-, 1 ing the sightless ones around the rooms, I explanatory little lectures were given by B the conductors, and those storyettes fl seemed to be alike agreeable to the blind I folk who had never seen, as well as to I those whom accident or disease had de- D prived them of the vision they once pos* B Among the more important matters ffl dealt with at the medical conference in Efl

Among the more important matters dealt with at the medical conference in* Timaru last week was that of the Aus-1 tralasian Radical Congress, which will be held in Auckland in 1914. Dr. Purchas, the Auckland delegate, informed ai| Herald reporter yesterday that the preliminary arrangements were discussed, and provision made for the congress. The, conference also discussed the question of hospitals, and the Inspector-General of Hospitals, Dr. Valintine, gave interesting descriptions of his schemes for districtj nurses and more effective hospital administration. The delegates were very hospit-i ably entertained by the Timaru people. J

Some straw in the basement of" the Victoria Hotel, in Victoria-street, caught I fire yesterday morning, but was extinguished before any harm was done. The Fire Brigade was called out by telephono. Incidentally the occurrence showed that. the alarm was given by somebody,! who attempted to use one of the street ; alarm boxes, but did not realise that anything more was needed than to break the glass. He did not push the kneb, ( and of course no call was received from the box. ■ ■■' ■■ J|

The twopence-in-the-slot telephones at the Railway Station and the Strand Arcade have proved so successful that 1 the Telegraph Department has decided to erect two more instruments in the near* future. One will be situated at the top of Upper Symonds-street and the others at the tram terminus, Mt. Eden. Thesd will be followed by others, one of which will possibly be erected in the new Ferry :S buildings at tbe wharf. -i>

The first batch of British seamen, num< bering from 50 to 60, for the Royal Aus/;f tralian navy, will sail from England orS March 1, and will be followed every fort*; I night by regular drafts. The arrange-: ments jbave been concluded between they Commonwealth Government and the Admiralty. Many of these officers and men: 1 will be required for the destroyer Warregojf which is practically completed, at .Sydney, while others will be needed for the instruct tion staff of the various establishments,!! such as gunnery and torpedo schools and recruiting depots, and as crews for the tenders to the schools. No difficulty is beings experienced in getting officers or men.- All: are volunteers, and many of the reservist* and pensioners are taking out their wives:: and families, whose passages are paid by the Commonwealth Government.

With the partial object of doing away with the "early doors" prac|§ tioe, a draft by-law governing all futurepublic hall licenses has been adopted by thj Wellington City Council as follows:—*' "Where any performance or entertaintment is to bo given in any theatre < lacef of public amusement, the doors <~ .such; theatre leading to every part thereof shall; be opened to the public in sufficient timer to prevent obstruction of the public streets or footway, and immediately on the r'e-S quest of any constable or city inspector* and kept open until the hall is filled, oral the commencement of the performance." |1|

Will there be art competitions as therqf| are now competitions in music and elocm tionV Mr. Rayward, president of the Wellington Arts Club, recently made com-i 1 plimentaiy reference to the art section of: tho homo industries exhibit at the Palmer-, ston North winter show. If Palmerstori could attract work of the sort shown from all parts of the Dominion, surely the Arts' Club should be ablet to do so. He thought a.i exhibition of students' work might be held in Wellington, to which students from; all parts of New Zealand should be asked to contribute, and the range of the work, he suggested, should be from painting in. oil and water colours to photography. Small prizes could, no doubt, bo offered, and judges might ho appointed from the various! art organisations and technical schools. Mr. II Rayward believed that such an exhibition; might lead to emulation among the stu-? dents themselves, and be of distinct ndvaiiir tago to them, and to art itself. Mr. Ray-.£3 ward's remarks met with manifest ap-ffil Pffoval. !p

A bulletin issued by Mr. Knibbs, Fed-; oral statistician, shows that during th© past 10 years the population of Ballarat (Victoria) has fallen from 43,823 to 37,979, and Bendigo (Victoria) from 30,774 to 28,539, the bulk of the shortage] having been absorbed by I