LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14932, 4 March 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

The site of the Knox farm, of 240 acres, situated at Tamaki, which has been recommended by the Inspector-General of Hospitals (Dr. J. H. Valintine) and Dr. Makgill, of the Health Department, ■'> as suitable for the proposed sanatorium for the treatment of consumptives was visited on Saturday by Mr. P. M. Mackay (chairman), and Messrs. J. Jenkin, F. G. Elliadon, and M. J.' Coyle (members of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board) in company with Drs. Maguire and Pabst. Other members of the Board visited the site on Wednesday. The question of the sanatorium will be discussed at a future meeting of the Board.

Mails from Europe and America reached Wellington by the R.M.S. Maitai, from San Francisco, on Friday night. The Auckland portion, consisting of 93 bags, arrived.here by the express yesterday morning. The Wimmera, which arrived from Sydney last night, brought a European mail, via Suez, and an Australian mail, totalling 460 bags. About 200 bags were dealt with at Auckland, and the balance will be despatched South by the express to-night.

.'The Union Company's steamer Corinna, which arrived at Onehunga on Saturday, loaded as part cargo for Wellington 16,700 boxes of butter, and 700 crates of cheese for transhipment to the Rotorua* Tahiti, and Somerset.' '

The Main Trunk express, which left Auckland last evening for Wellington, was a long one, and practically" every one of the 10 carriages was crowded, in some cases to an uncomfortable extent. This was particularly so in the second-class cars. The entrances from Queen-street to the platform were dimly lighted, and the paths were so swamp d with water that transit dry-shod was impossible. An accident happened to the Northern Company's coastal steamer Ngapuhi just as the vessel was leaving Whangarei on Saturday for Auckland. . The Ngapuhi'

had cleared the wharf, and was steering a course down the harbour when those on board felt the steamer strike some object, the sudden impact being a severe one. One of her tail shafts was snapped

clean off, and the propeller sank. It is surmised that the steamer struck a sunken log with one of her propellers, the force of the impact being sufficient to break the shaft. The Ngapuhi, having twin screws, came on under easy steam, and arrived at Auckland about an hour and ahalf behind her usual tune on Saturday night. Beyond the broken shaft and the loss of the propeller, the . vessel has .-sustained no damage. She will be floated into, dock to-day to have a new shaft and propsller fitted, and will leave on Wednesday night on her usual run to Whangarei. Tho Clansman, which was to have been docked to-day to have her machinery overhauled, will take the Ngapuhi's run to the Northern port instead, leaving a't 10 o'clock to-night.

An outbreak of fire occurred on Saturday evening in the window of a fancy goods shop in Karangahape Road, occupied by Mrs. Johanna Johnson. The City Brigade were summoned, and quenched the fire after damage to the extent of £40 was done. The fire occurred while Mrs. Johnson was lighting the gas with a taper. She dropped the taper among the inflammable material- in the window, and speedily there was a big blaze.

At the fishermen's meeting on Saturday morning a resolution was unanimously passed drawing attention to the necessity of telephone communication between Kawau. Island and the mainland. The subject was brought up by Mr. Albert Sanford, who stated that the Coastal Masters' Association had asked him to bring the matter forward, as it was felt that such a service would bo of great benefit in the event of shipwreck, or accident. Besides this, it would be an advantage to be able to ring up the city, and indicate the quantity of fish arriving.

The Union Steam Ship Company announces that the steamer Mokoia, 3502

tons, will make another excursion to the Marlborough Sounds at Easter. The Mokoia is to leave Wellington on Thursday, April

4, and to return, on Tuesday, April 9. These cruises are usually very enjoyable, embracing such recreations as fishing, boating, dances, picnics, concerts, and many other forms of diversion.

Probate has been granted by Mr. Justice Chapman to the wills of the following deceased persons Major-Genera) Sommerville, George Cameron Hogge (Mr. E. Mahony, who, with Mr. C. M. liindsell, C.8., of London, is appointed as an executor under the will), Wilfred Ewing Bruce {Mr. Biss), John McFarlan*. (Mr. McVeagh), Henry Lees (Mr. Skelton), and Susan Gilmour, (Mr. HoUowayk ;

The Auckland fishermen hold jawthi ■ meeting on Saturday to conwdcrtaediapuk; ''■ ' "' between them and the dealers, on account ol! ■>% '■'. the refusal of the letter to pay more that! 2s per bundle wholesale for fish. The chair- ; "'f Wjjffik man (Mr. Gallagher) reported that many '■/ ■ of the fishermen had been able to sell then* catches during the week at more than the f¥& retail rate, 3s per bundle. The wholesale dealers had made an offer of 2s 2d per bundle, but a motion was carried by the fishermen reaffirming the decision notr to sell for less than 2s 6d per bundle wholesale, or 3s per bundle retail. The draft of a new agreement was read, by which the Kaipara fishermen propose in future to sell their fish daily by auction in Auckland. A strong recommendation was made to the Auckland fishermen to join in with this scheme, but the meeting decided to defer - consideration of the matter. An offer to pay 2s 6d per bundle under certain conditions was made by the representative of a largo wholesale firm, one of the provisions being the granting of >a monopoly over the operations of the whole fishing fleet, and the restriction of operations to 0, certain stipulated supply per week. Thisoffer was unanimously rejected by the men. It wait decided to. retail the fish again this week at the rate of 3s per bundle of 241b 1 at the wharves, small sixpenny bundles to be made up for the convenience of the public. Riding a spirited horse was the cause "ofa resident of Avondale, Joseph Nutt, meet. f ing with an accident on Saturday after- - noon. When near the Western Springs the , - horse became restive, and bolted, After a mad career the animal ran into a motor- ■-- car on the road, with the result tint the • ' rider was thrown. Ho unstained a nasty cut over the left brew, ana one of his 'legs S'tf|fs was badly bruised, and he was taken to . : > The hospital for treatment. One of the horse's legs was broken us a result of, the collision, and the animal had to be dav f ! stroyedL The damage to the motor-car was .J . slight. ;,*.' The quarterly free circular and poster '■'-<,• issued by the Emigrants' Information QfiW, London, for January 1, 1912, on Canada, | Australia, New Zealand, and South' Africa, deals broadly with the conditions of those countries for the enlightenment of the intending colonist. It deals clearly and briefly with the demand for labour in eaoh ' country, gives the average wages Jo's ' ' variety of callings, and some guide, in the shape of a brief price-list, to the coeit of living. Full information as to the systems of reduced fares, and much advice to those r contemplating ventures in a new land are given. The annual appeal on behalf of the Home Mission fund was made in the Anglican, churchefj in the diocese of Auckland yester- " day. Although the weather was bad, the - attendances in all cases were good, and the collections were generally larger than those of last year. The Onehunga Woollen Mills' annual ■ picnic and excursion was held on Saturday, ; when a large number of picnickers were >, / conveyed to Whatipu by the s.s. Claymore. V; - A brass band was in attendance, and a most > , enjoyable time was passed with games, alb- 1 letic events, and other amusements. The hoisting of the flag of tlio Sydney Harbour Trust on the dredge Manchester at Lyttelton on Tuesday was regarded, m an unofficial but certain indication that the vessel had been purchased by that body (telegraphs our Christchurch corresponded; Inquiries made by a Christchurch Tress reporter went to show that the Manchester had been sold by' the Lyttelton Harbour Board to the Sydney Harbour Trust, and it is understood the sale will be confine at the meeting of the Board. The Man- b Chester was built in 1890. j' ;-■ < >' Private advices received by Lieutenant ' J. W. Crampton, of Fiji, who is at pre-, sent spending a holiday in Wellington, state that there have been numerous changes ' in Fijian Government circles, quite apart from the change of Governors, and the ' Fiji Constabulary has had more than its share. It has lost its chief, Mr. Newman, ■. who has been appointed British Consul in Zoga, Sub-inspector Campbell (says the.; writer) has gone to the Solomon Islands to take up a position as inspector of con- x| stabulary, under Mr. Keppel, a onetime resident' of Wellington, who was recently appointed from Suva, under the High Commissioner in charge of the Solomon Islands Constabulary. Captain McAdam, late "of an Indian cavalry regiment, has-been made , ' acting-adjutant of the Suva body, of; , the legion of frontiersmen, vice Lieutenant Hutchings, who was, killed about lour months ago, as the result of an accident on , board the s.s. Navua, 'A witness, who gave evidence in the.; \ Supreme Court at Christchurch the other dav, stated that in his opinion a motor car which had figured in a railway collision had depreciated by £100 in consequence, even though a considerable sum had been ~: spent in repairs. His Honor said that bitgMM--could not quite understand why there should be such depreciation, and the witness said that the collision might _ BajfflJfflK left come ' latent injury. Counsel for tl><> petitioner said that if His Honor desir-W to purchase -» motor car he would "<> doubt consult a motor expert. He wouW , then find that experts knew as mucli about every car running as ™«£ff& Jj owners knew about racehorses. His Bon?* replied that he had never owner a motor car, and did not expect to own °**xS|ffljJ -could not understand why everybody should know of the experience of tM||g motor car, seeing that the repairs Jeff . no outward sign of injury. Thejw* ; horses hardly provided, the correct analog —the circumstances had rather suggest** hacks to his mind. The compulsory clauses of the Defence, | Act are being enforced in Southland witß an ease which is astonishing the . military, authorities (says an Invercarg.H corres - pendent). Not only are the parade»«ffl| well attended, but there is the unusual , spectacle on many evenings of a dozen or so youths who have been eliminated from the territorial force looking dejected. • upon their more fortunate comrades in til* rank and file. 'Why has Jones be* chosen and not roe," asked one disappointed lad of the sergeant-major tip - other evening, and he would not be satis* fied until the medical inspection records had been looked up. There is was founfl that the anxious one had a slight defect in his right eye. Old volunteer officers state that they can account for the eagC* ness of the Southland, youths in the i«» that the .district has always carried ■*. strong military spirit, which became maw fest at *he time of the Boer war, when. . there was a record number of applications for service from Southland. This, .they, , say, - accounts for the smoothness witfl which the training operations are being carried on. The firm of Wilson and Coubain, of Toronto, Canada, one of the largest wool, hide, and sheepskin dealers in the world, is abf u(3 to establish its New Zealand headquarters in Auckland. Messrs. Wilson ail* ' Coubain at the present time take a very large proportion of the skins exported , from New Zealand. One of the reasons , for the establishment of headquarters » Auckland is that the firm experiences greas difficulties in securing space ; in s &mjj£«H| couver steamers, and aims •at n* vu Jjf stores, as well as offices, !at : call of those vessels. Messrs. Wilson and . , Coubain have secured land in ' Stanley street, where they will erect a large w«r , house.