LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15057, 29 July 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

By the courtesy of Admiral Sir Geo. King-Hall, H.M.S. Drake was thrown open to the public for inspection yesterday afternoon. The weather conditions were most unfavourable for an outing on the water, and although no rain fell the sty was overcast. Several thousand people visited the flagship, and were shown round the vessel by the. ship's Company. The ferrysteamers Albatross and Ruru ran" frequent trips, while in order to facilitate easy landing, the cargo steamer Goshawk was moored beside the warship.

The athletic fixtures in Auckland on Saturday provided a variety of interesting sport, two inter-provincial football matches being the principal attractions. Under league rules Auckland played Hawke'sßay at Victoria Park, and some 4500 people witnessed a keen contest, wnic'i ended in favour of Auckland by 26 points to ,8. Some 2000 Rugby, enthusiasts went to Alexandra Park to see Auckland play South Auckland, but the match was uninteresting, and Auckland won by 37 points to nil. The hockey, Association football, and lacrosse competitions also attracted numbers of spectators. ,

A married woman named Mary Jane Whittingham, aged 49 years, who resided at 37, Wellington-steoet, died suddenly yesterday. She was seized with a had fit of coughing, and although medical assistance • was summoned expired before the doctor arrived. An inquest will be held at the Coroner's Court 'at two p.m. to-day.

The fund inaugurated for the purpose of providing a motor boat for the use of Bishop Wood in his Melanesian Mission work has risen to well over £200. Up to the present all contributions have been given spontaneously, but now fresh efforts are being -made and the committee which is organising matters is sending out circulars to those who have omitted to swell the total.

"I thank God that the pews in this church are. free," said Bishop Crossley during the coarse of a sermon delivered at St. Alban's Church last evening. Continuing, he congratulated the parishioners upon the courage they had displayed by the fact that the seats in their church had always been free to all. That was as it should be—the seats should be free to all, without distinction, for the sot-vice of God.

A large European and Australian mail and an American mail which was taken to . Sydney by the Sonoma from San Francisco arrived in Auckland by the Maheno this morning. The Southern portion of the mail will be- despatched by the Main Trunk express to-night. •

What is termed an "open letter" anpears in tho Wellington papers, in winch Mr. J. S. W. Aitken and the Rev. J. J. North object to the suggested introduction of a private Bill dealing with racine permits. The letter also alleges that bookmaking is still rampant, and that if racing days are increased for"New Zealand national interests are threatened. The writers also say that agitation for the restitution of the permits recently taken away is being raised merely by interested group's of sporting men, and that the public do not want an increase of racing.

The slippery and treacherous state of the playing fields at Eemuera resulted in a large number of minor accidents during the course of the hockey matches: on Saturday. In each of the three senior matches temporary stoppages of the games were necessitated, and two players, one a mem ber of the College Biflee team, and the other of the United team, were compelled to retire owing to the injuries they had received.

The book fiend is & thorn * T""** ' of the officials at the City ]1 *" ,** : have each year to ponder over '« 22"* '"'"' .tot of books that have «£**"■*»< them never to return. Be t « L L° st * last stocktakings (a period of *», h * 41 books were stolen from thSKSSS library and 24 from the ! 6ldi ' ?.?«=■ The books removed include !all -JS?* , from cheap and almost worthies, ' to valuable standard workr a J [j V fine set of volumes has b4T I?'*' ' the abstraction of an odd nunib t J 7 } ': useless by itself, and eerie* ' *J «h«n .ing the value. of the remainder -^ common offence » the muW: *** magazines and illustrated ■ feiiS '■"'' on the tables for the us- D f t ? *«4 and in this fault, it is asserted tu***** are frequent offenders. a fc^ missing books come back after* " *» more or less long; and they a „ I*** returned from places as fay awava ! noy; but the proportion is m *** annual expenditure on books jfa "» eludes a substantial sum for re^lP* 1 > Unfortunately the stolen bookc?"*'" eluded many that cannot ho repS * On several occasions attention K, i drawn to the- bad state of OtW ['' * East, one of the busiest thcwSS***'' the city. The street was ftjj; up for the -purpose of laying »& "°* consequently was left in "a- V v " ' state After the heavy i a a „**J few days large pools of water fc*' * formed in various parts of «,- raid*** * those who are unlucky cmwli t> ' ' on their way to or from the ferry a?" * i havo to wade over their boot tor mud and slush. Another «„£" J** ■ plaint is the poorly-lighted siv* ~? street between th, lerrv-tw and ,>,.',, of Queen-street Wharf.' ; ' ~ 0 { ■ ■■"*.<■■;■: Tho punctuality of the . ,i, ;,„ ... service seems to have preatlv^i^* 1 * lately. Golfer, are among terested in the Papntoctos on Saturdays, and by long A isfg; torn they have become used to Mi! J, ~' easily to the station to return' ,/. ' On Saturday, however, tie train £l ; time, instead of 15 or 20 iS v -1?' and many of the golfers miss?,! i| h ' quence. • , . ■', *

In reference to the ruatta •>{ c&||' a light on one of the Three Khici &j? the New Zealand Shipowners, 1 J'cfcratb has forwarded a letter to the ;i, Marine drawing attention to the ' evidence from practical seamen, v,i, j ':, had full experience of ! nav ,m, ■ neighbourhood of those island*, KA ~f are unanimously in favor..- of the * P & of a light. The federation f hope that the Department Trill < K , »»., ' to proceed with the work. Tha B»a%'. of tho federation has also been . tßtat!. by the committee to request ti;ai '■*:> determining on revised regulations \£, ' gnrd to life-saving appliance S t ', |j tunity be afforded owners ami ofe's terested of submitting espuxyui,; n opinion of what is most desirable v practicable. This suggestion mistl , followed out 'by ■p. conference betFW|t''i advisory board of the shipowners ..jhf representatives of the Deparuiitnt. " The following report lihb been w;»ji«j by the secretary of the Auckkal R« k>, League from the league's comn.iiiij ujf-i the Motu section of the Eat Cos«'. -;*. —"It will probably ho. Hi I~y yet before the regal r ti '-uibie -- , can bo established by the Railwaj } .., : . menfc from Otoko to E ,Lj r;. Ttikb' tion is at present unballasted, '-.-' 'n. the track is in this incomplete staff} r impossible to run to any' specified £<&ss■ time. In the meantime, howevet, tVJjv partment is endeavouring to moettkik.', venience of settlers by foi inline v,~'', goods. A temporary station bas bcci ?■-, •J J XT 11-11 i IT> -" \ vided near Halket's store. Tie 1 pffijiisai bridges on the section have been rtvpU-i in very good time, and the jjtructuwiwi the Waikohu River, leading to U!t"j' 1 manent Rakauroa station, should WifApleted in about three months' time ■• T;»; girders for this bridge are oafck.';t tured by Messrs, Griffiths and-Col » Otoko. Ballasting operations or. tbtr* section are in abeyance, pending -tl*' & struction of a new ballast 'ia»% » Puha. This work, now in pnigrj*.ffl tails the erection of ..a low-level fitV across an intervening stream at this id I Six months ago the .it"surer f. - Wellington Zoological Soci-ty, Uavtrj » ticed that coupons for cash pay |§H H in Jiome cases token by customer* '•'! thrown away, suggested that if thy sPJJSf. would place a box in sen c»ow & place, customers not intending to »!&» on their coupons might deposit them ift* and the deposits could be presented to As Zoological Society. A box was .-- rtt'ffi placed in a chemist's shop, and c. rifflEday it was reported that up to Js 4 '* w 1 many unconsidered trifles! ■amounted f» ** 19s 4d. < . V<

Throughout Southland the!v aw «** tions of an early spring. Th i &i ! * [rests has, in the bush dishic - ■ :-■--(. tended to an unusually gocl : i i , "-'^ : winter grass. In the back bio "u *'}" ings, where at a. rule only winter i l "'' l *' tion prevails, stock may be seen " * f - ( lent condition. The predict, f-ilsay the turnip crop has not coma *o "- * fl in most districts there is il-=nhrt«;i dence of this. ' The high prices rntotg _ K ! sheep" serve as evidence of the J- '~ fl " supplv of winter feed, .'Plonj^^K- ] lions are, however, in a very baa state owing to the lateness of tfi«- »'*. '

season, and to the wet «' a ;•" ■ interfered with threshing and or r.,labour troubles affecting th& ?""" miners, and the possibility el a W ,j of coal of all classes, has- had {he *<#' •; of creating a determination wi of the public to lay in as large & as possible while the supply ""' ■|i| the Oamaru mail). Some time i£»w : was something approaching a coal WWin town, but since then the poeition b .;.. been relieved by the rival of «njj mants by ship and rail. In i'™ ftwn Jii ._ coal dealers have been inundated * ' ■. orders from those who «.i'e ia a ?* !,J ;| . to lay in large stocks of household c*| and without the exercise of caution the fulfilment of these &|- might seriously militate *•«'.?■'■ *-.. , terests of that section of- the who are not in a position to order -'* ,s> one time more than a limited,. m , Dealers may, however, be COUlilfi<i ' & hold the balance evenly fc«twefla^^ ! ' classes, and to see that their l.'fs-™" ' customers are not made to f|g| I A remarkably dangerous ira ';" ri: ( , ."j. ner in Wellington is the turning i yjo .1 Kelbmne viaduct on the line i^^J ; , The bridge is. situated at * height above the lower roadway.; tf| weeks ago a car left the rails at t3 *J^j i ". and might have gone oyer *"s&»£,& \ for the promptness with which wlp were applied. A similar » cc I",' a few nights ago. About k sl *'P|||!||? j palace car from Karori Pm* vjj|Mß town, left the rails, and PsflHH[ j soma yards before it could J* ?«9H Had the speed not been very WggjJH] cident might have been, 1 ous, for at - this point there »' aT ij'< 1 some 50ft. As it was, the car *V&fc up quickly, and the /: j^ I heard the scrunching which j jjfcjjf?' I the car was not running on ?tw *J - K|*i I M backing the motorola - 'I the car on the rails again. SM«|