LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15096, 12 September 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

As* Australian mail reached Wellington by the Moeraki yesterday morning. The Auckland portion of the mail will arrive by the Main Trunk express this morning. An English and . American • mail via "Frisco will arrive at Wellington by the Aorangi this morning.

Shortly before two p.m. yesterday a young man named Charles Baker narrowly escaped death by drowning in . the harbour. He was driving the - launch All Black to her mooring at the man-of-war steps, and when the end of No. 2 jetty was being passed the engine stopped through the benzine tank running, dry. Baker went forward to obtain a tin of oil, but in some way he slipped off the boat into the water. . He was. struggling in the water for some minutes, but the. captain of tho scow Ja.no Clifford put out in a dinghy, and rescued him with some difficulty. Ho was little the worse for his immersion, but tho prompt action of his rescuer undoubtedly saved him from death.

The yacht Matangi, en route from Auckland to Wellington, passed East Cape at 9.30 a.m. yesterday, and signalled to bo reported ''All well." As the little vessel was then only 35 hours out from Auckland, she is evidently meeting with favourable weather on her trip to the Southern port.

With the approach of the dry season, find its accompanying dust evil along the tramway routes, one local body at least is going to make an effort to combat the nuisance. The chairman of the Mount Roskill Road Board (Mr. Charles Baglev) at last evening's meeting brought tho matter, forward, and after discussion it was decided that he should confer with the chairman of the One-tree Hill Road Board and the Auckland Tramways Company with a view to, if possible, making arrangements for sprinkling the road along to tho Royal Oak, say,, three times each day when necessary. ;

Three of the pictures from the collection of works brought to Auckland by Mr. John Baillio have been purchased by the trustees of' the' Mackelvie art collection, the canvasses selected being: "Outsidethe Bull-ring, Algecirias, Spain," by Sir Alfred East, A.R.A.; "In the Small Hours," by George Clausen, R. A.; and *' On the Kintyre Coast," by J. Campbell Mitchell, A.R.S.A. • These pictures are said' to be three of the best works exhibited by Mr. tiaillie, and they will form a valuable addition to the Mackelvie Gallery. ,

The City Prohibition League reports that .the total number of cases of drunkenness that came before the Police ; Court for the month of August -was 167. Of these 71 ■were first offenders, 10 were prohibited, and 30 broke their prohibition orders. One man was sent to Roto Roa for 12 months, and one woman to Pakatoa for a like period. The fines, including forfeiture of bail money (£ls) amounted to £118 3g 6d.

Tli© cable steamer Silvertown sailed from London on Tuesday last for Auckland, via-Sydney. The vessel, which was specially "built for ' cable-laying, .is expected ■to arrive at Sydney about November, and will immediately commence to lay ' the direct cable from Bondi to Murfwai on the west coast. . This work will take about eight days. to complete. After this is finished the Silvertownj assisted by the cable steamer Iris,, will make the connection between Doubtless Bay and Auckland. . The Silvertown is .a threemasted s steamer ..of- 4935 tons, and is commanded . Captain D. Morton.

-whale without ,an ounce ,of 'oil in its carcase is surely a curiosity. The crew of the' New* Zealand Whaling Company's Rakiura relate that a whale 80ft long, ■ rather bedraggled looking, but of fair size, was brought -in by one of the company's vessels to Russell to be boiled down. The customary cutting-up process Was gone through, and the parts put into the boilers.. But not an ounce of oil could be obtained, and it turned out that v the whale had marks on it which suggested that it had been shot on a previous occasion, and that it was suffering as a result from some form of.blood-poisoning,..which rendered its flesh and fat useless.

Two young' motor cyclists were -charged at the Police Court yesterday, before Mr. E. C. Cutten,' S.M., with breaches of the city by-laws. Alva Bartley was charged with riding a motor-cycle round the corner of Ponsonby Road and"'Jervois Road at more than a walking' pace, and also with not keeping on his right side of the road. He was convicted, and ordered to pay costs, 14s. Leslie Craig was charged with negligently riding a motor-cycle round the corner of Queen and Victoria Streets. It was stated that the defendant rodo at a' rapid pace through a crowd of people waiting for ' a car at the corner, and knocked a young lady down. Defendant denied that he rode through the crowd at other than a walking pace, and represented that it .was not his fault that the young lady was run into. The magistrate held that in view of the explanation given there was no breach of the by-laws, and he dismissed the case. •

A slight outbreak of firo occurred yesterday in the galley, of the scow -Herald, lying at.* the Nelson -street Wharf. The crew easily extinguished the outbreak before any damage was done.

The Education Board decided yesterdav, in view -of the reduced attendance, to close the Ohiwa school as soon as possible. Itwas further resolved that the appointment of a teacher to the' Hangatiki M aided " school be cancelled and that no school be opened there for the present.

, . " I hope this is the beginning of a movement that will result in the spread of branch libraries throughout . Auckland aid the Mayor yesterday, after laying the foundation-stone of the branch library in Mount Eden Road. " I would like to see 'such institutions in say Parnell and Renruera; and I think it is the "duty of the administrators of those suburbs, to see that they have them. If Greater Auckland were - brought ' into effect , these libraries would bo in existence within a year." Mr. T. W. Leys also mado a plea for the provision of a. branch library to serve the thickly populated area of Grey Lynn.

Reporting for the past quarter on the

work- done-by the ' Auckland Provincial

Farmers' Union, the secretary (Mr. A. Schniitt) stated at the meeting of the

executive yesterday that' new branches of the union had been formed at Te Awa-

| mutu, Parawera, . Morrinsville, Walton, Waitoa, and Waimana. Tho branches throughout the Auckland province appeared, on tho whole, to be very active, especially in the Waikato. There were

some districts," however, with large mem-

berships that Ltd not met for some time, and steps would be taken to have new officers elected at these branches.

Forty-two irotor cars were landed in Dime dir., ex Whakatane and Matatua, last .week. The ;• shipment came, to the order of .an liiyercargill firm, and represents the largest number, of cars ever landed in Dunedjn. in one week. The cars are for distribution all over ■CM ago and Southland, .and the majority of them have . beeo sold' to farmers,. •

Three sailors from the steamer Waiman were brought before Mr. E. C. Cutte* S.M., at the Police. Court Yesterday' charged with being absent from their shin without leave. -Chief-Detective Mac Mahori explained that the crew of f),* vessel had lately been somewhat unruly and the captain thought, that if the«e ml' were sent back to the ship thev J bo the cause of more trouble. He would therefore, suggest that the men should*h kept in custody until the Waimana sailed which, would probably be on Friday a £ certainly not later than Saturday. Final" the men were sentenced to seven days' imprisonment, and ordered to be pat. on board their shin when she sailed.

The question of widening the corner of Manukau Road and Remuera Rr, ; J again before the Newmarket Boreal* Council last night, Recently Mr. ,{ y Myers, M.P., approached the Minister for Railways (Hon W. 11. Herries), an d.h" forwarded to the Council a reply f rora jv 9 Minister stating that the Department would consider the request to grant a U flj. went strip of land at the corner to remove the danger to traffic that now exists at that spot. It is satisfactory to sGe that the matter is going to be considered," 0 b served the Mayor 'Mr. D. Teed). ' '

" An example of Wellington's egotism ". said Mr. T. W. Leys at the annual meeting of the Society of Arts last cveriin*" He was describing how the Wellington people, although they had .only just, formed an art society, were clamouring for the establishment of a national art gallery for the Southern city. Mr. Leys pointed out that it was hardly fai r or the Wellington people to ask for assistance from the societies in other cities where they had been working in the intercets of art i'c.r many years.

In, a. case heard before . Mr. ■C. C Kettle, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterday the plaintiff was giving evidence, when the . defendant- suddenly ejaculated, "Liar!" in- a voice which could- be clearly heard by the occupants of tho Court room. The magistrate at one© called the man, who commenced to apologise, up to his bench, and informed him that upon the rising of the Court lie would be called upon to explain his action and give reasons why .he eliould not be -committed for contempt of Court. He duly presented himself before Mr. Kittle, and in expressing his penitence stated that the statement which the plaintiff had mode had been of so untruthful a nature that he had naturally become incensed and had given vent to the ejaculation. Tire magistrate, in accepting the apology, stated that tho expression used was one which could not be permitted in any court of law.

"The technical school is not. and will never be, the place for the cultivation of . the fine arts," . said Mr. T. W. Leys at last evening's meeting' of the Society of Arts. It was impossible for amechanical school, Mr. Leys added, to interfere with the teaching of real • art,"for.that school had its sphere, and the sphere did not include the finer artrr

Discussion took place concerning the - method of appointing teachers at the Education Board meeting yesterday. A letter was received from the City Schools Committee asking that a certain appointment be deferred until the whole question relating to the rippointment of teachers had been considered by the Minister for Education. They had previously unsuccessfully requested that the whole of the applicant:?, together with their qualifications, should be submitted to them. Mr. Greenslade held that the work of the committees was merely - perfunctory;'-for -only' one name was submitted to' them <vhen . the ' question of a.-new appointment was under discussion. ' Although in favour of- main- " taining the grading system, he considered that the maximum of four names should ?

always be submitted to school committees. The chairman (Mr. G. J. Garland) said that sooner than' agree with the City Schools Committee's proposals he would send in his resignation. The Board should either stand or fall by giving positions :to the men whom the inspectors said wero the best." He was glad to say that-the Board had divested themselves of patronage, . but in his opinion the object of the complaint from the committee was to get back that ' amount of patronage which meant bo much to .the ." pettifogger." gave notice of motion to the effect that a. ballot of the members of the Teachers' Institute be taken with a view to folding out whether teachers are . satisfied with the way in which appointments are made.

;At the meeting of the ■ Mount • Roskill Road Board last. evening the chairman (Mr. Charles Bagley) referred to the fact that the Auckland Tramways , ( Company had commenced running a 7i' minutes' service to /and from the Royal Oak. This service would benefit both Onehunga and Mount Roskill, and the innovation already was much appreciated by residents using the trams. On the motion' of the chairman it was decided to convey the hearty thanks of the Board to the company for providing such an improved service.

At the monthly committee meeting of the New Zealand Society for the Protection of Women and Children and Prevention cr Cruelty to Animals, held on Monday, the president (Hon. Geo. Fowids) announced that a branch of the; society had been established at Hamilton, with Mr. Manning (the Mayor) as chairman of committee, Mrs. Going as hon. secretary, and Mr. Northcroft as hon. Solicitor. The subject- of the establishment of a horse ambulance was discussed, the matter being loft in the hands of Mr. Wilding and Dr. Simpson (veterinary surgeon) to report to a future meeting.. " A complaint respecting the slippery nature of asphalt on the streets was received, and inquiries will be made.

Impressed with the possibilities of. the wireless station on Tinakori Hills as a source of revenue to the tramways, the Wellington board of management intends to announce* it as one of Wellington's attractions in the new time-table shortly to be issued. . An inset map will give directions for access to the summit -of the hills through Northland from the Karori tunnel section terminus, and also from Wadestown. The wireless station has already proved exceedingly popular as a Sunday afternoon excursion, and cars have been crowded both ways-

A Wellington tram conductor has invented a very neat appliance for holding tram tickets. It. consists of a epi"dle, ito which is attached four wings. These wings arc slotted, and each wing holds .two blocks of tickets back to back. Tho chief advantage 'Of the holder ' over the book, or wallet, is that the conductor carries tho appliance on his little finger, thus leaving . him practically his whole hand free, to hold on to the car. It is contended that the ' invention will be a boon to conductors should the Council adopt it. A conductor working with a wallot has only one hand free to issue and punch tickets, give change, etc.* while one. using this appliance can use both hands. It is fitted with a detachable cover which will keep the tickets perfectly dry in wet weather. The holder can be fitted to carry four, eight) or sixteen blocks of tickets, and when not in use can be carried in the vest pocket.