LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15649, 1 July 1914, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The mail steamer Marama, of the Cana-dian-Australasian Line, arrived at Aurk- ' land at 6 a.m. yesterday from Vancouver, j via Honolulu and Suva. .The Marama left the Canadian port on Wednesday, June 10, and had an exceptionally fine passage .throughout. By reaching Auckland yesterday, the liner landed her mails a flay ahead* of contract time. She brought 155 first, second and third-class passengers, 45 of whom landed here and 110 are proceeding to Sydney. Over 60 people in the j three classes joined tie vessel at Auckland. The Marama also brought an exceptionally ! laigo quantity of European, American and I Canadian mail matter, over 300 bags being landed. Her cargo for the Dominion amounted to 450 tons, and consisted of tho usual lines of Canadian merchandise. Tho I Marama sailed last evening for Sydney, I where she is duo on Saturday morning.

Tho Gum Lands Commission held its final sitting yesterday, the business transacted being purely ljrmal. The conn, ission's report was received and adopted, the committee appointed to present the report and the commission's recommendations to the Governor subsequently leaving by the evening express for Wellington. Prior to the commission dissolving, the chairman (Mr. R. P. Grevifle), on behalf of the members, presented Mr. W. J. Monro with a travelling bag as a token of their esteem and appreciation of his services as secretary

, A 'burglar paid a visit to a boardinghouse in Symonds Street about fivo o'clock yesterday morning. He gained an entrance to a room on the ground floor by means of an open French window. Ho • then apparently attempted to open a wardrobe at the head of the bed in which was sleeping a young man. The noke he made, however, awakened the sleeper, and the burglar decamped at once by tho window through which he had entered. As he had stockinged feet he made no noise as he ran away into the darkness. It was subsequently a<ccrtained that he had also visited another room, but had taken nothing away. A general description of the man's appearance has been furnished to the police, who are making inquiries. \ A report upon the various harbour works in progress was presented to the Harbour Boird by the Works Committee yesterday. The report stated, inter alia, that at the present rate of progress it might be anticipated that the 600-ton slipway would be finished about the end of this year. The old workshops were being removed from Fanshawe Street to the section fronting Beaumont Street reserved for tho board's purposes, to mako way '"or road improvement. The tramway to be put down, as recommended by tho engineer, between the slipway and the section where the worksheds were being reerected would be a great convenience in dealing with material there. Work at the north wall was finished, excepting the fender piles. About one-quarter of the stone for the western tide-deflector had been deposited and already a most beneficial tidal effect might be noticed.

As a result of the heavy piles which the White Star liner Delphic encountered shortly after leaving Capetown, on her way from Liverpool to New Zealand ports, extensive damage was done en board. The rough weather lasted for several days, and one heavy sea which broke over the after part of the liner smashed :n the wheel-house, tae water finding its way into the after hold The Delphic arrived at Auckland on Thursday last, and has been discharging her Auckland cargo at the Queen's Wharf. When operations were commenced on the after hold en Monday, it was seen that a considerable quantity of tho cargo in the 'tween decks had been damaged by tho water. The damaged cargo consists chiefly of basic slag, caustic soda, tanning, and a small quantity of bulpbide of copper.

Various urgent works i:i Mount Albert borough are to be undertaken shortly, and a poll will be taken* on Tuesday to secure authority for a loan of .£29,M0. The principal undertaking now contemplated is the reconstruction of the New North Road between the present tram terminus and the proposed terminus at Mount Albert, the allocation for this work being £10,509. An extension of the water supply systemis estimated to cost £9500., and the balance of the loan is required for the repayment of the overdraft at March 31, £3316, formation work New Edendale Road £1500, purchase of road-making plant £1500, drainage works £500, and first year's interest and.other charges £2684. The present proposals were described yesterday by the Mayor (Mr. Murdoch McLean) as merely preliminary to larger schemes. Rates have been levied by the council amounting to one penny and seventcen-thirtieths upon the capital value of all ratable property. The rates last year amounted to one penny and 1 twothirds.

Tho progress made by the town-planning movement in America and Canada astonished Mr. W. R. Davidge, of the Garden Cities and Town-planning Association of Great Britain, who arrived from Vancouver yesterday by the Marama. Everywhere ho went in tho two countries named, he said, there was a good, healthy feeling of discontent regarding the conditions at present existing. In New York, tha deputy-Mayor told him a strong fight was being mado to reduce tho height of buildings and that the efforts would probably succeed. The same tiling was happening in Chicago. The great objection to "sky-scrapers," Mr. Davidfo 6aid, was that it was almost impossible to secure free light and air for the lower portions of such buildings. Furthermore, there was tremendous congestion of traffic in tho vicinity of "6ky-«erapers." Another fact about them was that they did not pay, few realising more than three or four per cent, on tho cost of erection.

Several carters were summoned in the Police Court yesterday for allowing their vehicles to stand in Albert Street. They protested that, whilo they were buying fruit, it was necessary for their carts to stand somewhere, and they had to use the street, there being no other place pro Tided. Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., said that the by-law on the subject, which had been made for the public convenience, would have to be enforced. He advised all the carters engaged in carrying fruit to and from Albert Street, of whom he understood there were more than 100, to hold a meeting and to petition the City Council to make somo arrangement for them, as their present position was undoubtedly a hard one. The minimum fine of Is. in addition to 7s costs, was imposed in each case.

Further subscriptions towards the fund for the senior cadets' drill hall have increased the total amount to £582 17s 6d. A donation of £2 2s has been handed to Mr. George Elliot by George Court and Pons, Ltd., and one of £1 Is by 1.1.M , and the following subscriptions have been collected by D. and C. Hay:—Eenry and Hay, £2 2s; G. A. Buttle Md Co., £1 Is; S. C. Leary, £1 Is; G. C. Creagh, £1 Is; P. Hull and Co., £1 Is; 8, George, 10s 6d, H. L. Noakes, 10s 6d.

Tho illustrations in \o4i\fa issue 08 the Auckland'Wfskit N,kws are of reu,aik« ably wid-5 interest, A characteristic snapshot of tho assassinated heir to the Austrian throne and his am. sort appears in conjunction -pith vie*B of the Imperial Palace and tho City of Vienna, Two full pages depict the rathe welcome extended to the Governor and his party on arrival at Barotonga, Cook Islands, and the various festivities arranged ■ for their entertainment. Tho suffragette raid on Buckingham Palace, which resulted in the arrest of '12 women, is admirably illustrated. The official opening of tho present session of Parliament and a deputation to the Prime Minister of several 'mndred no-licenst supporters aro prominently placed. Two artistic pages are formed by separate series of child and cat studies, the latter dealing with last Saturday's cat show in Auckland. Tho unveiling of the xnomunent to Rawiri, Maori leader it the Gate Pa fight over 50 years ago, is responsible for two vers- ita-t-orcsting pictures. Tho most impo:tant of a great variety of other illustrated subjects are the King at Aldershot, the collision between the s.s. C!ansm..n and the scow Pahiki in Auckland Harbour, delegates to the annua! meeting <-..' 'Ho New Zealand Alliance, birds-eye view of the proposed new buildings for the Oilworth Ulster Institute for Hoys at l'a patee too, winter show and gymkhara at Hawera, work done by boys of the \\ ailii manual training wheal, members of tho Waikato Hunt Club at- their list meet, officers of the railway battalion in camp, and Estonia's new post office. In add;. tion to many other illustrations tlero &ro several portraits and a political cj-rtoou.

" The chairman of the One-tree Hill Road Board (Mr. H. B. Morton) had on in. terview yesterday with Messrs. Winstco regarding the cutting down o f a portion of Mount Si* John, Messrs. WLnstone explained that they are perfectly willing to cancel their arrangement with Mr. Maxfielij, and to bear the loss o' tho expense they have already incurred, on condition that Mr. Maxfield does not sell his scoria rights to any other person. They are certainly not desirous to interfere with the beauty of the hill. Their only contention is ihat if a scoria pit is to he opened on Mount- St. John, the v.cht should not pass to anyone else.

A point was raised by Mr. F. V. Frazor, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday as to whether a vehicle could bo said to ioiicr. Charles McQuillan was charged with hiving permitted his vehicle to loiter at i.ha market entrance, and His Worship questioned whether a vehicle could loiter; ho knew that a pedestrian could. As the by-law considered that vehicles could loiter the case was proceeded with. McQuillan, the driver of the wagonette, said that in was waiting for a passenger to get a sovereign changed in an hotel. Thinking that perhaps his passenger had gone in at ore door and out of another to escape paying the fare, McQuillan went into the hotel to- He found his passenger inside, so stopped with him to have a drink. His Worship said that the defendant had convicted himself out of his own mouth, as going into an hotel to have a drink was certainly not "only stopping for a reasonable time to tako up or get down passengers," as required by the bylaw, A fine of ss, and 7s costs, was imposed.

Very satisfactory work has been ,v----complished during tho past year by the Auckland Women's Political Reform League, according to the report of the executive which is to be presented to the annual meeting of the league in the Cham ber of Commerco this afternoon. Branches have been established in the three city electorates, Grey Lynn, Farnell, Eden, Manukiu, Franklin end Roto.ua, and tho league has now a membership of 900. In readLiees for the coming election, arrange-' ments are being made for a systematic canvass of the city and suburban district-% and the work of organisation is well advanced. Appreciative reference is made ' in the report to tho masterly manner in which the public affairs of tho Dominion have been directed by the Government during the past year, the conspicuous ability displayed by the Prime Minister and the unswerving loyalty of the members and tho supporters of the party.

Complaint that there was a lack of gemiino competition in the- tenders submitted to the Auckland Harbour ' Boa' was made by Mr. H. R. McKenzie at yesterday's meeting of the board. If possible, he considered that where it was proved to the satisfaction of tho board that firms had acted in collusion, the board should refuse to have anything to do with the firms in tho future. Mr. E. W. Alison disagreed with the remarks of Mr. McKenzie, stating that in his opinion the competition was keen. Tho board, ho said, was securing coal at a lower price than it had been able to do ior years past. The chairman, Mr. J. H. Gunson, remarked that it was difficult to disclose all one knew because it was net ' always possible to prove one's statement. There was no doubt that bribery had been used on some occasions, and tho board had to thank its engineer for his efforts to combat tho matter.

Reporting for tho fortnight ending on Juno 25, tho harbourmaster informed tho Harbour Board yesterday that the arrivals consisted of six large cargo steamers, seven intercolonial or Island traders, seven coastal vessels from southern ports, and three sailing vessels— aggregate of 83,280 tons gross, and 51,534 tons nett. With 248 local coasters of 35,354 tons gross, and 21,328 tons nett, lit- grand total was brought to 122.634 tons gross, and 72,862 tons nett. Tho departures consisted of one British warship, one cable steamer, six large cargo steamers, five intercolonial or island traders, eight coastal vessels for southern ports, two sailing vessels, and the steamer Tiberius after coaling—an aggregate of 85,205 tons gross and 55,408 tons nett. In addition, 237 local coasters of 39,281 tons gross and 21,626 tons nett departed, making a grand total of 124,486 tons gross and 77,034 tons nett.

Good progress is being ma wo with the erection of the Grand Picture Theatre at the lower end of Queen Street, opposite the Chief Post Office. All the foundations have been laid, and a start has been made with the construction of the steel frame, which will be completed in about a fortnight. The block, which has been designed by Mr. B. C. Chilwell, will be constructed of ferro-concretc It will be five storeys high, and in addition to the picture theatre there will bo :wo shops on the Queen Street frontage, The theatre portion has been planned in conformity with modern ideas, and special attention is to be paid to ventilation and the provision of comfortable seating accommodation. It is expected that the theatre will be completed early in October.

Inquiries will bo conducted to-day by Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., regarding the grounding of tho barque Joseph Craig or. the Rough Rock on Jrao 21 and the sinking of the scow Pahiki by tho steamer Clansman in tho harbour on June 24. The Minister for Marino has appointed Captain W. Robertson and Captain W. J, Reed as nautical assessors {or both cases.