LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15657, 10 July 1914, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Ok Monday night a burglar broko into tho residence of Mr. C. A. Cawkwcll, Seaview Road, Remuera, and stole a watch aud chain and some money. Yesterday morning Constable. Goddard, of the Newmarket police, arrested a, man giving tho name of Norman Johnston, and charged him with breaking into Mr. Cawkwell's holism and stealing a watch and chain, valued at £4, also the sum of £2. Two other charges were preferred against tho accused, who will appear in the Police Court this morning.

As a lady was walking along Queen reel 'tho other day silo dropped her hand-bag on to the pavement. A number of people were- passing ;tt the time, and one of them made off with the bag almost before tho lady had time to realise her loss. Owinrr to the crowd it was impossible to identify tho thief, so tho only thing to bo done was to report the matter to the police. The bag' contained £6 in money, and, as tho owner is not in affluent circircumstances, the loss falls very heavily upon her.

Advice received by the local office of the Union Company states that the Canadian-Australasian mail steamer Makura was despatched- from Vancouver at noon on Wednesday, for Honolulu, Suva, Auckland, and Sydney. The vessel has on board 225 passengers in all classes. The Canadian merchandise brought to New Zealand by vessels engaged in this service is increasing with the departure of each successive steamer. The Makura is bringing 730 tons of cargo for New Zealand, which is about double tho amount brought from the Canadian port by the Marama, on June 30. Tho Makura, which also has on board European, American, and Canadian mails, is duo at Auckland on Tuesday, July 28.

The trailing of girls for domestic life was the subject of a question asked in Parliament by Mr. A. M. Myers (Auckland East). The question, which was addressed to the Minister for Education, was whether ho would consider the desirability of instituting in the public schools a system of compulsory training in domestic science for girls. Mr. Allen replied that the attention given to elementary home science in the public schools was increasing every year, and women students in training colleges were compelled now to tako up a course of homo science. Until all the teachers were qualified to do this work well, hewever, he feared that not much would bn gained by making a special course in home science compulsory in all schools.

| Seldom hap the Auckland waterfront presented such a deserted appearance as has been the case this week. The departure of thr Navua and Kurow, on Wednesday, left two more berths vacant, and should the barque Joseph Craig sail to-day, the berths at No. 2 Jetty will all be empty. There should be plenty of work on the waterfront from to-morrow onwards, as a large number of oversea and i coastal cargo steamers are expected to arrive during the next eight or ten days. The Colonial Sugar Company's steamer Fiona, from Fiji, with a full cargo of raw sugar, the Wairuna from Westport with a load of coal, and the Rosamond from Gisborne, are duo to arrive to-morrow. On Sunday the Manuka is due from Sydney, while the Maitai will also arrive in the evening or early on Monday morning from Southern ports. The Star of England is due from London and Australian ports on Monday night.. On Tuesday the FederalShire steamer Kent lis expected from Sydney to load frozen.meat and general cargo for Boston and New York. The Kamona, from Westport, the #arori, from Newcastle, and the Franklyn,,from New York and Australian ports, aro expected on Wednesday. On Thursday the Tarawera, from Southern ports, the Wanaka, from Bluff, Oamaru, ai\d Timaru, with produce, and the Rakanoa, from Fiji, with a cargo of raw sugar, are due to arrive.

During the month of Juno the following cases of infectious diseases have been notified to the district health oflicer (Dr.. Makgill) Scarlet fever: City, 3.cases; suburbs, 5 cases; country districts, 12 cases; total, 20 cases. Diphtheria: City, 7 cases ; suburbs, 18 cases; country districts, 25 cases; total, 50 cases. Enteric fever: City, 1 ca«e; suburbs, 3 cases; country districts, 26 cases; total, 30 cases. Tuberculosis: Ci'y, 9 cases; suburbs, 8 cases; country dii"tricte, 9 cases; total, 26 cases. Blood poisoning: City, 3 cases; suburbs, 4 cases; country districts, 3 cases; total, 10 cases. Chicken-pox: City, 8 cases; suburbs, 27 cases; country districts, 25 cases; total, 60 cases.

The New Zealand Club, a well-known Wellington organisation, was referred to in terms of praise by Dr.- W. C. W. McDowell at the annual dinner of public schools old boys last night. Dr. McDowell pointed out that whenever a Jfamous man came to New Zealand, whether he was statesman, scientist, sociologist, writer, or traveller, ho was taken as a guest' to a luncheon at the club, and invited to address the members for half an hour or so. The result was that they personally met many distinguished men. and were given a direct knowledge of and interest in the great movements of the world. Why should they not have a similar institution in Auckland? So far as ho could see, there was nothing to prevent the establishment of such a club. The speaker's suggestion was received by the gathering with hearty applause.

Several indications of ancient Maori occupation have been found by Messrs. Medland Bros, on their property on Great Barrier Island during the draining of a large swamp upon which they are engaged. They recently found a strange vegetable of the calabash family, which they presume, from the fact that the swamp is a very ancient one, must have been buried for a very long time, probably centuries. It was found embedded in clay at a depth of 4ft Gin below the level of the. swamp. When first unearthed the skin was of 3, bright yellow colour, but on being exposed to the air for a time became shrivelled ,and dark. The seeds resembled grains of maize, and though they were fairly well preserved they wero lifeless. No vegetable of this variety has been grown on the island within the recollection of tho oldest resident. At intervals along a mile of drain, burned stones, such as the Maoris used in their cooking, have been found buried in the swamp.

Nine objections to the proposal to take land for the widening of Beach Road and for the Jermyn Street extension were brought before tho City Council last night. The Mayor informed the objectors that the council Lid no intention of being harsh with them, and, on the contrary, was desirous of treating them fairly and liberally in regard to tho matter of compensation. Mr. Parr added that as tho remit of his observations of the congestion in Sydney, he was satisfied that the Jermyn Street outlet would be ono of the most beneficial works ever undertaken by the council. On tho motion of the Mayor the council expressed the opinion that it was expedient that the proposed works should bo executed, and, that no private injury would be done thereby, for which compensation is not provided by the Act.

The roadway fronting the *$$&& Clubs bowling green, in Grafton'"JSs recently showed signs of subsidence. 1$ matter was reported to tho City Com v' and the waterworks engineer vestigations. The subsidence caused i water main- to sag outwards, ail( ftlfl angle cocks were broken out of the m' To prevent a complete collapse, I gineer decided to discard the old m !"* and to lay a new one to connect higher where the road is solid. The council i?' ; : night approved this course. W

An addition of £211 was made vo,. '' day to the new building nd ol fl' • Remuera Children's Home. The am - :'; previously acknowledged was £776, so J* the fund now contains £987. Nearly 2'-' hag been collected in Whangarei by \r '" Spedding, and returns by the" other col] ?' ' ing teams were as follow:—Mrs. ?*. ; Woolley's team, £36; .Mrs. F. \y r, '"' ' team, £29; Rev. S. .Tonkin's team £*' ■' Mrs. G. Carlick's team, £25; Mrs.'j r,'Spedding and Mrs. Long's team fin' ' Mrs. F. M. Hay's team, £11. P as t or o i; ■ Morris's team, £6; Miss Pragneil'g to £5; Mrs. F. B. Sainton's team, £3. m' / T. W. Craneh's team, £2. The camp a j,!j • will bo continued to-day and concluded 8 * noon to-morrow, so that the contributions during the remaining period must be mot generous than the average of the past fi V 8 days if the objective of £1500 in 0 bh attained.

Fifty-seven fruit auctioneers and other. wrote to the City Council last night, draw ing attention to the " serious drawbacks and inconvenience placed on carters" owing to there not being any definite stand ' in or near Lower Albert Street. tj,... urged the absolute, necessity for such a stand. The traffic inspector reported thai the complainants were not licensed car- • ters, and that he was at a loss to knowv where they stood. He added that no bene- •' fits were derived from tho writers by way' of fees, and that any suggestion made, would receive his attention. The communication was referred to the Works Conmittee. ■ :

The number of units of electricity g en 6.' rated at the city electrical power-hona, during the fortnight ended June 29 last was 281,410. In the same period 325,080 gallons of water and -193 tons of coal wcrj used; the wages paid totalled £386 .10$3d> and 10 new customers were obtained, mat' ing a total of 1627.

After undergoing an extensive overhaul at Port Chalmers, the Union Conipanv'r turbine steamer Maheno has again boea : recommissioned for the intercolonial passenger service. During her stay at tho' Southern port, the Maheno's old turbine.' engines were removed, and two sets of theV latest pattern of geared turbines were m.»' stalled. The Maheno leaves Wellington*" this evening for Sydney. She is due!at the New South Wales port on Tuesday ! next, and will leave on Wednesday, July , 22, for Auckland, in her former runniig ; in the Sydney-Auckland direct service. It •' is anticipated that tho Maheno will no? ! make some smart passages between the j two ports. The Manuka, which has been ' relieving the Maheno during the past two f or three months, will make her final ap-:» pearance in the service at Auckland on"; Sunday. Sho will sail on Monday even-'.'? ing for Sydney, arriving there on Friday, ' July 17, and sailing the fallowing day for ■: Wellington, to take up her former running ' in the Sydney-Cook Strait-Melbourne pas- ' senger service.

Several business people in Karangahaps Road sent in a requisition to tho City Council last night calling attention to the by-law restricting shopkeepers, householders, etc., from sweeping the footpaths after' 8 a.m. They urged that the street in ; . question was one of the busiest and oosl ' important thoroughfares in the city, and asked that arrangements should be made j for the systematic cleaning of the footbaths, as was done in Queen Street, by the council's employees. The city en-' gineer, Mr. W. E. Bush, reported that the cost of sweeping the footpaths onc« a day would be £250 per annum, and that it would be necessary not to allow shop- > keepers to sweep anything from their pre- ; mises on to the footpath after sweeping ; had been done. Tho matter was referred to the Works Committee.

With' a view to testing, Che suitability of New Zealand timbers other than kahikatea for butter-boxes an experiment is bein* made by the Auckland Timberworkers' Union in conjunction with the.' provincial secretary of the Fanners' Union. Arrangements have been made by Mr. E. Phelan, secretary of the former union, with the Auckland Rimu Timber., Company to have half-a-dozen boxes made; in tawa, a timber that is in plentiful supply, and Mr. Schmitt has agreed to have the boxes filled with butter and sent to London to ascertain whether the timber has any effect on the butter. Such large quantities of kahikatea are now being used in the manufacture of butter- '■ boxes that, according to the views expressed at the Timber-workers' Conference in Wellington on Tuesday, the available supplies of the timber will be exhausted. A. suggestion by Sir. Phelan that the Government should bo asked to experiment with New Zealand timbers to see if there were any other kinds that would take the place of white pine for this purpose was adopted by the conference'.

Delegates from the three branches of the New Zealand Federated Seamen's Union will bo present at the annual meeting to be opened in Auckland on Monday. Tho Auckland union will be represented by Messrs. J. K. Kneen and John Sharkey, and the Wellington delegates, Messrs. W. T. Young and H. Richards, will leave for Auckland to-morrow. Advice has not yet been received regarding the representation of tho Dunedin branch. Among tho business for tin meeting will bo the consideration of the rules of la* three branches with a view to a revision of them that will securo uniformity. .

Interference with tho hoso connections for the fire appliances at the Town Hall has been reported to the City Council. In order to obviate future complaint* « the same nature, the council last , nigW decided upon special precautions. I" 6 fire appliances in the two halls open* o the public are to be protected by being ' covored with Iwxes with glass fronts. The sum of £20 is to be expended in providing the boxes, and turning c'S ht of tho valves which at present project ~ too far into passage-ways, The Supreme Court returns for 'W. quarter ended June 30 last show that there were 23 criminal indictments &S against 24 for the corresponding quartet of the previous year. Fourteen persons were convicted and nine acquitted. Fifteen judgments were entered in civil cases as against 10. and 24 awards were made ». compensation cases as against one. ** divorce, 34 decrees nisi and 9 decrcW absolute were made in comparison with 2* and 8 respectively in the corresponding three months of last year. Ten adjudio I tions in bankruptcy were made as against,. 11, and 9 discharges wero granted « . ] against 3. The bankruptcy fees amounted i to £77 16s, fines amounted to £19 ss,Wags fees other than for bankruptcy to £1003 y 5s 2d, making a total of £1100 6s 2d. Th« V total fees for the corresponding quartet .last year were £1043 12s Id. 4|§ - • i'M