LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15662, 16 July 1914, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A CASE of shop-lifting in KaTangabape Road was dealt with by justices in the Police Court yesterday. A woman, who subsequently gave her name as Milliccnt Ora\enitz, was observed on Tuesday afternoon to stop outside a shop And to closely examine some of the goods exposed for sale. The woman, who had with her a young girl, wheeling a perambulator, was then seen to slip a boot into the pram, whereupon a constablo was called. A search of the pram revealed, in addition to the boot, half-a-dozen pillow-slips, a pinafore, and a pair of boots. All these goods had been stolen from other shops in the neighbourhood. The odd boot stolen on Tuesday matched one missed from the same shop on the previous afternoon. As the woman had hitherto borne a good character, she w&s fined £3 and 18s 6d costs.

Two important loan proposals will be placed before the ratepayers of Takapuna at an early date. At the meeting of the Borough Council last evening it was decided to ask the ratepayer' sanction to a loan of £6000 for the purchase of * park and improvements to the same, and a loan of £2000 for the erection of council chambers. A poll will be arranged.

Three arrests were made by members of the detective force yesterday. In the forenoon Detectives Quartermain and Cummings apprehended a man, John lieMahon, in a Federal Street boardinghouse, on a warrant charging him with having stolen £5 from a King Country resident at the Salvation Army Woi'kingmcn's Homo last week. Detective Gourlay effected the arrest on tho scow Kapua, at Bayswater, of Thomas Pelloy, on a charge of stealing a bag belonging to J. Smith at tho Waverley Hotel, on June 3 last. The same officer also arrested, earlier in the day, on the scow Katie S. at Riverhead, Peter Andersen, charged with the theft of the contents of a portmanteau and bandbag belonging (o George Earnshaw, at Ohakune, on Juno 25 last. The value of the goods Andersen is accused of stealing is £11. The three men will appear at the Police Court to-day.

Fourteen tenders have been received for the supply of motor-ambulances for the Auckland Hospital, from firms in England, Wellington, and Auckland. Alternative prices for one or two cars were invited, and the tenders will be considered on Wednesday by a sub-committee, which has been appointed with power to accept a .ender. The total amount subscribed by the public was £844, and application lias been made for the payment of a subsidy, amounting to £1013, making the total amount available £1867. As the application has not yet been acknowledged further representations will be made to the Department of Public Health.

The steamer Mokoia, from Sydney, did not arrive at Wellington yesterday in time to connect with the Main Trunk express, The Auckland portion of the mail carried by the- vessel will therefore not come north until to-morrow. The Willocbra, from San Francisco, according to wireless advice, will arrive at Wellington this evening at five o'clock. The vessel is carrying a largsa quantity of mail matter from England, Canada, and the United States. The Auckland portion will be despatched by the Main Trunk express to-night and will arrive to-morrow afternoon.

Following upon a proposal made at a recent meeting of the Takapuiu Borough Council regarding the "advisability of'purchasing the interests of the Takapuna Ferry and Tramway Company, the Legal find Finance Committee reported last ■light, at the council meeting, that it had met to ascertain tho terms on which the company would sell its undertaking to the borough. Messrs. W'arnock, Biss, Grimwade, and Gaudin represented the committee, and the company was represented by Messrs. J. Brown, Hansen, Morrison, Gilfillan, and Captain Smith, directors, and Mr. Kerr, secretary. The matter, stated the report, was discussed very fully, and the directors agreed to call a special meeting to consider the matter, and to forward an offer to the council if it was agreed to submit one. The committee's report was adopted, and as a letter vis received from the company asking that the matter be discussed in committee, it was agreed to deal with the question in thh manner.

A rtormy interlude was innocently caused by Miss E. Melville, the only lady delegate to the Municipal Association's Conference in Wellington, during the opening proceedings of the meeting on Tuesday. Finding herself among to many men, Miss Melville graciously told the conference that she had no objection to smoking. Promptly a non-smoking delegate objected to indulgence in tho habit. He suggested an adjournment of ten minutes or so at intervals for smokinc—a proposal which many received with strong opposition. He went on to say that it was difficult enough to hear what was going on when there -was no smoking, and he despaired of hearing anything if the delegates smoked. (Great laughter.) Then a man rose and began, "As a smoker, sir," but went on to say that be and other? could do better work without the pipe. Motions and amendments on the subject fluttered in the air, when Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh raised the point of order that they could not be considered without notice. The president (Mr. J. P. Luke) said he did not want a motion, and would not take one. He was a smoker himself, and if he wanted to smoke he would vacate the chair while he did so. But, as for the delegates, those who approved of smoking and wanted to could smoke. Those who objected to it need not. The conference then settled down, and peace grew with the increasing haze.

During the recent cruise of the Southern Cross among the mission stations in the Melanesian Islands, the island of Ambryn, the scene of a disastrous eruption a few months ago, was passed. The volcano was still discharging smoke and great quantities of volcanic dust, which almost completely obscured the island to leeward. The people who fled from the scene of the disturbance had not returned. The Southern Cross twice passed the island of Tina-]-r>l- .„ ..tv'nlnhit-ed and active volcanic island, 2000 ft high. The party on the steamer lirst approached the volcano at night and, although the steamer was 12 miles away, it was possible, with glasses, to clearly see flames belching from the crater and masses of molten lava flowing over the rim and down the side of the mountain. When the steamer returned a few weeks later, the volcano was still in violent eruption.

The theory of evolution is considered by Archbishop Clarke, of Melbourne, to fail to establish the contention that man has descended from the lower forms of life. Preaching last week, he said that in no fossil remains that had been found was there any sign of an ape-man or a man ape. Dealing with the second chapter of Genesis and the story of the creation of woman, the Archbishop said that there was no sciertific fact more firmly held than that by marriage woman became one flesh with her uusband.

A record number of calls hayo w ' ' received by the Newmarket Volunteer p - •'■ l " Brigade* during the past 12 months. Al t '*■ gethcr lb alarms were given, 13 being . ;; the borough and three in the adjoin; ■ districts. The property involved by th outbreaks was valued at £8000, beta} ' * • surcd for £5700, and the prompt arr ,lD ' of tho brigade on each occasion confi - the total damage to about £100. Th L • , . , xa o bri gado is now equipped with 2000 ft of bo The annual report suggests the desirabilit of amalgamation with Epsom and One-f Hill for fire brigade purposes. Xoe m M bers of tho Newmarket brigado won th open events in fire brigade competition during the year, one member a new Dominion record for the lad,] race. *

A request that a block of l an com prising 2944 acres, 60 miles from Stratford" should bo acquired for clow settlement was made to the Prime Minister on Tues fay by Mr. J. B. Richards, president of the Stratford Chamber of Commerce, jj Richards said the land was excellent and was all capable of great development -if convenient access wore given. Taero was about £3000 worth of good timber on th land, but rather than wait lor this to b cut. it was suggested that the land should bo loaded with its value. Mr. Masse expressed pleasure at learning that so m J land was available in the locality, an d promised to have the matter looked m at once, lie added that ho did not intend to allow land to lie idle where a demand existed for it.

Notice has been given liy Mr. W. Anld that he will more the following motions at the next meeting of the Education Board .-—" (1) That, with tho object of securing the bet teacher available fop each position offering, and of encouraging merit and efficiency throughout tho &&. vice, it is desirable that, in the regulations controlling appointments, provision be made for the removal of teachers whose work has become relatively inefficient (2) That, in view of the importance of technical education, arrangements be made for holding a conference with employers of labour and others interested, with the object of discussing the best means of extending the influence of our technical college in the direction of attracting larger numbers of apprentices to the classes."

The members of the City Fire Brigado found themselves in an awkward predicament last night. They had all donned their best attire and were about to enter upon the enjoyment of a fortnightly dance in the social hall at the central station when, perversely enough, the alarm bell raig. Instantly there was a general scatter to posts of duty, partners for the first dance being left to their own devices lamenting the ill-timed interruption. Many of the firemen stayed no longer than to change into their uniform jackets and helmets, The result was that they arrived at the seat of the fire in Ponsonby Road partly in the dress of office and partly garbed for the ballroom. Some of the spectators were surprised to see the lirefighters plunging into the burning building shod in dancing pumps and with clean starched collars encircling their necks, Some of the men fell to work on the flames in new trousers designed for less damaging wage. On their return to the station, drenched to the skin, half-an-hour or so later, they bad perforce to chango into dry garments of a more ancient character. However, no thought of spoiled was allowed to interfere with the subsequent delights of the mazy waltz. The irony of the fact that no call had been received since last Monday week until the psychological moment when the periodical dance was about to commence was freely commented upon.

Owing to the new valuation of Wellington City not yet being completed by the -■'• Valuation Department, the finances of >

the City Council, slates the Mayor, Mr. J. P. Luke, are being seriously inconvenienced, as the corporation officers are not in a position to issue the rate demands for the current year. "Indeed the position is a very serious one," said -Mr. Luke to a reporter on Monday, "not only in (lie interests of the city itself, but as a check to the employment of people generally. As we stand now, wo cannot extend the ordinary city cervices, ; and only work that is absolutely necessary is bsing carried on. A luge amount of work is being held back in connection with the works proposed in the city engineer's estimates—work that will be put in hand as soon as the rates revenue begins to come in, which cannot bo until next month. Even to carry on the necessitous services of the city we have already piled up an enormous overdraft, and that should not s he the case. It would bo in the best interests of the'city—indeed, of ail local bodies hampered by delayed 'valuations'—to have the Act amended to provide that in years when new general valuations aro made local authorities should be given the power to rate'on the valuation roll used during the previous financial year.'' Tho council, he added, would sooner have rated on last year's roll than bo placed in tha position'

it has been by the delay which has occurred in getting tho new roll out, but he had consulted tho city solicitor, and Mr. T. F. Martin, solicitor to tho Municipal Association, and both had agreed that the Act was very specific in indicating that local bodies had no power to rate on any but tho new valuations. The general question will bo brought before the Municipal Conference.

A story of an adventure which befeJ ft detachment of the 92nd Punjabis ill Eastern Bengal is bein; told by Eastern newspapers. At the request of the subdivisional officer, Mr. Ross, about 25 men under Subadar Ahmad Khan went to assist in rounding up a man-eating tiger, wkicn had just mauled a man not far from the village of Netrakona, about 26 miles from Mymemsingh. Ball cartridge was served out, and the men were guided by a villager toward* the spot where the tiger was supposed to be. The troops were disposed in open order with bayonets fixed and magazines charged. Mr. Ross was in front, with scouts on either side. Suddenly the animal broke cover and charged Mr. Ross, coming on, the report says, like a "perfect cannon-ball of snarling fur." Mr. Ross fired and missed. The two scouts had % dash at the animal, and then the rest of tho men rushed forward with mei bayonets. A general scrimmage ensued "Of course," the account continues, "'* is impossible for anybody to remember exactly what happened next. There were shouts, and shots and bayonet thrusts. Tho animal got two men down, and they emerged from the scrum bleeding badly. Others were knocked down and got up again unhurt. The scene may bo best described as a whirlwind of pagris and fur. In any case, when it was all over, the scrum had moved nearly 20 yards. Finally, when the animal lay dead, and tliO Sepoys had drawn off, a panther was discovered, and not a tiger. During the struggle everybody had believed it to bo a tiger. It had seven bullet wounds and 11 bayonet thrusts. Shikaris know that a panther at bay is even mora ferocious than a tiger, and has a greater tenacity Of life." ';