LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15701, 31 August 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

A lame quantity of oversea mail matter reached Auckland yesterday. The R.M..S. Niagara arrived in tho afternoon from Vancouver and Honolulu with 809 bags and hampers of European, American, and Canadian. mails, while the Riverina, which reached port shortly afterwards from Sydney, brought 320 bags and hampers of European, American, and Australian mails. This makes a total of 1129 bags and hampers— of tho largest mails landed hero in one day for Eomo considerable time pa<.t. The Southern portion of both mails was despatched by tho Main Trunk express last night, while the Auckland portion will be delivered in tho city and suburbs this morning.

An unfortunate experience has befallen Mr. J. I, Brittain, who arrived from Sydney by the steamer Riverina yesterday to take up the position of ConsulGenera 1 for the United States in Now Zealand. He was previously Consul at Coburg, in Germany, and when he decided to como to Auckland he packed up the whole of his belongings and consigned them thy the German steamer Wismar, which was inaugurating the direct service between Germany and New Zealand. The steamer left Hamburg on Juno 23, and since that time Mr. Brittain has not heard of her. Included in the articles are a number of. valuable books, pictures, and curiosities, which he has collected since he has been in the consular service. | It is thought that the Wismar has gone to a. neutral port where she will remain during the war.

Deeply-laden with a full general cargo, the Huddart-Parker liner Riverina arrived at Auckland yesterday afternoon from Sydney direct. The vessel was somewhat later than usual in leaving Sydney, due to the largo quantity of cargo which had to be shipped. Although she was loaded almost down to her plimsol marks, tho steamer made a very creditable- passage, the distance of 1281 miles being covered in three days 20 hours actual steaming time. The cargo brought by the Riverina includes transhipments from the following steamers Cooma, Katcomba, Paloona, Wandilla, Wcstralia, from Commonwealth pons; Morca, Euripides, Indianic, Tumi, from British. and Continental ports; Nikko Mam, Taiyuan, from Eastern ports; Ventura, from San Francisco, and Stolzenfels, from New York. The Riverina will not return to Sydney this trip, as is usual tJho will sail to-morrow afternoon for Gis borne, Napier. Wellington, Lyttelton, and Dune-din, returning here on Sunday, September 13. She will sail for Sydney again on Monday evening, September 14.

A collision between two motor-cars occurred yesterday morning at eleven o'clock at the corner of Grafton Bridge and Symonds Street. One car was proreeding across the bridge to go along Karangahape Road, and tho other, a taxicab. camp from the opposite direction and turned into Symonds Street. The laxicab had a spring broken, and the front was slightly damaged. A wheel of the other car was buckled. Tho latter contained a man and three women. None of the occupants was injured.

A party of six Salvation Army officers, including Commissioners Hay and Richards, of Australia and New Zealand respectively, roturncd from the Army Congress in London yesterday by the Niagara from Vancouver. They stated that about 00 Australian officers, and 15 from this Dominion, attended the congress. It was shown that the organisation has progressed about 33 per cent, in practically every section during the pant 10 years. The advance is shown particularly in mission work, tho number of officers, and in the Army's social endeavours. General Bramwell Booth expressed his intention of visiting New Zealand, and hopes to arrive- fit the Bluff, all 1 being well, on August 13, 1915. Tho returned commissioners added that the rocont congress altered none of the policy of the Army, though, as a result, its operations are likely to become more intensive and expressive than in the past.

Tho mail steamer Niagara, which arrived at, Auckland yesterday afternoon from Vancouver and Honolulu, brought 503 passengers in all classes. Of this number 100 arc booked for various parts of New Zealand, while 11 are booked for Fiji, and 192 are proceeding through to Australia by the vessel. Tho liner also lias on board one of the largest cargoes of merchandise yet brought from Canada by one vessel engaged in the sen-ice. The cargo totals 3750 to,ns, and consists of the usual lines of Canadian merchandise. About 836 tons will be discharged at this port, a portion of which 16 for transhipment to other ports of New Zealand. The amount of cargo for Australia totals 2148 tons. As tho Niagara omitted the call at Suva, 760 tons of cargo for that port will lie, transhipped to tho Navua, while the passengers for Fiji by the Niagara, will also proceed to Suva by the Navua on Wednesday.

A large quantity of produce will bo available in Auckland this week. The Union Company's cargo steamer Waitomata is expected to arrive this afternoon from the South with 8100 tons, which will be one of the largest cargoes landed at Auckland for some time past. The Waitomata'.s shipment comprises thousands of sacks of chaff, potatoes, wheat, flour, and oats, also smaller lines of peas, barley, malt, hay, etc. The loading ports wero Bluff, Oamaru, Timaru, Lyttelton, and Picton. The Waitemata will be followed by tho Wanaka, which is to load a full cargo of produce at Lyttelton and Timaru this week for Auckland.

During the voyage of the Shaw, Savill, and Albion steamer Matatua from London to Port Chalmers recently communication was maintained by wireless with several ships, including a German vessel, tho Lubeck. When war was declared, all intercourse was stopped by advice from tlio Australian station. Lights wore shrouded, and a sharp lookout was kept, but none of the enemy's ships was sighted, though several were heard communicating with others by code. The Matatua called at Beauty Point,. Tasmania, on August 15, and, while crossing to and fro in the bay waiting for daylight, a strange- vessel was sighted standing towards Beauty Point. Thy steamer Rotomahana also reported having sighted the same vessel the previous evening. The authorities wore communicated with, but nothing more was seen of the stranger.

An American agricultural scientist, Professor G. C. Creelmaii, was among the visitors who arrived by the Niagara yesterday. Ho came for tho purpose of attending the meetings of scientists in New Zealand, under the auspices of tho Britisn Association. Professor Ureelman is president of the Ontario Agricultural i Collogo, Guelph, Canada. He intends to proceed to Wellington, and place himself in touch with the Agricultural Department, in the matter of delivering lectures in New Zealand, he will be guided by the wishes of the Department, It is Professor Creelman's intention to stay in New Zealand for some time, in order to study tho dairying conditions in the Dominion. "I want," he remarked yesterday, "to seeNew Zealand in the spring time, and to gam information at first hand of tha dairying conditions here. I have been supplied with much valuable information with regard to New Zealand's dairying

industry, but I have come to this country | with an open mind. The information ! which I have shows that New Zealand j has been making great headway in tho ] Gutter and cheese trade, and the object I of my visit is to find out how it is done, j Nothing in the past has done ho much for i Canada as tho dairying industry, and nothing has advertised Canada so much in • Great Britain as the butter and cheese ! trade.' The Ontario Agricultural College, ' of which Professor Creelman is the president, is one of the oldest and most important institutions of the kind in the British Empire. At the present time it has graduates all over the world occupying important position?, At the college students | were received from 22 different countries j last year. Among tho students 20 came : from South Africa, and Australia and New Zealand wcro also represented. The arrival of tho liner Niagara yester- ) day caused tome excitement on the waterfront, Larje numbers flocked to the King's Wharf to witness her arrival, but only those having business with the ship were permitted to pass through the gates until tho jiassangors had lauded. 'The Niagara was reported from Tiritiri at noon, and the action of the port health officer and the Customs authorities in meeting the vessel in Rangitoto Channel with the pilot, Captain U. H. Sergeant, saved a great deal of time. The work of examining passengers was completed by tho time the Niagara entered the harbour, end she was at once berthed.

At the opening of tho Knox Homo at West Tamaki on Saturday, Dr. W. B. Parkes, as tho principal medical office]- of tho Auckland military district, took the opportunity of thanking the Knox trustees for their offer of a wing ,of the home as a convalescent homo for wounded and sick soldier.!. Tho offer, he said, had relieved the Defence Department, and especially the Medical Department, of a great deal oi" responsibility, and it was greatly appreciated. It was mentioned on Saturday that the homo was in need of a piano and gramaphone, and also of garden seats.

The premature announcement of the departure of the steamer Niagara from Vancouver, which was cabled to New Zealand, was published in the Vancouver papers "whilst we were still at Vancouver, wailing to leave," said one passenger in conversation yesterday. "We received newspapers on board in which we read tho statement that we had left. This was indeed news to us."

It is understood in Wellington that Major A. De Bathe Brandon, who for many years took a prominent part in military matters in Wellington, will bo offered the temporary command, of the sth Wellington Regiment during tho absence of the regiment's commander, LieutenantColonel C. 11. Turner, with the advance guard of the New Zealand expeditionary force. It is also stated, says a Press Association telegram, that Major Fleming Row, the commander of D Company, will be promoted to the position of second in command of tho regiment.

Over 2001b of cake and sweets are still wanted to completo'the ship-board dainties for tho troops. Mrs. T. F. Cheeseman will bo pleased if those who have nut already sent contributions will forward their parcels as soon as possible to her. as she is anxious to proceed with the packing. Miss Peacock or Mrs. A, V Friend will also bo pleased to receive any donations which may bo sent for the same purpose. Much assistance lias been given to the movement by Messrs*, Hutchinson tiros., who arc undertaking the packing.

A party of motorists met with an accident on Saturday. Six young men were proceeding to Pukekohe for tho week-end, and took a wrong turning at Bombay Whito going round a sharp corner the car overturned into a ditch. The occupant* were all thrown • clear, however, and escaped with a few bruises. The car suffered to the extent of a broken windscreen, and the mud-guards were damaged.