LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15730, 3 October 1914, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

JJoeixo the course of the next few day

two large ocean-going'steamers aro- expected Jo arrive at Wellington from London, via way .ports. The Rualimo is expected to reach Wellington this morning, caving left Hobart early on Tuesday, i'his: vessel 'is bringing over 450 first and third-class passengers for all parts of New Zealand. ! The Tainui, of the Shaw, : Savin and Albion Company's fleet, left -Hobart ou ; Ihureday : for Wellington, where she should arrive on . Tuesday. The Tainui is.bringing over 300 first and •■ third-class passengers for. the Dominion. ... ■<*

. The postal authorities adviso that the English . mail which left Auckland j on. August 19 arrived in London on September 29. This mail was sent to Wellington, where it was shipped by the mail steamer Maitai, which left Wellington on; August 20 for San Francisco, via-' ports. The complaint that the men on the troopships have not received the goods specially contributed by the citizens of Auckland is the subject of a letter written to the Ladies' Committee of the .Auckland Patriotic League ,by Lieutenant-Colonel C. E. 11. Mackesy, O.C. Troopship No. 12. He states that it is quite true that the goods. have not been served out to the men, but points out that the men were so short a 'time at sea, and were so ill throughout that , time, that they did not trouble 'much about the tobacco, etc. Officers aro in charge, of'the goods, which will be served out when the men are at sea. . ■'.:/ •'•' '"" -;'."'• The two parties arranged by the Arawa Defence Committee to visit each tribe in the district in connection with raising, a contingent from the Arawa people for service in Egypt or ' Samoa left ■ Rotorua on Monday and visited Maketa, the historic landing ! place of the ancestors of the was, To Puke, and ; Matata, besides making short calls at half-a-dozen other settlements, says our Rotorua, correspondent. ■ Everywhere strong support of the proposal was expressed. Volunteers 1 far in excess of the number required for • the Arawa quota, ■ 56, have offered themselves, for service. : The Ara was are anxious that Captain Gilbert Mair, who led' their fathers, with great distinction in the ; Maori war, ■ should be . placed. in command of the native, contingent, and their Defence Committee has decided to make representations to the > Government on the subject. .....,.;. ■ .<- -,

Seven immigrant ships arrived ;at Auckland during the month of October, 1864. They brought altogether 1017 passengers, of ."whom the few,, survivors are taking a/' good deal of interest in '.'the jubilee anniversary of their landing in New Zealand. Six of tho ships were direct from England, the list being as follows :—October 1, Glendevon, . 125 days from London, 33 passengers; i October 4 t . Surat,; 106; days from London, 112 passengers; October 10, Columbus,' 115 days from London, 189 passengers; October 16, Eagle Speed, 125 days from London, 191 passengers;. October 24, Jumna,.. 112 days from':London, 101; passengers; October 29, Ida Zeigler, 95 days from Plymouth, 179 passengers.. The barque Steinwaerder arrived ;on October 14, ■ 1864, from the Cape of Good * Hope with 212 passengers. i In Chambers '. yesterday; morning, before Mr. Justice Cooper, the following Supreme Court - fixtures were made:—October 5, Hill .yv^tho' Public /Trustee; 'October 7, Metcalfe v. tho^.Whangarei h ßorough Council;. October,, 14, • Mitchell v. Parkinson, and Hill v. Cufcten;. October 16, Webb v. • • Patersou; '.'.' October 26,' Boyd v. - • the Auckland and Suburban Drainage Board. : The' case of Battersby v. Wheatley > was referred to the Court .'of Appeal, and cases deferred until next sitting of ' the Auckland Supremo Court were: Hughes and Cossar v. Sclaich; Mahutu t. Kaihu; Devonport ■ Borough Council' v. Parsons; and : McWhirter v. Cooker. ■. '■'■■;• Several interesting sailing contests have taken place between the \ schooner Eliza Firth and the brigantine Aratapu, which have been engaged for years past in: the Lytteltoh-KaipaVa■. trade.-- About six years ago the Aratapu was credited with having sailed the distance of 578 miles in '48 hours, whilst the' Eliza. Firth has claimed that she has covered ■ the , same course in 52 hours. Another i interesting race commenced at 12.30. p.m. on September 18, when both craft, after being barbound about a fortnight, crossed the Kaipara bar together on , the run. South. Variable winds ; were; encountered. The honours on : this,occasion fell to 'the Eliza Firth,'': which - passed through < Lyttelton Heads \at .7.55: p.m.. on ; Wednesday,':' September 23, the Aratapu not arriving until 2.25 a.m. on the following daw'' , '"''

Matters' aro proceeding in connection with an? application to i the'■■ Arbitral tion Court by ; Mr. A. S. Graham, r of Wairaki, to-' exempt five hotels, in ; the Taupo district from the ,5 parties . to ■■■ the Hotel Workers' Award, on the grounds that they have little bar trade, and only a' seasonal patronage. After, a conference, between' Messrs. Graham and Pagni, for the'4iotelkeepers, and Messrs. Long and Barnsley / for . the hotel -workers, ; held before. Mr. ;T.\Harle- Giles/ • conciliation commissioner, ' yesterday, ' an agreement upon the major points was arrived .'at. This morning tho application will." come before 1 "the Arbitration Court-,; for "final settlement. ' " V ''•-',''' ~ '"• Discharging , operations on ■ the -French barque Chateau IVif at the King's Wharf are being steadily proceeded with. ; The vessel's cargo consists of superphosphates, which were brought out from Germany in bulk. The work .of discharging this cargo is necessarily very 'slow, as the material has to be shovelled j< into large iron' buckets and then hoisted ashore. Owing to its long detention in the ship's holds a large quantity has settled 'down ir« a solid mass, and at times it .is necessary to use both pick and. crowbar to loosen it. All the superphosphates have been discharged from tho forward holds, and sent away to various v parte of the

country in railway trucks. Clay ballast la now being deposited in the forward holds. There is still a large quantity of the cargo to be discharged from the after, holds. The Chateau C'if has been in port for some weeks now, and it is anticipated that another fortnight will elapse before she "will complete -her dischargo andDo ready to put to sea. ' ~ • .> The value of a prohibition order was questioned in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, a solicitor stating that in nine cases out of ten prohibition orders were useless. -With this opinion Mi*. C. C. Kettle, S.M., did not agree, but the solicitor retaliated }, by • saying that wlien a man broke': his prohibition order for the first time ho was generally fined and his wife paid the money for ,'■ him. . Curiously enough in the Police Court a" man '<'■■ asked Mr. i). C. Cutten, S.M., to fine him and not imprison him for a breach of his prohibition order, as life had a wife and family to support. This His Worship declined to do as the fine, ? which would be a heavy one, as it was ' not T the accused's first lapse, would fall" heavily'; on his wife, '■' '". . ~' ''•.;".'• :! '.'-X'f-h> } ~.

'..'•' With .to-day's Hejuld- is issued:'the ;■ usual Saturday supplement,. containing an abundance -of ■ interesting reading s matter. Among; the": special • articles, Frank • Morton writes "Concerning Popular Excitement," and VTohunga deals with "The Duty.? of ' Smiling." ' A topical -, article on '♦'.German.. Field Artillery . Tactics," lby ■ Lieutenant-Colonel A. A. Grace, N.Z.F.A., - "Keyed to War; Fitch," by Mrs. Leo. : Myers, and " The 'Russian; as a .Pilgrim," Critic's:' contribution, are-" - also ' included. ■ The illustrations feature two war scenes, one showing Belgian'.troops'after, fighting , at Haelen, : and the other, " Kindness in Return I for Brutality," la. Belgian Red Cross worker relieving the ; sufferings ..of German wounded. A third ■ picture- gives a glimpse of White Island, and the scene of the recent disaster. The Auckland waterfront should -present a busy appearanco next week. The ves- I scls expected ; to-morrow include the Maheno from Sydney, the Mokoia from Southern porte, the Rakanoa from Westport and' Picton, and several .of the .Northern Company's : coastal fleet. The Canadian-Australasian: 13,500-ton liner Niagara' is expected to' arrive at daylight on Monday from Sydney, while tho cargo steamer Indralema, from New York and Australian 1 ports, is '■■ also v due on that day. On I Tuesday or Wednesday the Kamona is expected from Westport, and. on Thursday tne'Tarawera arrives from Southern ports, l'he Niagara sails on - • Tuesday, and the fhaw, Savill and Albion liner' Pakeha is expected to " sail • about ' Wednesday . • for Wellington and Timaru.' The Pakeha has discharged several thousand ■'.tons 'of geneni merchandise from London, and is now loading ;a \ large shipment of '. frozen meat, kauri. gum, - and general cargo.; '. After remaining in • port loading during several days the Shaw, Savill and Albion liner Corinthic ' sailed ■ yesterday, afternoon for Wellington. ~,..- - .'-•-< ' One effect .of the war has been a delay in the obtaining of supplies of »'railway, rails from the Old Country."'■' The WaihiAthenree section of i the - East v Coast__line is one of . the .' lines thus affected,. telegraphs our Parliamentary correspondent. No-rails for ..this, section were on -order when the war:'-broke out. An order has been ■ forwarded ■ since then, but: owing ;to the unfavourable conditions it has not yet been placed ??; It: is hoped by the Public Works Department that: it will soon be possible " to obtain the ; rails. /; \ lt is. presumed, that .the, activity at '.the ordnance work's -at Home i -will j have •■: materially affected , the turning out of rails ; and oilier ironwork. * - - -

. During the month of. September .the fal- i lowing cases of infectious diseases, have been notified to the district health' officer, Dr. R. H. Makgill: ■ Scarlet {over,« City: 6 cases, suburbs 3 cases, country districts 6' cases;, diphtheria, 9, 10, and '25;:; tuberculois, , 10,-4, and 7;;' enteric fever, ■ nil, :2, and 44; "; blood poisoning, :2, . : 5 t N - and'•; 1; chickenpos, 23, 28, and 19. The City arid Parncll Firo>, Brigades turned ! out", yesterday morning, at eleven o'clock in response to a call from, the Institute ; for -the; Blind. ';,. The outbreak was; in the. kitchen of . the institute," where the lining-boards". had caught,- fire, i but the flames ■ were' extinguished, without the aid of- the brigades,' by means of two. fireextinguishers . kept hi' the building. , ;'• t Some" boys while rowing in a. boat -._ off I'onsonby ■=' yesterday ~* afternoon; got ■> into difficulties '. and '"dropped f : the oars overboard. The occupants of , the boat, which •was ■ drifting helplessly, shouted i:for assistance, y• A • young i man who happened to be bathing in the Shelly Beach baths at the \ time " saw the lads' *. plight. .y He swam out into the harbour and •rescued ; the drifting : oars. These ■• ho ,;' returned to the '• boat ; and t then .swam; back to the , shore amidst the' applause ,of the crowd I which' had' witnessed the ; episode. ■'■_ :; ;

■An'inquiry ■ was held yesterday mora-, ing by the coroner, Mr. E.. C. Cutten, S.M., into the circumstances, surrounding . the ' death of . Robert Edwards. "The deceased,', who .was a 7 Maori war' veteran, aged 74, : had. been found dead in bed "at' his shop at' Avon-: dale. A post mortem examination showed that 'death- was due- to. heart disease i and a disease of the ; brain. - A verdict in accordance with ' the medical evidence- was returned. - - * 7 ■■■ .- : Two , large boxes- of clothing" have been despatched by Mrs. -Alfred. Nathan in the : Corinth?*? to the headquarters of the Victoria League in ; London for distribution 'among' poor :peoplo' suffering J; from the: distress caused by the .'war. -YA; generous response was .-•' made by tho ' public to the appeal I made; by.- Mrs. Nathan, ': the parcels '• forwarded to her having j been ; numerous; and of .good 7 quality. A collection . for a third case . lias been started by Mrs. Nathan and ; will : be'' despatched 'to

London as soon -as it has-been filled. Several"' stained-glass windows, of interest; from an artistic standpoint, ; hare ' been completed by -Messrs. Herbert Bros., au ■ Auckland firm, and will be placed in an Anglican church at Miller's -Flat, Otago. : Pne oval window consists )of Gothic tracery filled' with painted glass. The ; centre-part is ; a figure-head of, Christ, and^the scheme of the ornamental por-i tion »is ' a '■■ grape-vine ; with decorations; of I roses. •.,'. The' other. . windows have ; ; the \ emblem of various , saints : worked \in - different colours. The ;. workmanship i reflects credit upon the makers. ' . : . .'^ The Auckland mercantile marine' superintendent, : Captain'C.:'Fleming;;:has,aceived instructions from • the secretary of the Marine Department, -to inform shipmasters that ? Cape Campbell light has been • repaired and will ibe : shown as usual. Shipmasters are -to'; bo \ informed also that the steamer; Kairaki, which is .a : possible danger to navigation,' was -wrecked, "at i a spot two, and * five-eighths , miles from Point Elizabeth and 'four and a-quarter miles from the signal station, Greymouth.

. A meeting of the Ladies' Committee of the Auckland Patriotic League was held 'yesterday morning. The Mayoress, Mrs. C. ,'3., Parr, presided.••»' It was decided by the committee to at once proceed with the- making of knitted socks, Balaklava caps, and wristlets for the 400 men who I will comprise Auckland's first reinforcement draft to the. expeditionary force. The ladies propose to give each man two shirts, a Balaklava cap, a cholera belt, hold-all, housewife, and one pair of , wristlets. In ; order that there shall bo no 'confusion in the I 'distribution-'- of these . goods the j ladies intend to pack j the goods in separate .kits.. The. committee will be glad if .the ladies of Auckland will give I their./help in the direction ol knitting • socks, j caps,; and wristlets. / .The secretary ;of -. the committee, : Miss ;_• Spedding, Mountain -Road, ■ Eemuera, will forward directions-to those .who are willing to help., :■':'..•• ' ' ' - ', The Educational .Institute;/ approached the teachers. of Auckland some time age in order to ascertain what amount they would be", willing to /contribute/ to/-the Patriotic : / Fund. > It .is ; now/ announce* that the; sum /o? ■ money which is J to/be deducted■from"the'teachers' salaries as « i voluntary "contribution'amounts'to £250.