LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15767, 16 November 1914, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

A large quantity oi European, American, and Canadian mail matter reached Auckland yesterday afternoon by the Niagara, which arrived in the stream from Vancouver shortly after 1 p.m. The total number of bags and hampers brought by the liner was 859. As the steamer was detained for some time in the stream several hundred bags were brought ashore by the tenders and despatched to the railway yards. The Southern portion was forwarded by the Main Trunk express lastnight, while the Auckland portion will be delivered in the city and suburbs this morning. The steamer Manuka is due at Wellington to-morrow morning from Sydney with mails from Australia. The Auckland portion of this mail is expected to arrive by the first express on Wednesday morning.

"The Fire Board system," declared Mr. T. Hugo, inspector of fire brigades, on Saturday, " is producing very remarkable results in all Fire Board districts where the brigades have been equipped in an up-to-date manner. Notwithstanding an increase in the number of fires the average losses have been very considerably reduced. This clearly shows that the greater efficiency of the brigades is having its effect. The system has been in operation for seven years, but for the first five I did not expect to see results in such a great undertaking. I am verypleased with the results of the working of the fire brigade in Auckland during the last 12 months," he added. "The losses, which amounted to £6000, are remarkably small. The city is growing as a result of the amalgamation with adjoining boroughs, and the situation calls for still further equipment of the brigade."

The Central Fire Brigade was kept busy yesterday morning, three alarms being received in about four hours. At twenty minutes past one o'clock a call came from Patteson Street, near the destructor, and the brigade found an untenanted shop and dwelling on fire. The shop and two rooms were practically destroyed before the outbreak was got under control. The name of the owner of the property and the insurances are not yet known. At twentyseven minutes past four o'clock the brigade was called to Burns stables, in Stanley Street, and there found that some partitions had caught alight. Little damage was done. At about ten miuutes to six o'clock an alarm came from Factory Boad, ParneH, the result of a rubbish fire on Mr. A. J. Parker's nrori>i v This was soon suppressed.

Amongst the passengers by the Niagara from Vancouver yesterday were two German subjects who are returning to Australia. The couple, a man and woman, left Sydney by the Niagara on October 2 for Vancouver with the intention of proceeding on to the United States. On, arrival at the Canadian port, they were prevented from landing by the Canadian authorities owing to a certain clause in the immigration restrictions affecting foreigners. They were forced to remain on board the vessel, and have not landed since leaving Australia- The couple, who are being sent back at the expense of the Union Company, were not allowed to leave the ship at Auckland. They will proceed on to Sydney by the Niagara to-day.

A man named William Nead sustained severe injuries yesterday owing to a shotgun which he was handling accidentally exploding. He did not know that the gun was loaded, and the pellets struck him in the face, and also lacerated the tips of his fingers. He was attended to at the hospital, and subsequently returned to his home.

"It was difficult to obtain a passage' from London to New York after the war broke out, as there were about 100,000 Americans stranded in London." remarked Colonel Charles Evans, C.M.G., Commissioner of Railways in Queensland, to a,' Hfkald representative yesterday. Colonel Evans arrived by the Niagara from Vancouver, after having been engaged in a study of the various railway systems of England and the Continent. Millionaires, he said, were reported to have paid high figures for steerage passages from England to the United States. Three special trains, crowded with passengers, were utilised to convey people from London to Liverpool to join the Olympic. The scene on tho arrival at the wharf at Liverpool was almost indescribable. The. steamer was moored in the. Mersey, and the passengers were taken out to her in lighters. A special sermon was preached by Father O'Sullivan at St. Patrick's Cathedral last evening. He dwelt on the necessity of appeasing the anger of the Almighty, and exhorted his hearers to pray to the God of peace to send peace, and by the practice of chanty towards the needy and afflicted, to secure the more speedily that heavenly blessing. The Belgians had a special claim upon all Catholics, but their claim upon Irish Catholics and their descendants was of a peculiar character, for, when Ireland was afflicted, the Belgians befriended her. He expressed his admiration and gratitude for the generous response made that day in the cathedral.

A few remarks as to the railways of Queensland were made yesterday by Colonel Charles Evans, CMC, commissioner of railways, Queensland, ■who arrived by the Niagara from Vancouver. Thd rolling stock for the Queensland railways is all built in Queensland, he said. Last, year 30 locomotive engines were constructed, ten at the Ipswich chops, and the remainder by outside firms. There were also-built in the Ipswich shops 56 carriages and 561 waggons. Outside contractors built 268 waggons. "There is great development in Queensland railways," said Colonel Evans. "We have 5100 miles now open for traffic, 350 under active construe tion, and 1400 already approved by Parliament." At the end of June there were 11,254 employees in the service of the Queensland railways, and in addition 3000 men were engaged in construction work.

The election of officers of the Auckland Waterside Workers' Union, which commenced on Friday, concluded on' Saturday afternoon. The arbitration "ticket" was returned in each instance. Following is the result of the election President: 0. H. Wood, 396 (re-elected); E. Corbett, 137; informal, 9. Treasurer: John Cooke, 233 (re-elected); W. C. Rowe, 100; G. Bennett, 85; J. Spain. 86; informal, 36. Executive: G. Davis, 285; J. Miller, 221; and H. Davis, 220 (all three elected); C. Weaver, 138; T. Brew, 127; E. J. Cole, 123; A. E. Lyne, 67; C. N. Scott, 48; A. Roy, 41; 11. Fisher, 35; informal, 89. Election Committee: E. W. Davis, 425; R. Gaffey, 405; P. Bint, ,393; B. Bolt, 366; H. Corbett, 361; F. Willis, 308 (all six elected;; T. CanteU, 272; D. Johnston, 230; informal, 74. Auditors: J. W. Brindley, 294; Walter Taylor, 231: T. J. Stanley, 228; A. Woodham, 165; informal, 74. Messrs. Brindley and Taylor were declared elected, subject to a recount. Mr. S. Rickardß has been returned unopposed to the position of secretary, and Mr. A. E. Brannigan has been elected unopposed to the vice-presidency of the union.

Some very unpleasant experiences were encountered on the Continent by Mr. H. E. Partridge, of Auckland, his wife, and two daughters, after the war broke out. They returned to Auckland by the Niagara from Vancouver yesterday, havi D been ; absent from New Zealand for seven months. For 14 days they were unable to leave Berne, Switzerland, owing to the train services being monopolised by the military of that country. When they did manage | to get away it took them 65 hours to reach London, a journey which, under normal conditions, only occupies 16 hours. All through France they witnessed manv pathetic sights. They had nrzrt.iniu-

, --— -a'"'- xiiej nau practical! nothing to cat or drink excepting a little bread and a bottle of wine. In Switzerland they were nearly stranded owing to the fact that they could not readily get money. The banks would not "make advances. Mi E. L . Partridge had onlv just come out of a hospital at Berne when the war broke out. j The anniversary services of the North - ' cote .Methodist Sunday-school were repeated in the Masonic Hall, Northcote, yesterday. The whole of the collections from the three sen-ices will be handed over t-o the Belgian Fund. The new infant department of the Avondale public school, which has just' been completed at a cost of considerable oyer £2000, including furnishing, was form- i ally opened on Saturday afternoon by Mr ! John Bollard, M.P., in the presence of a ! representative gathering. Mr. Bollard, in' declaring the building open, gave a brief history of the education movement in Avondale, with which he had been con- | ratted for over half a century. Mr. G. ,T. • Garland, chairman of the Education Board! ' stated that the new building came into existence largely through the efforts of bis friend Mr. Bollard. A grant of £2050 was obtained from Parliament, and the tender of Mr. G. A. Jones was accepted for the work at £1950. Accommodation was provided for 200 infants, a feature of the design being the ample corridor space. ! The lighting and ventilation were on the i most modern principle. The speaker had j visited many of the largest schools in the Dominion, but this new building was second to none, as all the latest features ' ; of school architecture were embodied in its • i design. As a memento he asked Mr. i j Bollard to' accept a. silver key, enclosed in 1 a handsome casket, (Cheers). Mr. Dar- ; ] row, the headmaster, also addressed the i gathering. I , The Fvedemptorist Order, of which the ' ' Rev. Father O'Sullivan, who preached at ' St. Patrick's Cathedral last- evening, is a j ' member, has 500 fathers of the Order in j ! Belgium. It has monasteries in Liege, I ' Brussels, Antwerp, and Mons. In France i ] there are at present 150 priests and stu- , dents of the Order in the firing line. , The news of the destruction of the Ger- * man cruiser Emden by the Australian ' cruiser Sydney was received with great 1 enthusiasm on board the Niagara, which ! ' arrived at Auckland from Vancouver j ; yesterday. Information of the event was I ' obtained by wireless about three days be- 1 fore the Niagara's arrival. Th e passengers j ' sang the National Anthem, and patriotic , ] airs, and cheers were given for the Sydney ! and for the defence forces of Australia. ' The extra war insurance rate on ships i sailing via Cape Horn, Magellan Straits, < or Panama, has been increased from 3to 5 1 .per cent. Mr. B. Kent, chairman of the | < Marine Underwriters' Association, ex- < Dressed recret on Rafurrlav that. *k. „j

The news of the destruction of the German cruiser Emden by the Australian cruiser Sydney was received with great enthusiasm on board the Niagara, which arrived at Auckland from Vancouver yesterday. Information of the event was obtained by wireless about three days before the Niagara's arrival. The passengerssang the National Anthem, and patriotic airs, and cheers were given for the Sydney and for the defence forces of Australia.

The extra war insurance rate on ships sailing via Cape Horn, Magellan Straits, or Panama, has been increased from 3 to 5 .per cent. Mr. B. Kent, chairman of the Marine Underwriters' Association, expressed regret on Saturday that the advance from 3 per cent, to 5 per cent, had been made, but said that no doubt it was fully justified, owing to the added danger of our merchantmen. The rates on other 3-outes are as follows: —Outwards, via Suez and the Cape, 2 per cent. ; via Singapore, 3 per cent. : India, Africa, and Fiji, 2 per cent. : Pacific ports and South Sea Islands, 3 per cent.

I Reports received from passengers who arrived at Auckland by the Niagar , yesterday indicated that the war had made serious inroads info business in Western , Canada, Vancouver receiving particular . mention in this connection. Vancouver, it was stated, had been boomed too highly, and serious depression had been manifested for a considerable time. In fact, conditions became so bad that too Canadian Government passed an Order-in-Cotincil forbidding all artisans, British or otherwise, to enter the Province of British Columbia. When the war came, many shops closed down, and the property market became very depressed. Seme person with a peculiar idea of a practical joke, placed two detonators on the tramway track in a street in Wangamn i on Friday night, states our correspondent. The detonators were exploded by a passing car and a piece of road metal was thrown up and hit a lady just above the eye as she was passing. The wound was so severe that medical attention had to bo sought and several stitches inserted.

A story of boyish grit that achieved its object despite strong opposition was related at the last meeting of the Wellington Industrial Association. The boy— a Blenheim lad— a liking for the medical profession, but being the only son of a prosperous farmer, his father insisted upon him following in his own footsteps. This did not appeal to the boy, who despite every opposition from his parents. spent all his money and time in studying medical works. His studiousness bore good fruit, for he won a scholar-ship for £100 in cash, which enabled him to co to Edinburgh, and when there he worked as a tram conductor until he- had saved enough to continue his studies. He at last achieved success, and is now a disqualified medical practitioner. "A boy in a thousand!" remarked a member. " Yes, we cotdd do with some more like him," observed another.

General Christian De Wet, wb has rebelled in South Africa against a Government, which treated him kindly, has made a mockery of words with which he concluded his book, "Three Years' War." A correspondent, says the Wellington Post, supplies this passage:—"To mv nation I express one last word. Be loyal to the new Government! Loyalty pays best in the end. Loyalty alone is worthy of a nation which has shed its blood for freedom."