LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15975, 21 July 1915, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A boy attending the Newton West school, named Krio Nelson, narrowly escaped serious injury yesterday morning. Ho reached the school before the teachers arrived and climbed on to the roof to recover a lost ball. While moving along one of the gable? he flipped and fell a distance of 30ft on to the asphalt pavement. Re was picked un in an unconscious condition and Dr. C. Murphy was summoned. He found the boy was ton-siti-rably bruised, but no bones were broken. The boy recovered sufficiently to be removed to his homo about two hours later.

Recently Dr. Jessie Scott, accepted a position on the staff of one of the Serbian typhus hospital, and she. leaves by the, Rivcrina to day for Sydney, en route for Servia. A subscription list was opened at the St. John Ambulance Station some days ago with a view to purchasing suitable medical equipment for her. and so far the sum of £26 17s 9d lias been received.

A further section of the North Auckland Trunk Railway will shortly be handed over to the Railway Department. Tenders have been called for the erection of station buildings at Maungaturoto. 88 miles 5 chains from Auckland, and when these are constructed the section will be complete. Tho present terminus of the line is Riokerstafie. 83 miles "0 chains from Auckland. Considerable progress continues to be made on other sect-ions of the railway. laying is in opera tion as far as 39 miles 36 chains from th-> city, but the work has been considerably interfered with by slips. Earthworks are in hand up to a point 93 miles 47 chains from Auckland.

Several alterations in the running of Union Company's steamers are announced. As the fa.st turbine, steamer Loongans is shortly to he withdrawn for .special service, the Pateena will leave Wellington on Monday next for Melbourne to enter the Melbourne- Launceston service. The Pateena is at present temporarily engaged in the Wellington-Lyttelton ferry service, but will be withdrawn on her return to Wellington on Saturday. The Monowai. which has just completed her annual overhaul and survey at Port Chalmers, will take the Pateena's place ir. the ferry service until further notice, sailing from Wellington on Saturday evening for I.yttelton. The Warrimoo. which has been relieving the Monowai in the DunedinEast Coast-Auckland service, will remain in that trade until further notice.

An official message was received on June 9. by the relatives of Sergeant J. 1). Ross, of the Howitzer Battery", stating that he had been killed at the Dardanelles on May 22. A field service card and a brief note, posted by Sergeant Ross, dated May 24 and May 27, respectively, have since been received, stating that he was then well. His father resides in Dunedin. and his mother in Auckland, and they have despatched cables to headquarters with the object of clearing up the matter.

The decision of the New Zealand Shipping Company to make Auckland the first port of call for its next six steamers leaving London was the subject of further inquiry yesterday from the Auckland manager of the company, Mr. C. V. Houghton. He stated that the new policy has been partly brought about by the shortage of tonnage. It is a matter of economising time and tonnage on the coastal run, and' with the view of turning the ships round as quickly as possible. Under the newarrangement shippers will get the benefit of time-table boats. There was no doubt also, Mr. Houghton said, that Auckland's trade had expanded, and this ♦as being realised in London. No advice has been received at the local office of the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company of any similar decision on the part of that company.

It was announced yesterday by Mr. John Roberts, C.M.G., acting-chairman of directors of the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand, that the Aoteroa. a sister ship to the Niagarawhich is of 13.415 tons— been completed, but, for certain reasons, will not be seen in these waters for a considerable time to come. The intention of the company is that tue Aoteroa and the Niagara shall eventually maintain the Auckland-Vancouver serviceOnly two vessels are required for the purpose, and when the usual overhaul is taking place other steamers will be requisitioned.

A document connected with an undefended civil action, heard in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, bore several blue pencil marks, and when the magistrate, Mr. C. C. Kettle, noticed them, he sharply demanded to know who made them. A solicitor in Court explained that a clerk from his office was the responsible person. Thereupon Mr. Kettle exclaimed, '• It turns one aghast to think that a record of the Court can be taken from the Court by a clerk and altered or touched in any way without the consent of the magistrate. It makes one's hair stand on end to think that it is possible. You must tell your clerks not to do such a thing. It is an offence to alter any Court record without the consent of the magistrate.' The local military authorities advise that applications t,o sit for the competitive examination for admission to the Royal Military College of Australia will be received at district headquarters. Auckland, not later than October 1. No application for entry to the examination will be received after this date. A case ot considerable interest to local bodies and ratepayers was decided in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M.. gave a reserved judgment in the claim, William Appleton (Mr. Richmond) v. the Tamaki TToad Board (Mr. C Schnauer) for £39 10s. damages alleged to have been caused to vegetables, soil, and a well by storm-water on the plaintiff's property. There were two culverts which caused the water to be diverted from the road on to the plaintiff's property at Tamaki. The rjr.-t culvrt. which caused little damage, had been taken over by the plaintiff with the acquiescence of the board, from his predecessor in title. The plaintiff had no claim on the board, and no damages would be allowed with respect to this culvert. The position of the second culvert was different. The board had full control of this pipe. The plaintiff had repeatedly drawn the board's attention to its condition. Judgment would be given for plaintiff for £15. The defendants were given leave to appeal, and the plaintiff was given leave to crossappeal with respect to the first culvert.

The Auckland Hospital and Charitable j Aid Board met last night. Present : The I chairman. Mr. M. J. Coylo. Dr. Florence I Keller, and Messrs. J. I"}. Rutherford, E. j H. Potter, J. Eowe, P. J. Nerhenv. P. 1 M. Mackay. F. Dye. A. Hall Skelton. \\\ Wallace, and S. ,1. Harbutt. The Finance Committee recommended, and it was decided, that lot 10 of tho reserve near the 1 Royal Oak be offered to the Detence Department as a site for a drill hall, on the payment of £605. As an alternative, the board suggested that the la.nd should be j taken at. a valuation, the decision of an I umpire to be final.

The Auckland Weeklt News, -which is ! issued tc-day, will, no doubt, be keenly sought after, for it contains a particularly fine series of photographs associated with ! the home-coming of the first contingent of wounded soldiers, who arrived at Wellington ibv the Willochra last Thursday. Splendid ] views of the landing of the men at Wellington are given, and the great crowds [assembled at the Wellington Wharf, and also in front of the Town Hall there, serve to show the enthusiastic nature of New I Zealand's welcome. Admirable photographs j connected with the train journey of the I Auckland men from Wellington .ire also I sjiven. Tn addition. thrr" is an excellent ' picture of the crowds in the main street of | Auckland. Groups of the wounded are (also contained in the issue, and the number will, no doubt, be treasured by manias a record of a great and historic homecoming. There are also- a number of other I interesting pictures, including several new I war subjects from the Dardanelles. Many : portraits of New Zea landers who have I suffered while fizhting the Turks are contained in this neck's Roll of Honour.

! The services of the Reniuera Fire. BriI gade were required at. 12.3/) p.m. yesterI day to suppress an outbreak of tire at, a j house in Roslyn Avei.ue. owned and occupied by Mr. "A. iJ. Holland. The out ! break «as caused through th« ignition of 'some clothe?, which were left drying tofore a. tire in a room used as a nursery, j The tiro was confined t-; this room and ! the damage done was estimated at. about '£75. The insurances, which are ■with the ! South Rritish Office, are as follows: — I House. £900: furniture. £280.

The fiovernment is not at present accepting the nomination, either in New Zealand or England, of men between 18 and 40 years of age, as it is deemed inadvisable to continue any course of action that might interfere in any degree v. ith the requirements of the military authorities 111 England." states the annual report of the Immigration Department. " Steps are being taken to ascertain the number of women in the United Kingdom under d 5 years of ago «ho have lost their breadwinners through the war, and who may be willing to emigrate to New Zealand under the existing scheme of assisted passages to take up domestic service in the Dominion."

" I am of opinion that we pay more for the administration of our hospital than do the ot.hcr boards in the Dominion." declared Mr. P. M. MaCkay at. last night's meeting of the Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. Mr. Mackay moved that a return be obtained showing the sum expended by the Auckland board for administrative purposes, as compared with other boards. The motion was carried.

The story of the death, through copper poisoning, of a male ostrich at the New town Zoo. was told at a meeting of a Wellington City Council committee. The bird died last week, and a pest mortem was held. In its stomach were found a dozen pennies, worn down by the digestive organs to the thickness of a threepenny bit, half a penny similarly worn down, and three halfpennies. There were also a cartridge case, a pipe stem. and. it is reported, a live cartridge. The Eeserves Committee decided to offer a reward to anyone" giving information about persons guilty of offering injurious articles to the animals ft or birds.

The magisterial inquiry into the circumstances concerning the collision which occurred between the scow Combine and the barque Hazel Craig, off Whangarei Heads, on the night of Thursday. July 8, will commence at the Magistrate's Court at 2 p.m. on Friday. The names of the I nautical assessors have not yet been anI nounced by the Marine Department.

A breakdown occurred in the engineroom of the Northern Company's small steamer Kawau yesterday afternoon while the vessel was on her way from Mangawai to Auckland. The Kawau's engines were disabled owing to a section of the reversing gear carrying away. She left Mangawai at 12.20 p.m., and the mishap occurred at 4.20 p.m.. between Takatu Point and Little Omaha, Captain Olsen managed to keep steerage way on his vessel with the use of head sails, and in response to signals the Kawau was taken in tow bv the Manaia, which was following close behind on her way from Whangarei to Auckland. In consequence of the delay in towing the disabled steamer, the Manaia did not reach port until 8.20 p.m., about two hours late. Repairs to the Kawau's engines will be effected to-day.

A sitting of the Alien Investigation Commission will be held at Wellington tomcow. The members of the commission are Messrs. John Roberts, C.M.G., A. D. Thomson, and George Elliot. The commission will sit at New Plymouth on Monday.

The congratulations of the Birkenhead branch of the Workers' Educational Association were conveyed to Mr. J. P. (Jrossniann, at the weekly lecture in the Birkenhead Foresters' Hall last night, upon his appointment to the chair of history and economics at the Auckland University. Mr. Grossmann. replying, said that while lie appreciated the bieh academical distinction conferred upon him, he was esperivlly pleased at the recognition of the principle which he had always advocated, of appointing colonial graduates to the professorial board.

A widening of the franchise for the election of education boards, was discussed by the New Zealand Educational Institute in Wellington. A statement was made that it would require nearly the whole of the amount placed at the disposal of the education boards, about £103.000 per annum- to defray the costs of the elections. Members generally thought that until greater interest was shown in the election of school committees there was little to be gained by an extended franchise for the election of the boards, whose prerogatives, they said, were being gradually whittled away.

News of the stranding of the steamer Nubia on the sand-bar at the mouth of tho Kelani River, which is just north of MutuwaJ Point, beyond Colombo Harbour breakwater, was received by the English mail which came to hand on Monday evening. The report states that the Nubia, left Bombay on June 16, and was seen approaching . Colombo Harbour about 5 a.m. on Sunday, June 20. She appeared to be waiting outside for an order to enter at daylight. A report from Colombo states that a. very high sea. the worst experienced this monsoon, was running and there was a very strong wind blowink:. She grounded shortly before 4.45 a.m. and was broadside on the reef -with her nose towards the Mutuwal entrance jto the harbour. A later report states that, three tujs have been trying continuously to pull her off but hsve failed. An effort was made to remove the ravo in lighters, but this has now been abandoned and the cargo is being jettisoned. TTv» chances of refloating the vessel are growing more remote. All '.he passengers and luggage were taken off." The Nubia is a unit of th« Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company V fWt. She is of 5907 tons cross, and was built by Messrs. Laird and Co., Ltd., at Greenoch in 1895..