LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16580, 2 July 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A coROxrAL inquiry . wa3 conducted by Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., on Saturday, into the circumstancec connected with the death of a child named Geoffrey H. Carter, aged 2J years, who died at Auckland Hospital on Friday last, after having been admitted to the institution suffering from the effects of burns in the mouth and throat, caused by drinking hot tea. Dr. Bewes stated when admitted tho child found difficulty in breathing. Tracheotomy was performed, but death resulted from pneumonia. A verdict in accordance with the medical testimony was returned, the coroner adding that the happening was accidental, and no blame was attachable to any person.

A collision occurred off the Hobson Wharf on Saturday morning between the Ferry Company's steamer Osprey and the Sanford Company's trawler Baroona, both vessels being slightly damaged. The Osprey had left tho wharf on the 8.30 trip to Birkenhead, and the Baroona was on her way from Albert Wharf to tho hulks to coal. The damage to tho Osprey was confined to the upper deck, where tho clipper bow of tho Baroona had caught it and knocked away somo of tho decking and stauncheons, and damaged somo of the seats. The damage to the Baroona was confined to the fore part. Close to tho water a piece of the stem was knocked away, and higher up tho bowsprit was broken and the bulwarks near the. stem stove in. The Baroona went on tho slip on Saturday to have her stem repaired. She is to resume her trawling cruise today.

An inspection of the works connected with tho new eastern outlet was mado on Saturday afternoon by tho Mayor, Mr. J. II • Gunson, in company with the city engineer. The Mayor stated yesterday that the last return from the Harbour Board shows that tho excavation work in Beach Road has been retarded considerably by wet weather. It is expected that this portion of the work will be completed by the end of the year, although, of course, much depends upon the weather and labour conditions. The Mayor stated that it is anticipated that by February next the new street will have taken definite shape. Although the roadway will not have been completed by that time, the construction of it will be sufficiently far advanced to enable the formation of an adequate idea of what the scheme involves. The removal of the buildings now occupied by the university college council, the Mayor added, will be deferred as long as possible in order to meet the convenience of the university authorities.

A false alarm of fire was given at an alarm station in St. Stephen's Avenue last night about six o'clock. Motors from the city and Parnell fire brigade stations proceeded to the scene.

Although there were eleven rainless days in Auckland during June, as compared with only six in May, the record of bright sunshine last month was less than in the previous month, the total, as registered in Albert Park, being IOOh 25m, as against 114h 40m in May. The maximum was 7h 30m on June 7 and on June 14. There were only four sunless days during the month. The record for June, 1916, was 118h 40m, whilst that for the same month of 1915 was 111 hours. The Secretary of the General Post Office, Mr. W. R. Morris, during bis visit to Auckland last week, made an inspection of the districts immediately north of, Auckland Harbour, from Devonport, through Takapuna, as far as Gianfield, with a view to considering the requirements of the future in regard to telegraph and telephono extensions. Actual developments in the matter are dependent upon the enlargement of the cable accommodation across the harbour from Auckland, and it is stated that it will be | impossible to carry out any extensions until tno con. clusion'of the war. The Department, under present conditions, is unable to obtain in England the materials which will bo required for enlargement of tho line accommodation in any part of tho Dominion. A man named Peter Curric appeared before Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., in the Police Court on Saturday on a charge of having, at Greymouth, in April, 1915, obtained tho sum of £10 10s from Tony Anderson by falsely representing that he was part-owner of the racehorses Kina and Nancyform. On the application of Sub-Inspector Broberg, accused was remanded until July 4, bail being allowed in one surety of £150, or two of £75.

Bush work in the Kirikopuni Valley, North Auckland, is being actively pursued. Some 30 men aro at present working, supplying kauri, white pine, and other milling timbers, and the weekly delivery of logs by the locomotive tramway to tidal water approximates 300,000 ft, It is estimated that the area now being exploited will provide four years' cutting for tho sawmills.

A conference, of members of Parliament from tho four centres will bo held next Wednesday to decide what combined action should bo taken to urge tho Government to restore suburban train services at night. An effort is to be mado to formulate uniform demands in order to avoid differentiation. The conference expects to meet tho Primo Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, and the Hon. W. H. Herries next Friday.

The city recruiting station will be removed to-day from Victoria Street to a site in Kitchener Street, at the northern end of the municipal art gallery and library buildings. Tho building has been purchased from the City Council at capital cost by the Dofence Department, and tho work of removal will bo done by the council at the expense of the Department. The Mayor, in stating these facts on Saturday, alluded to the tact that that during the 12 months of joint control by the Defence Department and the City Recruiting Committee appointed by the City Council—the committee actually being responsible for the management—no fewer than about 8000 voluntary recruits passed through the station. "Now that voluntary recruiting, so far as the First Division is concerned, has practically been abandoned," said the Mayor, "there is no longer any need for the station, but for an important period of 12 months it was a valuable agency in the enlistment of recruits."

The building will bo used in future by tho medical officers of the Defence Department.

Several offenders wore dealt with by Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M.,.in the Juvenile Court on Saturday. Two youthii, who admitted cycling on the footpath in Manuknu Road, were each ordered to pay 7e costs. A'lad, 15$ years of ago, who had stolen £10 from his une'e. was severely admonished by the magistrate and placed on probation for 12 months. Another youth, who had entered a building in Parnell and removed some nieces of wood, was admonished and discharged. Reports wero presented concerning several other juveniles who had been put on probation for varying terms. One lad, who had not carried out his obligations, was put on probation for a further period of six months. The charges against the other boys were dismissed.

The mean temperature in Auckland during June, as recorded by tho official observer, Mr. F. A, F. Burnett, was 55deg, as against an average for that month of 53.1deg. The mean reading in June, 1916, was 67.7dpg, and in June, 1915, 53.8dcg. The earth's mean temperature last month, at a depth of 3ft, was 59.6deg, as compared with 60.2dcg in June of last year. Tho corrected barometer readings for last month show a mean of 29.8, with a maximum of 30.16 on Juno 5.

Tho successful growing of a plot of peanuts is reported by. Mr. J. Down, actinggaoler of tho Waikeria prison. The experiment was tried on the river-flats of the prison farm, where the soil is of a sandy nature. Tho ground was prepared similarly to that for potatoes. Three rows one chain long and 2ft apart were planted with a nut every 18in. The manure used was basic a\\p>w and bone, 71b. Tho nuts were planted i>n September 15, 1916, and harvested on May 1 last. From {Vo nuts planted there was a yield of 221b.

Heavy rain which fell in tho Kawakawa district on Thursday night and Friday, accentuated tho flooding of low-lying areas frontage on the Whangarei railway. In an hour about noon the water roso six inches, and though the weather cleared late in the afternoon the waters rose steadily. Kawakawa racecourse was practically submerged. It was feared that

any further wet weather would causa serious washouts on the railway line, but the flood subsided considerably on Saturday.

The Roterua Chamber of Commerce, at a recent meeting, was advised by tho Minister for Agriculture, that if an agreement was not reached in regard to tho Tauranga Harbour Board rating proposals ample time would be given for the chamber .and tho town authorities to place their objections before tho Local Bills Committee. It was stated that a clause had been added to the Bill, promoted by the Tauranga Harbour Board, providing that tho rating powers conferred, either now or hereafter, upon the board were expressly declared to be inoperative and suspended as regards the town and country of Rotor'ua until the town of Rotorua was connected by a Government railway with tho port of Tauranga. A similar clause had been inserted with respect to the county of East Taupo.

For breaking the terms of his prohibition order, George Heighway was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment by Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., in the Police Court on Saturday. For a similar offence, Harry Sampson was fined £3, in default 14 days' imprisonment. An old man, named Arthur Scott, who had been on a drinking bout,_ was remanded for seven days, so that his case might be considered.

"In addition to providing a source of electric current for domestic and public use," said Mr. Lawrence Birks in the courso of an address at the Wellington Philosophical Society, "the Lake Coleridge power scheme has also enabled an important chemical industry to be founded It has enabled sulphate of iron, which is used at the gasworks to purify the gas to be replaced by hydrate of iron, which is produced from old tins at the Christchurch destructor. A further development will produce a valuablo iron oxide paint, which is very scarce just now on account of the war. Arrangements are also being completed in Christchurch for the manufacture of caustic soda and hydrochloric acid by means of Lake Coleridge power. In addition to these chemicals, calcium carbide, which is practically unprocurable, will also be manufactured shortly in Christchurch. All this means the establishment of an, important industry in the Dominion, and one with unlimited possibilities.