LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17151, 3 May 1919, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Ninety-nine years ago to-day a plough was put to New Zealand soil for the first time. An account of the event wae written by the Rev. J. Butler, father of the late Judge Butler, of the Native Land Court, in the Church Missionary Society's report for 1820. " This morning," he wrote on May 3, 1820, " I put (the agricultural plough into New Zealand soil for the first time, and felt much pleasure in holding it after the bullocks. This day, I trust, will be remembered and the anniversary kept by ages yet unborn." It is stated that the bullocks were brought to New Zealand on board H.M.S. Dromedary, on the Rev. S. Marsden'a third visit to New Zealand. An Australian mail reached Wellington from Sydney by the Kurow yesterday morning. The Auckland portion, cons-st-ing of eight bags, will probab'y arrive here to-morrow. Another Australian mail left Melbourne for Wellington on Apr'l 30, and is due at the latter port on Tuesday. There are 35 bags for Auckland, and they should arrive here on Thursday morning. A email Australian mail left Melbourne for Bluff by the Kaiapoi on May 1. An English, Arairican, a d Expeditionary Force mail is due here by the Makura on Monday night or Tuesday morning. The New Zealand portion co-gists of 1500 bags, of which about 400 bags are for Auckland.

There was a keen demand for oysters at I the Government depot yesterday, the second day of the season, A further shipment of 90 sacks of oysters was received from the Great Barrier yesterday, and an additional 200 sacks are expected from Russell to-day. The public are availing themselves of the opportunity of buying oysders direct from the Marine Department at the depeft, where 31 Backs of oysters were sold on Thursday in parcels at tne rate of one gallon (about 44 dozen) for a shilling. Twenty-two sacks were disposed of in (this way yesterday. The school children of the city and suburbs are to take a prominent part in the peace celebrations at Auckland, and preparations for an effective schools display are being made on a comprehensive scale. Over 5000 puple will take part in the display, and as each will have two flap, no less than 10,000 coloured flags will be manipulated in the flag drill. A rehearsal by the school children took

place in tho Domain yesterday liternoon, and was largely attended. A budget of interesting and instructive reading is contained in the supplement issued with to-day's Herald. " Matanga" writes on " Party Politics," and refers to tho recent municipal elections. Lieutenant 1 C, Merit, who is with the army of occupation, describes a Itrip on the Rhine. Maurice Hurst has an article on Thomas Arnold, whom be describes a* a pioneer idealist, and Lieutenant K. H. A. Ehau quotes ancient Maori tradition in an article on Rotoma and other lakes. Irma O'Connor deals with an autumn day and the glories of the "season of mists." Nature Notes are contributed by Mr. J. Drummond, F.L.S., F.Z.S., and current . cartoons and photographs are contained in the issue. i The first public meeting of the City Council has been fixed for May 15. There will be a preliminary meeting of the whole council in committee on May 6 to consider the estimates for the ensuing

year, which were presented at the last council meeting, and referred to the committee. These cover the whole operations of the corporation on general account, absorbing £130,000. The whole of the special accounts of the council are also , under consideration. The total annual receipts of the corporation now exceed half a million sterling. The attitude of farmers to politics was briefly discussed by the committeo of the Auckland branch of the Farmers' Union

I yesterday. A remit from the Taneatua branch to the annual provincial conference wliich was received, favours the deletion J of the rule of the union debarring politi- , cal action. Another from the Huntly i West branch advocates that the farmers , should form a political party to protect their interests. Major D. H. Lusk said . the Farmere' Union should take a great J deal more interest in politics than it did ! at present. He hoped that at the next election every farmer would see that he supported men, independent of party, • who would further the producers' in- J terests and the prosperity of the conntry. The committee decided to support ' both remits. • ' ( The past week has been a very slack ( one for waterside workers at Auckland, ( owing to the absence of shipping in port. ; It is estimated that over half the mem- | bora of tho union did not do a day's work j during the week. " . i The need for pushing on with the con-' J struct ion of the East Coast railway was discussed by the committee of the Auckland branch of the Fanners' Union yester- < day, when a conference remit from the t Taneatua branch was received on the 1 subject. Mr. L. G. P. Spencer said he 1 was a great believer in the East Coast 1

railway, but he did not go as far as some people, who said it should be brought to Auckland straightaway. It should be constructed over the easy country first, by means of the contract system. Tho present state of affairs, was a sca-dal The committee resolved to support the remit, which urged more speedy construction. The shortage of " navvy" labour, which has seriously interfered with roading work during tho past season, still exists, although the position has improved some-

what during the past few months, as the | result of a number of returned soldiers ] taking up this class of work. County i engineers state that they havo had considerable difficulty in putting through road works, owing to their inability to secure sufficient labour, and a number of important works, which havo not been pushed forward with the desired despatch, would in all likelihood have to be delayed over the coming winter months. During the past season the position has been rendered more difficult for local bodies

, by the reluctance 01 contractors to under- | take construction works on account of 1 the labour problem. ! A now motor-vehicle has been secured by the Auckland police to replace the sinisterlooking horse-propelled van which for many years has conveyed prisoners to and from the Courts. The motor, which is covered in, is built to accommodate 10 people, with places at the back for police escort. It is the first of its kind in the Dominion. ! The winner of the Cottage Garden Comi petition, for prizes donated by the Hon. I A. M. Myers, was Mr. T. R. Wilkinson,

Cromwell Road, Mount Eden. Mr. Geo. Scholium, Tukapuna, was second, tho Valine family, Kllerslio, third, and Mr. Walter Powell, Takapuna, fourth. The discovery of a grave of considerable historic interest was made recently by Miss K. M. Statham, Inspector of Soldiers' and Historical Graves, in the course of a tour of inspection of cemeteries in the South Island. In the Invercargill cemetery, she found the grave, dated 1863, " William Augustus Gordon, son of Lieutenant-General Gordon, R.A." That was the sole inscription. Upon making inquiry, Miss Statham was informed by the Mayor of Invercargill that it was the grave of a brother of General Gordon, of Khartoum. Arrangements for its renovation are now being made. Freezing buyers in the Ashburton district have been very active during the past week or so, apparently taking advantage of the drop in prices to fulfil requirements. Larger consignments than

usual are leaving the Methven station almost daily. Recently a special train, comprising 38 trucks, took a consignment of fats from the Methven district to the freezing works. In the course of his address of welcome to General Hart at Carterton tho Mayor stated that Brigadier-General Hart had, by a strange coinc.denee, served as a ; steward on hoard the Corinthic on returning from the Boer War. On this occasion he had returned on the same vessel as brigadier-general, C.M.G., D.S.O. I