GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1612, 21 January 1903, Page 56

GENERAL NEWS.

The Railway Department has promoted Mr Rasmussen, stationinaster at Waifeahuna. Otago, to take charge of the Ngar uawaliia station, in the Auckland district.

The many friends of the Rev Father Ainsworth, of Newtown, will learn with regret that he is prostrated with an attack of typhoid.

Mr A. E. White, the recently-appoint-ed general secretary of the Wellington Y.M.C.A., is expected to arrive from Australia on the 28th inst.

Mr J. J. Holmes, of Western Australia, is amongst the coming visitors to New Zealand. He is travelling for the benefit of his health.

Mrs Annie f|(?sen, seventy-seven yeai'3 of age, was* burned to death by falling into an open fire at her daughter’s house at Mangaramarama on tne 13th inst.

During the recent bush fires on the East Coast, a settler at Tarewa dug a hole and placed his wife and family in it when the fire was raging. The fire passed through a nikau grove an acre in extent at the Hot Springs at Morere, but fortunately destroyed only the undergrowth.

Mr Robert Craigie Leash, a wellknown dentist of Napier, died on Friday afternoon, aged sixty (says our 'orrespondent). Deceased was the second son of Mr J: B. Leask, of Edinburgh, and had -been a resident of Napier for many years. He had previously resided in Dunedin.

Mr Kenneth McKenzie and his wife, of Manitoba- Canada, are on their way to New Zealand on a visit. Mr McKenzie has - been fanning in Manitoba for sixty years, and is now enjoying a rest from bis labours. Interviewed on his. arrival at Brisbane, he stated that the past wheat season had been a remarkably good one in Canada. A party consisting) of Sir John Downer, Lady Downer, Hon E. T. Derham (Aeting-Postmaster-General of Victoria) and Dr Walsh is at present touring in the Southern Lakes district. They will visit Wellington shortly, afterwards proceeding to the Wanganui river and Rotorua, and leaving Auckland on the 16th February for Sydney. Vice-Admiral Fansbawe, the new commander of the Australian squadron, is; described as “a typical John Bull in manner and sentiment.” He is said to favour the “natural” development cf the naval idea in Australia. The new commander served under the present Governor of New South Wales, Sir Harry Rawson, when the latter held command on the China station.

Mi* J. P. Joyce,- editor of the ‘'Southland News” for forty years, and who formerly represented the Wallace and Awarua electorates in Parliament, died suddenly on Friday at Invercargill from heart disease. He was at Ballarat and B’endigo diggings in the early days, and arrived in Southland about 1857. Deceased was one of the oldest journalists in the colony, and was much respected.

Whenever an outbreak of anthrax occurs in this colony the Government quarantines the land for a period of two years. This is rendered necessary oy the danger of the spread, of the disease, the genus of which infect the whole of the ground manured with imported bones ineffectively sterilised. Past experience shows that the danger of a recurrence of the disease after twoyears is very remote.

liieutenant Hovell, of the First Manchester Begiment "(son of Dean Hovell, of Napier), who has been spending ms furlough here (says our Napier correspondent), left by the Westralia last Friday en route for Capetown to rejoin hW regiment. The Munch esters leave South Africa shortly for Singapore, where they are to be stationed. Lieutenant LasceiJ.es, of the First Dragoon Guards,, was a passenger by the same steamer on his return to South Africa.

As a result of the destructive hailstorm ’ which visited Cheviot on the 10th. all the. glaziers in the settlement are working at high-pressure. One resident who measured some of the hailstones found that they were an inch and a quarter in size by the rule. In the track of the storm scarcely a window was left unbroken on the south-west side of the buildings. Oats and hay crops were flattened to the ground as if a mob of sheep had been driven over them.

One of Victoria’s pioneer journalists has just passed away in the person of Mr Daniel Harrison. The deceased gentleman arrived in Melbourne two or three years before the gold discoveries, and till the time of his death was actively engaged in journalism. He and his brother, the late Mr James Harrison, worked together for years at Geelong on the Geelong “Advertiser,” hut all the money they had amassed was lost in au attempt to ship frozen meat to England and in perfecting the manufacture of ice, both inventions of Mr James Harrison, which subsequently led to the existing traffic in food products. After their failure they went to Melbourne. Mr Harrison, who was in his eighty-fourth year, leaves a widow and

Mr Warner, captain of the English cricket team, will publish an account of the New Zealand tour in book form on his return to EmglaafiLr Sir John W. Downer, of South Australia, and Lady Downer, are expected in New Zealand shortly. Sir John is a member of the federal Senate.

The scarcity of farm labourers m some portions of the South Island is severely felt. A southern paper says that “in the case of a squatter in the Lakes District the difficulty has been especially harassing, there being much work to do, and no men to do it. /; He telegraphed to every likely place in Southland, without success, and at last , had to. wire to Dunedin in the hope of being able to obtain labourers. The same difficulty with regard to getting labour is being experienced in very many quarters.” The Napier committee of the United Fire Brigades’ Demonstration, which is to be held s ;at Napier in. M&rch, recently offered a subsidy of £25 to defray the expenses of a team from an Australian brigadd taking part in the competitions. Four brigades applied for the subsidy— Hobart, \Chargaratta (Victoria), Chiltern (Victoria), and Corowa (New South Wales). The committee has considered the applications, and, having reviewed the records of each brigade, has now ' decided to place the subsidy at the disposal of the -Chiltern Brigade. People are at a loss to know to what cause the recent wet and stormy weather is attributable, and may be interested to know that Sinhalese astrologers. say that it is all owing to the occupation of the planets Saturn and Jupiter in the sign Capricornus (the sea goat), which is a semi-watery sign, and to the occupation of the sun and the planets, Mercury and Venus, in the sign Scorpio, which is a full watery sign. They augur that we shall have sunny weather after the sun and the planets Mercury' and Venus shall have shortly entered Sagittarius, a fiery sign of the Zodiac.

The Premier has received the following communication from the Secretary of the Clear Hills Progress Farmers’ and Settlers’ Association, Oaklands Corowa, New South Wales, dated 3rd January: —“I am instructed, on behalf of the above association, and also of the farmers and settlers of the Riveriua. to convey to you their hearty thanks for your kind generous action in offering to supply seed and fodder to this State for the benefit of farmers and settlers who have suffered so severely through the long drought, and to assure you that they fully appreciate the kindly motives that prompted you to make the offer, and to express regret that the Premier of this State has not accepted the offer in the spirit in which it was made. —A. Trothowan, secretaiy.

It is evident (says the “ Builer Miner ” of the 16th inst.l that the Premier has lost no time in giving effect to his promise to the deputation from Beefton that waited upon him on Mondav with reference to the extension of the railway from Beefton down the Inangahua valley. The “ Miner ” learns that instructions have been given to the Public Works Department to commence operations and at once put on forty men hushfelling and clearing at the Beefton end of the new line. In answering the request of the deputation. Mr Scddon said that before leaving Wellington he had made inquiries as'to the proportion of votes spent during last year, and found the Midland had fared badly in this respect. The bridge over the Inangahua. certainly had been let, but this had not absorbed anything like the proportion that should have been anticipated. He was determined this should be altered. The work asked for would be energetically prosecuted. In mediaeval days a strong superstition prevailed that, when a murderer approached the dead body of his victim, the corpse would bleed. Superstition is said to be strong in Ireland, and its grip on the peasants of Hilclare, near Carrick-on-Shannon, will not be lessened by the remarkable sequel to a brutal murder there. An elderly farmer named Doherty desired to marry a young girl, but his son Patrick objected, and succeeded in breaking off the match. The father enraged purchased a revolver and shot at his son, a fine young fellow, wounding him. The son escaped through a bedroom window, followed by his father, who again shot him outside. Two of the bullets passed, through his head, another struck his hand and the third penetrated his heart. Later that night the body was dragged into the house by a neighbour, who 1 put down the arm, which- had been raised as though for protection. When by the dim light of a lamp the shroud was lifted from the corpse and the father looked once mere on the face of his dead son, the hand hearing the bullet-wound slowly rose to its original position, as if denouncing the author of the crime. The father, stricken with horror and remorse, fell to the ground in a fit. The action of the limb was due to rigor mortis. . The old man’s remorse did not last long, for -Vvhen he recovered he declared that “Patrick, shot himself and then jumped out of the window.” After a trial at Leitrim, when the jury disagreed, Doherty was convicted at Connaught, and senteno--rwl rlnath

Mr H. V. Bayly, Deputy-Postmaster-General of Tasmania, died suddenly at the ago of fifty-three years. Mr G. T. Collins, Chief Secretary of Tasmania, left Hobart on the 9th inst., for six weeks’ tour of New Zealand.

Inspector William Beckwith,Remount Officer to the Victorian Police Department, has retired, after forty-five years’ service. A memorial tablet has been erected in the Ballance church by Rev S. Barnett to the memory of the late Mr and Mra Herd.

The infectious diseases reported as having occurred in ..Wellington city last week were as follows: Scarlet fever, 30 cases; tuberculosis. 3; measles, 1. Measles is not now a notifiable disease. Records in school atten lance are rot uncommon, buL that of F. ■A. TVinchester, a pupil at the Ross School, deserves being recorded. For seven years he only missed half a .lay. and that through illness. The Commissioner at -Ohuroa of the Auckland Railway League reports that work on some parts of the section is neglected. lie complains that it will be impossible for Mr Hall—Jones to open the section in January, as iiromised, as there is still six weeks’ work to be done. The steam trawler Napier on Wednesday returned to Lyttelton from her first experimental fishing trip with a fair cargo of soles,flounders and other fish. The prices offered by tlie Christchurch dealers were, however, too low, and the fish were ordered into the freezing chamber. Mr S. E. McCarthy, S.M., Dunedin, in giving his decision in a case in which a Cingalese applied for an old age pension, held it was quite clear that subsection 4 of the Act did not apply to Asiatics who had been born British subjects, and, therefore, such persons were entitled to a pension if otherwise qualified. A section of the residents of Queenstown are up in arms against the action of the Government in rdvorrising (Sunday excursions to Lake Wakatipu, and declare their intention o: leaving no stone unturned to compel the Government to cease what they regard as an unwarrantable intrusion upon the observance of the Sabbath in Queenstown. A novel application (says the ‘‘West Coast Times” of 14th inst.) came before the Education Board, being a request from the holder of a scholarship at the Hokitika District High School who is leaving with his parents to live in Scotland, to have' the scholarship extended to Scotland till it expires. Some members of the Board were ni favour cf granting the request, arguing that the Act authorised payment of a scholarship in another district. It was pointed out,, however, that Scotland could hardly be looked upon as a “district” within the meaning cf the Act. The Board deemed that it had no power to grant the request.

Miss Arrow, one of the New Zealand teachers who went to South Africa, in a letter dated December 2, writes to a friend in New Plymouth: —“We are hoping to be sent to farm schools, but nothing is settled yet. We are to be graded according "to our certificates and experience, and salaries depend on the grade. Of course, we are all anxious to see the list, but it will not be out for a few days. Teachers are to he asked to complete a three years’ term of service, and at the end of that time a free return passage will be granted, while a resolution is on foot to grantthose satisfactory teachers who wish tore turn six months’ leave, hut that is not settled yet, and may be thrown out at the next meeting. There is a great difficulty about settling the farm schools ; it seems impossible to get the necessary appliances and furniture from Capetown, and teachers have been waiting here for weeks, and cannot got away.”

Judging by the contentions of a depurecently waited upon the West Australian Premier, the labour problem on the goldfields of that State is somewhat acute. The Perth ‘Herald reports that one of the speakers the deputation stated that a public meeting with regard to the unemployed question was held an the goldfields recently, owing to the statement which had been made” by the Premier in the House on the subject. The statement was really an invitation to people in the eastern States to come over here, and they objected to this, when at the same time there were large numbers of unemployed here. A method of providing employment for a number of men vas by insisting upon the labour conditions on the goldfields leases being fulfilled. A large number of leases should be let on tribute. The prospecting vote provided another means of giving employment, in addition to opening up the country. He asked that a branch of the Government Labour Bureau should he opened at Kalgoorlie. That week 1200 men would be nut out of work through the completion of the water scheme and there were now between 2000 and 3000 unemployed on the fields. The mines had recently put off 2000 men, and many of their big machinery works had been concluded, and surface hands were thus turned off- Among the number of the unemployed were some 500 skilled hands.

A cable message from Hobart states that Sir E. N. C. Braddon, formerly Premier of Tasmania, is very ill.

The Rev J. L. Dove, vicar at Hunterville, leaves fo-r England with Mrs Dove next month. Mr Dove was formerly curate of St. Paul’s, Wellington.

The death occurred at Woodville on Friday last of Mr Henry Morton Furniss, an old and highly-respected resident of that township. Mr W. H. Crabtree, for some years accountant at the Kaiapoi Woollen Mills, who. with Mrs Crabtree, has been on a visit to England, proposes to take up mission work in Mexico.

Lieutenant F. C. C. Pasco, commanding H.M.S. Dart, now lying at Hobart, lias been promoted cominauder. He is a Victorian, and a son of Captain Crawford Pascoe, R.N. He was educated at Geelong College. Miss Connie McLcskey, who is at present in Dunedin, obtained the New Zealand Royal Academy gold medal for 1901 for singing and instrumental music. She sings in Christchurch at Easter, and leaves for England at the end of the year. The Premier will attend the Liberal picnic to be held in Dalefield on the 29th inst., when occasion will be taken to present Mr Hornsby, the late M.H.R. for Wairarapa, with a purse of sovereigns, subscribed by the electors cf the district. The presentation will .bo made by Mr Seddon. Mr William Adams, an, old resident cf Auckland, died on Thursday. He was a native of Paisley, Scotland, and left in 1848 for Melbourne. After a few years in business there, he returned home to Scotland. He arrived in Auckland by the ship Shalimar in 1862, and has resided there ever since.

The death is announced at Napier of Mr F. W. Robjolms, youngest son c-f die late Mr H. C. Robjohns, and partner in the firm cf Robjohns, Hindmarsu and Co., merchants. Mr Robjohns, who was only thirty-nine years of age, had been an invalid for about ' two years, suffering from paralysis. Mrs Robjohns, senr., is still living, having survived her husband and all her children.- —two sons and a daughter. At Trinity Wesleyan Church, Wanganui, on Friday afternoon (says our Correspondent), Mr Charles J. Sharpe, second son of Mr J. G. Siiarpe, was married to Miss Lilly Maud Gilberd, fourth and youngest daughter of Mr J. B. Gilbert!. A large number cf people witnessed the wedding, which was conducted by the Rev. G. Bond, of Newtown (Wellington). The bridesmaids were Misses Mary Sharpe, Gertrude Saunders Ethel Sharpe, May Jones and Winnie Bignell. Mr H. G. Caddy was best man, and Mr Robert Sharpe groo-msmau.

During Friday night the Choral Hall, at present occupied by the Dean Waxworks and Vaudeville Company, was broken into. Entrance w*as gained to the building by smashing a hack window. Tiie locks of eight patent slotmachines were broken with a screwdriver, and the pence which had been placed in the machines at Friday night’s entertainment were taken. Bolts, locks and panels were broken to gain admission to the office, hut a box containing about £4O, kept in the office, was left untouched.

Mr W. H. Hamer. Avho was selected out of ninety-one applicants as engineer to the Auckland Harbour Board, belongs to London. He is only thirtythree years of age. He is at present resident engineer to the Albert Docks in London, the largest separate dock in the world. He has an average of over a thousand men under his control. Mr Hamer was articled to the president of the County Engineers’ and Surveyors’ Association (Mr E. G. Maw boy, C.E., of. Leicester), who was waterworks engineer at King’s Lynn, Yorks. He was educated at Rugby aud in. the mechanical 'workshops at "King’s College; also for electricity under Drs Walmsley aud Drysdaie. Mr Hamer’s salary in Auckland will he £IOOO a yeaz\ Civilisation, or contact with- civilisation, seems to be exercising almost as prejudicial effect upon the vitality of the races of the;:;Arctic Circle as on those of Australasia and Africa. Lieutenant Peary brought back with him from his late expedition news of a mysterious epidemic which had seized the Esquimaux. It had reduced the numbers of those at Smith Sound from three hundred to two hundred and thirty-five in seven years, and this year their numbers scarcely reach two hundred. Diminutions similar in kind are taking place all over the. Arctic Circle. The Alaskan Esquimaux have sunk from two thousand or*three thousand to five hundred, which may now he said to be the sum of the population between Point Barrow and the Aleutian Islands. Part of the loss of the population is due in this instance no doubt to a lessening food supply. The whalers who have destroyed the seal, walrus and Polar bear are the delinquents hex*e. The ten thousand population of Southwest Greenland is fast sinking, in spite of the immigration of Danes; and Labrador, which once had a population of thirty thousand, has not now fifteen thousand. The whole population of the Polar regions is now calculated to be •only UntM what ife was iwaaiiy years agsv