AUCKLAND NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4637, 16 April 1902, Page 6

AUCKLAND NEWS.

Special to the “ Times.” AUCKLAND, April 15. A romance in real life was unfolded at the Felice Court tins morning during the hearing of an affiliation case. Tne young mail concerned was quite ready to marry the girl, who was also quue willing, out was only ID years of age. Her mother, wlio mis a Seventh Lay Adventist, would not countenance the match owing to the fact that the young man was not also a Seventh Day Adventist. His Worship advised tho young man to keep tho -irl till she was of age, when they could be united. A party of officers from the squadron went dow n to Motutapu on a deer shooting expedition yesterday, and had a very successful day’s sport. There were six guns, and by tho evening eighteen deer were taken. This is a record number for one shooting party on tho island. Uuo of tho gums brought down the only red deer remaining out of tho herd imported by Messrs Xtcid some time ago. Hundreds of eels have lately invaded tho city water mains, many of them blocking .the service pipes. Tho Blayqc or Grey Linn told the Council las? night that there were so many eels in the pipes that ho had serious thoughts of starting a dish market in tho district. Tho Council agreed to buy water from the city, hut it did not want, the fish thrown in. Shares in the Bank of New Zealand are now wanted at 595, but no soiling price was quoted to-day. This is tho outcome of the satisfactory progress made by the bank during the past year. H.M.S. Mildura will sail for Sydney direct at 8 a.m. to-morrow. H.M.S. Royal Arthur and Bingarooma are timed to sail for tho Bay of Islands at noon to-morrow. The Mildura will stay at Sydney about seven days, thence proceeding to Suv‘a (Fiji), and returning to Auckland to replace the Bingarooma on the Neiv Zealand division. .The Tyser steamer Indradovj, on board of which three cases of small pox broke out between New York and Melbourne, leaves Sydney for Auckland on Saturday morning, and is duo ou Wednesday. Mr J. H. Witheford, M.H.R., who makes a speciality of entertaining visitors to the port, came to jtho conclusion that tho officers and men of the fleet were not sufficiently taken care of by the Auckland authorities, and accordingly he invited the officers and. about 200 of tho men from tho four warships in port to attend a performance at the theatre last night, further inviting the officers to dine at the Star Hotel. Mr Witheford believed from a chat with one of the officers that this invitation was accepted, but at almost an hour before the appointed time ho received notice that neither officers nor men were coming.' He had arranged for a special performance of “Florodora,” and had booked seats in the stalls for the party. The dilemma was an awkward one, but Auckland’s junior member was equal to tho occasion. Cabs rattled hero and there, and soon ho had eight or nine officers of the various volunteer Naval corps gathered at tho hotel. Tho men who parade on Monday nights were then invited to fill the bluejackets’ seats at the Opera House. Some 250 of tho Brigade, headed by Mr Witheford and the officers in cabs and a brass band, marched through Queen street to tho Opera House. After the performance, tho men were entertained at supper on the stage the members of the company waiting on the men.. Some few of tho Navals thanked their entertainer, but most seemed to think that they had little to thank their entertainer for, being of the opinion that they wore merely stop-gaps. . . _ The report of the Chief Inspector! of Schools for tho Auckland district states that the number of schools in operation at the close of the year was 395 being 14 more than at the close of last year. Of these 362 were inspected, besides 20 Homan Catholic diocesan, schools, and the Parnell Orphan Home The total roll number was 29,000; pupils examined, 18,154; passed, 15,841. At the Roman Catholic diocesan schools tho roll number was 1,541; 929 pupils were examined, and 720 passed m oho or other of the standards. The public schools show for the year an increase of 300 in the roll number, of 18 in the number examined, and of 48 in tne number of pupils who have ono or other of the standards. Approximately 87 per cent, of the pupils examined in the standards passed or game'Vhe°Hatrbour Board to-day decided to send Mr J. M. Brigham, its secretary, to London for the purpose of adjusting accounts with IB® with regard to the equipment of the Calliope “"Mr Malcolm Hioool, f w S STilolri(Au y Vi?e tTd d add?ess an Vr Nw'Sceedj I masons. ■