AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10619, 14 March 1896, Page 2

AUCKLAND.

(From Ouh Ows Correspondent.) . • . March 5. Ths vice-regal party greatly enjoyed their tour of the southern lakes, and wore delighted with the scenery of Ofcago. His Excellency (Lord Gl&sgow) has again started on a trip to the Uriwera country, in order to make himself familiar with the interior of the North Island. It is expecttd that he will have some interesting meetings with the Natives. Ha is accompanied by the Hou. James Carroll, who is endeavouring to settle some land transactions preparatory to the blocks beiDg thrown open for settlement. Lord Glasgow will come out at Wbakstane to I the Bast Co-ist, and theuca return to Auckland I about the llfch inst. There is little doubt that j the Natives will bi gratified at the presence of the Quoen'u representative in their mountain fastnesses, an being in the Dafcure of a personal compliment to themselves. His 'Excellency will nob be able to penetrate to Lske Waikaremoana on this trip, but it is kit intention to do so next year from the Hawke's Bay side by way of Wsiroa, end see the country which has been the scene of the struggle for supremacy between the two races.

While Lord Glasgow was at Rotorus, the tourists as3emblad there did a very graceful act in presenting an address of weloomffl, through Mr J,ameß Shaw, of Western Australia, to bis Eicellenoy, which represented meu from all parts of the Australian colonies, South Africa, America, and Great Britain. The address referred to recent European complications, and to the necessity for colonial federation. His Excellency's sentiments werei what might ba expected from the representative of the Queen —namely, that he sincerely trusted the events of the past few months would lead to federation ia Australia, and the drawing closer the tias that eouuect the colonies and the mother country.

. The Hon. Thomas Thompson (Minister for Justice) is at present on a visit to Auckland, in connection with the duties of his department. His appointment to Ministerial office has, on the whole, been satisfactory to the Auckland people, because, though nob a brilliant man, he is ehrawd, businesslike, and moderate. Above all, he is painstaking iv his work and attentive to. his duties. Personally he is accessible and genial, and always willing to listen to the representations of those who deem they have ii grievance, a habit which he haa acquired through having fulfilled the functions of chairman of the Public Petitions Committee in tho General Assembly. The Premier might have gone further and fared worse in his selection of a colleague, for Mr Thompson will never ba guilty of throwing up political fireworks or of making risky cxperimentj, as ho prefers the old beaten paths. During hiG career in Auckland, Mr Thompson has been largely brought into touch with working men through the friendly and buildiug Bocieties, and his sympathies are with1 tho industrial claeses, who highly esteem him. He has proved a useful man in local bodies, and as chairman of highway and domain boards has done some good work for the suburban districts.

Auckland is on1 ths verge of a water famine, and there is but four weeks' snpply in the Western Springs Reservoir. The suburban borgughs have been thrown into a state of alarm through the notification of the Auckland municipal authorities that it may bo necessary to determine their water supply, in the interest of the citizens of Auckland. Perhaps it would not be an unmixed evil, as it would lead to Newton, Eden Terrace, Monut Eden, Kemuera, Purnell, aud Newmarket coming into the city, and thus place Auckland in the first rank in the colony as a commercial centre, with a strong municipalgovernment and ample financial resources. Through the increase of settlement and extensive drainage the watnr supply in the Western Springs water shed is diminishing, and it will be necessary in the ne&r fiiture to look to the Waitikerei ranges and tha waterfalls for a larger supply. With astounding shortsightedness colonial and municipal authorities hove allowed the Waitakerei falls to get into private hands, as also the adjacent wnter shad, whilu the Hawera falls, with their 20 million gallons per diem, were sold 12 years ago, with 50 acren of adjacent laud, at a Crown lands sals for £100 ! It is quite possible that Auckland may yet have to go to Lake Tnkapuna, bridging tho Waitemata to carry tho mains, or to Lake Taupe for its water supply.

The great function of ths past woek has baen the North Island Bowling Association tournament, to which hava gatije.rad competitors from New South Wales, and from Invercargill to Auckland. Very great satisfaßtion was felt at the public spirit shown by the Invercargill bowlors, and they were heartily welcomed. Great regreb was expressed a\ their coming a few hours too late to enter for the inter-club matches, as there is no doutt, judging from their play, that they would hive worthily bustained the reputation of their clnb. In the first draw cf tae Champion rinks Invercargill bsat Ponsoaby by 20 points ; in the second draw Auckland by 1 point; in thn third draw Gisborne by 2 psiuts; in the fourth Napier by G points, and in tbe first round of Champion Paira Hastings by 6 points. . Iv the (natch Invercargill v. Gisborne, partly finished on Wednesday night, his Excellency the Governor was so deeply interested that he came down early next moroiog to sea the remainder of the game aud ascertain tho result. The Hon. James Carroll was also present at the mitob, aud visited the several greens during the tournament;, and took part in several friendly matches. He was also present at the smoke coucerfc, sang some good songs, and made an excellent speech at the gathering.

The tournament was a great success iv every respect, and the result will be to give an increased impetus to the bowling movement. There are now six club 3 and one private green, and it ' ia computed that within the next two years there will be a membership of 600 bowlers, having over £WOO invested in land, buildings, aud plant. Owing to the public spirit of Mr J. Kirker in placing bis private green at the disposal of the Tournament Committee and the visitors, the Champion Fours and other matches were played there. In addition, his hospitality to the visitors was simply unbounded, and they went away delighted with his courtesy and the afctentioa he had shown to them. The New South Wales team proved to be a pleasant set of fellows, aad some of them intimated - their intention of coming back to the exhibition tonrnaineni at Wellington nexb year. Mr Josephson (their captain) intends to stay two months in the colony, and visit the greens of every commercial centre in the colony, rijjht through to Invercargill. The honours of the meetiug have been very fairly distributed. Auckland won the interclub matches and the champion rinks, Napier takiog eecond honours ; while Wellington secures the Champion Fours, with Christchurch as secood prize winners. Taranaki carries off the Ccarnpion Pairs,' Ponßonby taking aecond prize. At the smoke concert Mr Erekiue (of the Invereargill team) made a capital speech in replying to the toaßt of '-Tae Visitors," and at no previous gathering Ins " the sacred Freemasonry" of bowling been so largely and emphatically illustrated and manifested. Ths southern visitors, as they left by their respective feteamera, were accompanied by some of the Aucklanders to the wharf, and cheered to the echo, the compliment being cordially reciprocated. Everything was done that could bo done to make the visit agreeable to fcho southerners, and the latter returned to their homes bearing nothing but pleasant reminiaceacßß of their tour, and of Auckland and the Aucklanders.

During the past "fortnight the northern and the Upper Thames districts have been ravaged by bush Ores. There has been considerable loos of stock, destruction of fencing, and a number of houses have been barned down. The settlers hare also lost the little bit of feed left, for a drought has prevailed during the past two months, and it will ba nece3Bary to give the poorer class some assistance in the way of purchasing grass seed for them. It is estimated that the loss will run into many thousands of pounds. The Puhipuhi forest has been on fire ia several places, and it seems as if the Government will be unable to save that forest which is one of the flucst left in the north. Every season this scandalous waste and destruction of forest timber goes on,- some of the damage being due to gross carelessness, incendiarism, and the nomadic gamdigger. It is quite evident that the timo has arrived whan stringent legislation is necsssary to restrain reckl«S3 settlors in the nse of the firestick in clearings, aud to punish gnmdiggers, who in the dry season fife scrub to dig gum, heedless as to whether it endangers the lives or propsrty of the resident settlers adjacent.

A moat extraordinary ukaso wa9 issued a, week ago to the Anckland Police department— nanisly, that no information of any kiad whatsoever was to ba furnished by the department to the prass. It was difficult to ascertain who was responsible for this extraordinary order, the official head of tbe department (Colonel Hume) or the Premier. Colonel Hume's position is not a bed of roses at the best of times, and it was deemed incredible that he should thus have deliberately set himself to flout the press. Ths theory set up is that tha Premier was so disgusted with the result of the CUtistoburch election that ho bad to find relief for his feelings by jumping upon somebody, and tho unfortunate reporters afforded practice for his hobnailed boots. As showiDg how completely the one-man system of government is carried out, the president of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Jourualiste'lnstitute (Mr Douglas) took the opportunity of seeing the Hon. James Carroll on the subject during his stay in Aacklncd, and that gentleman aoid he had not even heard of the order having been igsued, and ths t it was simply outrageous and an official, absurdity. He promised to inquire into she' matter on his return to the south. Fortunately Me Thompson, the Minister for Jnstiee/arrived a few days afterwards, and wns iaterviewed by the editora of tho Herald and Star (Messrs Berry and Leya)— for in this matter the organ of Liberalism is na much disgusted as its more conservative contemporary,—and to the eurprisa of tbe deputation of the Minister, thehead of the Polio? depcu'tment. was obliaed to confess that

ho wan in total ignorance as to the terms of the order or as to who had issued it. Ho wag unable to give them any isatiofnotion or any Rfsarnnco ac to iU beiDg canoolled, but is going down to Wellington to ascertain what $he mind of King Richard is on the Bubjeot. So stringent ate the instructions' that the inspection of tho charge sheet in the Police Courii is refused to tbe press, us also the guarclrooni entry of arresta, whiln notices of inquests ara withheld. The polio? force is practically inrvdr. a. secret organisation, and in cases of persons lost in the buah the official reticence now enforcsd will gradually lead to loss of life, for before the settlers will get thu necessary iuformation to organise a rescue party the missing person mill have perished. As regards inquests, it will lead to concealment of crime, and gross miscarriage of justice.

During tao last few days the Government bave succeeded in settling the .difficulty respecting the (Jpuatia block with the Natives, and thus 29,000 ncres of good land will ba released for settlement. It is being taken up principally by settlers' sons from the adjacent settlement in' Lower .Waikato. The Natives retain onehalf the block, and intend lousing it in perpetuity to Earopeana. This will give them a steady and permanent source of income, of which they are sadly in need, owing to their thriftless and improvident habits. The outcome of the Governmant negotiations ia that about 50,000 acres of land will be made availablo for settlement.

Tho Auckland Harbour Board heldits annual meeting recently, and the report? xhow that the revenue of 189S exceeded the amount of any previous year, notwithstanding numerous concessions made iv tho tariff. This expansion of the trade of the port is no doubt duo to the recent revival in gold mining and general activity in commercial circles resulting from that. The. steady advance of settlement, the increased output of coal and mines, tha activity of the timber iodnstry, and the rapid development of the Island trade lead to the belief that the present prosperous condition of Auckland will be permanent and progressive. Thirtytwo thousand pounds ia to be spent on wharfage alone, to increase the accommodation for shipping. The annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce if! a record of the same prosperous condition of affairs. It is estimated that fully £1,000.000 sterling of foreign capital has been subscribed for the development' of Thsmea gold mines, whib the output of gold for the yew has well nigh doubled. Even kauri gum has shared in the general rise, for although 1000 tous less has beau exported, the receipts have been £K,QOO more, the rise representing £8 per ton. The decreased output of gum is due tii the men obtaining more acceptable employment in other industries, and this is not to be regretted, as the gurnfields will then be left a 1! a stand-by for the next season of depression.

j Mining affairs »re brisk on all the goldfields. There has been a revival in the share market of a steady character, which is iv marked contrast tp the feverish excitement and inordinate gambling which characterised a portion of tbe past year. Tha promoters of the various mining enterprises aro settling down to honestly working, in mo3t cases, the ground already pegged out, and no new companies are being floated. Amalgamation is the order of the day, not subdivision, and this will in the long run prova beneficial alike to the capitalist and tho miners. English capital is still coming in, and there seems a probability that the capitalists who have been investing their money iv South Africau mining interests will now turn their attention to New Zealand milling, as giving •greater security for their investments, aud keeping them fres from the risk of political complication and tbe distractions of civil war. Tha leading mining men ara of opinion that we will not get the full beneficial effects of the present inflow of capital for at least two years, when we will see a state of prosperity ou the Thames goldfialds to which the hum of tho old Caledonian days will form a faint contrast.