AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11172, 22 July 1898, Page 6 (Supplement)

AUCKLAND.

(From Quit Own Coiirespondent.)

July 14. Perhaps the most important event from a political point of view during the past fortnight was the public meeting in the Opera House to congratulate the American Consul (Mr Dillingham) on the anniversary of American Independence, the Fourth of July. It was. a new experi. enes to see the Stars and Stripes floating in the breeze from the most cannpicuo'us point of the city, aud the bunting flying from our corporation buildings and city flagstaff in recognition of the great historical event. It must have been gratifying to Mr Ditlingbaru, as representing th« great Republic, finding the. citizens wending theit- way to the United .States-Con-sulate early in the day to speak words df greeting and goodwill. Hitherto the Fourth of July has only been recognised- ju Auckland by "the consumption of pork and beans, and the rnading of the declaration of American ludependenca " by so we enthusiastic publican, who had his weather eye on tha bir takings, so that the crowded and 'enthusiastic mass meeting in the Opera Hpuse. with the mayor presiding, the speeches of representative citizens,' the singinsr of the patriotic gongs of America and Great Btifcaiu, and thn blending of the Stars and Stripes with the Union Jack across the facade of the spacious gallery in many a loving fold was somewhat of a contrast to the historic pagfc of local celebrations. Tho address to the consul from the cifcizena and his reply were in excellent taste, and can only be promotivs as regards " our kin across the sea " of jteace and goodwill. There is no doubt that the public function will, in its humble way, beget among the Americans kindly feelings to the colonists of New Zealand. There ia more goodwill among the American people to the colonists of Australasia t.han we havo been accustomed to 6U3peer, aud at the Opera House mseting, turning • over the tablets of memory, I was reminded of an incident which occurred after tbe great cyclone at Samoa which wrought such disaster td the American and German squadrons. Lieutenant Wilson, of the U.S. Vandalia, had arrived in Auckland . in order to telegraph the details of the calamity to the authorities at Washington. To my in- j quiry, in conversation, as to the motives which actuated the United States Government ia incurrinjj the enormous pxpense she had dove in regard to Samoa, and her attitude to Germany respecting the group, his reply was most significant : "We believe that in the yearn to tome v I great republic will arise in Australia to which] we will give the hand across the sea. We will ! never submit to the Germans coming between [ us by holding a station and naval arsenal I midway, which would cut us off from closer i intercourse with the colonists of New Zealand > and Australia. That explains all." The electric tramways Question, and controversy thereon, may now be regarded as definitely settled, so far as the City Council is concerned. The council, at the instance of one of itR members, refused to reconsider the offer of Messrs Chambers and Son, or to stultify itself by going back upon its arrangement with Mr Bingham. It is hard to see how the council could have done otherwise without landing itself in a series of legal complications, if not co«tly litigation. Mr Bingham, to show his bona fides, has offered to complete the missing links in the eastern and western circuits as sections of tho contemplated electric tramways. These sections have never been completed according to the original contract of the Tramways Company, and the corporation has never enforced the legal penalties, in view of the fact that the original shareholders lost every farthing of their capital (£30.000) in endeavouring to benefit the city by their enterprise. It has, however, never waived its legal right*, if it hae slept upon them. The council has not yet dealt with this last offer of Mr Bingham, as there are a number of nice legal questions to be considered as to the powers and privileges of all the parties concerned. Meanwhile, I understand he is satisfied with the position of affairs, and that negotiations are proceeding satisfactorily as to the

] 'larger enterprise, He has just left for WellingI ton in connection, it is understood, with the electric lighting system of that city, and will : then proceed to Duuedin with a view of open- . iug up negotiations) for giving a similar electric tramway service to thai; which he has under- | taken to introduce into Auckland. As showing the popular impression in Auckland as to the increased value which 9uch a service would give to property along the routes of the circuits, it may be mentioned that already a good deal of property has changed hands along the tram lines, in tha belief that it, will be greatly enhanced in value by the batter, cheaper, and speedior_ service. It in reckoned that the i suburbs in that, respect will be even more largely benefited than the city proper, and the " knowing ones" are investing in land all along the routes of the present and projected lines. Great interest was taken iv the trial of Hone j Toi* and hia followers for the Hokianga disI turbances, and tho termination of an episode I which has been the cause of great expense to the colony has been hailed with satisfaction. Justice Conolly has had a difficult task in imposing sentences upon the offenders, who pleaded guilty to the less serious charges | brought against them, while the Crown withj drew the charga of treason which had baen j preferred; •Oa the whole, he has tempered justice with mercy in sentencing the ringleaders to terms of imprisonment, while their followers have got off with fines and being bound over to keep the peace. The settlers incline to the behcf_ that the trouble is uot all . over yet in the north, as oh the very day that the Natives were sentencßd the Waitemata County Council resolved to. summon the Maoris in a portion of their disfcticfc, on the ground that " they were keeping a great troop of dogs to the injury of settlers, and refused either to destroy the do?" or to register them." This shows that tha Natives . are bent upon practising the same obstructive tactics as at Hokianga, although probably the hostility to the dog tax will nut go to tho same length?, as M&karau U on the "lino of the North Auckland Trunk railway, arid a force could readily be thrown into the district-. The Hokianga County Council has. acted with the greatest consideration to the Natives of their dmtrict throughout. They fix«d the dog tax at only one-fourth the amount permitted by law. while the land rates of Natives are only half those paid by Europeans, and on land within a radius of 6ve milas of any county road. With regard to the statement thai; threats had bften held ovrr l;he Natives that thoy would be deported to tha Csatham Islands, or some ice-bound country, th« Crown prosecutor pointed out tHe. striking fact that not a single word war, said by tbo Native leaders about the alleged threats afc the public meetings where the taxei were discussed. There was no evidence adduced that any official had used such tbreatsj but that they were merely idle rumours or cubardi—the I gossip of tho ksingas. It will be some satis-' I faction to t.be colony to know that the ringleaders—four dangerous men—nre put out of the way of doing any mischief for a year and a-half ab all ev«nti, a Isnient, sentence, which, as Justice Conolly remarked, in the ci«e of Makara, was " perhaps treating him with more leniency than he riesaiVHd." As a seqital to the trial, a prosecution took f.iace undue ths Arms Act, aud a conviction was secured against a buropean for supplying ammunition to a Maori, the net having been practically a dead letter since 1885. The proposals of the-Admiralty with regard I to the Odlliope dock have been again before the Auckland Harbour Bsard owiug to a communication and cablegram whinh have been received | from Mr Witheford. Ha informs the board i that clans are in course of preparation by thn ; Admiralty, which he baa inspected, which show i workshops covering about two acres, and iudij eating t'ne position of various departments of I the works and of machinery. It seems possible ! that greater and more important uses aiay he ! made of the Admiralty propsrU than at, first j anticipate?;. In at) interview with Su- William ; White, chief constructor to ths N*vp, Mr r Witheford point-id out from the fine photograph i of ths CiUhops dock in the possession of the j Admiralty that greater length could or obtained, j as Sir William was alluding to the possiI bility of enlarging it;, if uecassary, (o suit 1 vessels of the Terrible or Powerful clasp, should they ever be in the vicinity .0; require docking. At present the dock is large enough to accommodate any vessel on the Australasian j station. The Finance and Legal Committee of j the board recommended the boird to empower Mr Witheford to _6iter to expend tho necessary sum for the equipment oF the dock, ms might oe directed by the Admiralty, and to set apart any additional land, r<quired by the Admiralty tor the above purpose, provided the Admiralty paid the interest on the amount expended for equipment, plent, and machinery. A number of members of the board were iv favour of adopting these recommendations, including Mr I ™ . ai>ier (ex-chairman of tha board) and I Mr A. B. D^evore (ex-mayor), but the majority preferred to await the arrival of the correspondence by mail, which would pub the bo*rd in possession of fuller information. Mr Napier urged that tharn should be no delay in accepting the proposals of the Admiralty in view of the rumoured proposed forcible annexation of Samoa by Germany. Ha pointed out that if b-ermany carried out that fcheme, there was no doubt that the Admiralty would keep a large number of warships at Auckland, because it was the nearest port to Samoa. The majority of the members held that Ht this st»ge the committee's recommendations went too far and pledged the bo*rd to an unknown sum, while the large qusstion of the maintenance of thn equipment of the dock, even if interest was paid on the first cost, was stilt far from clear. On the principle, therefore, of being cure rather than sorry, the board decided to await the English mail and developments, During the past week the foundation stone has been laid of ths Costley wards of the new Children^ -Hospital—an inatitution which has been sadly nef ded, inasmuch an the division of the hospital allocated to the children was the coldest, and almost wholly b'eref 3 of sunshine. To add to the other inconveniences, the children, when beginning to get cDnvalesceur, annoyed the other patients by their movements. It was originally intended by tho Hospital and Charitable Aid Board to have obtained the Children's Hospital from the contributions of tbe beaeyolent public at the time of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, by erecting it as a memorial of her record reign, holding tho balance of the Oostley legacy for a future extension of the District Hospital. However those in favour of erectiog a 'atatno to the Queen succeeded in reversing tha decision arrived at by the first public meeting, consequently th» trustees were compelled to utilise the funds iv thsir possession if tho Children's Hospital wore to he provided. It ia intended to use tbe new hospital, in part, for other purposns until tha growth of the city necessitates its axeliwive u?e for children. The work will cost £5000, rxolimive of furnishing, aud for this latter object a,fresh appeal will bo made to the public, as well*aa to endow cots. The new institution will at least remove a reproach from Anckland that it has hitherto disregarded "the cry of the children." A start has beeu uWe iv breaking up somo of the estates of. tho Assets Company and nubdividing them for olose settlement. Perhaps no.bstter estate could hava been selected than that of Raugiatea, which was all iv grass, fenced, and suitable at ones for agricultural operations. The result of throwing it open for selection wus that the great majority of the sections were applied for over and over again, and a ballot, had to take place in nearly every case. At tho present time there are only five sections remaining, and with regard to these inquiries are bein" made. This estate is very favourably situated" both as regards the Aucklaad-Paeroa railway line and a market either iv the Upper Thames goldSeldsor in Auckland. With ordinary industry and ability, the new settlers, who are all practical men, should do well. There are some other properties of the Assets Company which are suitable for close settlement, and some arrangement should be come to between the Government and tho management to get a good class of settles placed upon them in the best interests alike of the colony aud the company. The volunteer movement is still steadily progressing, and, unless checked by crass officialism, there will shortly be in Auckland as compact aud well-disciplined a force as tho officer commanding the district (Colosel Banks) could desire to have under his command. One company—the Ponsonby Navak—eroßsed the harbour last week on oue of the bitterest nights of the present vrinter and foil in at Fort Cautley to drill in the batteries, 72 strong. It has not been possible yet to get a bicycle corps formed, but a mounted rifle corps is being raised in tha Otahuhu district, a district which, with Mangere, furnished one of the finest cavalry corps—the Royal Cavalry Volunteers, under the late lamented Colonel Nixon—during tho firßt Taranaki war aud the Waikato campaign of 1863. The corps now boing formed of mounted rifles is largely composad of tho sons of the veterans of those troublous times—strapping young fellows, splendid cross-country riders, and capitally mounted. But for the gross neglect and indifference of the Defence Office in the past there might have been added to the service the Waiukn Cavalry and the Pukekohe Mounted Rifles ; but both corps were disbanded, though office™ and men had spent time and money in order to qualify themselves to render efficient »ervica to tho country whenever needed. The miners appear to have adjusted themselves to the now condition of. things at tho Thames goldQelds, and are falling back, in many cases, into the ranks of the branches of labour from which they wers first drawn. Som« of the mines have turned up well, and the return of the Waihi for the month was equal to anything in its palmiest days. The Ray. Mr Campbell, of Te Aroha, is still sanguine that his hyperphoric process will revolutionise everything in the Uppsr Thames diitrict with its complex refractory ores, and that he, Midas-like, will turn the dust of other men to gold by dealing with the disused tailings of mines and making thair treatment remunerative. Notwithstanding the serious burdens entailed on the mining companies and

London-, June 10.

In the City of London Court on Saturday la^t Mr Coraraissaiouer Kerr gave » decision of much interest to shipowners and seaman in reference to the cashing of advance note 3. At action was brought by Mr P. W. Barclay, manager and

secretary of the London Sailors' Home, and Admiral Henry Beamish, on bahalf of himself and his co-directora of the Home, against the New Zealand Shipping Company. 138 Leaden-, hall street, to recover various sums of money due oa seamen's advance notes; • : Mr Fredsrick Laitur.' counsel' for the plaintiffs, said the Sailors' Homo wai a corporation which was founded 75 years ago for the protection of seamen, and tu* board of directors included'tha Priuca of Walea, the Bishop of London, and other woll-known people. They CRsherf seamen's advance notes ,to tan amount

of £8000 a year gratuitously. Last month the defendants ssnt their vessel, the Turakiua, to New Zealand. Advaiscn note 3 wera given to th« seamen, who got them cashed by the plaintiffs. All the money was handed over to the men. but the defaudants now declined to pay the. advancn notes issued by the captain of the ship. In going through the English Channel tha ship encountered a gale. The riigiug was said to be old, and the masts, so .'the' men alleged, wobbled about so much that nine of tbe sailors and two officecs left the vessel at Weymouth, where she had to put in for repairs. • .

Mr Lauriston Batten, for the defendant, said the ship was in thoroughly good condition. Some of the crew had refused duty, and, rather than 'prosecute, the capfain had elected to discharge them at Weymouth,, to which port the vessel had put in on the understanding that the advance notes issued to any of tham snould not bo paid. The London Sailors' Horns, however, presented some for payment, which had been declined. The plaintiffs then issued a summons.

I Mr Commissioner Keirr said the law in this case affecting soiunen's advaucs notes was in a most unsatisfactory state. If the plantiffa advanced £8000 a year ie was very important tliafc.they should know whetner they weie (o bs entitled to get the money b*ek from tho various fihifjort'uers. If, was no uaa his deciding the point: it must bj left for the judges of the High Court to lay down the law 'authoritatively. If he had to make up his mind-ho would pro- ! bably decide in favour of the defendants. He wao^very much in favour of them, but he sympathised with the Sailors' Home, that being a charitable institution. The onus of obtaining a defiuite decision should ba thrown on the company; he would therefore find for the plaintiff*, viith leave to appeal. The question'of appeal now Heß with tha Shipping Federation. . Sinffe Mr Commissioner Iverr gave his decision, a caae has been discovered which was decided in tbe Queen's Bench Division on the 25bh October, 1897. It is . the case of " Willowdene "—Bellamy v. Lunn—and id was there held that advance notes issued to aeamen aye. nos negotiable, aud that payment is conditional on a seaman being on board and doing duty when his note falls due. Although the case reported above is in itself a small one, it is probable an appsai will bo lodged.