AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11957, 2 February 1901, Page 2

AUCKLAND.

(From Our Own Correspondent,) January 26. Auckland, after having had its wish gratified by tlm Government agreeing to make Auckland the last port of departure, in order to allow the Aucklanders to give a fitting send-off to the sixth contingent, lias, by the death of her Majesty the Queen and the course of events, been deprived of the opportunity of doing so. Had tho opportunity been afforded, the people of Auckland would have given the men going forth from our midst to do battle for Queen and country such a sendoff as would have done honour to tho men and themselves. In a short space of time £1000 had been raised or promised and guaranteed by the citizens, and it was intended to have entertained the contingent right royally. At the first there was some difficulty over the question of intoxicating liquors, the opposition to furnish these being led by Mr Wesley Spragg, whose firm had contributed £25 to the demonstration fund. He held that they were hound to respect Lord Roberts's request on that head, that drink should not lie pressed by so-called friends upon the soldiers. His views were shared by four of the volunteer officers, including Colonel White, tho officer commanding the Countess of Ranfitrly's Own, who said that if his all were embarked in "the trade" he would still fee! bound to respect the request of his commanding officer, and they should show an example of obedience to the men if they desired to maintain discipline. Some of those who spoke in favour of having a drink at the demonstration were interested in the trade. As showing tho differences of opinion, Messrs L. D. Nathan and J. M'Kail Geddes, who went round for subscriptions, said they were met with refusals, in some eases the remark, being that if the demonstration was to be "a bun worry" they would not give a penny, while on tho other hand Messrs Spragg and Lcyland (who had served in the Royal navy), who went on a similar mission, said they were greeted in many quarters with "Don't, for goodness sake, have any drink." The question was adjourned till another meeting of tho committee, when a sufficient number of men were put on tho committee who turned out to be favourable to having intoxicating liquors, and tho motion to furnish Ihem was carried. Mr Spragg accepted the decision, and loyally assisted to do his best to make tho demonstration a success.

j As o\ (ints have turned out, the plans of both J sections of the committee have been utterly | frustrated, alt liougli llm Temperance section j contend that thoir attitude did not involve i the Question of tea v. beer, but simply their strong desire that the request of Lord Roberts should be respected. First of all the dale of I the departure of the contingent was fixed for | the 29t!i inst., which is the anniversary of the | foundation of the colony, and which has been j celebrated for over half a century by a re- | gatta, and for many years also by races at j Takapuna, under the allspices of the Takapuna | Jockey Club. It was seen that lo carry out j these two functions concurrently with the j " send-off " would bo to imperil 1 the whole | business, yet no one could see a way out, as both the Regatta Committee and the Jockey Club had entered into engagcmcnls and made thoir arrangements. Then the Qucui's death j succeeding upset everything, the regatta and ilaltapuna race meeting bping postponed, and now the Auckland section of the contingent simply march from their camp in the Domain on board the transport without any demonstration whatever, even the very wharf being j closed to the public while the men are embarking. By the irony of fate, the Auckland | contingent, instead of receiving libations of 3 beer from the Demonstration Committee, will i receive from the Central Mission a copy of "The Soldier's Text Book" and a marked ] New Testament, which- may possibly atop a | bullet in the storm and stress of battle. Of (lie Auykland contingent it. may bo said that it is | the finest that has yet been sent out from our I midst. They are stalwart fellows from the sntlloj ments, most of tliem accustomed to horses iaiid having that frank bronzed look, which shows that Ihey have led a healthy, natural life in the country. Their conduct has been excellent, and I have not seen a single case of men acting unbefitting a soldier or a man. Auckland may well bo proud of them, and they will, it is confidently believed, do her crcdit in the campaign 011 which they are entering. They go away with the best wishes of their fellow-citizens, whose sympathies will follow them everywhere. As'the citizens have been debarred by events over which they had no control of giving the hearty and fitting send-off that they would have wished, it is now .intended,that the funds and guarantees shall he used in order to do honour to the Imperial contingent which will shortly visit our port. Auckland has again had a bitter experience, like that of the D.B.C. fire, in the destruction by fire of about £100,000 worth of properly in ono of the commercial sections of the city where four-storey warehouses are the rule, the Fire Brigade being helpless lo avert the calamity, though tlioy acted gallantly and were led by an experienced officer. The plant and appliances at thoir disposal would not enable them to fight the fire in the upper storeys of tho buildings, and as one of the brigades S pithily expressed it, " the brigade could not j go to the fire, and had therefore to wait till j the fire came to them." Very great indignation has been expressed by the commercial j community at this slate of affairs, as also by j the insurance companies. In spite of the ox--5 periences of the D.S.C. fire, nothing had been j done by the municipal authorities beyond retting reports from' officers and procuring p'.ans > for a new fire brigade station, the site of which j have not even yet been determined. There is 110 reason to believe that the municipal authorities are indifferent to their duty, but tho mayor (Mr Goidie) lias been waiting in the hope of getting a measure through Parliament by which the Fire Brigade, as in Australia, would bo. maintained by the joint contributions of the corporation, tho insurance companies, and tho Government, If he waits till that date lie may wait till the Greek Kalends, as there is no ovidcnco as yet that the insurant;; companies, at all events, will listen to such a. proposition. The municipal authorities seem to think so themselves, and have been examining various silos with a view to taking j steps for the erection of a new' fire brigade 1 station. Tndce-d, a site has been reserved j temporarily, but as it does not command the 4 highest point of tho city nothing has been j determined ponding further inquiries. Howg over, a start lias been made to improve the j | plant, and orders sent- Homo for appliances, 1 j in the shape of water tower and telescopic j ladders, which will enable the brigade to fight j fires at a height of.Boft. Tho ex-superintend- | cut of the Firo Brigade (Mr John Hughes) was 1 heartbroken at tho continual indifference of a the City Council to his requsitions for hotter I plant and appliances, and Mr Gladding, his I successor, has fared 110 better. There is 110 reason to believe that the municipal authorities would not have ro(nedied matters long ago but for the eternal question of finance, which ever crops up. Thoy have been hoping against hopo that all would go well in the meantime, till the unexpected happens and £100,000 wortli of property is scattered to tho winds of heaven in dust and ashes.

The municipal authorities are doing a good deal in the way of beautifying the city and improving the civic amenities. The Albert Park is to bo made still moro attractive by Iho erection;of a handstand (nearly completed), where bands of music will in tho summer evenings discourse sweet music to tho citizens. It is intended also to have there a refreshment kiosk, where all kinds of tcmperanco drinks can be obtained; but the City Council proposes first to have a marquee to see how tho experiment works. Tho bandstand will aim he utilised as a platform for public meetings, a part of the park boing set aside for bucli purposes, under suitable regulations, and will thus obviate llio complniiit that while people are prohibited from holding meetings in the streets there is no provision msulo to meet the public convenience apart from hired halls. Whether the municipal authorities would allow Mr Richardson, tho Prohibition lecturer, _ to denounce the publicans and brewers in the city reserve is a moot point. It is rumoured that as soon as tho period has expired for which he was bound over to keep tho peace he will probably bo back again from Sydney, Another improvement which is likely to bo made in the park is the erection of a drinking fountain. The Temporauco people collected n sum of money for the erection or a drinking fountain in memory of the late Mr G. M. Heed, who hud rendered such great service to tho cause. Mayor Goldie proposes to supplement this money in order to have an ornamental structure orected, and liavo a suitable ineoription placed thereon, in memory of the many services which Mr Heed rendered to the city.

II hero Ims of Into years grown up in the harbour ot Auckland a specie? of systematise! robbery of yachts, ami scarcely a yacht of the scores anchored in ;iio harbour has escaped pillage of stores or clothing or valuables. In i former years the " water rats" were so well organised and so numerous that they were known as " the Waitemata Pirates," and had tlieir leader. Owing to the numerous complaints of the yachting men the police have ' been led to give more attention to this class of crime, which was formerly stamped out vy the "Water Police. There are no Water Police now specially set apart- to look after matters connected with the harbour and marine property, hence probably the recrudescence of the pillaging of yachts.- The detectives have, however, succeeded in making two arrests of men with some of the stolen property identified upon them, and they have beon remanded in order to give time for fur- ! ther investigations.

Property is steadily going up in price, and this has been • specially made prominent by • transaction which took place the other day,

when Firth's old mill, in Lower Queen street, was disposed of by the Auckland Stock Exchange for £18,000, or £200 a foot, and which was 33 per cent, in Advance of the price they paid for the site three years ago, when it was contemplated, in the mining boom, to oreet a new mining exchange. There is a rumour that the property lias been purchased by an Auckland gentleman now living in New South Wales. Property lias been sold in Queen streot many years ago at a figure in advance of £200 a foot, when land speculation was in full swing, and laud in our principal commercial thoroughfares was sold at abnormal figures j but this is tho first transaction of late at that rato, and indicates.our present high water-mark. But thero are indications that the advance of late is general. During the seven years prior to tho administration of. Mayor Goldie tho advance in city valuation has not exceeded £100, while during the last two years the rcvonuo from increased valuation lias gone up by from £4000 to £5000. Building is still proceeding apace, notwithstanding the advanced price of building materials, which have gone up about 35 per cent. The cost of building will probably lie still further increased, as tho Builders' Association has received notice from the bricklayers of their intention to demand an advance of about 10 per cent, upon their present wages.

The annual meeting of the Thames Drainago Board has shown that tho wholo question of unwatering the field is in an unsatisfactory position, and when mining operations will get down to the 1000 ft level it would be hard to say. It appears that tho recent slump in West Australian stock lias involved one of tlit? contributing companies. At tho beginning of the year pumping operations were stopped, but they have been resumed again. Ono of the companies hold that tho board had no power to sue for contributions, but tho warden lias decided in favour of the board. Tumping operations have again been resumed, but nothing is definitely settled as to tho future, and it is feared that the Government will yet hivvo to step in and exercise the powers they possesf. The Minister of Mines, as a Thames man, naturally sympathises with the Lower Thames people in the unfortunate position in which they are placed, and is desirous of doing everything in his power for tliem, consistent with his duly to tho wholo colony.

Death has been 'busy sinco the New Year among our old colonists. Among the most prominent who have passed away are Captain Macgrcgor, one of tho founders and late manager of tho Northern Steamship Company; Mr Donald Ross, one of our shipowners ; Mr John Abbott, financial agant; and Mr Ji. A. Mackcchnio, solicitor. Captain Mar.gregor had dono more for tho Northern settlers than any oLh.er man in tho province in the creation oi his coasting licet, in the early days, which kept up communication with Auckland, and brought the produce of the settlers to tho Auckland market. He was a man of great shrewdness of character and of commercial pronity. Mr D. Ross was a man of tho same l.vne, and was formerly associated with tho late Sir Donald M'Lean on the staff as engineer of tho late Provincial Government of Hawke's Hay. Mr E. A. Mackcchnie was an energetic and publicspirited citizen, and look great interest in everything relating to- the welfare of tho city. For many years he had served the city in the City Council, and had also been chairman of the Hospital Hoard. He also rendered excellent service while president of tho Society of Arts, ami took great interest in all matters pertaining to art, and in the scientific, literary, and philosophic questions of the day. As to Mr John Abbott's decease, it may lie truly said thai the New Zealand Jubilee Institute for the Blind has sustained an irreparable los=. Ho had devoted to its service tho last days of hi- life, and its financial position was due to his exertions. When lie died he was engaged on a scheme to get new premifes'nf brick, owing to the danger through fire from having a number of blind persons in a wooden building. His unique letter.! in the press always kept the institution before the public, and it was mainly through them that he was enabled to pnther together the funds for its establishment. Throughout the many years he had been on the management be had been absent from but two meetings,. and ono of t'-e"- absences arco durin? hi' last illness, which is a splendid record of devotion to duty. Ho was a curious compound. for his business was that which has been euphemistically described as " a financial agent," and there were few men who camo into tho Bankruptcy Court in our city who did not own up in their schedule to having a sneaking acquaintance with John Abbott.. Still lie contended that the public " did not know the real John Abbott," and it has been ascertained that in his business ho did surprising acts of benevolence, forgiving peoplo both principal and interest.