LOCAL & GENERAL

Otago Witness, Issue 2258, 10 June 1897, Page 20

LOCAL & GENERAL

' The Hon. J. M'Kenzie has received the j following message from the Premier :— "Very well received at Liverpool and London by j Home authorities and colonials. Had a long ; visit from Sir George Grey shortly after my ; arrival. It was his first appearance for weeks. ; His health is not very satisfactory. Programme submitted is larger th*n expected, and extends to July 15. Inform our friends tint we are all i well here." j The New Zealand Times (out Wellington , correspondent wires) says it had been arranged [ that a raid upon the Assyrians of Dunedin , Should be made upon the same day that the \ 'authorities descended upon those of Wellington ( and Auckland, but owing to a misunderstanding on the part of the collector of customs at this place the raid fell through. Phylloxera has again made its appearance in Auckland vineries. The story of its introduction by imported vine cuttings from New South Wales is (our Auokland correspondent writes) \ An old and a wretched one, as the evil i ■was done by persons who ought to have known ' better. Some years ago phylloxera first appeared in the Mount Eden district, but it was hopsd it had been stamped out by the destruction of the vinery. Such, however, appears not to have been the case, as it has now manifested itself across the harbour, and some vineries have had to be destroyed. Captain Brown, Government ento- j mologist, also knows of the existence of pbyl- ; loxera in other districts, and will take the neces- '• B»ry remedial steps. • " j With reference to the Plimmerton tragedy, ■which Saturday's message from Gisborne sgain throws into mystery, the Taranaki Herald etates that early in 1834- a married couple attempted suicide in the Auckland district under peculiar circumstances. The stme couple I afterwards stayed in New Plymouth for a short time and then left by train for Wellington, and have never been heard of since. The possible identity of this couple with the remains found at Plimmerton 'was remarked at the time, owing to the description of the clothes found, but the police theory that the remains were those of Braybrooke and bis wife caused the subject to be dismissed. We learn that the picture by Mr S. Hales, of Dunedin, who is now pursuing his art studies in Paris, whiob, as reported, by cable, : tras accepted for the Salon, is a marine, and is called "La Nuit." It represents fishing boats lying at anchor in a bay, with the fishing' village faintly seen in the distance, and suggests the misty feeling of night. It is really a starlight night effect that is presented. The picture is hung in the old Salon, Champs Elytee. At the recent annual meeting in Auckland of the trustees of the Jubilee Institute for the Blind, which is a colonial, not a local, institution, it transpired that the ordinary subscriptions are falling off. Ibis is attributed in the first place to many of the public, especially in the southern districts of the colony, considering the institution as being only of local benefit, though pupils are received from all parts of the colony, and secondly, to a belief that the institution should now be industrially self-supporting. This, it is explained, is not possiblo, owing to the large and necessary waste of material which ocours in teaching 'he blind before a saleable artiole is produced. '. % c dilapidated state of the main building, and itb. t»neral unsuitability for the work, at being of wood, will render the erootioa of a new '

buildinp a matt-or of necessity shortly. A buUdi g fund of £500 has been started, and there i.* a credit balanco for the ensuing year of over £600, but the shrinka^a of the general subscriptions is a serious thing for the institute and its promoters. A proposal was made at the public meeting convened to take steps to celebrate the Queen's Record Reign by a fitting memorial that t lab memorial should take the form of a new jubilee institute for the blind ; but the suggestion was rejected amongst others in favour of a children's hospital. The '• slump " in Auckland mining circles is believed to be passing away. According to our correspondent, affairs have greatly brightened during the past fortnight, owing to London capitalists turning their attention to New Zealand mining now that the aspect of affairs in the Transvaal and the East has greatly changed for the better. Those speculators who bought in at bedrock prices during the "slump" will, realise handsomely if they sell out. Quite a number of mines ar« now under offer to London syndicates. Proßpscting is now going on more vigorously than ever, not only oa the Thames and Coromandel peninsula, but in the Great Barrier, Kawau, and Wangarei and Bay of Islands. The Mining Exchange is beginning to wear its, old appearance, and the faces of the shareholders are radiant once mots. Our Kaitangata correspondent writes : — " Mrs F. T. Poole, well known and respected throughout fche district and also in Dunedin, died on Tuesday evening, Ist, after a lingering illness extending over many weeks, at the early age of 38 years. She loaves her husband with a family of aeven children." Messrs Cumine Bros, desire us to contradict the statement that a bonus of Id per skin was paid to rabbiters on the Lochindorb station. The skins are paid for according to 6ize, and retained by the station. i The last indictments at the Supreme Court i criminal sessions, concluded on the 2nd, were against two offenders — Northey and Andersen — who were charged with breaking into three houses and stealing valuables. On the first indictment a conviction was obtained, and the accused then pleaded guilty to the other ! charges, and were sentenced to three and two years' imprisonment respectively. It appeared from the depositions that these young men, the j elder of whom gave his age as 21, entered upon a systematic career of crime with much deliberation. Having obtained a horse, they hired a cart and started on a tour of plunder, going I from Dunedin as far as Duntroon. Their mode I of operation was very simple, and rendered I theft easy and detection difficult. They would | drive np to out-of-the-way and isolated dwell- | ings and make some pretence for calling. In ! this way they found the houses that were left unoccupied, and these they broke into and took j whatever money or jewellery they could lay their hands on. In every case they were care- ' f ul not to disturb anything beyond the articles they removed, so that it was several days, and often longer, before the things were missed. They left on the houses no appearance of violence, entering them with skill and leaving them secured as they were found. At one house they forced the lock in a chest of drawers, but this was done in such a manner that the damage was not detected for some days. When the theft 8 were reported the police seem to have known the guilty parties, but had a good deal of trouble in finding the stolen property and in getting evidence against them. The men lived in the North-East Valley, and two detectives watched their house at night and arrested them lon suspicion. Several remands were obtained, and strict search was made without result ; bub

one moraing a hen w&i ssen to scratch up a gold watoh, and thus fche eecreb was revealed. By digging about the residence the police found the other «tolen valuables, and other evidence was obtained, by means of which a conviction was secured. The skill and vigilance of the police in this matter will doubtless be especially appreciated by country settlers, who are often compelled to leave their property unprotected. Captain Cradock has furnished us with the following copy of a letter sent by him to the town clerk on. Thursday notifying the Obago Syedic&te's abandonment of their negotiations with the council for tramway concuasiona : — » sir, — Owing to the general attitude taken up by the City Council during the last few weeks, and after the resolution concerning the proposed concession that was passed at the meeting of your council last evening, I can come to no other conclusion than that some councillors are determined either to block or delay matters to such an extent as to preclude the granting of any rational conceasioa to the Ofcago Syndioate. Therefore, as the time of your council and myself is being wasted in a fruitless endeavour to conclude negotiations, I must decline proceeding any farther in the matter of the ciby tramways. I may state that I had completed financial arrangements for taking ovar the tramways immediately the concession was granted, and I regret that the citizens have lost such a favourable opportunity of acquiring a first-class tramway service in Dunedin. — I remain, yours faithfully, Montagu Chadock, Captain, Acting-attorney for the Otago Syndicate (Limited)." Mr A. M'Kerrow has entered upon his new duties as Government valuer under the Valuation Act of 1896, aod has taken offices in the new Government Insurance Buildings. His district embraoes the whole of Otago (excepting Vincent and Lake Counties), together with the Mackenzie Country. Six valuers have been appointed for the colony. A casket which is to contain the address from both the West Australian Houses of Parliament to the Queen has been completed. It coat over £1000, and is composed entirely of products of the colony. It is one of the finest pieces of work ever executed in Australia. Polished wood and gold and pearls have been employed in the construction of the casket). The Mctaura Licensing Committee declined to grant any 11 o'clock licenses, and desired ■ the police to note that any infringement of the law in that respect should be followed by a prosecution. The Hon. R. Oliver and Mrs Oliver had a very narrow escape from serious injury. While out driving, the horses took fright in Royal terraca and bolted. Fortunately the occupants escaped unhurt, but the carriage was severely damaged and the horses injured. Further information regarding the members of the United Brotherhood of the South Sea Islands, who recently arrived at Fiji from San Francisco, is to hand by the Ovxlau. The FijiTimes states that the party have, after much deliberation, "decided on their future course of action. Fifteen of the number are proceeding to Viria on the Rewa River, where they intend planting bananas, while another 20 have gone to Naide. Savu Savu Bay, to commence planting operations, and the German doctor on board the ship will have charge of this party. A few more are settling along the coast, and in all about 40 will remain here, while the 60 members remaining purpose to continue their voyage in the ship as far as New Zealand in the course of a few days. , . . While ou this sub-

jecb we must; not omit to mention the excellent behaviour of the whole party while in port. Although there were a hundred men in the com- j pany, and the most of these were Ashore daily, there has never been the slightest disturbance I or friction while in town either among them- ] aelves or with the natives, and they are evidently j a quiet, orderly band of men." ; Mr J. Elder Moultray, having returned from his visit to Europe, has now established himself in a studio in the Mutual Life Association Buildings, sufficiently large to enable him to conduct classes in it. As was only to be expected, he has portfolios full of sketches made by him on his travels, bat he has as yet only workedtwo of these up into finished pictures. One represents Mount Vesuvius, the view being taken from some picturesque rains on the opposite side of the Bay of Naples, and the volcano being shown while in a mild state of activity : while' the other work depicts the historical Mount Sinai at a distance of 15 miles, though, to deceptive is the red tand of the wilderness in its suggestion of distance, the mountain looks to be but a few miles off, and in the foreground a few Arabs, mounted on their gaudily-trapped camels, assist to give a local colour to the scene. Each of the works has had " much careful and ekiltul work bestowed on it, and, even apart from that, is intrinsically interesting. The Salvation Army's new Rescue Home for Women at' Rookyside, Caversham, is to be opened on Wednesday, 16th insb., wben the Hon. W. D. Stewart will preside. At the new home the Salvation Army will be able to classify the inmates, a syßtem which has been fouud successful elsewhere. This it has not been possible to do in Dunedin in the past owing to the limited accommodation. The property at Rockvside has cost altogether between £1200 and £1300, bat tho officers are confident those interested in philanthropic work will aszist them in meeting the cost. After the opening of the home a representative meeting will be held in the evening in the Danedin I Fortress, when it is expected that leading 1 clergymen and prominent citizens will be present. At the Chambers sitting of the Supreme , Court on Friday, on the application of Mr F. R. Chapman, the examination of the directors and officers of the J. Or. Ward Farmers' Association was postponed until Monday, the 12th of July. Mr Solomon, representing Mr W. R. Cook, consented to the applicttioD, it being agreed by all parties that it would be undesirable the continuity of the proceedings should be broken by the public holidays. A good deal of busieess came before his Honor Mr Justice Williams in Cnambers on Friday. In addition to the ordinary routine business, several applications were made at the instance of the liquidator of the Ward Farmers' Association. These were unopposed, and were granted. The motion made on behalf of the liquidators of the Colonial Bank for the examination of the late chairman of directors was heard and granted. Thia matter was not contested, but counsel for the Hon. George M'Lean submitted that it would only be fairthut his client should be given access to tho books of the bank, and that he should receive prior intimation of the matters to be inquired into. It was also suggested that the witness should first be examined by his own counsel and then left for cross-examination, as by this means the proceedings might be made more concise and intelligible. Mr Haggitt agreed to the two firstmentioned suggestions, and as to the last it was understood that no objection would be i offered to the Hon. Mr M'Lean, prior to bis

I examination, reading as evidence a statement! by him relating to ttie affairs of the bank. Our Auckland correspondent telegraphs that; r the project; to hold an industrial and gold ; mining exhibition' in Auckland in December of I next yetr and following January has been warmly taken up. It is anticipated there will be no difficulty in securing the amount required as a guarantee. A tailor named James Cook has been missing from his home in South Dunedin since Saturday last. His coat and hat were picked up on the foreshore near the railway locomotive sheds, but no further trace of him has been, discovered. At the last meeting of the Committee oE Management of the Educational Institute it was decided to ask the Education ' Board to amend the corporal punishment regulations in two particulars — namely, not to require the registration of " minor " punishments, and nob to require the presence of the head teacher while an assistant is inflicting a " major " punishment. The board is also to be asked to reconsider the question of the date of the pupil teacher examinations, and the institute has Rent forward its reasons for thinking that December is the most suitable time both for pupil teachers and for schools. The institute, on representations made by the head teachers, also ask that the regulation requiring the pupil teachers to keep log books of lessons be not enforced. It is believed that the annual examination of the pupil teachers will show clearly enough whether they have been properly taught, and that the log books will introduce a system of espionage which it is not desirable to have in the schools. This year the annual meeting of the Educational Institute will be held on June 23 and 24, during the Diamond Jubilee festivities. As the schools will be closed at that time, and the railway authorities are issuing tickets at reduced fares, it is believed that there will be a much larger gathering than usual. In addition to the president's address, interesting and instructive papers have been promised by Sir E,. Stout, tho Rev. Dr Waddell, Dr Church (of Naseby), and Mr A. M. Burnett. The Clutha Lender reports the death of Me Hugh Bower, a very old settler. Born in Inver-ness-shire, Scotland, in 1830, he came to Otago 49 years ago. He commenced work as a sawyer near the site of the present township of Ravensbourne, and supplied the timber for the principal dwelling houses in old Dunedin. After shepherding for some time at W«st Taieri, he built and started Mr A. J. Burns's sawmill at Mosgiel, and subsequently leased Mr M'Glashan's sawmill .on the Water ot Leith. He purchased a farm at Manuka Island station, which he occupied for 20 years, but has of late resided in Balclutha. He leaves a widow and a family of six children. A petition is being circulated and signed urging the Government to acquire for working men's settlements a block of land belonging to Mr Sidey, containing about 1000 acres, and extending from the boundary of the Borough oE Caversham to near the Green Island Bush, on the eastern side of the Main South road, and from the Kaikorai Valley to Abbotsford oa th« western side. The Hawke's Bay Herald reports that Mr Benjamin, of the firm of Messrs L. D. Nathan and Co., was in Rotorua last week, making arrangements for the increased development oE the sulphur industry. At the sulphur workings at Tikitere, Lake Rotorua, the quantity of sulphur seems to be unlimited. The sulphur is bagged and put in carts that convey it down to the lake, about two miles distant. It is then

put aboard the flat-bottomed lighters, which " take it across the lake to Rotorua, about eight miles distant. There are about 200 Europeans and Natives employed on the works. A' large amount of sulphur has been sent to Sydney lately. A bankrupt applying for his discharge at the Wellington Bankruptcy Court, on Monday, admitted (says the Post) that he had left sorrowing creditors wherever he had been. Wellington, Petone, Hutt, Motueka, Reefton, Nelson, Kilbirnie, &c, had all in turn suffered, his total liabilities amounting to something over £100. His only excuse was that work was sometimes slack. In answer to his Honor, the official assignee stated that such cases occurred on an average in about one case out of every eight or ten. His Honor did cot think he could grant the discharge without payment of 5s in fehe pound on the proved debts. "That is very merciful," murmured the head of the local bankruptcy office, and the satisfied air on the face of the bankrupt's solicitor eloquently endorsed the opinion. The examination in musical knowledge in connection with Trinity College, London, was held in the Normal School on Saturday, and Mr Arthur J. Bartta, the local secretary for Dunedin, has supplied us with the following particulars : — There were 260 candidates who presented themselves^ This is an increaio of 28 as compared with last year. The questions, harmony exercises, melodies to be harmonised and counterpoint exercises, are pronounced by the music teachers who visited the sohool during the examination, and by Mr Barth, to be uniformly good, and sufficiently difficult to give the smartest a good deal of anxious thought for the two hours allotted for each section. The supervisors were Messrs W. Nicolson, S. Muir, J. Lomas, C. Begg, and Grigg. Amongst the visitors present were the Rev. W. Hewitson and Professor and Mr 3 Sale. The number entered for the practical examination in pianoforte »nd violin pl*ying and singing, to be held in October next, is 33. Dr Charles Vincent is the visiting examiner appointed by tbe college this year. Daring the month of May the Public Trustee had 27 estates of deceased persons placed in his hands. The largest were — Michael Williams, Masterton, £1300 ; John M. Maxwell, Woolstou, £1040; William I. Bridges, Rhodesia, South Africa, £600 ; Edward J. Clark, Coroxnandcl, £470 ; Andrew Robertson, Waikiwi, £400 ; George Voysey, North Coolgardie, £250 ; John Rose, Napier, £200 ; Adelaide Dyer, Windsor, Canterbury. £200 ; Thomas Fnrmenger, Wellington, £110. Our Cromwell correspondent telegraph* that two shocks of earthquake were feit there on Friday — one at 7 a.m. and the other at 10.30 p.m. The latter was the sharper of the two. Mr James Mills, managing director of the Union Steam Ship Company, in the course of an interviejv with a representative of the Sydney Herald said that the aggregate cost of the six new steamers added to the fleet amounts to between £250,000 and £300,000. The fleet of the company will now number 57 steamers, aggregating close upon 70,000 tons. This places the Union Company at the bead of all the intercolonial steamship companies, and indeed ranks it among the leading steamship companies of the Empire. The company's operations among the Pacific Islands sre being rapidly extended. The Manapouri, one of the favourite steamers trading between Sydney and , New Zeaknd, is to be re-engined and refittud throughout for the island trade. New and extensive accommodation is to be provided on deck specially designed for (he hot latitudes. The vessel will trade from Sydney to Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, &c, and it is expected that the advent of such a vessel on this line will lead to a large development of the steamer traffic to these attractive lands. The company ha* recently started a service from New Zealand to Rarotonga and Tahiti, and ib is intended ultimately to connect this service with the service from Sydoey to Fiji, &c, and so form one oi the most attractive tourist routes in the world, embracing as it will all the most charmiug of the tropical islands of the Pacific." Mr '• Mills said the company had not found the labour legislation of New Zealand to be oppressive in any way. By the desertion of a number of hsr firemen the New Zealand Shipping Company's steamec Waitrato was detained in the stream at Ljttelton for over 18 hours. In addition to this | expense the company was under the necessity ' of shipping at Lyttelton three other hands to take the places of those who had bolted. The sew men had to be paid £S 10 s per month as against £4 per month p&id to the deserters. j The Rev. O. Michelsen, missionary at the New Hebrides, arrived in Sydney tha other day I with Mrs Michelsen, whose health has broken down. Mr Michelson informed a Daily Telegraph reporter thafc the Presbyterian Mission ■Synod at Aneityutn carried a resolution by 13 to 3 in favour of & new steamer Day spring As showing the great changs which has come over tho natives of the New Hebrides group, '• Mr Micheleen mentioned that when he first went to Tongo* in 1879 the people were all ' cannibals. To-day they are all Christian. ' There is not a heathen among thorn, and ho has been able to leave his work in charge of Miss Gorton (who had boen assisting in the English school), a Sydney lady. The population in his district now stands at 1899, a decrease of 11 over last year. He points out, however, that 210 of his young men »re at present in Queensland. They are usually absent from five to 10 ' years, and their wives are perforce widows during their absence. This is a more serious matter than if the men only stayed in Queensland for the three years for which they are engaged. The people of Tongoa live on five different islands, snd speak three distinct languages. Several of the natives have commenced to make Sunday collections in support of the mission, and large quantities of arrowroot is contributed for such objects as church building. As a new departure, a mission carpenter has been engaged. Formerly the missionaries did all their own work. Seven hundred immigrants arrived at Suva, from Calcutta, in the coolie ship Rhone early last month. Some 650 Indian labourers were expected to arrive at Suva in the ship Clyde when the mail left. Not discouraged by the failure of the first co-operative expedition to tha South Sea Islands, another party, headed by Captain M'Lean and Captain Quinton, were preparing to leave San Francisco when the I*B b mnil steamer left on their search for wealth and happiness, subscribing lOOdol a share. The barque Mermaid was to take the adventurers to the Solomon Islands. She was to leave San Francisco during last month. Many of those who are proceeding to the islands are from the Eastern States of America. The brigantine Percy Edwards, which took the first expedition from San Francisco to Suva, is to come on to Auckland shortly to be sold. The mismanagement of education reserves \ )l&8 been the frequent theme of parliamentary oratory, and the council of the Ofcago University j and its control of the Barenood estate have '

been made the subject of Ministerial comment and censure. As mentioned by tbe vicechancellor at the meeting of the council on Monday, they were charged with downright neglect of duty, and it was urged that if the run was cut up into small pastoral areas the land would be eagerly taken up at good prices and profitably occupied. The advice so confidently given has been acted upon. The land was out up at a cost of £150, and of the sections only one was taken up. For this section of 500 acres a rental equal to lOd per acre was given ; but its payi ment has fallen into arrear, and the solitary, 1 and apparently misguided, tenant has had to approach the council with a statement as to the serious cost of destroying rabbits and a declaration of his inability to retain the land on the terms upon which it was acquired. So far the police havo been unsuccessful in finding any further traces of James Cook, a tailor, who haa been missing from his home at South Dunedin since the 29th ulfc. We have received 2s 6d from J.R., Wairuna, as a subscription to the Hawke'a Bay relief fund, and 10s 6d from Mr Balaille, Sandymount. At the office of the German Consul (Mr B. ' Hallenstein) the captain and sums of the seamen of the barque Victoria signed a statement regarding the heavy weather experisneed on the voyage from New York. • The proceedings wera formal, and took place in accordance with the rule that, in such circumstances, an extract from the ship's journal shall be deposited with i the consul, to be referred to ia the event of ' claims arising agaiuit the vessel. I A lecture was delivered by Bliss Freeman, i 8.A., on Monday night in the Moray place Hall under the auspices of thn Congregational Mutual Improvement Association. There was a large audience, and the subject of the lecture, "lan Maclaren" (John Watson), was handled in a manner which gained attention and general approbation. The lecturess first dealt with the position occupied in the literary world by her subject, compariag hii works with those of Barrio and Crockett. The remainder of the lecture consisted of a descriptive and critical review of the- three bestknown of "lan Maclaren's" works — "Beside j the Bonnie Briar Bush," " Kate Carnegio," and "Auld Lang Syne" — from which numerous illustrative extracts were read. At the close of the lecture, which occupied two hours in delivery, a cordial vole of thanks to Miss Freemsn was carried by acclamation. Archbishop Redwood, of Wellington, is returning to New Zealand by the Monowai from Srduey. At the Tabernacle, Great King street, on Thursday evening, at the close of the regular midweek meeting, Mr John Hislop, one or the pastors, presented Mr Charles Watt, the 1 evangelist, in the name of the members of the church, with a bicycle. He referred in complimentary terms to the visiting work done by their preacher, *cd expressed the hope th*t the gift would enable him to get about among the scattered members more conveniently. Mr Watt, in replying, thanked them very heartily fop their splendid present. Ho said thfit only those who knew something of the manifold duties devolving upon the preacher in a large church of so m&ny members could appreciate the difficulties in the way of systematic visitation. He trusted, however, that with the aid of their valuable gift ho would bs enabled to look them all up more regularly. The friend* of Mr B. Dawson fson of Mr B. Dawaon of the railway service, Dunedin) will be pleased to learn that his services are being appreciated in Western Australia He ha* been promoted from the Harbours and Eivers, Roads and Bridges, Sewerage'and Town Water Supply departments to the hetd of the clerical staff in the Chief Engineers' department, Perth. He wss presented by his fellow employees on the transfer taking place with a pair of gold solitaires and a cigar case aia mark of esteem. He jvlso received on unsought testimonial from Mr Hodgson, engineer of the department, giving an expression of appreciation of his services, in which Ihs writer says : " I wish to thank you heartily and sincerely for the exceptionally valuable assistance which you have afforded me, and though I am sorry that my ffforts to retain you, by securing for you a higher sal&ry, have failed, I am glad the Acting Eugineer-in-Chief has such a high opinion of you that he thinks no one else available will suit him " At 2 a.m. in Sunday the Gore brewery was burnt to the ground. The origin of the fire is unknown. Mr Bischiskie and family resided on the premises, and one had rather a narrow escape. The insurance on the building, whioh belonged to Mr Whittingham, was £260 in the Phoenix office, and on the stock aud stock-in-trade £200, and on the bottling store £60 in the New Zealand office. The Union office also had a risk on the stock for £100. Bischiskie's furniture was insured for £65 and his piano for £35 in the New Zealand office. A number of citizens assembled at the Grand Hotel on Tueday, Ist inst., for the nuvposo of making a pres-ntation to Mr Charles A". Piper, of the Railway department, on the eve of his departure from Dunedin. The presentation took the form of a purse containing GO sovereigns. Tender* are invited for the lease of education reserves in tbe Wendon and Greenvale districts. The Portobello lload Board notify that a road in the Upper Harbour East district is stopped.