NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS AUCKLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2650, 28 December 1904, Page 29

NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS AUCKLAND.

Inquiries made at the Auckland registrar's office show that Auckland is showing a remarkable advance in births. The numbers for Auckland for the year 1904, with the exception of the last fortnight, wet" 2470 births- and 902 marriages. The total numbers for 1903 (14 days more than are included in the figures for this year) were 2366 births and 898 mai-riages. The average of births in Auckland this year has been over eight per day. A monster petition on the Shops and Offices Act is being sent to the Governor. The petition, which i 3 the outcome of a mass meeting held in the Federal Hall soon after the act was brought into operation, contains 17,675 signatures. The petition asks for a special session of Parliament to amend the Shops and Offices Act. The statue to Sir George Grey was unveiled on Wednesday by the GovernorColonel Pitt (the Attorney-general) represented the Government, in the unavoidable absence of Mr Seddon. The statue stands in a commanding position at the head of Queen street. It depicts Sir George Grey as he was at 68 years of age, when he retired from his second term of the Governorship of New Zealand. The work was executed by Williamson, of London, at a cost of 1200 guineas, the total expenditure being £1820, of which the Government contributed £1000. A striking group of stuffed African lions hae been added to the Auckland Museum. The group, which consists of a male and female lion and a family of newly-born cubs, was purchased out of the £500 bequest of the late Mr E. A. Mackechnie. The second group has already been decided on and ordered. It consists of a male and female tiger and a leopard.

HAWKE'S BAY. The court was engaged in investigating two charges preferred against James Percy Holroyd (formerly in a position 1 of trust at Nelson's Freezing Works) and Thomas Henry Gibson (for 19 years in the employment of the Clothing Factory) of stealing goods to the value of £14- and £16 from Hallenstein Bros. The evidence so far goes to show that Holroyd obtained goods from Gibson, who failed to show any record of the transaction. A number of witnesses from the Freezing Works deposed to buying articles of clothing from Holroyd at cheap rates, and anything they asked for would be supplied. The manager of the factory, in his evidence, said that it had been known for some time that there had been a leakage' in the stock, but he was unable to discover the cause. After further evidence by witnesses who purchased drapery and boots from both accused, they were both committed for trial. Bail- in £600 for each was allowed. The design of Mr J. Waterworth, of Napier. bag been accepted for a troopers' memorial, to cost £295. Fifteen designs were sent in from various parts of the colony. Sabina Adamson and John William Adamson were charged at the Napier S.M. Court on separate charges of sly gTogselling. Thp, chief witness for the prosecution was Constable Raines, who had, acting on instructions, sat a trap for the two accused, and was, he alleged, on several occasions supplied with bottled Beer and stout, for which he paid. Judgment was reserved. The man Adamson has been previously convicted of a similar offence. Sabina Adamson, convicted on three charges of sly grog-selling, was fined £10, and costs, while her husband was fined £2. The magistrate said that he. made the penalties light owing to the fact that the defendants had not made large profits out of the business and that they were in poor circumstances.

A woman has been instrumental m putting an English industry on a footing so secure that foreign rivals are withdrawing from competition. The woman is Lady Warwick, and the industry is that of flowergrowing. It is reported that the foreign imports of cut flowers to England are deelinmg in a quite remarkable manner, and that this season especially has seen such a great improvement in the quality of home-grown blooms that without doubt by next year the imports from abroad will have declined still more. The Melbourne Age says : If woman gardeners locally would only take the matter up as they might do excellent financial as well as other possibilities await them. The native flowers of Australia merely await cultivation to become as popular as they deserve to be. A few of the- most familiar have found thenway to England an-d the Continent, "cut; hundreds of others are practically an unknown quantity to the majority of Australians themselves. Riverina has a wealth of flowers of a beauty unrivalled by f «w areas in the world ; New South Wales and Western Australia are famed for their flowers, and the hill country of Victoria is a most happy hunting ground for all flower lovers. If, however, we except boronia, wattle, Waratah, and flannel flower blossom, all the native flowers are strangers to flower lovers in other parts of the world. The mauve, pink, purple-, and red sweet poas and the " orohids " of north Victoria and southern New South Wales, the countless members of the heath family about the coast, and the expuisite blue and violet flowers on our local heights, are only a. very few among the many blooms by means of which enterprising local gardeners could make for themselves name, fame, and* 3*3 * incidentally— money.