NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS AUCKLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2719, 25 April 1906, Page 25

NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS AUCKLAND.

A case of assault and robbery took place on the 16th at Cemetery Gully, Auckland, which eince the removal of the late footbiidge has borne a bv3 reputation in respect to deeds of violence. The victim on this occasion was Mr A. C. Roberts, music teacher, who, on going down the steps leading into the gully, passed between two well-dressed men smoking cigars. Hardly had he passed them when he felt his coat grasped at the back, and as he swung round a violent effort was made to pull the coat up and envciop his head, while one of his arms was gripped and a hand shot lound to grasp at his gold albert. Realising the situation, Roberts exerted himself to such good purpose that he broke away, but with his coat ripped up to the' neck at the back and his watch chain in the hands of one of the miscreants. Fortunately the chain "broke, leaving a valuable .gold watch in Roberts' s pocket. ' . POVERTY BAY. A petition is in circulation asking the Government to acquire the Waimarama, Waipuke, and Okihau blocks for closer settlement. After the Natives are provided for, there will b« abonfc 35,000 acres left. TARANAKI. Indications at the petroleum ''bore at Moturoa are very encouraging. During the last three days the manager has been pumping the bore clear of sand and oil, having recently completed sinking a 6in casing to a depth of 2300 odd feet. The water, which has been the principal difficulty iv the past, is now effectually shut cif. " On Friday a ooasiderable quantity of i oil was pumped. It is expected that in ' another two days the bore will be completely cleaned out ,and marketable oil be flowing-. A considerable quantity of gas is escaping. Great quantities are being utilised to fire the boiler used in driving the pumps. The manager is sanguinely confident of -success. There was considerable excitement in 011 Monday when it was reported that oil ivas freely flowing from the petroleum bore. Upwards of 400 gallons were pumped in 25 minutes. The oil is a splendid sample, completely free from vater, but the .-and in the bore has not yet been got quite rid, of. The rods will be again lifted to allow of fitting new washers on the plunger, the washers wearing quickly owing to the action of grit. The pressure of gas is increasing greatly. In connection with Sunday's cable message re the New Zealand Iron and Steel Company, -the chairman of the local syndicate points out that, yhe reference to the suspension of the* clause in the Mining Act is a_ lTjislake, and- refers to clause 14 of the lease of the Parapara properties, under which, the Government has the right 'to re«uma possessipn of' all the, -company's "works at the' end of 14 years. This objec--tion was anticipated, and last year a committee of the House of Representatives reported on a petition recommending the suspension of the clause. The increase of the capital from half a million to £650,000 13 to enable works to be started at New Plymouth simultaneously with Parapara, where the company is compelled by the Government conditions to start work. WELLINGTON. The Eketahuna mail trai.a from Wellincjiofl at 1 p.m. on the 16th was partly derailed. Coming into the station at Eketahuna, the front engine left the main lineand got on to a side track through the points being unlocked. It then went off ihe line, but a truck between the two engines remained on the line. Next came *vro passenger oar 9, and they travelled 50 yards before being brought to a standstill. About 401 uass'j:ir73rs '-e^eived a great fright. The train was behind time, pr.d was running into the station at 12 miles s an hour. The engines were undamaged. One took the train on ; the other was put 'on the line next morni'ig. The permanent way was but little injured. A porter 1-as been suspended pending an inquiry. Jce Fitch, a well-known prospector, has been lost in the Ruahine Ranges above Rangiwahi, since Friday last. A search -party has, gone out, but grave fears for his safety are entertained by those who aro familiar with the locality. A couple of weeks ago a man named Tho3. Gocdger -was arrested on a charge of stabbing John Prestidge, aged 63 years, and had .since been out on* bail, while Prestidge received medical attention. On the 18th Goodger was rearrcsted owing to ifc being thought desirable that Prestidge's depositions should be taken. The depositions were taken by Dr M'Arthur, S.M. Prestidge has a wound in his side, and two in the left arm. It was an outbreak of severe hemorrhage from the arm that cau«?d uneasiness as to the man's condition. The Police Provident Fund stands at £27,121, as against £24.875 in 1899. Constable P. Nolan, of Woodhaugh. Otago, who is retiring under the age limit, has been granted a pension of £84 17s 3d. Mr Hamilton Hursthouse, the chief engineer of roads, was taken to the Waikato Hcepital on the 17th inst. suffering from gastric hemorrhage. Interest in Palnierston fatal shooting affray here was revived on the 19th, when Maria Harris appeared before the court charged with the murder of Frederick Salvatia 1 Muriff «>n March 21. Accused, who is still an inmate of the hospital, is suffering from th© effects of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. She also at the same time took a dose of liniment for external application, apparently with the object of committing suicide. She was obviously in a weak state of health. Accused v.ias formally chirged, and then remanded to the 27th in6t. In the meantime she will be detained in the Wellington Gaol. The Wellington Education Board has 154 schools under its jurisdiction. Tha average attendances for respective quarters last year were: — March. 14,106; June, 14,038; September, 13,942; December, 14,198. The average for the year was 14,071. The I average roll was 16,235. Included in the ' numbers were 106 Maoris and 109 halfcastes in attendance at board schools. The percentage of attendance was 86.6, which, compared with 84.7 in 1904, and 82.6 in 1903, shows an improvement of 4 per cent. in two years. Seven additional district high schools have been established, and the averages at these increased from 93 in 1904 ' to 31+ ip 1905,

The Premier has received a communication, concerning the interview between Mr Napier, of Auckland, and President Roose- , velt. Mr Napier cays that the President spoke very highly of New Zealand, and said that he had a. meet earnest desire to \-isit that country. He had read co much of its physical beauty and of the humane treatment of the Maoris, and was so much interested in our experimental legislation, which had gone in the direction of Social Democracy, that it would be the utmost delight to him to tee our islands The President further said that lie looked with pleasure to the development of Australia and New Zealand, that Australia and New Zealand should dominate the Southern Pacific in time to come, thai he regarded Australia and New Zealand as members of the family, and not in any sens'© as foreigners, anzl ihafc ihere would always be cordial co-operation between America and Australasia. The Right Hon. the Premier opened an addition to the Masterton District High School, and also the Renall-Solway Old Men's Homa on Monday. The Premier \as waited on in the evening by several deputations, regarding closer settlement for Mas-tr-rton, workmen's homes, Supreme Court circuit, and charitable aid administration. The Secretary of State for the Colonies ■ has requested the New Zealand Governj ment to '• send Home as soon as possible I reports, or other information available, as •' to the working of taxation on the unimproved value of land, both for municipal and State purposes in New Zealand, the information being specially desired as to effects of land value taxation on the buildI ing on rent, on incidence of taxation of house property, and vacant sites respectively, and on land speculation." Under instructions from the Cabinet the Commissioner of Taxes has addressed a circular to each local governing body throughout the colony asking it to supply him with a report upon the working of rating upon the unimproved value system in its district. I WEST COAST. The Westport Coal Company's output last week was 5523 tons llcwt. The working of a second shift at fche Westport Coal Company's Denniston collieries means the employment of over 100 additional miners. CANTERBURY. Owen Patrick Brosnahan pleaded guilty on Friday to nine charges of burglary and ' the iheffc of jewellery and money of the value of £125. The burglaries have been persistent and systematic. He was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. After a week of fine weather, during which farmers busied themselves in cutting and securing their belated and in places meagre corn crops, dense (southerly rain began on Thursday evening, and still continues. All the rivers are in flcod, and rising 1 . The turjiip^ crop is very irregular, and store cattle are a drug owing to prospective shortness of- .feed. The grass is holding out well, there. having been as yet no frosts. Much of-ihe oat crops willj be cut for chaff. , •• * '„,., _> ' The Dunlop Tyre Company's -warehouse' in Lichfield street was gutted^ by fire c.t 4- o.'clock a.m. on Thursday.' ' The whole stock of tyres and rubber goods was ruined. The origin of the fire is unknown. The ?ccountant left the place at 9.15 p.m., when all was safe. The stock of Mr A. S. Gurney, warehouseman, next door, was also ruined by smoke. The firemen were at a great disadvantage. The insurances are — Stock £9700, building £1500, both in the Victoria office. The lops to the company will be great, owing to there being no other stock of rubber in Christchurch. It is officially stated that the Government has decided to grant the whole of the sum asked for by the managers of the Associated Technical Classes for the of new buildings for evening technical classes and the proposed technical day school. The grant has been made on the amended plans, ■which were a modification of the original proposals. The sum originally asked for was £7500, but the Government suggested reductions, including the abandonment of the 'museum hall and one workshop, amounting to £1850, and the balance £5650, has now been granted, although £2650 of this amount will not be available until March, 1907. Building operations will be commenced on the South Belt site as early as possible. There will be a main building and two workshops for metal and woodwork. The Presbyterian jubilee in Canterbury was celebrated on Sunday. The Rev. Dr Gibb (Wellington) and the Rev. D. Boirio (Moderator of the General Asembly) preached at St. Andrew 1 ?, the first church established in Christchurch. In the afternoon a united commemoration service was held in the Canterbury Hall, when addreses were delivered by the Rev. Dr Gibb and the Rev. D. Borrie. There are now 54 Presbyterian Churches and 94 other preaching places in Canterbury. There arc 41 ministers, 4 home missions. 72 Sunday schools with an attendance of 4313 and teaching staffs numbering 434, and 47 Bible classes with an attendance of 1164. The average attendances at Sunday services for the year ended June 30. 1905, was 11,239, and the total revenue for the same period £18,879 lls 2d. SOUTHLAND. The engine of "the special express. Inv 1 ! Icargill to Dunedin, leaving Gore at 11.54 p.m on ihj 16th, was c'erailed while groins? ■to water. Two engines wer.) obtained from Invereargill, and on the arrival of the night train from Dunedin the pa-sengers weretranshipped into each other's trains, the couth-going train being an hour and a-half and the north going three hours late. Ire j points apparently were in order. j The floods are now subsiding. The crops have suffered severely, and there has be^n some loss of stock. Part of the Otautau line is under water, and there is a wash-out of four chains long at Ringway. *At Wallacetown stock were only saved by removing them to higher ground. The Kingston line is under water for half a mile, and hundreds of sheaves have been carried down the river. At Wallacetown a young man named M Leod had to leave his tent in his nightclothes, and take refuge in a tree, where he remained for eight hours till rescued by a boat sent out from town.

Mr C. M. MontefAore, manager and attorney in New Zealand for the Ocean Accident and Guarantee Corporation has been advised from San Francisco that owing to so many fire insurance companies having entered into the class of insurance business until lately (he sole specialty of the corporation, it has been decided that the corporation shall enter the fire insurance business.