GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVIII, Issue XXII, 31 May 1902, Page 1079

GENERAL NEWS.

At Mangaweka on Saturday a young man named Sid. Cole was out with his brother shooting, when he slipped and his gun went off, blowing the fleshy part of tne calf of one leg completely away. It is feared he will not recover the use of his leg. Two men living at Mamaku, near Rotorua, went into the bush last week and got lost. They were very lightly clad, and without food. A search party went out next day and found them completely exhausted from cold and the want of food. The silver wedding of Mr and Mrs Wait, of Devonport, was celebrated on Thursday evening last in the Ponsonby Hall, about 50 couples being present. During the evening several presents were handed to Mr and Mrs Wait, and a number of congratulatory speeches made, all wishing that the couple might live to see their golden wedding.

At a restaurant situate not a hundred miles from Hastings, and which is extensively patronised by natives (says a Napier paper), the bill of fare on a recent date contained the item “fried warrior.’ Some of the dusky patrons, whether from curiosity or a more reminiscent feeling, ordered the dish, and appeared to be not unpleasantly surprised to find “fried wharehou” (an East Coats dish) brought in response to the order instead of the anticipated left wing of a Boer commandant.

The work of laying the cable that was recently imported for connecting East Island with the mainland at the East Cape will be begun shortly by the Tutanekai. The distance between the island and the main coast is only about a mile, but in order to enable the cable to rest on a sandy bottom and in comparitively still water it has been found necessary to adopt a route five miles longer, which wae surveyed last year by Captain Bollans, of the HinemoaThe island is surrounded with rocks, and it is only in the calmest weather that a landing can be made. On Sunday, as the ten minutes past six boat from Devonport was berthing at the Devonport Ferry Company’s tee a young lady named Miss Collis endeavoured to step from the steamer to the wharf, but had the misfortune to miss her footing and fall into the harbour. She was rescued from her perilous position by two young men named W. Stack, of Wellington, and Foster, of Parnell.

The coaches on the country roads are now running according to their winter time-table, which was commenced. the. beginning of the present month, and continues in force until the end of October. There are several important alterations from the ordinary service, and persons who intend travelling in the country to Kawhia or overland to Wanganui will save themselves considerable inconvenience by making enquiry at the Government Tourist Department office in Queen-street.

On Saturday evening last the cyclists of the Birkdale district met in the schoolroom for the purpose of appointing a deputation to wait on the Birkenhead Borough Council with reference to a cycle track from Chelsea Hill to the lower end of Birkdale Road. There was • large attendance, and Mr Brooke, the

head teacher of the district, presided. The matter having been thoroughly digeusaed. a deputation was appointed to wait on the Council, and those present subscribed a good round sum to assist In the construction should the requwt be granted.

The retailers' section of the Employers’ Union has decided to observe June 3, the Prince of Wales’ Birthday, as a holiday in connection with the probable declaration of peace in South Africa. It was decided to close Immediately on the day the announcement of peace is made, but not to observe any further additional holiday.

We have been asked to intimate that the lecturer of modern languages at the Auckland University College is arranging a course of special preparatory lectures at times suited to teachers and others who are desirous of studying French and German. Further particulars may be obtained on application at the College.

At a meeting of the Crown Lands Board last week the summary of lands disposed of from April 19 to May 22 showed that 16,763 acres had been disposed of between 86 selectors as follows: Leases In perpetuity, 11,011 acres; occupation with right of purchase, 4671 acres; cash purchases, 558 acres; miscellaneous leases, 1123 acres. For the same period the sale of kauri timber amounted to 1,243,310, which was valued at £726.

The Crown Lands Board recently forwarded a communication to the Bay of Islands County Council re the kauri gum reserves in that district, and the latter have replied that there was practically no portion of the kauri gum reserves in the county that could be called “non-kauri bearing." The Council thought it advisable for the Department, while retaining the reserves, not to let it Interfere with settlement. There was no reason, they said, why a restriction should be placed on the opening up of lands for settlement, because lands in question formed part of a reserve.

The decision of the Federal Senate to reduce the duty on butter and cheese to one penny per lb will be an advantage to the dairying industry in this colony. Large quantities of butter were seat over to Australia this season, but probably the bulk of It did not pay duty, being transhipped to South Africa. Australia is a good customer for New Zealand cheese at all seasons, but the reductions in duty slould have the effect of increasing the demand by allowing the article to be sold one penny per lb cheaper in the Commonwealth States. As Western Australia retains its ow.i tariff fcr five years, the reduction does not affect that market, which takes large quantities of butter from this colony.

A very sad shooting fatality is reported from Faerata, near Pukekohe, resulting in the death of Miss Theo Connell, youngest daughter of Mrs Connell, a widowed lady living at the former place. Very few particulars have as yet reached town, but it is gathered that the unfortunate young lady went out on Saturday for some purpose, and took with her a gun for the purpose of shooting rabbits. On her not returning that evening a search was made, and eventually her body was found with a gun-shot wound in the region of the heart. An inquest was held yesterday. The greatest sympathy will be felt for the family of the deceased young lady in their sad bereavement. Only two years ago the elder brother. Trooper J. Connell, was killed in South Africa, he being one of the first New Zealanders to fall.

The tablet which is to be placed in the Christchurch Cathedral by the War Fund Committee, in honour of the Canterbury members of the Rough Riders who died in South Africa, has been received from England. It is a very handsome piece of work. It will probably be unveiled at the Coronation services. The inscription is as follows: —“In memory of the officer* and men of the Canterbury troopfl. Third New Zealand Rough Riders, who were killed in action, or died whilst on active service, in South Africa, 19001901.” After this come the names, an follows: —Lieuts. H. H. Bradburne, A. D. Ross, and F. Ryan; Sergeant F. M. Russell; Corporals C. Parkinson, K. B.

TosKwill, R. H. B. Upton: Farrier J. C. Colvin; Troopers L. Perham. J. K. Allen, M. Bryce. G. W. Franks, R. MeIntvre, T. L. Scott, <’. E. Wig-ins, W. N. Moffatt, R. W. Morris, H. K. Rule, J. \V. Sansom, U. E. Smith. The Government appear to be gradually replacing tiie men recently discharged from the North Island Main Trunk railway works. Mr Ferguson. the Government Labour Agent, has been authorised to forward another party of twelve workmen to the North Island Main Trunk railway. Men will be selected by ballot from the unemployed eligible, local married men who are supporting families and whose names are on the Bureau books for work. Applications will be received to-morrow. The Remounts Court of Inquiry, presided over by General Robert Biddulph, examined Mr Copeland, Ag nt-General for New South Wales, who strongly protested that the colonies did not Haim consideration on the ground of a spirit of gratitude for their war services. but wished for business on a basis of mutual advantage. The price for suitable Australian horses had risen at least to £ls. The number was limited, and unless the authorities ordered remounts in such a way as to give time to properly break ia horses, Imperial receiving depots were essential. In the course of his annual report to the Wellington City Council Capt. Hugo, superintendent of the Fire Brigade, has some important remarks as to the number of fires which occur in Wellington annually. He says that the total number last year (93) was, on the basis of population. 100 per eent. more than in Sydney. He adds: “One great reason, if not the greatest. I put clown to over-insurance and absence of proper inspection of risks before policies are taken out for the same. Instances have occurred in which policies have been issued cover? ing contents in buildings for amounts consideral ly in excess of the value of goods eon .lined therein. Also, buildings which were insured years . ago for what were then reasonable amounts have never had anything written oil’ for depreciation, and these properties, which have deteriorated to perhaps 50 per cent, of their original value are to-day still covered for the same amount as when they were new. The bad feature in Wellington is the number of fires (41) which have to be returned as due to causes unknown, and a large percentage of them must be due to incendiarism. In London last year the number of fires returned ns due to arson was two. Here I have returned four as due to that cause. In three of these cases verdicts of arson were returned by juries, and had there been more enquiries there would have been more such verdicts. That these unknown or incendiary fires can. to a great extent, be prevented there is no doubt, and one of the most widely recognised deterrents is the holding of inquests on all fires, or on al! in which the origin is at all doubtful.” A correspondent writes: “I am very successful in catching rats with pumpkin seed for bait. 1 stick three or four seeds together, and hang in u wire cage trap. Rats seem unable to resist this bait.” In view of the present crusade against rats this information may be serviceable to householders. The Sydney ‘Telegraph’ dealing with the Imperial Conference, says it is evident that Imperialists will at any price make an effort to drag the colonies into the permanent defence service of the Empire. That some of the Premiers are quite ready to be so made use of is more than probable. Apparently’ there are no limits to what -Mr Seddon will gladly do in the way of sword-drawing and converting the men of New Zealand into conscripts of the Empire. Mr Barton may take fire by contact, and blaze together with him, but Mr Barton deliberately rendered himself unrepresentative of the Commonwealth by refusing to divulge his views on this and other important questions.

A terrible tragedy was enacted in Auckland on Monday afternoon, when a man named William Parker attempted the murder of h!s wife, two children and mother-in-law, (wounding

the first three and finally shooting himself in the head to such effect that it was doubtful whether he would recover. The children's injuries proved to be mere flesh wounds, in both cases in the right arm, and the injuries to Mrs Parker, though in the head, will not prove fatal. Ou enquiry at the hos| ital later it was ascertained that all the wounded were progressing favourably. An operation was performed on Mrs Parker a and was successful, and the husband was also operated on with successful results.

A meeting of the General Committee of the Society for the Promotion of Bible Teaching in State Schools, was held in Auckland last week- It was resolved that each congregation be invited to elect one layman, who will give adherence to the objects of the society, to serve on the General Committee. Sunday, the 15th June, was appointed a day on which all ministers should bring the objects of the Society before their congregations. It was decided that all public meetings should be held in all the centres of population to advance the objects of the Society, and details to be left in the hands of the Genera! Committee.

The objects of the Society, which is undenominational in character, are as follows:—(1) To demand such alteration of the Education Act as will prescribe: («•) That Government Schools be opened daily with the Lord’s Prayer: (b.) That on certain days of the week simple lessons on selected portions of the Bible be given by the teachers during sehoolhours. Provided: (i.) That these lessons shall be of a strictly undenominational character: (ii.) That teachers who conscientiously’ object to give these lessons shall not be compelled to give them, and scholars whose parents have conscientious objections shall not be compelled to receive them. (2) To urge members of Parliament and candidates for election thereto to press the above alteration upon the Legislature.

There is grave reason to fear that a timber-laden vessel bound from NewZealand has come to grief in the recent gales in the Tasman Sea, and that the timber and other wreckage washed up on the beach of the West Coast, in the extreme North, belonged to her. This morning we received a wire from Hohoura stating that it was reported that the wreckage washed ashore included a large quantity of timber liitches, together with a ship’s hatch and ship’s tub. During the day word also came to hand in tow’n from Captain Haultain, of the Northern S.S. Co.'s service, who is on the Northern coast, that the flitches were marked “K.T.C.,” indicating that they formed part of a cargo shipped by the Kauri Timber Co. It is conjectured that the unfortunate vessel from which these items of wreckage came is the foreign barque King Oscar 11., which sailed from Kaipara for Glasgow on the 7th inst. with a cargo of 582,500 feet of kauri flitches, shipped by* the Kauri Timber Co. A very severe gale prevailed in the Tasman Sea ".ill on the New Zealand coast on the Bth, and for several days following, and numerous sailing craft and steamers encountered the storm and had very tempestuous experiences. The King Oscar 11. arrived at Kaipara from Algoa Bay, via Melbourne, on March 11. She was in command of Captain Jensen. She is registered in Lloyds as a wooden barque of 840 tons, her length being 177 ft. 2in., breadth 35 ft. sin., and depth 19tr. 3in. She was built at Kragero, Norway, in 1892, and is owned by Mr H. Biron, Jr.. of Kragero.

At a meeting of the Pharmaceutical Association of Canterbury last week a grave scandal was revealed in connection with doctors’ prescriptions. One of the leading chemists moved, “That this Association disapprove of the giving of secret commissions to doctors In any form whatever.” He gaid a great evil had grown out of the practice of giving these commissions. One Christchurch firm was paying commission amounting to 50 per cent, on the retail price. The outcome of the practice was that nine out of ten prescriptions written by some medical men would contain the name of the firm referred to. Out of every prescription worth 2/6, the amount of 1/3 would go in

eommissiins given by that firm. Another evil was tint druggists who frequently |»aid 50 per cent, n ecinniis-ion could not make up the loss by a higher charge, as they were in competition with other druggists. When a doctor ha<l to receive 50 per cent, it relu.-ed the chemist to such a position that he could not honestly dispense the prescription. There were several not ri*us eases where the health of patients had been considerably injured by that practice. There were other eases in which the matter had been brought under the notice of the doctor, whe though aware that the prescription had not been honestly made up, refused to go to the chemist who dispensed it and complain, as he was in the same box as the chemist. Some discussion ensued, cne chem’st stating that there were doctors in the city who libelled the druggists who did not give them commissions, but took good care they did not come within the libel law. Anol her said that there were many cases where a certain preparation was ordered of a standard brand, and the chemist’s own brand was made up, owing to the expensive nature of the drugs needed for the prescription. Eventually the motion was carried unanimously’. THE CORONATION. King Edward has announced that it is his pleasure .that children attending elementary and other schools should have a week’s holiday’ for the Coronation. At a meeting of the Wellington Committee last week the Clergymen’s Committee’s report in favour of abandoning outdoor services was received. A suggestion to hand the matter over to the Salvation Army was rejected, and it was decided that the Musical Committee should arrange to have two hymns and two patriot:? songs sung at the gathering on the Basin Reserve. The Dunedin Committee agreed on the programme to be submitted to the Coronation Committee for Coronation Day. It includes religious services, parade of volunteers and cadets, parade of school children. with flags, hoisting and saluting the Royal Standard, dinner to returned troopers, brass bands’ competition, dinner to deserving poor, bonfires, and illuminations in the evening, with torchlight precession, but no fireworks display. NEW ZEALAND’S DESTINY. The dominant note of Sir Joseph Ward's address at the banquet at Denniston last week was an effort to inculcate a feeling of nationalityin the people of New Zealand. New Zealand’s destiny was, he said, apart from that of the Commonwealth. Geographically speaking, New Guinea and another island which he could not mention at the time were the onlyislands in the Pacific that fell under the natural control of the Commonwealth. All the other islands in the South Pacific were geographically’ in such a position that New Zealand must be the central and controlling power. Once in that position the policy of New Zealand would be so strengthened that it would then be able to decide its own terms as regarded the tariff that should prevail between the Commonwealth and New Zealand. With regard to the connection. with the Old Land he reiterated what he stated at Westport. As to an Imperial Zollverein he thought the time had arrived when the colony should have an official in the Old Country, with such a salary as would enable him to represent the colony with dignity and credit. At the same time he should have a seat in the British House of Commons. This, he thought, for a time might be accomplished by the appointment to such a position of the Agent-General. He thought also that one of New Zealand's senior judges of the Supreme Court should also represent the colony in the House of Lords. This would go a long way towards strengthening Imperial unity. When matters of great import, such as any great war or other complications arose, then from this representation a more thorough feeling of patriotism would be engendered. The speaker predicted in five years that cables between the colony and the Mother Country would be under State control, and the rate for cables would be Id

per word. In support of his idea h» mentioned his advocacy of the Pacific cable at the conference of Premiers in Brisbane in 1893. At that time he mentioned his advocacy of the Pacific cable which, with one slight deviation, had been carried out, or will be completed within the next seven months. At the time of the conference the rate for cables to Europe was 10/4 per word. It had been reduced to 5/2 per word, and would soon be reduced to 3/4 a word. A small “At- Home” was given last Tuesday by the Countess of Ranfurly at Government House, when the following had the honour of receiving cards of invitation: — Commander 11. G. Archer, R.N., and Mrs Archer, Mrs and Miss Boscawen, Mr and Mrs W, R. Bloomfield, Mr and Mrs G. M. Bloomfield, Professor Brown ana Miss Brown, Mr and Mrs li. D. Benjamin, Mr and Mrs Brett, Colonel and Mrs Burton, Captain and Mrs Brodie and trie Misses Brodie, General Bablngton, Mrs Bablngton and Miss Bablngton, Mr and Mrs Buller and Miss Buller, Captain C. L. K. Campbell, Mr and Mrs W. Coleman, Ur and Mrs J. Logan Campbell and Miss Wilson, Mrs Chamberlin, Mr and Mrs Cheeseman, Mr Justice Conolly and Miss Conolly, Captain and Mrs Coyle, Mrs McCosh Clark, Mr Clark and Miss Clark, Mr and Mrs Colbeck, Mr and Mrs Campbell, Mr and Mrs A. Clark, Mr and Mrs Ching and Miss Ching, the Most Rev. the Primate (Bishop Cowie), the Rev. E. M. and Mrs Cowie, Miss Coates, Mdlie. Antonia Dolores, Colonel and Mrs Dawson, Miss Dunnett. Hen. H. de Bohn and Mrs Devereux and Miss Devereux, Mrs and Miss Dargaville, Mr and Mrs Davis and the Misses Davis, Mr and Mrs D W. Duthie, the Rev. Dr. Egan, Mr and Mrs George Fowlus, Miss Firth, Mr A. J. Firth, Mr and Mrs W. Gorrie and Miss Gorrie, Mr and Mrs Angus Gordon, Mrs and Miss Gillies, Mr C. E. S. Gillies, the Rev. W. E. and Mrs Gillam, Mr A. G. Horton. Miss Hortoi, and the Messrs Horton, Canon and Mrs Haselden, Colonel and Mrs Haultain, Mrs and Misses Ireland, Mrs and Misses Isaacs and Mr R. Isaacs. Mr and Mrs Kirker, Mr and Mrs E. H. Lyons, Mr and Mrs Mitchelson and Miss Mitcheison, Mr and Mrs H. B. Morton, Mr and Mrs Mowbray, Miss Mowbray, Mrs L. Myers, Mr A. Myers, Canon and Mrs Mac Murray, Mrs N. I. Markham, Mr and Mrs C. C. McMillan, Mr and Mrs T. Morrln, Miss Morrin, Mr and Mrs L D Nathan, Mr D. L. Nathan, Mr and Mrs A. H. Nathan, Captain and Mrs Napier, Canon and Mrs Nelson and the Misses Nelson, Mrs Percival and the Misses Percival, Dr and Mrs Parkes, Mrs Lonsdale Pritt. Mr J. Pritt, Mr and Mrs E. D. O'Rorke. Dr. and Mrs Stewart Reid. Mr and Mrs J. R. Reed, Mr and Mrs Philson and Miss Philson, Miss Rook, the Rev. D. W. and Mrs Runciman and Miss Runciman, Captain St. G. Rich. Dr. and Mrs Swale, Hon. S. E. and Mrs Shrimski, Mrs Street, Miss Street. Mr and Mrs E. C. Smith, Major and Mrs Shepherd, Mrs and the Misses Kerr-Taylor, Mr Kerr-Taylor. Mr and Mrs E. Turner, Hon. J. A. and Mrs Tole, Professor and Mrs Talbot-Tubbs. Mr and Mrs J. W. Tibbs, and Miss Tibbs. Mr and Miss Upfill, Dr. and Mrs Williams. Mr and Mrs A. C. Whitney, Miss Amy Williams.