The News of the Week

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XL, Issue 18, 29 April 1908, Page 7

The News of the Week

IN THE DOMINION, 'A profit of £894 was obtained during the last financial year from the Lyttelton municipal gasworks. The takings of the Wellington tramways on Easter Monday amounted to [£6l2. Eight Maoris are reported to have died as the result of an epidemic of typhoid in the Wanganui River settlements.

Road Board Elections take place throughout the Dominion during the next few days, commencing on May 2nd.

■ Wellington Mayoralty is being bitterly contested. The electors on the roll number nearly 29,000. Echo of the late dry season! At Hajvera, lately, two mares in foal were sold for 2/6 and 1/, respectively.

The legislative Council elections in Fiji resulted:—.L. E. Brown 159, A. Witherow 155, A. Coubrough 152, J. Turner 148, J. McConnell 60.

Auckland City Council has resolved to appoint a landscape gardener in connection with a scheme for planting trees in seventeen streets at a cost of £4,375.

A revolver bullet crashed* through the ■window at the Grand Hotel, Palmerston North, on April 23rd, narrowly missing three ladies who were at sea.

A youth was fined at Invercargill the other day for flying a kite in the streets. It would be well if financial “kite-flying” could be similarly dealt with.

Cabinet is meeting at Wellington this week to consider the amendment of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act and other legislation for the approaching session of Parliament.

Beautiful with a waterfall and grottos, have been discovered at. To Ahuroa, four miles from To Kuiti. in the King Codptry. .

Grey mouth merchants say they will lose heavily by the stranding of the Taviuni at Westport, as over 400 tons of general cargo was aboard for that port, and is uninsured.

According to the Minister for Education, the question of teachers’ salaries will be considered by Parliament next session.

The demand for rock oysters during the coming season, which opens on May Ist, is estimated by the Marine Department at about 20,000 sacks. The annual conference of the Federated Catholic Clubs of New Zealand, which opened in Auckland on Saturday, Aprd 18th has been concluded. The next conference will be held at Blenheim.

The sports meeting in connection with the inter-university tournament at Dunedin resulted in Victoria College winning the championship shield. The annual conference of the New Zealand Women’s Presbyterian Bible Class Union was held during the Easter holidays at Auckland. After the. business Was over a picnic was held at Takapuna. The Native Land Commission strongly urges that all timber on native land in the Rotorua district should be conserved. The land as a whole is not very good, and the timber is its best crop. The Ross Goldfields, Limited, has purchased a plant worth £25,000. for the purpose of working the alluvial claim at Ross, with the help of a Government subsidy of £ 15,000. The ratepayers of the Borough of Feilding declared in favour of loans of (£15,000 for surface drainage, £2OOO for footpath formation, £ 1750 for a new ferro-concrete bridge in Manehesterstreet, and £2OOO for swimming baths. At Christchurch, a Chinese market gardener was fined 10/-, and two Chinese employees were fined 5/- each, for car.rying on their work at Marshlands ©n a Sunday within view from a public (street. The decree issued by the Pope in regard to the marriages of Roman Catholics came into force last Sunday, and no marriages will be recognised by the Church unless they conform with the provisions of the decree.

A cablegram received iii Wellington states that Vincent Ward, son of the Prime Minister, was offered a commission in the King’s Colonials, but declined. „ He offered to join as a trooper ajiu was accepted. Mr. Ward afterwards lunched with the Minister for War.

The further legislation to facilitate the work of the Native Land*.? Commission, to be introduced by the Government next session, will, it is, understood, be in the direction of providing for the work of the Commission being carried on by Maori . Land Boards.

Branch libraries are advocated for the outlying parts of the City of Auckland. It has been resolved to establish one for Newton, when a site is available, and a proposal is made to secure a site in Khyber Pass for a library and gymnasium.

For the year ended 31st March last. New' Zealand collected £13,700 poll-tax from 137 Chinese immigrants. For the preceding year the amount collected was £9,100, from 91 Chinese. There seems to be some reason behind the demand that the tax should be increased. The Prisoners’ Aid Society is proposing to establish a refuge at Wellington, where discharged prisoners shall be employed at remunerative works, and paid the wages which they would receive elsewhere, less cost of their keep. The report of the Native Land Commission on the Rotorua County states that of 629,760 acres 358,512 have been acquired by the Crown and by Europeans —chiefly by the Crown. The latter has purchased all blocks containing springs, except at Tikitere. The Ngatipikaio tribe have made up their minds to adopt incorporation, and the Native Land Commission recommends that their own committees should be given powers to deal with their lands in the manner prescribed by the Act of last session for lands within th? Thermal Springs Act. Wellington Harbour Board has deferred consideration of a motion “That steps- be taken to insure the‘'buildings of the Board against damage by earthquake, and fire resulting from earthquake, such insurance to be effected locally, if at satisfactory rates, and if n)t, then in London, at Lloyd’s.” The New' Zealand section of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners proposes to establish branches in various parts of the Dominion at which the organisation has not hitherto, been officially represented. There are already 20 branches in New' Zealand. The membership in the Dominion is about 2000— 350 being in Wellington. Last year £92,000 was paid out by the society for benefits in various parts of the Empire. Cabinet has resolved to erect on Somes’ Island, in Wellington harbour, a hospital for the isolation of actual patients when vessels are quarantined on account of disease. The present hospital quarters form part of the ordinary quarantine buildings, and passengers who, when landed, are not affected by the disease for which a ship is quarantined are in danger of catching it from the actual sufferers. Holiday traffic in Auckland during the Easter holidays showed a large increase over last year. The outward railway tickets issued from Thursday to Monday numbered 4,500, being more than 1.000 increase over the same period of 1907. The passengers carried on the city tramways on Saturday and Easter Monday numbered 173.611, an increase of 4,162 as compared with these two days in 1907. The first meeting of the United Orange Grand Ixulge of New Zealand was opened at Wellington on April 20th. The following officers were elected and installed: — R.W. Grand Master, Bro. J. Middleton: Deputy G.M., Bro. J. Aston; Eoreman of Committee, Bro. R. Meredith; Grand Chaplain, Bro. Major Cumming (Salvation Army); Grand Secretary, Bro. E. N. (hidden; Grand Deacons, Bros. J. Barlow and <'aygill; Inner Guard, Bro. Martine: trier, Bro. King. For falsely describing himself as a doctor of medicine and obtaining money from a patient, John Williams (with several aliases) was fined £5O, on default three mouths. For obtaining meals

by false pretences the same man was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, and on a charge of forgery he was remanded for sentence. Accused had been fined at Dunedin for falsely describing himself as a doctor, and for other offences, and had served terms in New Zealand, New’ South Wales, and Victoria.

The Government has decided to erect a temporary covered footbridge across Sydney-street to connect Government House, in which Parliament next meets, with the Parliamentary library, which was not consumed in the recent fire, for the convenience of members of Parliament and others during the forthcoming season. The City Council has given its consent to the proposed work on condi tion that, the passage is not to be a permanent structure. The annual intercollegiate debate took place at Dunedin on April 2Oth, the subject being the question of “The Decline of the British Empire unless a System of Compulsory Military Service be adopted.” In the first debate Auckland (Moore and Hampton) took the affirmative, and Canterbury (Ames and Currie) the negative, and in the second Otago (Lomas and Haslett) took the. affirmative, and AHctorla College (Mason and Evans) the negative. The debate resulted in a ’win for Victoria College. A. C. Elliott, of the firm of El’ott an 1 Duncan, land and estate agents, of Greystreet, Wellington, has been adjudged bankrupt on his own petition to-day. It is understood that debtor’s affairs have been investigated at the instance of his creditors by an accountant, who drew up a balance-sheet on the particulars available, with the follow-ing results: — Gross liabilities (37 unsecured creditors). £l2 096 17/4; balance of assets after secured creditors have been paid, £ 1961 4/11; net deficiency. £10,135 12/5. The number of secured creditors is 12, to whom a total of £Bl5O 151 is due. Their securities are estimated to produce £9825 Mr. Fitzgerald, organiser of the Socialist party addressed a meeting at Dunedin on April 20th, when a resolution calling on the Government to resume possession of the lands, and nri nerals held by the Blackball Company was carried, also the following:—“That this meeting views with alarm and disapproval the action of the Hon. J. A. Millar in denying Blackball miners employment on the Government railways, and we consider such an introduction of the boycott by the Government is tyrannical in the extreme, and a violation of the liberty of the taxpayer to obtain equal opportunities of employment.” There were about 150 people present. It will, perhaps, be very reassuring to the great bulk of the public service just entering upon a general superannuation scheme of its own (says a Wellington correspondent) to note the remarkable accumulation of the funds which have been in existence a few years. The railway superannuation fund, after nine years’ working, has £127.000 to its credit, and the teachers' superannuation fund balance (which was £34,733 at the eml of the 1907 financial year) has jumped in a twelve month to over £62,000. The teachers’ fund is at present in the excellent position of having nearly half its membership composed of individuals not more than thirty years of ago. Those w’ho are leaving the service are generally the older contributors, while the new members of the fund are young people. Of 219 new' contributors for the year 1907 no fewer than 142 were on the five percent, basis, their ages being under thirty years. Statistics compiled by the Registrar General show that New Zealand has a lower infant mortality than any other country. • In the year 1906, to every 1.000 births there were no fewer than 132 deaths of infants under one year in England and Wales, 1 16 in Scotland, 93 in Ireland ami Victoria, 75 in New South Wales and Queensland, but only 62 in New' Zealand. Comparing next with sundry different, countries, and using an average of 10 years’ results, further testimony is afforded of the better position of this Dominion. Figures for 31 countries and colonies are given, the calculations being those made by the Registrar-Geiieral of England. According to this list Austria, which has a birth-rate of 35 to 38 per 1,000 of population, shows an infantile mortality of 224 per 1,060 births; while New Zealand, with a birth rate of 27 per 1,000 of population, loses only 79 infants per 1,000 births.

Mayoral Elections. The Mayoral elections throughout the Dominion are in progress. In a number of cases there has been no contest, and the sitting Mayor as sole nominee has been re-elected. This is especially noticeable in Auckland district, where the Mayors of the City and all suburban boroughs have been re-elected without opposition. Both in Auckland City and in the borough of Thames the sitting Mayors have taken ofiiee for a fourth term. Appended is a list of the Mayors who have been elected: —

Auckland.—Mr. Arthur M. Myers. Parnelk —Mr. G. W. Basley. Newmarket. —Mr. !•'. Bennett. Onehunga.— Mr. J. Bowe. Birkenhead.—Mr. A. Keyes. Devonport.— Mr. W. Handley. Mount Eden. —Mr. O. Nicholson. Grey Lynn.—Mr. G. Sayers. Thames. —Mr. Arch. Burns. Cambridge.— Mr. W. F. Buckland. Inglewood.—Mr. 11. B. Curtis. Wanganui.— Mr. C. E. Mackay. Feildihg.—Mr. W. J. B. Trewin, Napier.—Mr. J. Vigor Brown. Petone.—Mr. J. McEwen. Lower Hutt.—Mr. T. A. Peterkim Eastbourne.—Mr. F. G. Bolton. Onslow. -Mr. J. G. Harkness. Karori. —Mr. C. J. Dasent. Richmond. Mr. Skeates. Hokitika. Mr. IL L. Michel. Rangiora.—('ouncillor Bell. Kaiapoi. —Mr. J. 11. Blackwell. Woolston.— Mr. John Richardson. Oamaru.—Mr. R. Milligan. 11 ampden.—Mr. Nicholson. ( ON TE S T E 1) EL ECT IONS. Wliangarei. Mr. W. I). Jack and Mr. T. McClintock. Waihi.—Mr. T. Gilmour, sitting Mayor, and Mr. John Newth. Hamilton. Mr. J. S. Bond, sitting Mayor, and Mr. C. J. W. Barton. Eltham. —Mr. T. S. S. Taylor, sitting Mayor, ami Mr. G. W. Taylor. New Plymouth.—Mr. W. A. Collis. Mr. G. Tisch, and Mr. F. Bellringer. Wipiganui East. Mr. J. Jquos, sitting Mayor, and Mr. R. Neilson. Hastings. Mr. T. J. Thompson, sitting Mayor, Air. L. W. Fowler, Mr. Wm. Lane and Mr. A. A. George. Gisborne. — Mr. .W. 1). Lysnar and Dr.. Williams. Palmerston North.—Mr. Richard Essex, sitting Mayor. Mr. Henry Haydon and Mr. J. A. Nash. We**ington.—Hon. T. W. Hislop, sitting Mayor, ami Mr. J. CL W. Aitken. Miramar. Mr. C. J. Crawford, sitting Mayor, and Mr. F. Townsend. Blenheim.—Mr. A. McCallum, sitting Mayor, and Mr. E. 11. Penny. Christchurch. — Mr. G»?orge Pay ling, sit ting Mayor, and Mr. Charles Allison. Lyttelton.—Mr. S. R. Webb, sitting Mayor, and Mr. Colin Cook. Timaru.—Air. J. Craigie. sitting Mayor, and Mr. T. Hawkey. Dunedin. ('ouncillor McDonald and Councillor Walker. Invercargill. Mr. W. B. Scandrett, sit ting Mayor, ami Mr. Duncan McFarlane. A London Worker’s Sad Story. Some light was thrown on the reason for desertions of seamen and firemen from vessels in Dominion ports, by the statement of a tireman named Wm. Garrett, who was charged at the Auckland Police Court with deserting from the steamer Wakanui. Garrett stated in re. ply to the charge: “It was like this, sir. I have a wife and children at Home, where I lost my position through the introduction of mechanical stokers, and 1 tried very hard to get work. Night ami day for five months I trod the streets and docks-of London trying to get a job, until at last I was told that we would have to go to the union workhouse. 'Chat meant, sir, that me and my wife and the children would Im* separated, to say nothing of the disgrace of it. 'linn I heard of the prospects of work in New Zealand, so I left the wife ami children at Home ami worked my wav onl, and deserted when I got here. 1 don’t drink. nor interfere with anyone, but I have a good wife, and I want to get her out here to live with me in thia land of plenty. I have a job to go to in Auckland, and that was further tenitation to desert.” The magistrate, unmoved by this pathetic appeal, resolved to have (lai vett sent back to his ship, which probably means back to Loudon, poverty, ami the workhouse.

The Nimrod and Her Officers. Somewhat sensational statements have been made as to the rupture said to have taken place between Captain England and Lieut. Shackleton on the Antarctic exploring vessel Nimrod. On Thursday last the Christchurch papers published the message sent to Engdish newspapers >by Reuter’s Agency alleging that Captain England and Lieutenant Shackleton came to blows over the command of the Nimrod in McMurdo Sound. Captain England, in conversation with a reporter, emphatically denied that a fight took place between Lieutenant Shackleton and himself. lie states that there was no altercation between them that could possibly be construed into a quarrel. Voices were never raised in anger between them.

Captain England has asked the press to express his great regret that such malicious and false reports should have been circulated, and he say 'that the ©dicers of the Nimrod will endorse his statement. He has despatched a cable message to London denying Reuter's report. and making the same statements as are given above. Empire Rifle Competition. The British National Rifle Association has accepted a one hundred guinea challenge trophy from Colonel Schumper of the Witwatersrand Rifles, to be competed for annually on Empire Day by teams of forty men, picked from any regiment, cavalry battalion, infantry brigade, artillery, or regular volunteer and auxiliary •force throughout the Empire, and also by British warships. Saturday. 23rd May, lias been fixed as the date of the competition. and the New Zealand Defence Department is circularising Officers Commanding Districts, asking them to make arrangements for firing on local ranges. The names, teams, and date are to be notified to the promoters by cable a week beforehand, and scores will also be sent by cable. Arrival of Immigrants. A small number of immigrants arrived at Wellington on April 21st by the steamer lie von. from Liverpool. The vessel ha<l on board for the Dominion six nominated, 32 assisted, and 67 passengers who paid their own fares. At Auckland 38 will disembark. The same number were booked to Wellington. while 14 are for Lyttelton, nine for Port Chalmers, two for Timaru, ohe for Napier, one for New’ Plymouth, and two for Westport. The assisted passengers are said to have between them over £lOOO. The Wellington contingent was met on arrival by Mr. J. E. March and an officer from the Labour Department.

The Tonic. which arrived from (London on the same date, brought 325 immigrants, 76 nominated, 9 assisted, and 158 who paid their own fares. The assisted passengers have, a combined capital of £2597. Of the total 77 are for Auckland, 84” for Wellington. 34 for Lyttelton. 21 for Port Chalmers. 21 for Bluff, and 18 for Napier. Vital Statistics for March. The total births registered in the four chief centres during March amounted to 573. as against 608 in February, a decrease of 35. The deaths in March were 240, an increase of 29 on the number in 'February. There were 59 deaths of personu of 65 years and upwards. In Auckland there were 17 births and 44 deaths, Auckland ami suburbs (population, 71.916). 189 biiths. 62 deaths; proportion of deaths per 1000 population. 0.86, Wellington and suburbs (population, 70.947). 149 births. 78 deaths, proportion 1.10. Christchurch and suburbs (population. 59,391). 117 births. 47 deaths, proportion 0.79. Dunedin and suburbs (population. 59.495), 118 births, 53 deaths, pro|>ortion 0.89. The Blackball Strike. Although rumours continue to be current of a settlement of the coalminers’ dispute at Blackball being imminent, no Teal progress towards agreement seems to have been made. The president of the Miners’ Union, Air. Fox, resigned on Friday last—it is said because he felt Flighted at not being chosen to represent the union in a conference to be held with the directors of the Blackball Company. His resignation was not accepted. Proceedings were taken against tho

Miners’ Union to recover the damages in which it was cast by the Arbitration Court for breach of the law. The service of a warrant of distress on the officials of the union resulted in the warrant being returned “nulla bona” by the bailiff, the union having been found to have no funds to satisfy the distress. The next step will be an application to the Arbitration Court, or the president thereof, for an order directed against the members of the union to pay the fine, the liability of each member being limited to £ 10. Notices, in terms of law, have been served on the members of the union, and the application is expected to be heard by Mr. Justice Sim in Auckland this week. Should he make an order it will then be filed in the Magistrate’s Court at Greymouth, and will have the effect of a judgment of that Court. Postal and Savings Bank Statistics The postal revenue of the Dominion during the March quarter of this year was £112,034, as against £109,846 for the corresponding period of last year. The telegraph revenue was £71,581, as compared with £67,050. During the first quarter of this year the total amount deposited in the Post Office Savings Banks of the Dominion was £2,542,188, as compared W'ith £2,325,099, for the first three months of 1907. Withdrawals during the same period totalled £2,382,935 for 1908, and £2.000,251 for 1907, the excess of deposits over withdrawals being £ 159,253 for this year, and £ 324,849 last year. Socialist Resolution. A Socialist conference held at Wellington during Easter decided not to take any political action at present. The conference passed resolutions: (1) Affirming that the compulsory arbitration law in New Zealand had not proved advantageous to workers, and had weakened trades unionism, and warning workers of other countries against accepting such’a system; (2) that steps be taken to establish classes for the purpose of educating the youth of New Zealand in Socialistic principles; (3) affirming the principle of universal peace; (4) affirming the referendum. The party has a membership of about 3,000. It is intended to hold an annual conference, and a commodious hall has been secured. Dominion News for England and and America. With the object of keeping New Zealand and its resources prominently before the notice of newspaper readers in the United Kingdom, the Government is making an important and interesting experiment. An arrangement has been effected with Beuter's Telegraph Company to despatch three times per week, from New Zealand to England, a message of 100 words, containing items of general news which will be of interest to newspaper readers at Home. The selection of tiie news is left entirely to Reuter’s Agency, it being understood that the items are to be flee from bias. Matters which no doubt will receive attention will be any important statements by the Lead cl the Government, crop prospects,

mining returns, the wheat yield, and matters affecting the extension of trade between New Zealand and; the United Kingdom, Canada and America. It is

proposed to allow the newspapers of Canada and the United Staes to take the message upon payment of their share of the distributing cost. The Pacific cable will be used, and the message would bo intercepted en route for the United Kingdom. Accidents, Suicides, Etc. Henry Kruse, a middle-aged man, was killed at Ashhurst on Monday by a fall of earth in a metal pit. A child named Theyers was found drowned in the borough water-race at Alexandra on April 23rd. A five-year-old girl, Lucilla Rose Hutchinson. was killed on Saturday last, in Franklin-road. Auckland, by being run over by a heavy dray. Mr. Thomns Langdon Joll, a dairy factory proprietor, residing at Okuiuwa, Taranaki, met with a serious accident in Iximbton Quay, Wellington, on April 20th. In getting off a tramear before it stopped, he slipped and fell, his head coming into violent contact with

the road. Dr. Henry found the base of Mr. Joll’s skull to be fractured. He is now in the hospital in a critical condition. Mr. Joll, who is about 50 years of age, is a well-known resident of Taranaki.

At Masterton, Abel Kerr, driver of the Homeswood coach, sustained severe injuries through the coach horses bolting on Saturady, and died on Monday. Besides a broken leg and a fractured skull, deceased had received internal injuries.

Al doubt as to the fate of the three fishermen—-Brown, Saunders and Jones —whose boat capsized at Riverton on Good Friday, has been set at rest by their bodies being washed up on the beach.

Fifteen days after the lonic left London a Mrs. Gilmour committed suicide by squeezing herself through a porthole into the sea. Shortly before the deceased and her husband left the Old Country a daughter was taken ill and had to ba left behind, and this appears to liavu preyed on Mrs. Gilmour's mind, as she was very depressed. At Masterton on the evening of April 20th, Edward T. Meredith, 19 years of age, son of the late Richard Meredith, spent the evening at the residence of Mrs. Edwin Meredith, Upper Plain, with Dr. and Mrs. Dawson and Miss Meredith. He was apparently in perfect health and high spirits. After supper he proposed to have a bath, and went into the bathroom, from which, shortly after, the sound of a firearm was heard. Dr. Dawson rushed in and found the youth dead. No cause is assigned for the act.

An accident happened at Te Pua-road, Helensville, on Saturday night. Jonas Matthew White, aged 18, his brother, Mr. P. White, of Helensville Post Office, and Mr. N. Kay, of Mount Roskill, were cantering on horseback, when, a trap occupied by Messrs. McAdam and Hart came in the opposite direction. The shaft of the vehicle penetrated the side of the 'lad. and he was so badly injured that he died two days later.

The Union Colleries mine at Maramarua was the scene of a serious accident on Friday afternoon, as a result of which a miner named Ferguson was killed and two others, Edward Quigg and Henry Shanby, received injuries which necessitated their removal to Auckland hospital. Quigg’s injuries were limited to a sprained ankle, and contusions and bruises over his head, face and body.

Quigg’s injuries were limited to a sprained ankle, and contusions and bruises over his head, face and body. Shanby, however, is still in a most critical condition, both his legs being paralysed, and his head and back badly hurt.

Personal Items. Mr. J. A. Bartrum has been appointed Government Geologist. Mr. G. G. Stead, of Christchurch, wellknown in commerical and racing circles, is seriously ill.

The death is announced of the Hon. William Slaney Kenyon-Slaney, P.U., M.P., at the age of 61.

Mr. Andrew Morgan, a farmer at New Lynn, Auckland, died suddenly of heart disease on April 23rd.

Mr. George Lauri, the well-known comedian, who is going Home on account of ill-health, has been the recipient of a farewell benefit in Sydney. On Friday evening, at a large complimentary social, Mr. T. Y. Seddon. M.P., was entertained by the residents of Kokiri, Westland.

A cable has been received from the Rev. J. K. Archer, of Grimsby, England, accepting the call to the Napier Baptist Church. Dr. Constance Frost has been appointed bacteriologist to the Auckland City Council, and is to leport monthly on the condition of the water supply. Mr.. Donald Reid, M.P. for Taieri, who is at present on a visit to Auckland, intends going South by the North Island Alain Trunk Railway route. The Hon. J. W. McGowan (Minister of Mines and Justice) had to leave Auckland last week in order to attend a Cabinet meeting in Wellington, but he will shortly return to the North.

Mrs. Remington, wife of Mr. A. E. Remington. M.P,, for Rangitikei, died suddenly on Friday last at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. A. Lewin, Masterton.

Mr. Jas. Coakley, a very old resident of Greymouth, died there on Friday, aged 75 years. The deceased was a prominent figure in the gold rushes of the early; days on the Coast.

A Press Association telegram reports the death in Dunedin of Mr. W. Edmondson, manager -since 1900 of the Oamaru branch of the Union Bank. Deceased’s condition had been precarious for some time past. Dr. J. G. Gowlland, who was for some time one of the medical officers of tha Auckland Friendly Societies’ dispensary, died in London recently. In his earlier! days he was a noted lightweight boxer, in Sydney. The Welligton City Council on April 23 accepted the resignation of Mr. Hugo, superintendent of the fire brigade, who has been appointed by the Government Inspector of Fire Boards for the Dominion. Mr. Hugo was granted threa months’ leave on full pay. He will take up his new duties on June 15. The death is announced in London of Mr. Rous Marten, a New Zealand jaurnalist, who lias been resident in London for some years. Mr. Marten was a wells known journalist in the South, having been on the staff of the “Otago Daily Times,” and a member of the Press gallery staff. His death was due to heart failure.

“ Bad for the Coo,” and also for the railway train—was a collision that took place on Saturday last on the railway between Otira and Greymouth. Shortly; after leaving Otira the train ran ia£o a cow, which threw the engine and the first carriage oft the rails. The engine pulled, up the rails and sleepers for some distance, then toppled over. Fortunately, the passengers escaped injury, although they leceived a shaking. The chief engineer of the Victoria, Mr. A. H. Hastelow, died suddenly on April 21st, three hours after his admission to the Auckland Hospital. It appears that Mr. Hastelow, in company with tha chief steward of the vessel, visited Ellerslie racecourse on Easter Monday, returning* in apparent good health to the ship. During the night he was taken seriously] ill, and the services of Dr. King were requisitioned. The doctor spent a considerable time with Mr. Hastelow, and finally superintended his removal to the Hos-. pital. The unfortunate gentleman died; at about four o’clock in the -afternoon, without having regained consciousness.

Ex-Judge Monro of the Native Land's Court, died on Saturday last at Auckland, aged 84 years- Some weeks ago he was waiting at Newmarket for a, tramcar, when a cyclist ran into him and threw him violently on to the road. The ex-judge was very severely bruised and' shaken, and his consequent confinement! to bed brought on a trouble which necessitated a surgical operation. This was performed on Saturday morning and was thoroughly successful; but about jsix o’clock in the evening Mr. Monro went off! in a faint, and expired almost immediately, without regaining consciousness. The cause of death was heart failure. ExJudge Monro was descended from a younger branch of a very old Highland family, known as Clan Monro of Foulis.

Mr. Thomas Mandeno Jackson, ths well-knoiwn auctioneer, died at Kamo on April 21st. Mr. Jaekson had been ailing for some time past, and it was suggested that the Kamo waters might be beneficial, and accordingly Mr. Jackson had decided to spend Easter at Kamo Hotel. After arrival there, he had an apoplectic seizure just after dinner on the 20th, and died early on the following morning. The deceased was unmarried, and was a son of Mr. Samuel Jackson, of Messrs. Jackson and Russell, solicitors, Auckland. He was most popular with all who knew him. Possessed of a tenor voice of excellent quality and good range, Mr. Jackson was for a long time a favourite vocalist with. Auckland audiences at the better class concerts. As a member of the Auckland Amateur Operatic Society, Mr. Jackson took the leading part successfully in several of its productions. Finally he went Home with the Belle Cole Company, and remained in the Old Country for about 10 years, during which time he did a lot of public singing. Some years ago Mr. Jackson returned to Auckland and started as an auctioneer, proving most successful at that business, as he had a pleasant style, coupled with a ready tongue, which made him popular as a salesman. In a short time Mr. Jackson built up a large auctioneering business. He was only about 4S year* of age. *