AUCKLAND SPECIAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 64, 18 March 1901, Page 2

AUCKLAND SPECIAL.

A SPORTING AUTHORITY. (Special to Times.) Auckland, last night. Mr J. Chadwick, who is recognised throughout New Zealand as the best sporting authority, has joined the staff of the Auckland Star. MILITARY GRANTS. Regarding the proposal to grant land to returned members of the contingents, which the Minister of Lands promised to lay before the Cabinet, I gather that the proposal is not likely te be acceded to. It formed no condition of engagement, and is regarded as unreasonable, tlio pay and allowance stipulated having been paid. The Government has granted an annuity of £26 to the mother of the late Trooper John Aitken Connell, killed at Now Zealand Hill on January 14th of last year. Trooper Connell was the first New Zealander actually killed on the battle field, meeting a soldier’s death in the charge which saved an outpost of the Yorks’ from annihilation. He has a brother in the Fifth Contingent, while the other is in the contingent now in camp here. HON. MR CABMAN. From Wellington I learn that the Hon. A. J. padrnan is to arrivo in Auckland during the week to embark for London in April. It is understood that his visit to England with Mr E. M. Smith, M.H.R., of New Plymouth, is connected with tho bonus passed last session for the production in tho colony of a certain quantity of manufactured steel from ironsand, coal, and shale oil at English prices, plus the freight. Merchants strongly favor the project. A PATHETIC SCENE. The pathetic side of police court work work was shown yesterday, when a pretty baby about nine months old appeared as havingno means of support, and was committed to the Industrial Home. Mr Strathern, visiting officer of the Charitable Aid Board, explained that the : ’mother, a single woman, had died of fever, and the child was thus early thrown 1 on the care of strangers, i CHURCHES AND GAOL. ( “ We often regret the fact that there are ' comparatively so few men attending our ! churches,” said the Rev. Hugh Kelly > when commenting on the reports subi mitted at the Presbyterian City Mission ■ annual meeting last night. “But I notice ’ that there are 150 men in gaol, and only ' 16 women, so the men have a big majority there if not in the churches.” ' HAWKE’S BAY RACES.

• -The big race on tho programme for the second day at the Hawke’s Bay meeting is the Hawke’s Bay Stakes, of 500 sovs, to be run over a distance of 64 furlongs. It takes place on Monday, and a field of ten remain in. Although the running this afternoon should throw considerable light in solving the problem, yet at the time of writing nothing reads better than the Aucklander Nonette, who, with 7.3 in the saddle, should be able to get to tho end of

the journey in very fast time ; that is, if he is in anything like the form which ho showed in the spring. This was fully proved in the two-year-old race to-day, in which the son of Seaton Delaval was asked a fairly stiff question when called on to carry 9.12. Cruciform must, of course, be reckoned dangerous for the stakes, as he is the sole representative of the powerful Yaldkui'st striug. The consistent running of Nobility proves that he is a eolt a little above the ordinary, but it remains to be seen whether he wili prove equal to giving the weight away to tho aforementioned two-year-olds. Sir Geo. Clifford will probably be represented by Cannio Chiel, but at the weights Nobility should hold him safe. To sum up, I think the first three to pass the judge’s box will be Nonette, Cruciform and Nobility. THE ZEALANDIA. Thes.s. Zealandia was docked in Sydney, and did not leave that port until 8 p.m, on Thursday. She is due here on Monday evening, and will be quarantined for 24 hours for fumigation. The Zealandia is timed to leave Auckland for Gisborne on AVednesday evening.