AUCKLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 29 January 1908, Page 27

AUCKLAND.

"A. telegram from Mercer states that $e.J>tain Ragg, who was reported by Maoris y«rterday to have been drowned, is alive itiiQ well. The party of New South Wales teachers wJk> ' have been travelling through the North Island during the past month re- - turned to Auokland from Rotorua, via the gttiamea, on the 18th, and left for Sydney by the Mbkoia on the 20th. They have spent a thoroughly enjoyable holiday, and «e«.k in high terms of tbe hospitality (which they have received in -the Dominion. The Distfict Health Officer (Dr Purdy) ii vigorously preaching & war of extermination of rats, and has therefore written jjbo the Harbour Board suggesting that eomeone should be made responsible for laying down poison in a wholesale manner -<«mderneath the floors of sheds and ware-

iiousee round about the wharvee.

A collection, amongst members of the Seventh Day Adventiste, who are meeting ~siere in conference at Cambridge, realised £315.

At the Whangarei Magistrate's Court today seven young men, all of Auckland, were charged with playing the game of *'two-up" in the sanatorium grounds at JBTamo on January 9. One of the men ■was discharged and the others fined £5 and costs, with the alternative of one months' imprisonment. The 12 Chinese passengers by the Manuka, ,whioh arrived from Sydney on Monday, r ,will not, as many have supposed, form an addition to the Asiatic population of New Zealand. The Celestials are bound for Tahiti, whither they will proceed on the first opportunity. "The indiscriminate and careless use of fire is a fruitful source of danger and 'destruction to property, especially during the summer months when material is inflammable." This remark was made by Mr Kettle in the Police Court when a boy was charged with having caused a fire at Narrow Neck. " One has only to go

to any of the numerous picnic grounds round the city," added Mr Kettle, to see the wanton destruction of beautiful native bush, which ought to be preserved for all time, and magnificent pohutukawa trees scarred and "" disfigured by the reckless and indiscriminate lighting of fires." His •Worship fined the lad 10s and costs, but intimated that any other offenders who might be brought before him would be vefy severely dealt with. The estimates of income and expenditure of the Auckland Education Board for 1908, as prepared by iOie secretary (Mr V. E. Rice), show that the estimated income is £198,000 and expenditure £204,000. The chief items under the latter head are: .Teachers' salaries, £115.000; technical instruction, maintenance, £14,000; school building • maintenance, £12,000; new schools/ £10,000 ; Training College and Normal School, £5000. - The Education Board has adopted the recommendation by the Committee of Architects to erect the new Technical Coliege 'in reinforced concrete. A meeting of local bodies on the 22nd 'decided on the retention of the "Wednesday ■tatutory weekly half-holiday for Auckland and suburbs. • A six-roomed house in Lake road, Devonport, .occup : ed by Kobert Graham, was, wfth contents, completely destroyed by fire on the 22nd, nothing being saved. The building was insured, but the amount not ascertainable. The new waterworks which have been constructed at Takapuna and Northcote ifi connection with the supply to the latter district were formally opened this afternoon by the chairman of the Waitemata, County Council (Mr V. Kerr Taylor). The report on the city electric light and power installation scheme, for which 'an additional loan of £50.000 for extension purposes was recently authorised, was considered and adopted by the City Council. It was decided to turn on the current on February 10. The Government steamer Hinemoa, •which left -Onehunga for New Plymouth on the 24th, is to make a further search for the supposed rock off Woody Heads, which was reported as having been Been by a. settler some time ago. During the past few days an. outbreak of typhoid or enteric fever has occurred in the Auckland district, and has now assumed somewhat serious proportions. There are at present no less than 32 case 6 being treated in the Auckland Hospital. Of- this large number no less than 14 cases are associated' with Newmarket. A fire -broke out in Mr J. Osborne s ahdp, -in Pukekohe, Auckland, on the 24th. THft shop,iwas practieallv cleaned out, but "the fire 'was confined to that portion of the building. The fire is ' supposed to have started behind the. counter in the '■ " vicinity" of the cash drawer, and cheques to the valu€_of about £25 were destroyed. The insurance on the stock ie £225, in the Commercial Union, and the furniture and piano are -covered to the extent of .£175 in the South ' British. The house, whioh ig owned by Mr J. Adams, is covered by ■ £250 in the Globe. There was practically no damage to the furniture. - Nobody seems to know whether, the post office site in Auokland is or is not definitely fixed. At the Chamber of Commerce mating on the 24th, for instance, much bewilderment on the point was evidenced. Koferring to the question, the president - (Mr H. A. Nathan) said that at present there seemed to be an uncertainty regard- - ing the site of the new building,, and unless - some definite conclusion was arrived at - there might be a danger of the Govern- . ment hanging up the whole work, just as >■ the construction of the North Island Mam ' -Trunk - railway had been hung up some L years ago when the route controversy was being, waged. The Government might eav "When you decide upon a site we will go on with the work." Mr • Evans moved that the Postmaster-general be written to and asked to state whether the site had been fixed. The motion, which was seconded by Mr Bagnall. was carried. * The mild drought which Auckland has -experienced d\iring the month was broken • early on the 27th by several heavy showers. The fa'l is very welcome in country dis- ' triets, where the pastures have been much ■dried up. ~The haphazard arrival of English mails via. Suez -has latterly been causing no end

of inconvenience to Auckland business people. Since the cancellation of the 'Frisco service, the Suez mail has been

'largely requisitioned, but the inconsistency of the arrivals in Auckland has been the cause of general complaint. A weekly ■••rrice exists between London and Stsda&Sj

but the transhipment' of New Zealand malls lias been more or less irregular, and in meroantile circles the ' inconvenience haß been considerable. The Zealandia last night again failed to bring an English mail.

All _ the foreign Consuls and a number of citizens called 'upon the German Consul (Mr Carl Seegner) on the 26th to offer their congratulations o"n the anniversary of the birthday of the German Emperor.