LAST NIGHT’S WIRES.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 77, 27 February 1884, Page 2

LAST NIGHT’S WIRES.

[Per United Press Association.] Auckland, Feb. 26. Australian advices per Ringarooma state that Sir Geo. Whitmore, while travelling by the overland express to Melbourne from Sydney, was robbed of a bag containing £52; and that E. Roper, 8.A., who captained the Sydney football team here last season, died on Feb. 9 of typhoid fever. THWfcmguin has arrived from Fiji, bringing R. A. Carr, R. Greenlaugh, sixteen in the steerage, and the following Fijian news:— Four employes of the Deuba Sugar Co. were in a boat off Deuba, when their boat capsized. They stuck to the boat, and were washed ashore after eight hours’ immersion. The whole affair was witnessed from the shore by the Natives, who put off, not to rescue the mon, but to ascertain what amount would he paid for so doing. The drowning men offered £5, but this was not enough, and the Natives put back without rendering any help. At the Supreme Court on Jan. 30th, Lilia, a native of the Lime Islands, was sentenced to death for the wilful murder of Henry Hiilton, a planter of Tavinui. The Bishop of London writes to the Church of England Committee of Suva stating that it is impossible for him to exercise episcopal supervision of Fiji, but states his intention to ask the Bishop of Auckland to include Fiji in his jurisdiction. Meetings of Anglicans at Levuka and Suva have unanimously concurred with the letter, and decided to write to the Bishop of Auckland, asking him to take the jurisdiction. Fiji has defeated Auckland in a rifle-match. Fiji made 660, and Auckland 640. Arthur M. B. Rose, a labor-agent, of the schooner Fairlie, was murdered, on December 15th, by the natives of a small island eastward of St. Matthias.

A large quantity of the Triumph’s cargo principally hardware, still remains under water on the rocks at Tiritiri. With the object of recovering this, which is suppos'd to be of considerable value, the steamer Anue Milbank to-day proceeded to the scene of the casualty with a diver and necessary lifting gear. When the steamer Ringarooma last left this port for Sydney she took away an unwilling passenger in the person of Mr. Harvey. Mr. Harvey fell asleep on board before the vessel left the wharf, and did not awake until she was off the Hen and Chickens. He was, therefore, under the necessity of proceeding to Sydney. He returned by the Ringarooma to-day. Bishop Cowie and the Rev. D. Bruce lef j for Nelson by the Rotorua to-day, to attend the sitting of the New Zealand University Senate, of which they are members. Mr. Bryce (Native Minister), Mr. Rolleston (Minister for Lands), and Mr. Oliver (Post--master-General) left for Wellington by the Hinemoa last evening. The Te Rahu saw-mills, burned down on Sunday morning, are insured in the New Zealand Insurance Company for £3OO. All the arrangements in connection with the forthcoming meeting of the Rifle Association are now complete. The range is splendidly situated, and is easy of access by beach from town. Owing to the size of the ground, the number of targets to be used has been reduced, and only fourteen will be erected, whereas there were twenty-four at the last meeting at Dunedin. This reduced number will prolong the shooting a day or two, and it will not be until about to-morrow week before the championships will be known. The total number of entries is about 170, and almost all the representatives are here. The proportion of riflemen to carbines is over three to two. Dissatisfaction is expressed by the visiting representatives at the small amount collected in Auckland, it being only £l6O. The Committee, however, have made another start canvassing, and hope this sum will be augmented by an additional £2OO. Mr. John Marie Grace, at the special request of Mrs. Hardiman, the late Judge Manning’s daughter, interviewed the Native Minister for the purpose of urging the despatch of medical aid to the typhoidstricken Natives of Waiapu and Herekino (Hokianga District). Mr. Grace pointed out that the Natives were neglected, that the disease was attended by great mortality, and that the kaiangas attacked would be completely decimated unless a doctor were speedily sent to their relief. The Native Minister said he had enquired and was instructed that no medical aid or medicines would be of any avail until a better sanitary state of the villages was obtained. He also said the Government had always spent and were now spending large sums on medicines and medical aid. Mr. Grace admitted the unsatisfactory sanitation of kaiangas, and attributed it to ignorance and apathy. The bulk of the disease from which the Maoris suffered, he thought, first could be removed by school instruction, and later by the proper management and enforcement of sanitary laws. The Native Minister then requested Mr. Grace to suggest in writtng a scheme by which this could be done. He said that, meanwhile, the resident doctor of Mongonui, who is in the pay of the Government, would be instructed to attend on the Natives at Waitapu, Pakepoto, and Herekino. This terminated the interview. Mr. Grace forwarded a feasible scheme for the curing of the evil referred to. He recommended that “Laws of Health” should be made a compulsory branch of instruction in Native schools, that explanatory papers in Maori on affectuous and contagious diseases should be circulated amongst teachers and chiefs; that prizes should be offered yearly for the best-drained and mostcleanly kaianga or village ; the best-built, most-roomy, and most-cleanly whare; and for new kaiangas on healthy sites ; and also for the cleanest child on the year’s average attendance; That ordinary sanitary laws “ should with prudence be enforced against the Maori; that a Board of Health for each kaianga be nominated or elected; and a Maori Sanitary Inspector appointed; or, in default of those latter provisions, that the work mentioned should be done by the Resident Magistrates, and that a building to serve as an hospital should be erected in every village, half-a-mile from any whare. Judge Seth Smith has been elected President of the Auckland Institute.

An Auckland Bee-keepers Association has been formed, of which Mr. J. C. Firth is elected President.

Wellington, Feb. 25. Last evening the Assembly decided that the student-evangelists at Wairoa, Kawakawa, and New Plymouth should be at liberty to baptize and celebrate marriages. A Committee was appointed for the purpose of granting scholarships. The next meeting of the General Assembly was decided to be held in Christchurch in Feb., 1885. The report on the Foreign Missions was received and agreed to, and the report of the College Committee and the Examining Board was agreed to. The Maori Mission report showed that scarcely any progress was being made, and the Assembly was urged to take the claims of the Maoris into consideration. This morning the report of the Church Trustees was given in and adopted. The report of the Committee on Union was called for, and the Assembly re-affirmed the decision of the last Assembly. The Rev. J. Patterson, the Moderator, and Mr. James Smith were appointed deputies to Otago next year. Mr. Steele, a student, and Mr. Hay were authorised to be examined, with a view to obtaining licenses. The report of the Board of Examiners was adopted. Overtures from Timaru re an itinerating evangelist were received, and the Timaru Presbytery were appointed to bring up a report to the next Assembly. The Presbyteries were ordered to visit the congregations presbyterially next year. The Church Properties Committee was ordered to prepare a report, and Standing Committees were appointed re collection of statistics. In reference to the statement that the Hokianga Natives were dying rapidly of typhoid fever, the Government have received the following telegram from the Resident Magistrate at Hokianga : —“ February 20. Returned from Wangape and Waitapu tbi> morning. There are a few cases of low fever at Herekengo, and two have ended fatally. There is very little more sickness than in former years at this season. As long as they live on the lowlands, it must continue.” Mr. E. Jones, surveyor, and a survey party are now engaged down the harbor, taking sections under directions from his Excellency the Governor and Major Cautley, BX, in connection with plans for the defence of the harbor. Mr. E. Pearce has been unanimously reelected Chairman of the Harbor Board. A few days ago a married man, named Walter G. Smith, for many years chief clerk in the Gas Company’s office, obtained leave of absence to go to Christchurch for a few days. It now appears that, in company with a barmaid from the hotel near the gas-works, he was about taking a trip to Australia. His wife having got nows of it, had an information laid, charging him with deserting her and their children. He has been arrested at the Bluff, and remanded to Wellington. Dunedin, Feb. 26. The following were the chief amounts paid in file settling on the late races:—Hon. G. McLean, £1,327; Mr. Cutis, £530; Hon. W. Robinson, £380; Mr. O’Brien, £320; Mr. Stephenson, £283; Mr. Waitts, £lOO. Christchurch, Feb. 26. The Hon. J. T. Peacock has been elected Chairman of the Lyttelton Harbor Board. The Junior Somes’ Scholarships at Christ College were gained by Preffen, Thorpe, Tendal, and Mclntyre. The Solwyn County Council have reduced hv fifty per cent, the slaughtering fees for the freezing works. An influential preliminary meeting, convened by the Mayor, was held at the City Council Chambers this afternoon re the Public Library.