INTERPROVINCIAL.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 252, 4 October 1884, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL.

[Per United Press Association.] Auckland, October 4, The brigantine Ada C. Owen, from Baratonga, brings news of a great fire at Tahiti early in September, by which thirteen stores were destroyed. A blacksmith named Michael Heffernon, who was kicked about the head in a stable bj a horse, lies at the hospital in a critical condition. The City Council have accepted a tender for the erection of a small-pox hospital. The proprietors of the Auckland Dairy Co. have determined to do away with those perambulating machines which they have been in the habit of delivering milk, have given an order to Messrs. Cousins and Atkin, coachbuilders, for twelve low-bodied sprinp traps, which are much more handsome than the old system, and will not be such a nuisance to breakers-in of young horses, as were those two-wheeled affairs that look lik< a cross between a verlicle boiler and n tricyle. The traps are to be painted yellow, and will have the name of the company in large letters on the side. The licensed victuallers of City North having presented a petition praying for an extension of hours for keeping open then houses, the Licensing Committee of City North have replied that they have given the petition their most serious consideration, but state that in the face of so decided an expression of public opinion on the various points on which they were ieturned, and on which they have hitherto not received the slightest contrary opinion from the public, they feel they cannot entertain the prayer of the petition.

A strange case came before the Police Court this week. It was that of a youth named Freestone, nineteen years of age, wh > had been arrested at the suit of his sister for entering her room and taking a purse con taining 15s. 6d. and also a ring valued at 4a 6d., the same being her property. The Bench remarked that it was a strange action for a sister to have her brother arrested foi so trivial an offence. The prosecutor admitted that it did look strange, but it was at the wish of her father that she took this action. The Bench sentenced the prisoner to tw< months’ hard labour. Notwithstanding the prisoner’s youth, he has been previously convicted four times for various offences. The Free Library is now open daily from nine o’clock in the morning until ten o’clock in the evening, and on Sundays from two to nine p.m. The City Councillorshave expressed a most decided opinion that after the experience ot the last winter, all large contracts should bt done during the summer months. There were over thirty applications for th< position of enginedriver for the steam roller Some of them tendered the highest testi monials, but many objected to a saving claus< inserted stipulating that the engine-drive should be responsible for all breakages Naturally enough most practical men would regard that clause as being too great a handicap. A break might occur through n< fault of the driver, that would require six months of his salary to mend. After the applications had been all opened and read before the Council, the matter was referred t< the Streets Committee to consider and report.