LOCAL AND GENERAL

—♦ — It. is undorskiod that the Government will erect a luomuiitiil to late Hono llekc, Jl.l\, to commemorate his servicui to tlio native race and tho Dominion gonorally. Riu>scl is spoken of us tlio probable sit«. "1 intend to make the public money at my disposal go as far as jioaublo; that is about as much an I can promise," said the Minister lor lloads and Bridged at Lower Hutt on Saturday, " I wish 1 had control of the Treasury," lie added, witli a smile. While running along tlie back balcony of llie Grand Hotel, Rotorua. on Sun- j day, to look at a house on lire, n young woman named Woodhouse, a waitress, full through the manhole leading to the lire escape, and dropped to tlio ground, Who fell on a stake to which nemo plants were fastened, and was terribly injured. The tiirl has been removed to a- private hospital.

A gentleman who does a large amount of railway traveling says that tho railway lines aro at present infested with gangs of spiolors whoso business! it is to swindle people at cards. They join tho trains at different stations, and to all appearances are strangers to each othor, but in reality they aro accomplices. In a casual sort of way tliey induce a likely-looking passenger to take a hand at cards, and then tlioy "take liim down" ,by bare-faced swindling. The men maku their living on tlio trains, " mixing" tlieir occupation it little with racecourse swindling and burglarising.

I Particulars of some projected prison reloniis huvo been given by llw Minister for Junlico (Dr. I'indlay) to ut Now Zealand Times representative. Ho lias von instructions tn have cells lighted from " lock- lip" time to " Imlif* out." Where hot water is not availaulo for the weekly hath it. is to ho provided. Air t<>nt,ion i.s to ho given to the prison libraries, which in several of tho ihiolh nro now iii:ifk'(jtifi(n, A report, on tlio selection of literature (or the libraries in being obtained from eucb gaoler in the Dominion. Pri^oneir> t aro to ho scientificaljy examined to ascertain (hoir, suitability for the conditions o( prison camps, and no transfers from ordinary prisons to such camps will he mado in future without nueli examination. Tho tree-planting scheme, liowover, will ho ex tended as far as jiossiblo. A i-ehonio of structural alterations to tho huts ie being prepared, with the object of giving orery priwinor n soparato coll. Improved clarification is intended, Mpeololly iu tho turgor gaols.

Tho Minister for Mines (Hon. R. McKenzie) loft Waihi this morning for Te Kiiiiij on route for Wellington. Tho Minister will deal with the To KuitiStratford section of tho railway whon at j tlio former place. Wo aro asked by tho polico to point out that next Tuesday, being tho_ day upon which tlvo licensing election is to held, all tho hotels' aro required to bo closed from 12 noon until 7 p.m. We aro informed that just now a number of undesirables aro coining into tho town, consequently it behoves residents to take no chance in the protection of their valuables and other goods, and to see that such articles arc not left lying about. An exhaustive report on tho Waikato goldfiekls lias been drawn up by Mr. Frank Reed, Inspecting Engineor of tho Mines Department, who has just finished an inspection of the locality! Tho report, which is of a confidential nature, will be submitted to Cabinet in duo course.

It iii not often that fortune follows on misfortune as it has done in tho caso of John Collins, a Ktation hand from Juneo, New South Wide!-, who is supposed to have fallen among thievto in the grounds of the Melbourne University. A man called at the polico station and said ho was a brother of John Collins. He had, lie stated, been lookm" for the latter for somo time, as they wero both entitled to n considerable sum of money from relatives in tli'o Old Country. Mr. Collins had been living in Qiieonsbury-strcct, Carlton, for the past fourteen years, mid might never have run across his brother but for the fact that his name had gained publicity in connection with the case.

Tho sports committee of tho Waihi Miners' Union have solved a difficulty in rather a novel manner. It appears that Messrs Cummins, Hunt, and McEnteer tied for Lady Deck's upoeial prize offered to the winner of the most event* at the recent sports, each of these competitors having won two races each. Neither of the trio had seconds to his credit, and the minniittco were at. their wits' end to know what, to do, until it was suggested, that, as the three are a distinct type of athlete (one being a cyclist, and the other two a runner and a heavy-weight respectively), they decide the matter by n swimming nice in the municipal baths, sixpence to lie charged per head for adminim "Wo niuler-stand that tlio idea has been adopted, though on being approached in connection with the matter Constable Cummins contends that the Aimers' Union must hold themselves I liable if be gets cramps.

A Chinese is not often beaten ill business by a European, but Chan Yuan, a fruiterer, sits in his little shop' near tho railway lino at Ohakuno, and muses and dreams ol the manner in which 0 Caucasian triumphed over liini. It was in tho midst of the Docomber land boom at Ohakuno, when quarter-acres of hush woro boing sold at per foot, that a small section upon a bttsli gully near the Ohnkune railway station was sold for £lO3. Thoro was ii certain amount of muiky uncertainty about tho whereabouts of tlio Miro lload, which '.lie Government is going to run from the station to tho town in a straight line, and this particular quarter of an aero became a tiling for serious speculation, owing to tho fact that it was understood to bo tiic corner allotment of tho new thoroughfare. Chan Chuan offered to buy tho section from its new owner for £2OO. This offer was refused, and noxt day when ho camo along and stated that lie would agree to the price, he was informed that it was now £llOO. Wondering deeply why ho should be exploited on such sordid lines, Chan Chuan went away and thought tho matter out for twelve hours, when ho decided to capitulate. It was n deeply chagrined Chinese who heard then that his offer could not be accepted, as the price was now £4OO, and that in auolior hour it would be £SOO. With much bitterness Chan Chuan closed tlio bargain, and took possession of his littlo lnish gully plot, where ho erected his fruit shop, only to find now that tho property will not be a comer section, and that tlio new road from tho railway station will be constructed about five chains away from his place.—Dominion.