Local and General.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXIII, Issue 1148, 4 September 1896, Page 6

Local and General.

We extract from the Southland Times the following paragraph referring to Mr W. A. Nicol, son of Mr William Nicol, watchmaker, Invercargill, late , of Balclutha :— Mr W. A. Nicol has just received the certificate of the National Phonographic Society, London, that he has passed with honors the teacher's examination of that society. [ This examination i3 recognised among English shorthand teachers as being the most thorough test possible of proficiency in the arfc. That it is of an ex- ! ceedingly exacting nature may he gathered from the fact that of the numerous aspirants for the N.P.S. teacher's diploma at the hi yearly examinations, rao?t of whom undergo a special coaching by the best experts in England, scarcely 40 per cent, succeed in passing, and only about 10 per cent, obtain the much coveted honors. The difficulties of obtaining the diploma are somewhat increased by non-residence in England ; there is only one gentleman in New Zealand — Mr A. W. Kitson, # of Wellington, who is authorised to conduct the necessary examination. Mr 0. H. Gilby, of Christchurch, 18 months ago achieved the distinction of being the first phonographer in the Australion colony to pass this examination with honors so that his success has been quickly followed by Mr Nicol who werit to Wellington at the beginning of the year to be examined. The certificate bears amongst others the signatures of Sir Isaac Pitman and Mr Thomas Reed. At the Magistrate's Court, Invercargill on Friday, two prohibited persons were fined L5 each for having been found in hotels. Thomas Whitaker, one of the hotel keepers was charged with having supplied one of the men with liquor. Evidence was given that Whitaker did nob know the prohibited person and the case was dismissed. The Magistrate ssid that unless it could be proved that the man was in the habit of frequenting the premises of the licensee charged he would always dismiss such cases, except in the case perhaps of a small township where a prohibited person might be expected to be known by everyone. Sergeant Macdonnell said that if that were so the law could not be enforced. We think that the Stipendary Magistrete has indicated the proper remedy (for the unwonted generosity of publicans in giving liquor on Sundays without asking payment) by suggesting an amendment in the licensing law making it an offence for a publican to deliver liquor to anyone during prohibited hours, whether paid for or not. Lyttelton Times. A motion in favor of the introduction of a local option bill has been carried in the New South Wales Parliament by 50 to 19. The Assembly of Tasmania has iejected proposals to increase the number of responsible Ministers to five and the life of the Assembly from three to four years. A womanhood suffrage bill has been passed in the Tasmanian Assemblj .