LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 15, 12 October 1907, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The revised conditions under which commissions in the British Army may. be obtained by officers of colonial military forces are published iu this week's "Gazette."

The first anniversary ; of'the establishment of a Home in connection with tho Palmerston North parish will be on October 17, and it is proposed to make it a special occasion. Tho Homo, statos tho "Parochial Register," has in every particular far. exceeded all expectations. The ready. response of the public made it possible to establish and open it "in the short space of three weeks; and the splendid generosity of the public within threo months freed it- from debt. It opened with a capacity for six or seven children; in a few months another bedroom was added, this doubling tho accommodation. Tho question of , further accommodation calls for immediate consideration, and for this - more funds will bo needed. . Tho matron, Mrs. Spicer, who was granted, three months'leave of absonce on account of illness, finds herself' still unfit to take up . tho position again. ''

Regulations received from the Secretary of Stato for tho Colonics regarding examinations for tho Civil Service, for clorl;ships (class 1) in tho Home-Civil Servico, and for Eastern cadetships, are published in this week's "Gazette." ' It is oxpected that the whole of the 1 cargo in the three ■ forward holds of. the Turakina will be discharged .today. Owing to the thorough-soaking .sustained by flooding the forepart of Hie vessel, the whole of the charcoal in- ■ sulation suffered more or less,; and as wet or dampness robs the. charcoal sof its insulating . properties., No.' 2 and ■ 3 /holds will have • to bo refitted. The hull of the Vessel and the stanchions were, not damaged m the slightest degree, but now, bulkheads and'a few new deckplatos-will be required on tho starboard side of the deck near No. 1 hold, where the planking Was spruflg by tlio heated metal plates. < ■ , . ■

The benefits accruing to a member belonging to a financially sound Friendly Sooiety are substantial, ; and sometimes they become remarkable. A oase in point hasarison in connection with a member of the Southern Cross Lodge (Wellington) of the Independent Order of Oddfellows. It seems that tho Sick Fund of the Lodgo is subjected to' quinquennial- actuarial investigations, ,and the surpluses ascertained.are distributed amongst members in, reduction of thoir quarterly contributions, and three or four • such distributions hare already beon riiade. A novel position has arisen in respect of a member who has been connected with Southern Cross Lodge for twenty-five years.; His share of the surpluses from tho Sick Fluid vhas reduced his quarterly contributions from £1 2s. Bd. to Is. 7d. This member is now sixty-five years of age, and, because> of that, he is entitled to have tho whole of his contributions paid out of a fund which was established by tho Grand Lodge of the Order for the purpose. This fund jwill now pay tho member's full quarterly contribution of £1 2s. Bd., and as he is still entitled to the full amount of the surplus from tho Sick Fund accruing to him, his position is an enviable one. For the privilege of continuing his association with tho Southern Cross Lodge, this particular member has the whole of his contributions to the Lodgo paid for him, and receives in addition tho sum of £4 4s'. 4d. per annum. It

is very probable that this latter amount will bo added annually to his funeral allowance. And this is not all. 'At tho end of the current year another quinquennial period terminates, and it is oxpected that the actuarial valuation of the Sick Fund will reveal another surplus, in which caso tho membor in question will receive further benefits. The position, wo beliove, is unparalleled in New Zealand. ' The volunteer Biding at Trontham, according to general orders by tho defence authorities, will bo known henceforth as "Defcneo Siding," and will be used solely for goods traffic with rospcct to consignments to and from the Dofenco Department. Passenger unci mixed trains , will stop when required at Trontham raceeourso platform, which will bo known as Trontham' flag-station. Tho Napie'r-Wcl-lincton express trains, and the Wel-lington-Masterton morliing and evening trains, however, will not stop, Mrs. Ethol R. Do Costa, LL.B, (neo Miss Ethel It. Benjamin of Duncdin), after practising for 301110 years in that citv, Ims commenced practice as a barrister and solicitor in No. 6 Nathan's Buildings, corner vroy and I'Yatlirrston Streets, Wellington. Mrs. De Costa has tho distinction nf being mo only lady practising at the Bar in tAo Dominion. Intending clients can do'pond on prompt and careful attention I ot Mrs. Do Costa'i) handß.

The sixty-sixth lodge to come under the jurisdiction of tho North Island ] Grand Lodge, U.A.0.D., is tho Seig i Lodge, opened at the Upper Moutrio (Nelson) by- Bro. J. M. Grant, Grand i Secretary,' last week. It is' understood that complaint has already boon mado, on behalf of one of the departments in tho Government Buildings which is moving into {-ho added wing, that its new quarters are not large enough. Tho plans, it is explained, were drawn up a year ago; and in that interval tho department has increased so as to require more space than its allotment. Tho Thorndon Bowling Club is to open its green for play this afternoon. Many invitations have boon issuod, and, should tho weather prove fine, there should be a largo: attendance. His Excellency • the .Governor is to open tho rowing season from the Star Boating Club's shed at .3 o'clock this afternoon. The Wellington and Potono Navals will assist in the "procession of boats, which is to bo tho chief spectacular attraction. . ~ . A number of cancelled Bank of Australasia notes havo been ' abstracted from tho s.s. Turakina's hold, and several have been tendered/in'at- least ; one of tho hotels in the city. They arc easily recognised, as tho lower right hand corner has been cut off. By advertisement in this issue, the public are warned against _ cashing these notes. A young man named E. Murtagh, lodging in M'Donald 1 Crescent, was arrested by last night on a charge of having injured a child, two years old, with .a razor. It is alleged that Murtagh cut tho child's leg with a razor during a dispute with' • the-infant's mother. ' Dr. Pigeon was ; ca'led in to stitch tho wound up.' Murtagh will bo brought .before the Court this morning.

Advice received by inspector. Ellison states tlmt Constable Brookes, of. Westport) who had just come up to Nelson from Westport on escort duty,, foil a distance of twenty feet out of bedroom window of'the Royal Hotel on Thursday night.: Brookes broke oho of his arms and injured his back. It is not .known' how the accident happened. s Mr. A. de B. Brandon presided; at a meeting yesterday morning of the Wellington College. Governors, which was attended by Messrs. R. Lee, A. Warburtori, and W. H. Field, M.H.R. The statement of accounts showed balance as per bank book £193 13s; cash in hand iiofc lodged', £89 19s! Bd.; payments required—Wellington College, £319 15s. 2d.; Girls' College, £180 13s. 5d.; total, . £500 Bs. '7d.; which leaves -a'dobit balance'of £216 15s. lid. The fees outstanding at Wellington College total £869195. 7d. for the third term (only recently concluded), and there are arrears totalling £179 4s. sd. ■ For tho Girls' College the correspondingfigures are £76 3s. 3d. and. £462 15s. lid. respectively! Rents outstanding ; ttese : aniount&, : tlib. clelnt . balance is made a credit of £1413 14s. sd.

Yesterday, Richard Swaysland, of. Petone, labourer,.was adjudged bank--rupt. The first meeting of his~ creditors will be held on Friday, Ootober 18, at 11 a.m. . '' ' There are said to be.no slums in Wellington, but, according to Councillor Fletcher, there is ample room for -improvement in tlie housing .of. tlio l working classes. The toiler who. is unmarried seems to be in particular need of a helping band.' " What amazed mo during investigations I-made," said Councillor Fletcher at the Council meeting last night, '' Was the single men of the working classes have to herd together. Many of them I found living in out-houses, attached to dwelling-places, and one young man, who was just recovering from a; bad attaok of neuralgia, was .sleeping in a place that was' meant for a washhouse." " i ■ The eccentric • manner in which the premises in various parts of the city aro numbered was referred to at Thursday night's.meeting of the City Council; Councillor Fletcher said that the residential portions, at any rate, should bo re-numbered as early as possible/ In somo localities the 1 Jng was, he said, absolutely conflicting. As an instance, ho pointed out No. 54 in Thorndori Quay was closo to Davis Street, whilst Nos. 54a and 54b wfere at tho Kiawarra end — fjilly three-quarters of a mile away. A motion, authorising a contractor to carry out tho work of re-numbering' tho whole of tho premises in tho part of tho city hitherto known as the Wellington Ward, was passed; the Mayor 'stating that it was proposed to'carry out the work in a systematic manner and with as little interference with the present numbers as possible. The' Education Department has addressed a circular to the various- controlling authorities drawing attention to tho' necessity for tho periodical inspection of school ventilators and stove-pipes. Inflammable mattor, such as birds' nests and tho like, frequently lodges in such places, and is ofton a cause of fires.