LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 92, 11 January 1908, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

- : -4 . ' 1 The Customs revenue collected at Wellington yesterday amounted to £2499 18s. Id. 1 The annual meeting of the . Wellihji'jon Harbour Board is to bo lield at tho ofiice of tho Board at noon on January 20. _ v An engineer named Horace Wild, a married man, living at Ohiro Road, was admitted to the Hospital yesterday' afternoon suffering from a broken jaw. i Lieutenant-Colonel Bauchop, Officer Commanding tho Wellington District, inspected the Johnsonville Rifles (Captain Moore) on Thursday last, and expressed himself pleased with..the new corps. After the inspection, Lieutenants Willis and Mirrielees were put through the practical part of their examination by tho colonel. •

Two of the cables'crossing Cook Strait are at prosont in a faulty condition: Ono- of them has been so for more than a fortnight/ but tho defcct in tho oth.er oply became manifest a day or two ago. ! Repairs will be elt'ccted almost immediately, and it i? not oxpected that the public will suffer any rery serious inconvenience. Two new cables were laid some time ago.

The High Commissioner (Hon. W. P. Reeves) has written to the Tourist Department that tho twelve Native birds presented by tho New Zealand Government to the Duke of Bedford arrived in London by the Corinthic. On'o kiwi died on the voyage, but the rest wero safe and well. The consignment included four Paradise ducks, two kcas, two wekas, and four kiwis.

Tho Defence Department has approved of the following dates for volunteer camps:— No. 6 Company, Wellington Engineers, at Mahanga Bay, January 11 to 25; Hawera Mounted Cadets, January 20 to 30; Eketahuna Mounted Rifles, January 22 to 30; Hawke's Bay Mounted Rifles, February 5 to 11; Nos. 1 and 3 Wellington Garrison Artillery (Wellington Naval Artillery and tho now Electrical Scction respectively), at Mahanga Bay, Fobruary 7 to 22; Pahiatua Mounted Rifles, February 6to 13; Hurumua Mounted Rifles, February 8 to 15; Hunt-er-villo Mounted Rifles, Fobruary 1 to 8.

The thirty-eighth . annual meeting of shareholders of the National Mutual Life Association was held on December 19. The Chairman announced that the past year established a new rocord, the amount of completed now business exceoding £3,000,000, while the total income for the year was £893,253, an increase over that of the preceding one of £74,465; the amount added to the funds was £365,932, or £82,713 more than last year. Ten yoars ago the Company's new business was little moro than third of what it now is, and during that ton yoars the Company's annual income has increased by over £400,000. The Company have paid to members or tlieir representatives over £3,000,000, and have added to tho invested funds of the Association over £2,000,000 during that time. Mr. A. Newell (director), and Messrs. A. M. Valentino and W. G, Tulloeli (auditors), were re-elected unopposed.

Mrs. Ethel R. De Costa, LL.IJ. (nee Miss Elhol R. Benjamin, of Dunedin), after practising for some years in that city, has commenced practice as a barrister and solicitor in No. 6 Nathan's Buildings, corner Grey and Peatherston Street, Wellington. Mrs. De Costa has the distinction of being the only lady practising at tho Bar in tho Dominion. In.leading clients cau depend on prompt and caroful attention at Mrs. Da Costa's hands. -

'JL'Jio following prisoners are awaiting sentence by- the Supreme Court: —Alfred John Wanstall, horse stealing (committed: at Foilding); Samuel Ernost Gray, ' theft (New Plymouth); ■. Robert Rankm, theft (Wellington); John Smith, alias Andrew Guthno, in- ;• decency (AVellington); ;Lewis,\false; protences (Wanganm)."

Advioo received by tho '.police J from; P<mgaroa states that , a five-room'cd awolling; be-, longing to Lawronco Melmaucke, of Wamono, was destroyed • by fire last Saturday.. i • The occupants of .the house cscaped in their night clothes. Practically nothing was . s?ved. There was an insurance of £250 on tho house and £75 on tho furniture, both policies being •held .by tho Royal .Insurance Company: : v : ■

A display of trophies that ore to bo competed for at the Rose and Carnation Club's Show on Wednesday next ia to bo seen in Batkin's window, . Lambton Quay. A very' artistic ; storling .silver', flower-stand has. been made by Mr. 6. T./White, and other trophies of interest cotnpnso those from tho National: Rose Society, London; . the National Sweet

t 3 ea Society, England; Mr. Robb, Sydenham, Birmingham; and Miss Murray, of "Willis Street, Wellington.

Presumably most people 'aro awaro thai this is Leap Year. What few people, how over, havo probably ias yet realised is thai February this year contains no fewer than five Saturdays, a rather rare occurrence. Jim-; ployees who aro paid on Saturday will, doubtless, congratulato themselves on an increased monthly income, but the financial: statement at the end of tho year will bo no greater, and tho unexpected , wealth of February should not load to .extravagance. ' .v\

■ : The guileless,natives of tlio Cook Islands; having been proventcd,, by pr'ohibitiori7. frona getting drunk, on the .-common'- brands, of

" tiro-water," . have apparently, discoveredj somewhat novel moans of producing intoxication. An Order-in-Council is published- in this .week's Gazette, prohibiting the import a-; tibn of perfumed spirits and; perfumery.into tho Islands, 011 the ground that,,"in thoi opinion of the Governor,, the .importation of certain perfumed spirits and perfumery'into! the Cook and Nprthorn,lslands is likely to be injurious to tho inhabitants by reason of their using tho same as drinlc of an, intoxicating nature," The importations of these drugs into the group in 1006 amounted to a'tota. valuo of £174. • . • >

Tho public arc warned against certain of' that class of people who invade tho back' premises of residences with a sample of fruu or vegetables, which they, offer to sell at' a cheap, rate. . Many householders have causo 10. regret; dealings'with somo of these ven--dors, finding out too ; late that they have not been honestly'treated. ;.In, tho first instance, oho sample shown is generally "tho pick oftho sack,"-and if the guileless.housewife-is' induced to give an order she doek not usually: go out to the cart in the strwtand seo what she is getting, with the rasult thqt tho \n-> chase sometimes turns out to bo short •of sample quality, and tho weight, is a matt?r, for suspicion. One lady at least has decided' that' one hawker of- the description;noted ,ii not a person of the strictest integrity.;, ; He offered her a sample of excellent potatdm, quoting 281b. for, a shilling,: and. she-closed. Being curious to see if;, the world was-honest she weighed, her 'purchase,, and- found that they tipped, the scale at 211b. 7 Of course, there are many honest fruit hnd vegetable -hawkers who, sell at tha'back'doof'hy-'sample, I but transactions of this kind, make people ,- ; : r, I ..'/m'Hji >;1 VliMlhidl Jillll ,V Ji| 1 1 . i:careful.-, v ... :-.-ii-f,-,;" i