LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 95, 15 January 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

' Two local booksellers will bo haled before the Magistrates' Court this morning on a charge of having sold a certain magazine containing an alleged indecent picture. Mr. Hordman has been retained for tho dcfenco. ' 'l'hd annual examination of police constables, six of whom have come forward for the police law ani duties test, is t° he held at tho Lambton Quay Police Station to-day. The papers have been set by Mr. W. Pinnie, Commissioner of Police. A 30ft. oil launch built by Messrs. Lane and Son, of Auckland, for Messrs. Donne, Stacey and Co., is expected to reach Wol T lingtoii on Friday. Tho new boat is fitted with a 15-20 horsc-powor four-cylinder Britannia engine. The Parliamentary officials are gradually evolving order out of chaos in of the papers scattered and lost at the recent firo. A bettor job than anticipated is being made with tho Journal of the Houso of Itepresontativcs, though tho notes of the committeo proceedings, cannot be replaced as fully as they wero taken. A defective engine, which caused tho stoppage of a train at Turakina yesterday morning, delayed traffic on both tho Government and Manawatu lines. The Manawatu express, which should have reached Wellington at 7.20 p.m'', did not arrive until 8.30 p.m. Tho departure, of the steamer for the south was delayed an hour on account of the niis r hap. Tho Hutt County Council yesterday pointed Councillor Welch to represent it at tho meeting of delegates to bo held on February 10, for the electiqn of repwsenta-. tives on tho Wellington Harbour Board. "Wo must try and get a member to represent Hutt and Petone on the Board to watch qur interests," was a remark by Councillor Welch when tho matter was briefly under discussion. Mr. A. E. Remington, M.P.' of P.angitikei, suggests that, rather than that many"poopie in Wellington should bo denied tho chance of witnessing tho Webb-Tressider sculling mat-ch at Wanganui, tho Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company should run a special train to Wanganui on tho morning of tho race, and that this same train should return soon after tho race is decided. Its arrival at Wellington could then bo timed for midnight or 1 a.m. This would obviato the necessity for an "alj-night" train, and Wellington visitors would only lose one day, and secure a good rest before starting business next day. . Tho directors of tho Patent Slip Company have issued a circular to shareholders instructing them that tho Union Steamship Company has obtained an option over 90 per cent, of tho shares at £4 10s. per sharo. Each shareholder is asked whether ho is prepared to sell his holding at this prico, while it is pointed out that tho directors themsolves havo under their control a sufficient number of shares to cover tho option. As is now well known, tho Harbour Board has under consideration the question of acquiring tho Patent Slip Company's property. Mrs. Ethel E. Do Costa, LL.B. (nee Miss Ethel R. Benjamin, of Diincdin), after practising for some years in that, city, has commenced practice as a barrister and solicitor in No, C Nathan's Buildings, corner Grey and Fcalherston Street, Wellington. Mrs. De Costa has the distinction of being tho only lady practising at Iho Bar in the Dominion. Intcudintt clients can depend on prompt aud careful attnntiou Ri M.ra, Da Ccut#.'* hindi.

An incipient' lire in an empty shed in. Vivian Sfrcet, at tjie rear or the Panama ; Hotel, was extinguished by the Firq Brigade at 11.15 last night. s ■ Tlio Unipn . Company, has tjlP: steamer Cormna at thp disposal qf fh.p Ppjrt Nicholson Yacht Club for Anniversary. Day.. The vessel H'ill bo used as flagship, and- wi'l leavo tho wharf about 11 a- 1 ??-;' returning, about 1 p.m., 'aijjl ,l§aypg' for' • agaili about2.3o p,ni. ■ ; ■•* Freemasons of the Ulster Lodge, Petono, .will celebrate their twenty-first anniversary ill the Masonic Hall, Pot one, this evening. To suit the convenience of visiting brethren, th.e train . to toyii will bo delayed^!' Icaviii j L'eton© at 11 p.m. - ■ Tlio Registrar of Patents gave his reserved, decision yesterday in t)jo matter of . an ap.r plication fqr x registration of a trade mark for brandy, made on behalf of J. G. Mowiet and Co. Tho registration , was opposed by Martell 'and Co.,' on the , grounds' that tlip label sought to he registered' was 'so similar to tbeii; well-kijown brandy label as to bt) calculated t.o deceive. Alter hearing argument from Mr. Brandon, 011 behalf of the objectors, and Mr, Hunter (Henry Hughes), on behalf of the applicants, tho Registrar, reserved his judgment,, and in his' decision 1 giyen yesterday dispissed |ho opposition,, .and allpwcd the application Qosts wprp-giy.?n to tho;applicants. ' V Mr, Herman Lewis, representing certain landowners in the. Hutt Valley, who prepared to guarantee the Petono ' and Lojyer gijtt .Councils .against:;' loss',s».• extent of £20,000 over ,i period of ten • years in' connection with the' suggested tramjvay for those boroughs, states that tho syndicatp is determined that the Lowpr: Hutt, : jit any rate, should have its tramway system. The syndicate had decided to leave Petono out of its considerations, and, is now aboiit to make an offer to the Lower Hutt Counpil to guarantee the borough against loss for.a period of ten .years.'"to the pstont;.■ of. £15,000, and; the 'syndjpatp' he represented is prepared to put up tho money. . ' It has been a long time .comipg, but it. is hero at last. Wp have .known tho black Dprby,: or hard-hitter Vjjrth'e- male headgpar symbolical of British, rospectability— for a long time, and have at various periods noted with varying feelings of misgiving tho alterations in the width and shape of.ljrjnis and the height of , crowns. Black has on occasions given way to all shades of brown, while a green and a greyhavo crept in hero and thorp pn raro occasions. But npjv the white. hard hat has come' ,to trick pfftho male pergpri, and : if the weather d°PS not change th'erp.ia likely, to be a run on /tho white Derby of blameless lif.p" this sunjmpr. \Vhito harjl hats wer.o just the thing in London last summer, and no 0110 who der siros to bo up to tho minute in headgear should hesitate in adopting the now hat". Master bakers from all parts of the Dominion will journey to New Plymouth at the beginning of March to attend the Annual Conference of tho Now Zealand United 1 ' Mastor Bakers'' Industrial Association of Em T ployers. All the Master Bakprs' Unions in Nev> Zealand ar.e affiliated .'t.o the Associar tion. Tho Pure Ppod Act, and the Flour jpc) Other Products Monopoly Prpyentipri • Act, which were passed last session, will •' give special interest to this year's conference. When tho Pjirjj Food Bill wag before Parlia T mcnt, a deputation representing the Asspciation waited on the Hon. G. Fowlds, and requested that tlio new and'important clauses dealing with the sale of bread by weight' should be held oyer, until after the coining, conference. The Minister preforred to go pij with tho Bill as it stood, but promised t'p give full consideration to any recornmendar tiojis which the conference might make/ Tho "sliding scale," according to which • the price of bread rises and faljs with tho price of flour will also como up at the conference for review. The gathering promises to be of more than usual interest,