LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 100, 21 January 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

—,— . The Customs revenue collected at Wellington yesterday amounted to £5985 17s. 4d. Tlio applications received in three weeks for admission to the benofits of the Civil Servico Superannuation Fund total 750. Sotiio 250 have been recoived sinco Thursday last. At a speoial sitting in Chambers yesterday morning Mr. Justice Button granted probate in the estate of Samuel Benge (deceased). Messrs. Williams and Meredith were the solicitors. The Union Company's steamer Warrimoo, which left Sydney on Saturday night for Wellington, has largo Australian mails on board for the Dominion. The steamer is due here on Wednesday afternoon. \ It is a peculiar fact that the names of the five warships that are to arrive in Wellington from Lyttelton to-day commence with the ■ same letter of the alphabet. They are the Powerful, Pegasus, Pyramus, Prometheus, and Pioneer. ' An elderly man named Edward Winter was arrested yesterday by Detective Rawlo on a chargo of having committed a criminal offence on a nine-year-old girl at Oriental Bay on Friday. The accused will be brought before the Court this morning. Battalion orders by Lieut.iColonel W. G. Duthie, 0.C., announce that the Wellington Rifle Battalion will parade at the Basin Reserve on Friday next at 7.30 p.m. The annual muster parades of the various corps will take place on January 29. Recruit drill will bo regularly carried out in future, recruits to parade for instruction on Tuesday evenings at 7.30 o'clockDr. Pomarc, Health Officer to the Maoris, who has been visiting Native pas on the Wanganui River, at Taupo, and at other places, states that the Maoris arc now very healthy and cheerful since the cessation of the epidemics that were vexing them in the winter, The pas along the Wanganui River have been improved considerably during the last few years. Scvoral hundreds of insanitary wliares hnvo been destroyed, nnd replaced either by houses on the F<uropean model, or by wliares in which European improvements, such as windows and chimm.-s.-i, liave been introduced. The sanitary standard of tlio pas is not yet what- it should be, but it has been raised considerably.

Mrs Etliol K. Do Costa, LL.B. (nee Miss Ethel R. Uenjamin, of, Duncdin), after practising for some years in that city, lias commenccd practice as a barrister aud solicitor in No. 6 Nathan's Buildings, corner Grey and Feather&ton Street, Wellington. Mrs. l)o Costa ha a the distinction of, being the .only lady practising *it the Bar in thft Dominion. In* tending clients can depend on prompt »ml csteful attcatteu At Mrs, De Cwta 0 i&adß> -

It is stated that on account of space con- ■ siderations at Government House, where, the next session of Parliament is to be. held, no accommodation is to be provided for the public. The Fire Brigade had a field-day yesterday extinguishing grass ani3 gorsb'fires;lt' was summoned to Roseneath twice and oncq each to Thorndon, Grant Road, and Hut-; chison Road (Newtown). . ' '/; . /. ; , Tho annual meeting of the Executive Committee of the North Island Grand Lodge, U.A.O.D.,'is to be held this year at Waihi, on February 17. A lodge; holding allegiance to this Grand Lodge is being formed- at' Eastbourne. "The finest trip on record," was the comment of one of the officers of the Papanui, on the voyage from London completed by that vessel yesterday morning. "Finest for the ship?" "Finest for any ship, I believe.' We only had the fiddles on once, and thenthey weren't needed.". The Papanui brought. 236 passengers, of whom 15 were assisted immigrants. Vl' ' •-: ■' ' When the Harbour Board's annual statement of accounts into the hands of members at the statutory,meeting yesterday,; Mr. R.' Fletcher referred to the item of £17,212,125. 4d., expenditure on the new graving dock, and. asked whether this re? presented . ' money . spent on dredging. " Mainly on dredging," was the Engineer's, reply. J : We aro advised by the Education Department of a correction in tho results of ,'thb' Public School Cadets' shooting competitions: for tho Colonial Ammunition Company's. Cup. According to the results previously announced, Sergeant John Cuthbert, Stratford District High School (with the' score of; 73 points), won the cup allotted to the combined districts of Ts/ranalti, Wanganui, and Wellington. It is now stated that the: winner is Private Walton, Levin , District High School, whose score totalled 78 ppints;

Madame Clara Butt is an ex-student and tcacber under tho Royal Academy, of Music, I/ondon, and she still takes a deep interest, in matters connected with that'institution. .Madame Butt has kindly, consented to present tho medals and, certificates to the .successful candidates at the examinations hold by the Associated Board of the Royal Academy of Music, and the Royal College of Music some months ago,' at the presentation ceroinony, which takes pluce/ntiho Concert Room, Town.Hall, on Friday nest, January 24. 1 ' . . ~:.

.... In his report.on the year ending September 110, 1907, Mr. Vk'. Ferguson (retiring Secrctairy to tho Harbour Board) states ■ that members made the following attendances : out of a possible 14:—Mr. Beaucbamp, 10; Air. Danicll, 4; Mr. Fletcher, 13; Mr. Fraser, 13; Mr. Hislop, 10; Mr. Macdonald, 12;' Mr. M'Lollan, 14; Mr. Shiirtdiffe, Mr.', Toiynsond, 4; Mr. Wilford, 6; ■ Mr. . Wood, 10. Messrs. Beauchamp, Danicll, and Townsend were' absent for portions of the year on prolonged leave during visits to Great Britain.

A man who shouted several, interjections of a foolish naturo 'during the address ■ given by the Very Rev. Father D. J. O'Suilivan in the Municipal Concert Hall last evening caused the lecturer to expostulate in plaii terms. "If there is a constable here Iwil ask\hira to put that man out," ho first de clarcd. There was a second interruption which caused him to announco: "If the ah noyance is repeated I will not go on with tho lecture'till that follow is ejected., Will the constablo at tho door eject that mail?," This time the,threat sufficed; there, was no ■further interruption. ■

A gentleman who travelled from New Plymouth to Wellington last week by the mail train stated that lie saw gi*ass fires started at least three or four times by firo from the engino. Our informant, who is an Australian visitor, states that it is tho practico in Victoria to cut down tho grass between the fences guarding the railroad in the summer time to avoid starting grass-fires,; but he did not believe it was very effective, as one was often "caused by a spark from'the funnel alighting amongst the tinder-dry, sun-heated. grass in tho railside paddocks. From what he saw on his recont trip from Taranaki, ho would judge that the railway engines had a good deal to do with some of the grass-fires in .the country. 1

The Christmas number of the "Windsor Magazine" has always been in tho front rank of magazine productions, but this year's effort reaches a level of all round excellence never previously attained. It claims to bo and is a record number. In addition to a remarkably fine .selection of short stories by the very best writers, all excellently illustrated, tliero is a splendid collection of coloured plates. The publishers evon go to the oxtent of providing local colour in the story section, an Australian novel of 112 pages by Ambrose Pratt being included. Wo havo no hesitation in predicting that those who take the trouble to glance at tho Christmas "Windsor" will- find it difficult to refrain from purchasing it.

• In responso to an inquiry made the caretaker at the Wainui reservoir stated that there was no water going over the bywash after about ten o'clock each morning, but up to the- present the deficiency breught about during the day was made up during the night hours. In' the morning enough was going over the by-wash to fill a twoinch pipe, but that ceased about ten o'clock, when tho city begau to drain off in earnest. The Karori supply sinks visibly daily, and the normal water-line is now about 14ft. above the surface of the shrunken lako. The need for care in the use of water should appeal to all' reasonablo people.

The Wellington Harbour Master, in his annual report, states that during the year ended September 30, 1907, eighteen vessels with a net tonnage of 29,393 tons were piloted into port. Two vessels with a net tonnage of 4599 tons were piloted outwards. Five hundred and twenty-seven vessels, with a net tonnage of 1,812,970 tons were removed. The total number of vessels handled by the pilots was 547, with a net tonnage of 1,846,962 tons, of which 479 wore steamers, with a net tonnage of 1,805,935 tons, and 68 wero sailing vessols with a net tonnage of 38,027 tons, being an increase of 39 vessels, with an increase in net tonnage of 215,580 tons ovor the previous year. The inoreaso in steam.traffic handled by the pilots and stalT was' 69 vessels, with a net tonnage of 242,407 tons, and the doorcase in sailing vessels was 30, with a not tonnage of 26,827 tons. Twonty-one vessels, with a net tonnage of 83,992 tons, wore removed from the Queen's Wharf to the Glasgow and Railway Wharves for loading purposes, free of charge. The total number of vessels laid up for repairs, and whioii occupied berths at the wharves, was 67, with a net tonnage of 32,906 tons, the time at the wharves during repairs being 973 days.

For Shampooing, special Hair and Face Treatment, visit Mrs. Rolleston, Certificated Hair Physician, and Face Specialist M;lo'f Preparations obtainable. 3 .Willi# Street (over. Coiroll'4- ,SKaa -

A resident of this city, whose business,* is very largely concerned with the inspection, of buildings, says ho is confident that the authorities do not .nearly , realise, the .extent, of -tho depredations \ of tho , wood ■ borer, and . the • way in which its ravages; are being spread: by the utilisation of old timber for, now houses; :the introduction amongst; sound.furniture of affected'articles from the-auction-mart;: and l other causes. Ho states that he has inspected 1 one liouso in tho suburbs, which was onlybuilt, live years ago, a] proportion/of .timber] from another dismantled building being..used. 111 its construction.; Tho old timber, which, was then but slightly affected'by the borer, was'used with tho ponsont of tho City Council, and now the pest has multiplied and ex-, tended '■ its operations: to; such ,a degree, . that in five years more; the . entire. house 'will bo I uscloss. In one place the visitor; was ablo to stamp his foot through tho closo-perforar! ted.' floilr. ;■ The borer . hatches; its ,:eggs, ..-by instinct, on the softest wood it can-find. The, young insects start at once to boro into,the fabric. After a certain tune they go,into the chrysalis statp, from - which v thoy- emerge, in tho form of very small beetles,' to laymoro eggs', and' produce' .other',- borers; So tho

work 'of. 'devastation ' goes .-.oil apace, and spreads! from; wall to wall, and from one article:! of furniture to • another, 'until tho] whole !house is affected. 0: