LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 127, 21 February 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Customs revenue collected at Welling, ton yesterday amoiintcd to £4708 4s! 4d.

■ Municipal reserves, aggregating nearly 200 acres, havo been vested in tho Taihape Borough Council.

porches, lias been vested in tlio Lower Hutfc Borough Council by the Government for the widening of Bridge Street.

The oponiug for selection on renewable lease on April 29 of national endowment lands in the Auckland, Nelson, Taranaki, Westland, Canterbury, Otago, and Southland land (listriotfi is aunounocd in the Gazette.

Tho Huntorvillo Town Board has been oppointed by the Government a Domain Board to have charge of the local domain.

Lands aggregating 4 acres 1 rood 30 poles in the town of Ohakune have been permanently reserved for municipal police and general Government purposes.

Then; were four bankruptcies in tho Dominion last week, tho bankrupts being respcctively a store-keeper, a tailor, a hotel keeper, and a labourer.

Sitting in Banco to-day, His Honour Mr. Justico Chapman will hear the following cases:—Mills v. Riddiford and others, motion for writ of. prohibition; Hallenstein v. Dwyer, case on appeal.

Mr. Thomas Broadbelt, engineer, was admitted to tho Hospital yesterday morning suffering from a crushed hand. It was found necossary to amputato two fingers next to tho thumb. Mr. J3roadbelt's hand was oaught betweon the rollors of a printing machine.

: This morning at 10 o'clock His Honour Mr. Justice Chapman will pass sentence on Robert Ibell, alias T, A. Bell, alias Snell, alias W. Brown, who, on February 7, pleaded guilty to three charges of forgery and uttering. at Masterton; also, on Christopher Scott, who, at'Wellington,'on Fobruary-19, pleaded guilty to two. charges of forgery.

A littlo after nine o'clock yesterday morning a stoppage occurred on the Newtown tramway route, owing to a collision between a Now town and a Constable Street car. The accident was. duo to someone having altered tho .poiots, so as to turn the up-oar on to' the Island Bay line. The cars were damaged to somo extent, but no one was hurt.

Tho weekly mooting 1 of tho Trades Council was held last evening, Mr. Lightfoot, vicepresident, .presiding. There were : about \SO delegates present, and, , after a. large amount' of correspondence had been dealt with, the adjourned debate on' the immigration question - was' resumed. The debate was warm; and occupied the wholo of the evening, having to, be further adjourned until, next meeting night.

The time is drawing near when: : the Chinese Immigrants Amendment Act (imposing an education test on Chinese) and tho Divorce and-Matrimonial Causes Act, which were'sent to England' to receive the' King's' Assent,', should be returned to the Dominion, They were dispatched from New Zoaland immediately , after .the prorogation of Parliament; ■ 1 Tho procedure, if the Royal Assont' ! is not given, is 'simply to allow the matter quietly to pass by, no formal notir fication being necessary.

Professor W. Baldwin Spencer, • who is returning to Australia from Dunedin, after .paying his. fifth visit in . five years to the Mount Cook Hermitage, has written to the Tourist Department " expressing his appreciation of the kindliness shown him by the management, tho constant courtesy of the. Department's guides. "The whole way in which the. Hermitage is managed,", he says, "and ,the work connected with the maintenance of tho. huts on tho Tasman Glacier, and .the guiding of tourists is carried out,'.reflects the greatest credit.on all those who are responsible for the safety and comfort of visitors." ■ .

A'."little ruse which has been 1 worked to ovade the 'duty of 20 per cent, on cotton, linen, and union ; goods .when manufactured jnto. separato, art jcl.es, is . spoiled by. a ruthless Governor's Order published in the Gazette. "When these goods are imported in tho undivided state v they are free of duty, and to. expend .the of this concession it has apparantly bccomo usual to import tho material marked with patterns', woven devices, or othor - signs, which indicato, that it'can'be cut up into separate articles.lt is now announced that piece-goods so treated shall in: future be liable to tho 20 per cent, imposition as if they were already soparato articles. ■ .

Tho Sydney agent of the 'Now Zealand Tourist Department wrote, under date February 15, stating that' tho strike of timber yard employees, which recently occurred in Sydnoy, would probably have a serious effect on the butter export industry from 'that side. .It would soon bo impossible to get local timber for the manufacture of butt-er boxes,, and it could reasonably be expected to increase tho export of New Zealand white pins. Local stocks op hand, ho stated, wore! exceedingly low, \ahd at tho'time of writing there wero no indications of an early termination of'the striko! The men', who daily 1 marched in procession, seemed' determined to remain out - until their demands wero acceded to. (Recent cablegrams announce, the resumption of work, pending arbitration.^

Last year a sum of £2800 was placed on the Estimates, for additions and improvements to Wellington Supremo Court .buildings. These additions, . which have been badly needed for a considerable period,', are now to be carried out! It is proposed to extend the building to both Ballance awl AY hit more Streets. The library accommodation will be'doubled, and the noxt ap;wiment will be converted into n robing room. Above this portion, of tho Court consulting • rooms will be provided. The Registrar's and Sheriff's rooms will bo, used for the accommodation of malo and fomalelwitnesses respectively. A number of rooms, including offices for the Registrar and Sheriff,: will be added to the opposite wing. It is. understood that the Court rooms will llot bo interfered with. ' Six months will be occupied ui effecting the improvements. '

At tho annual meeting of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts last night the Hon.' T. K. Macdonald expressed disappointment with the pictures purchased in England by c committer for the Wellington subscribers. While feeling grateful to the committee for the trouble thoy took, he thought should have chosen pioturcs that would ap, peal to the uninitiated, rather thatn to ad-, mirers of any particular .school. In reply, Mr. H. Von Haast said > that,.this about the choice of pictures existed in cvff.y art gallery'in the world, and purchasing com, mittees were always held to be but at the same time he thought tho pur-: chase of tho Brangwyn picture would make this art gallery famous throughout tho work] of art. Brangwyn was one of, tho greatest impressionists; and, looked at merely the commercial point of view, tho purchase of such a picture was a good investment. , Hq qupted the caso of the Auckland Art Gallery, The selection which was made for them by tho President of the Scottish' Academy,',: pictures by members of tho Glasgow had at tho time been strongly condemned, but now those very artists were in tho front rank, and thoir pictures were regarded aa treasures,

. For Shampooing, all Hair, and Face treatments, visit Mrs. -Rolle6tou, Hair Physician, Faco Specialist, and Masseuse, Certificated. Trained under medical supervision. Special treatment for FaHing Hair, Dandruff, Grey, ness, Faco Mnseape, etc.,. personal attention, lft Floor, 4 Willie Street (over Carroll's). Tel. 1538,; Tim

The Rev. Charles Inwood concluded his Wellington' mission in the Baptist Church, Vivian Street, last evening. The preacher spolco on " Tho Holy Spirit" to an unusually large week-night congregation.

A grazing run with an area of 800 acrcs, being Section 42 of tho Kaiteke Block, oleven miles from Raurimu, will bo opened for lease by tho Lands Department for 21 years, with right- of renewal, on April 29. Tho annual picnic of the staff of Messrs. Macky, Logan, Caldwell and Co. is-to take, placo at Mason's Gardens to-morrow. The omployees of the D.I.C. will hold their annual outing at tho same place on Saturday week. : . Tho ages of the various persons indicted at the Supreme Court, Wellington, durifig 1907, wore as follow:—TJp to 10, nil; 10 to'ls years,-nil; 15 to 20 years, 9; 20 to 25 years, 11, including-two females; 25 to 30 years, 22,-including three, females; •30 to 40 years, 28; 40 to 50 years, 12; 50 to 60 years, 3; over 60 years, one, aged 65 years. A conference of representatives of the Wellington Rangemakero' Union and employers has boon held this week to consider, tho demands of the Union. No conclusion was arrived at, as' the conference. adjourned to see whether a federation of all the Rangemakers! Unions in New Zealand can be brought about, and an agreement arrived at to apply to tho whole of tlia Dominion. The Corporation workmen havo begun the reconstruction of Plimmer's, Steps alongside the office of The Dominion. Owing to the narrow spaco in' which the work has to be done, and tho dangerous nature of the operations, it has been thought wiso t-Q close this important footway against tho public. " It is hoped that, in the interest of a speedy'oompletion of the improvements, individuals who aro temporarily incorivenienoedSwill- oheerfiilly acqiiidsce-in . .- , . Tho whale which was washed. ashore at Okarito,has'been secured for, tho Canterbury Museum, telegraphs our Christchurch , correspondent, The.cura'Jpr, Mr. E...R, Waite, left for the West Coast to-day ,to arrange for transporting the skeleton to Chriatohurch. The: bones /will be numbored, m; as ,to ensure: accuracy >n sotting up. As the whale is 87ft. loiij;, and proportionately thick, some special arrangements will have to be. made for housing the skeleton at' the museum.. , ' , ■ An area of Nativo Hand, containing 318 acres, in tho Arapmva Survey District, ! Marlborough, has been taken by the Government for the purpose of a scenic reserve. Areas totalling 110 ai;res, m the Tarawera Survey District, have lieen taken for the purpose of internal communication between Lakes Rotorua and Ts.rawera. The Government has also decided'to reserve for scenic purposes areas of Native land totalling 33C>. acres in the , Waipakura Survey District, Wellington Province; and an area of Ba.' 2r.. 30p. at W'aitara, Taranaki. ' . In a- letter addressed to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, the Minister for Railways (the Hon. W. Hall-Jones), referring to the duplication of the WellingtonHutt. Railway line, stated that the duplicate lino would be opened as far as Ngahauranga, upon the completion, as he' anticipated, of the : platelaying on an additional section.The work was being pushed on as rapidly as possible, buti many unforeseen difficulties had presented themselves. More rapid • progress was expected to be made after tho line reached Ngahauranga. .' i: -' , 1 ' ; ' '" Big 'gun practice was continued at' Mallanga; Bay yester.day morning,- when service 'class-firing; from the. 8-ineh B.li. /disappearing gun : at Fort Gordon was taken. - Lieutenant Soloman was battery-commander, and' the ; detachment'was" under P.O. Hepworth. Six shots .were fired, all, being recorded hits, and the'figure of merit awarded . was 1.2. :A, servioe series of six . shots , was also fired from the 8-inch gun at Kau Point (Lieut-, enant Dcnniston); tho full number of hits wefo recorded, the figure of merit being 1.08. This morning' the Impounder detachment will undergo its service, practice. : The question of'the improvement of the Government Railway. Station .at Wellington has been engaging th'e attention of the Minister for Railways (Hon. W. Hall-Jones) for some timo past, states a communication which' has been received by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, from the Minister; The matter cannot take definite form until the Wellington-Manawatu Railway Company's line has been acquired. Mr. Hark,ness, Chairman of the Chamber of 'Commerce, regards' the Minister's reply as being unsatisfactory, and,evasive. It was pointed out that'at the last, interview between the Chamber and the Minister: on the subject it j ivas distinctly understood; that^ soon as tho Government had decided to acquire the Manawatu-Wellington line, steps, would be taken to improve the present unsatisfactory state; of things at Wellington Station, which, it was ; understood,' would be'used foi, passenger, traffic only. The Minister, iu his communication,' added that probably the area at present occupied by the Manawatu Company's Station would be mado the central depot for all goods traffic.' -Mr. Harkness ris : strongly of the opinion that. the Thorndon Station should bo : immediately improved.,. . The' interested residents of the Onslow Borough- will havo an opportunity to-day.- to try to carry the scheme to acquire the-now bush-clad, hills ; adjoining tho Domain, and lying immediately behind Khandallah, as: a water-catchment area for all timo, and for the benefit of the whole of that part of thfe] Borough—Khandallah and Crofton. This is tho only possible site where a dam could be placed to supply tho high-lying as well as •he lower parts of Khandallah and Crofton, as levels, taken 1 show that the dam would bo 200. feet higher than the Khandallah railway station. The area is proposed' to be taken under the Publio' Works Act, 1905, and the poll is to authorise the raising of a loan of £4500, which includes sufficient to pay the fmit' year's interest on the' amount required. The Borough Council has decided that, to pay the interest and sinking fund charges after the first year, a rate of }d. in the £ cnttho unimproved, value will bo necessary. As,'.water is one of the first necessary schemes —ifmiot-the first —to be considered by all ftickly-populated .districts, ifc behoves all fiho voters to givo this matter* their serious attention to-day. The polling booths will be at Mr. Vickers's hall, Khandallah; Mr Scrimgeour's store, Crofton; the Mothodist Church meeting-room, Kaiwarra; and the Onilow Borough Council office, Ballance Street, •■io ■ City. Mrs. Ethel E. Do Costa, LL.B. (nee' Misa jithel R. Benjamin, of Dunedin), after practising for some years in that city, lias comjvicnccd practice as a barrister and solicitor in No. 6 Nathan s Buildings, corner Grey and Feathcrston Streets, Wellington. Mrs. De Costa haj the distinction of, being the only lady pj-achsmg at tho Bar in tho Dominion. Intending clients can depend on prompt and careful attention at Mrs. Be Costa's hands.

Latest Picture Cards, Hutt Valley Sports, y.M.C.A. Svnmminff Sports, and Star Boatinc Club, events, at Zak'fl Photo Dejjot 2i Willis