LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 147, 16 March 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

.." :. V »... V ■ The Infectious - diseases reported to tho Health Department^last week'wore: — City, : six cases of scarlet) (ever; Hutt County, nil. ' Tho Customs revenue collected at Wellington lost week was £17,462 17s. lid., arid the jbeer duty collected for-.tho samo period was £167, lis; The amount of rovohuo collected last Saturday was £4419 Is; 3d.- ' ■ Mr. Justice Dennistori will preside at a meeting of tho Compensation Court, which is to sit in Christelmroli to-day to decide tho' amount to bo paid by tho Government tor. tho Culverden Estate, ef 25,155 aores, which has been compulsorily taken by tho State for closer settlement. Tho Rev. J; F. Macßao, of Toorak, Melbourne, referred in an interview" to an increasing wavo of secularism now evident in Victoria. Mr. MacE-ao seemed mindful of such a spirit in tho anxiety Which ho Showed

last evoniug not to tax his congregation at St. John's with too long a sormon. Ho, had only spoken for a very moderate time whcoi ho oxclaimed,' rather suddenly" Perhaps I ought to stop now. If you'll give me half a moment Most of tho congregation appeared' much surprised at being, ; at all consulted in tho matter, and highly reverent worshippers blioked thoir watches to. seo if It was rwUly vory kto. I

A sitting of tho Bankruptcy Court will bo held this morning, when the business will consist of the hearing of a creditor's petition for an adjudication, and of an application for approval of a composition in an estate. • The i'oneko Football Club has 'decided to hold a sports gathering'on Saturday wcok in aid of tho Carruthers fund, which was aug-i mented by £2 16s. Bd., as a result of; a collection taken up at its annual meeting on Friday evening.' .

Tho Wellington sittings of tho Arbitration Court, which consists of v Judge Sim ■ and Messrs. Brown (employers' representative) and M'Cullough (workers' representative), will begin this morning at tho Supreme' Court buildings. After tho order of business has been fixed, the,hearing of applications for enforcements will be commenced:

•For some days past residents in the vicinity of Sussex Square have been troubled with an erratic water supply. The CityV Council was communicated with, and tho inspector and agaiig wero sent out on Saturday afternoon to investigate matters. Their work terminated about eight o'clock that • evening, with the discovery of- the cause of tho trouble —a large eel in one of tho pipes.

An, old-age pensioner named Frank M'Cluskey, sixty-eight'years of age, was admitted .to' tho Hospital yesterday evening suffering from . a dislooated shoulder. It appears that the old man, who resides at No. 5' Horner Street, was suffering from, ill'' lluonza, and at about midnight on Saturday lie attempted to reach out of bed for something when he oyorbhla'nced and foil on 4 to' the floor; dislocating his right shoulder.

-. The usual crdwd'of people who assemble on the wlfarf on Sundays ; to witness, the,arrival Of .the .various "boats,: were greeted, to S rocking resembling ah earthquake, 'when the ferry turbine Maori came alongside the wharf ; yesterday. • The vessel, ■ which'.had considerable way on, bumped the wharf with' a fair amount of.', force/ but no damage resulted. The Maori lost a fair amount of paint by, the impact, and dented, a couple of platesj but; the .injury' is considered, to bo. very. Slight. '. . ". ■': . .'• Speaking at a meeting in. Shannon that was convened to consider the urging oh.the, feoyernmont of certain public works, Mr. W. H; / Field, Government . member for Otaki, ■approved the principle of a salary .for the Leader ,of . th'o Opposition.' Our • Shannon ■correspondent writes: —ln reply to a wish oxpressed by Mr. F. W. Venn (who was in the. ohair)'that, tlio Opposition party in New Zealand: was stranger, Mr. Field stated that it "was highly desirable, that : Mr.. Massey should be< paid., a salary .of, say, £1000 a year, and should be provided with a: secretary. Thero was no man in Now Zealand, who worked harder than Mr. Massey. ■The New Zealandor is ' apt to smile the .smile of superior, knowledge when he hears the. stranger within ' our gates, pronounce Rotoiti as if ;it; is spelt ." Ro-toy-ti,'- Onehunga as■ " Wondiunga,". Petone as "Petwonj'f, but i§ .: he justified ? '.. .In casnally ■glanoing. over the map of the North, Island, in. a ,vain ;: search for ;a block of land to. be .bought at a: reasonable price, a correspondent discovered tho pretty name Tamataukakatangihaiigakoauau, ,a sea-coast place not far distant Bay). ;■ Tho interpretation (vidoran inscription, on the ■ map) was ; "Soii . of the S.ea playing . upon a ■flute." • It is sincerely to be hoped that when tlio timo arrives for the establishment therO of a po'St' oflico'that noi vandsft will be' allowed!; to/change the Native riamo of tho sjwt. '. ''v.:

; ; Tlie Wellington Fire Board ceases to exist to-day*;,, its functions being resumed s by the" City Council. .At its final meeting last Frk day the Board authorised its chairman (Mr; James M'Kerrow) to transfer all its property and liabilities to the .City Ppuncili The authorised estimato of the .Board's expenditure for the. year.ending June 30, ,1908, was- £7000. Of this amount' .£4OO was to .be contributed by tho Government, £3300 by. tho insurance companies, and/ tho same amount by theCity. Council.'' : :Tlle Gdvenihient" ' haS paid; £300, ';and, *the. insurance.companies. '£24oo.' The City Coiincil has financed the Board from its inception, the Fire Brigades Act of 1906 having left.it- without' aay, revenue ! for .the first few months of its /'existence.. The readjustment of finances,:.' consequent, dny the. change, will be made by the City Council, subject to the approval of the Governor-in-Council.' -The last act of the Board was to; pass votes of thanks to the chairman, and the secretary and treasurer (Mr. A. J. Petherick). Several inquiries have been made as to whether the--City Council regulation prohibiting the use df the hose for watering gardens, lawiis, etc., has beeti removed since tlio rain camo. . The. City Engineer (Mr. W. H. Morton) states that hosing is. still prohibited) and people found hosing their premises are just as liable to be hailed before the Court aB was the case three -weeks ago. The rainfall has oil tha whole befeit,very light in town, and the Kai'ori dams have benefited little; if at all. It is satisfactory to learnthat there is plenty. 'of ■ water at Wainui, whore it has been emptying itself over the by-wash sinco the beginning of the month. As ' the. daiiger from further drought this summer seems,to havo past, and many people havP "bits o' cultivation" they would liko, to save from irretrievable ruin, it would bo a considerate action oh the part of the Mayor if he would instruct the'Acting-Town; Clerk, to announce that tho restriction on hosing is removed. t Tho water that is going t6 waste at Wainui might' just as well bo benefiting the parched lawns and gardens of the city., The business at the Magistrate's Court on Saturday morning comprised five cases—all of which aroso through over-indulgence in. liquor. Three first offenders, 1 who'did not appear to answer charges of driihkenhess, wero convicted and fined 10s.': each, the amount of their bail. . A se'cpnd offender,' Lizzie O'Flynn, was mulcted in tho same amount. For disorderly conduct whilst drunk, a young man . named. Alfred : Argylo Morrison was convicted and fin4d 405., with costs, in default seven - days' imprisonment. Sub-Inspector O'Donovan, in outlining. tho facts of tho case,' stated that defendant, was ejected from the Theatre Royal by a constable on Friday evening for misbehaving himself, and at tho conclusion of the performance, as Mr. and Mrs. Fuller wero proceeding to join a oar, ho used offensive language towards thorn. Defendant (pointing to his forehead): "I'.was shbt in the head during-tho South African war, Your Worship, and whencvor I take much liquor it affccts me—makes mo mad; This is tho first time I havo committed any offence.'' Tho Magistrate (Mr. Riddell,-S.M.j, in passing sentence,' reminded defendant, that, in view of the circurastanco which lie had mentioned, it 'was his duty to,, abstain: from' liquor.

Mrs. Ethel R. do Costa, LL.B. (nee Miss Ethel R.,Benjamin, of Diinedin), after practising, for Some yehrs in that city, has commenced practico as a barrister and solicitor in 'No. ft Nathan's Buildings, corner.Grey and Fcatherston Streets, Wellington! Mrs. Do Costa has thp distinction of -being the only lady practising at the liar in the Dominion. Intendintf; cliejits cntl.. depend .on prompt and. .waful attention at Mrs. De Costa's hands..

The Marino Department advise j that adverse weather has interfered with tlio '; , Tutanekai's cable-laying operations from Centro Island (to tho Bluff. The vcss:l will, woathor permitting, resume work to-day.

At the conclusion of the organ recital at the Town Hal) on Tuesday evening last, a number of marked programmes were handed in. Thoso particular items in the programme which were most 'appreciated were, to judge by. the voting, Schubert's " Cradle Song," Picrnee's " Serenado," and the overture from Aubor's " Masaniello." The Mendelssohn Sonata came fifth on tha list of favourites. '. ; : :

I About twelvo electric cars, several of them crowded with ; passengers from Island Bay and- the' Basin Reserve Sports, were blocked at tho .comer of Vivian Street ''and Cam- ! bridge Terraco,;about 6.30 p.m. on Saturday, through one car getting off the line. ' A largo number of passengers started for their home? on' foot,„ but tlio mishap to traffic was set right in about a quartor of an hour, the cars mdvid off in their several,'directions, and what had briefly seemed a. gaily lighted central metropolitan thoroughfare resumed its dull suburban drabness. •

It is understood that Dr. Chappie, has been approached by several influential gentkv men in tho Otaki electorate to contest the seat at the coming elections, in the prohibition interest. Shannon is now in tlio iieW Otaki electorate,"-which extends from Ponrua to Liiitoh. * ' Portions-'of -the old Otaki area fringing ou the city of Wellington 'are -cut off,- and tho electorate .is'; extelided into .the Manawatu. electorate, in which 1 'Shannon was formerly. Dr. Chappie's chief interest is m fie new electorate.' Mr. W. X H. Field, tha present member, will again stand for Otaki.

k "ftere, Sir Josephj you must'go in for' these fowls!" Said a pretty girl to the Premier at the Homo of Compassion , fete on Saturday. Sir Joseph, who was with;, the Minister forjPublic Works, saidFowls— oh, hero you are; Fowlds, hero are soma fowls I" But the jlittlo, joke, had.;induced the . Minister. for Public Health to lose himself in the crowd,, but the pretty one was ministerially instructed,to .pursue the errant one, and the last that Was seen of the encounter Was' the Hon.;, .George Fowlds being chascd' by' the pretty black-, haired girl bent on soiling him A ticket tliafc would;wiii (or lose) him a pair of fowls.

] Messrs..Penty and, have accepted the tender of Messrs., J.- Trevor and Sons for the erection of a large fourstoried brick. building that is to cover -the whole of that central block between'the New Zealand-Clothing Co.'s (Hallenstein Bros.) promises and Skorrett and Wylie's building on Lambton Quay. This block s means the demolition of those ancient wooden: premises, at 'present occupied by-Mr. Orr, chemist; Mr. Davis, .tailor; the Goldsmith's Company, jewellers; Mr:' Hardy, photographic material dealer; Mr. i.Tonking, cheimst;' and the pro mises occupied for ' so long "by J Mr. Tlios.;PringleV And lately vacated,by' Messrs.' Whit' combe and Tombs; In place of thede a magnificent modern' brick 'and steel'..building is to be erected/ for ; the 'purpose of shops and' ( offices, but 1 ' instead Of ; half-a-dozen .•: shops along the front,"as at present, only ; be three; andi-the largest, ;to bo occupied .by Messrs.. R: .Hannah and Co.,;will set a now standard m 1 boot, emporiums., The stories above, will be arranged for suites of offices on the most,,up;to-date. plan ) :and in! such a central and. convenient. position, they should. lot ! . frith tlio-greatest ease, despite the acres of offices that have „boen made available, during the pttst two yearsi The contract price io £11,122. Y - "

. Owing' to the frequent complaints pf South' Wairarapa farmers as to the ravages made in 1 their pastures bythe. increasiiigly large herds of dGer, the Wellington Acclimatisatibu Society has. decided to. throw-; open to the deerstalker,tlio northern portion of the Haurangi forest reserve, an area roughly about • five by six miles in extent in tho Featherston Countyji to the ■ South-fiast of. the . Wairaiapa Lake, ■> Foi- the guidance of- stalkers, .a. siS : fdot blasso't'bai' beeh made! ali>ng the' boundaries of, the reserve) and also between that part ! of the reserve that may bo . shot, over and. the part sMll strictly reserved. A'plan.; of "tiie district,; , shomng._tlio part, of forest .reserve opend. to deer-stakers, has been printed at the Government' Printing ; Office, and .is being circulated by medium of. the Post Office. It has been a well-grounded complaint on the part .of : stalkers from abroad, after being induced to come to Now Zealand for the sport of docr-stalkmg, that in tile district' they. have been utterly 'dopoiident on gaiAing. the permission of,owners of private property. This restriotiou is removed by tho opening of the reserve.»- V It is expected that tenders will be called for the erection of tho new General /Post Office, tfhiclt is to Covfer the other half of the city block on which the present General Post Office standsj. and whicli has been fully closeribed in these columns! /Anticipating the notices to ;tjiiit tliat must- .be issued .to. tiiose tenants . occupying the old wood and Iroil buildings' along.tho Feathcrston Street side of . tho block, several of them havo socured otlier premises, a lid havo givon the Govenimentnoticp of their intention to shift their. quarters' at. ail early date.. ' Aniong the occupiers, of theso-'bits of old Wellington is tho Post Office itself, wliiclr occupies the. old :place formerly thfe premises■ of Messrs. Levin and Co.,' in Grey Street, for the purposes, of Parcels Pijst and Dead Let\er Office. As these; offices will have to bo ronioved almost immediately) tho postal, authorities have- leased part of'the ground'floor,.and the stcond ands third, 'floors of McSsrs.' : , Devino and Steven-v . son's/new building in Brandon Street: It is ifttetesting .to liotfe tho, spreading propensities' consequent upon the. growth of' business in, connection with the' General! Post and Telegraph Ofiice. The ■ Post- Office Bank and Money Order .Office is on Lambtou Quay; tho Accountant's staff is located in Nathiin's big- 1 block inj Feathcrston "Street;, tho " stores " aire located in Harris Street; the Parcels I'ost and Dead. Letter Office (now In Grey Street) will bo located iu Brandon Street; and the .Telephone" Exchange is situated in tho grounds of Gorornmont Buildings/- - : .. •; \ ■;

All ladies desiring to beautify their hair, also -rtnte it ilossy and in good condition for the various balls, .etc., during the coming amnion 'should'.'not* book appointments with Mrs. Itoll&ton, Hair Phyßieinii, of 3 Williß Street ' (over Carroll's).\ Cfratses of' treatment, including JiGcGsSary 'ldtious, from' 30s.- Advice ,- free; Tel. 1599 '' '■ '' Photos- of Trcntliami Rlile .meetiiifi,- Arawai'e Ariau 'Collision. : Maori Wharf Collision, and other 'gttmpS .at Zftk's . Depot,; 24 . Williß "Street. .-V,..' . -■■■■ ;>:'[ ■ \.,. ''-v; • Fol' .the supply of .Watt electrical: meters (somo three hunufod), the telider of the Aus'tralian General Elcctric-Company, for British, Thompson, and ,'Hnustoil inters . (8.T.1-L.) at jCGI3 llsi od. has been ncceptbd by. the City Cotlncll. The othef tenders 'tvere: A.- and 'T. litirt, Dunedin, i£54S ss.' lido ftiid Turnbull and Joiles, Wellington, y6523 9s; The former .offered Ho supply l the Clutmbi.'ilain .aiid. the Hookhams meter, while the. pattern : tendered by Messrs.'Turnbull ; ami Joncs ; ~was the "Wje«tiiUihoU£(S."