LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 165, 6 April 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

— « — A statement has been made to the effect that the Navy Loaguo correspondence between Captain Crutohloy, Mr. C. W. Palmer (local socrotary), and tho Primo Minister, published in Tiie Dominion recently, "was parted with upon tho oxpress condition that it was not to bo; mado use of in publication." Wo liavo to stato that all three letters wore handed to our reporter by Mr. Palmer, and a copy of each was taken with that gentleman's consent, and in his presence,,and with no restriction to publication.

Tho Customs revenue collccted at Wellington last weok amounted to £13,658 14s. 9d.; the amount collected for tho corresponding period of last year was £20,611 15s. 6d. The beer, duty collected at Wellington last week was £445 18s. Bd., as against £242 6s. 6d. for tho corresponding week of 1907. Tho collection of Customs revenue for last Saturday was £1346 os. Bd., the amount for the corresponding d»y of last ysar boinc £3880 114. 3d.

Tho hearing of the case, Corporation of Feilding v. tho Foilding Gas Company, will be resumed in the Court of Appeal this morning.

A constable on duty on Lambton Quay at 1.45 yesterday morning discovered fire in a barrel standing inside the hoarding in front of the now Occidental Hotel. Tho outbreak was caused through water coming in contact with unslaked lime, which was in tho barrel.

Tho new municipal building by-law came into force on April 1. There are 107 pages of this by-law, so persons contemplating tho ercction of a home will have to burn tho midnight oil to grasp what they ought not to do. Tho by-law. is being sold at tho City Council offices at Gd. per copy.

In tho published report of tho annual mooting of the Old Navals' Association, it was stated that the credit balance amounted to ss. Bd. We are asked to state that this represented cash in hand, and that a further sum of £5 18s. 3d. stood to the credit of the Association at the Bank.

The annual picnic of the employees and members of the firm of F. and W. Ferkins, builders, of this city, was held at tho Upper Hutt Recreation Grounds on Saturday last, and was well attended. An energetic committeo organised tho amusements and sports, and a most enjoyable day was spent.

Owing to tho.fact that A Battery of Field Artillery, and No. 1 Garrison Artillery at Auckland have not yot completed their, service firing, tho results of tho competition for the Garrison Artillery Shield-and'the "Rhodes" Field Artillery Cup will not bo announced until after Easter. It is expected that the above corps will complet-e their firing during the Easter manoeuvres. ■■

Late in the Parliamentary session of 1907 Mr. Jennings, M.P., asked for a return showing tho number of deaths due to the administration of anaesthetics registered in the Dominion during the past ten years. The return is now to hand. It shows a total of 53 deaths from 1897 to 190G inclusive, Tho largest number in one yearwas. nine, in 1902. Thero were only two in 1806, and seven in 1905. Deaths from anaesthetics defined as "self-administered" or "suicide" are not included.'

So far, the following cases have been set down for hearing at the noxt criminal sittings of the Supreme Court at Wellington, which commenco on' May 11: —Roderick M'Kenzie, alleged indecent assault (two charges); George Allen, alleged forging and uttering; Herbert E. H. Bird, alleged theft; John Hogan, alleged indecent assault; Hum alias Wirenu Rapata, alleged theft; Wallace Herbert Stewart, alleged forgery; Arthur Roddie, alleged attempted unnatural offence; Frederick Jansen and James Diggs, alleged assault and Jobbery; David Rowe, alleged breaking, entering, and theft.,

Preparations for the monster Catholic Bazaar, to he held in the Town Hall at Easter are now in full swing, and-Welling-ton is promised something quite out of the ordinary in such affairs. As is usual, the dancing, marching, posturing, and- tableaux, by a large number of young ladies, are to be a feature, and Signor Borzoni, who is regarded as a specialist in this sort of thing, is now engaged actively rehearsing about a hundred young ladies, who aro showing a marked aptitude for the business in' hand. Fuller, particulars of the ba'zaar,. which is to commence on Easter Saturday, will bo announced in due course. '

. The statemont from a correspondent published in. our morning contemporary to the effect that Mr. Hislop had given, a reception, to Mr. Kcir Hardie, tho well-known Socialist, and had declined to give a public reception to the Rev. Father Hays,, tho, distinguished temperance advocate, has been replied to by Mr. Hislop. In effect, the Mayor states that he had laid down , certain rules for-his guidance in such matters, arid had carried them out, apart altogether from the ,Socialistic view of Mr. Hardie or the temperance principles of Father Hays. As a,matter of fact, while he could not accord the public reception, requested, ho presided at Father Hays's first address.

The, now theatre in Christchurch, has a gallery wherein tho " gods " 'enthroned on high criticise the play, the players, and the i audience. Lately they have taken to throwing missiles down into tho stalls. Programmes folded into darts, nuts,, lollies,, pieces of fruit, and a wondrous variety of things are used as ammunition to annoy persons in the lower portion of the theatre. The management has taken prompt action, and on Saturday morning a boy aged fifteen years was charged at tho juvenile court', with having thrown refuse from tho family circle into the stalls. The Magistrate said that in future he, would inflict a penalty on any porson brought beforo him on a similecharge, but in the present case he would discharge the boy on his undertaking to behave himself in future.

It has como at last—tho fountain pencil. Tho money mado out of mustard is said to, be represented by the mustard that is never used the leavings on plates; and, similarly, the world's consumption of tobacco would be lessened by a fourth wore it possible to smoke without waste. Much the same argument can be applied, to the, load pencil so f requontly does it lose all point by being broken in the sharpening or the pocket and other, ways when not in practical use. The newest lead pencil is really an improvement on an old idea, the sticks'of graphite being placed in a holder which, when twisted down, leaves only a tiny point visiblo, but it is held quite firm and absolutely rigid,- and, no ordinary amount of pressure affects the rigidity of the graphite' or. affects its point. Refills of the graphite of any grade from double B to double H may be purchased with tho pencils.

For ways that are dark, and tricks that aro vain, the heathen Chinee is not. so very peculiar. The ways of tho itinerant teavendor are many and various, but there is ono of the class who is said to bo doing roally well on the story lie tolls. This person does not descant at any great length about the merits of the tea.. That is too old a dodgo. He onlists tho sympathy of tho lady of the house by informing her that before he sold tea from door to door he was an actor, and that ho has just been released from the hospital, whore he underwent treatment for an accident to an oyo sustained in a mock-duel on tho stage. At this stago ho soils a pound of tea or not.

If successful—and this is the richest "• ga" " over sprung by a canvasser—he informs tho purchaser that the company he bolongcd to was shortly, to reappear in Wellington, and that it would be his endeavour to secure for them free passes for the season. Thero are quite a number of ladios waiting for that company to arrive—and tho frco passes.

Mrs. Ethel R. do Costa, LT,.B. (neo Miss Ethel R, Benjamin, of Dunedin), after practis. ing for 6omo years in that city, lias commenced practice as a barrister and' solicitor in No. 8 Nathan's Buildings, corner Grey and Fealhcrston Streets, Wellington. Mrs. Do Costa has the distinction of being the only lady practising at tho Bar in the Dominion. Intending clients entr dopond on prompt and careful attention at Mrs. De Costa's hands.

On Saturday afternoon a Chinaman at Day's Bay informed the police by telegraph that some lads had deprived him of a few pence. A constable was sent over to make investigations.

Tho following cases of infectious diseaso were reported to the Health Department for tho week ending Saturday:—Wellington: scarlet fever, 13; diphtheria, 1; Hutt County : diphtheria, 2.

At tho invitation of the Mayor of Dunedin, tho city sinking fund commissioners of that city, past and present, met the City Council on Saturday morning to reccive thanks for their management of their trust. Our Dunedin correspondent telegraphs that their management has resulted in tho City, being able to pay off 70 per cent, of each loan as it has matured.

Tho Wellington Waterside Workers' Union was granted preference to Unionists by the Arbitration Court recently. The clause comes into , forco to-day . Owing 'to tho increase in tho number of members, it has been decided to appoint an assistant secretary, and Messrs. J. E. Bowker, J. Burton, G. Farland, J. B. Hooper, A. L. Jones, T. Smith, and R. Winter are. candidate for tlip position, which is to bo filled in the first instance for three months only. The selection will'ho made by ballot, which will he open to-day and to-morrow. Mr; T: King'is making the arrangements.

The weather of tho last two days lias left a -good deal to be desired. On Saturday a fierce ■ northerly howled, through the streets, sending blinding clouds of dust whirling along, and making airy sport of " liard-hittcrs" and "straws." It was a most unpleasant day, especially in the afternoon, when it was decidcdly chilly. Yesterday, tho wind had veered round to tho south, and accompanied by persistent rain, which fell early in the forenoon, blew bitingly from tho Antarctic. Tho air smelt of ice-bergs, and fires were in request in many households.

In connection with the action, Dr. Moore v. Dr. Orford, which is sot down for hearing during the current sittings of the Court of Appeal, Mr. Justice Cooper on Saturday ordered stay of execution Under the judgment in the Supremo Court, ponding the decision of the Court of Appeal, upon the appeal points. Mr. Justice Cooper's order was made on ( the following terms: —(1) That tho appellant gives' security to the satisfaction of the Registrar of the Supreme Court at Nelson for tho suin of £165 3s. 5d., being (a) tho taxed costs -in the Supreme Court £55 6s. 5d., (b) tho minimum amount of damages mentioned in tho judgment £50, (c) costs of appeal on the middle scale £57 155., and (d) respondents' costs on the motion £2 25.; (2) that notice of appeal is given at once, and the appeal heard at tho present sittings of tho Court, and (3) that security as . to costs be given, within six days.