LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 206, 25 May 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The result of tho first match of the British football team in New . Zealand wa's awaited in ■ Wellington • on Saturday with keon interest. The Dominion had made special arrangements to receive Tepbrts of tlw play by telephone as the progressed,. and .was thus enabled to publish'before 5.30 p.m. an "Extra" containing a full outline of the play, and also aii excellent photograph of/the British team !in football uniform. This Extra 1 was freely distributed throughout tho city, and, being the first detailed account of.tho match, naturally oscitcd much interest ■and was oagerly'sought after. . . .

The English mail for this week was duo to' anivo yesterday by the Jessie Burns, from Sydney. 'At la.m. to-day thero was no sign of the vessel, but if she arrives this morning, the mail will be distributed in.the afternoon. Our special correspondent at Dunedin telegraphed on Saturday that. potatoes had advanced in price, and that some orders ore reported at £5 per ton. Tho Customs revenue collected at Wellington last week amounted to £18,493 19s; 7d.; and for tho corresponding period of last year £10,910 10s. 7d. was collected.. The amount paid for beer duty last week was £400 18s;, cho 1907 total being. £159 12s. On Saturday the amount oi .revenue..collected was £1921 Bs. lid. j. the samo day of last year yielded £1867 16s. 2d, , . . lhero was a' lengthy discussion at tho Auckland Provincial Conference of tho Farmers' Union, bearing on, the fact; that ■mining companies were being allowed to destroy valuable agricultural and pastoral areas by deposits or tailings in rivers, etc. " Which is tile most value—tho gold or the land r 1 asked one delegate j and a farmer hailing from tlie Thames Valley, who had complained taost bitterly of the devastation caused by the gold-winners, made answer: "Tile gold will air be done, in a year ortwo, but the land yt'ill bt) there for t'ver.'' A man named Thomas Aiurp'ny, an A.B. on tho ferry steamer', Cobar, met with; a slight accident in Manners Streot at 10.10 on Saturday night. It appears that Murphy .was crossing the road when ho stepped, back and slipped in trying to evado a bloV' from another man, . The result was that he fell across the tram line, and was run into by a car which was on its way from' Willis Street to Cuba Street. The motorman saw tho man fall and pulled the, car up in time to prevent a serious accident. Mjirphy was Temoved to tho hospital suffering from shock and some bruises on the face, but he is not at all seriously injured. • " ; At the monthly meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board on Thursday noxt, consideration is to bo given to the following motions:—Mr. F. G. Bolton to move: "That steps bo taken to insuro the buildings of tho Board against damage by cai'thquako and fi.ro resulting from earthquake, such insurance to' bo effected locally if at satisfactory rates, and, if not, in London at Lloyds." Hon. T. Kennedy, Macdonald, M.L.C., to move: "That the Acting Engineer be instructed to prepare a scheme by which the 'P' store can be converted into effective offices for the use of the Board's clerical staff and officers and tho mombers of the Board."

r.n lr , s, n m « el . K '- „ Cbsta - Ll '- B - cnoo Miss Ethol K Benjamin, of Dunedin), after practising for sorao .years in, that citr, lias commenced practice as a barrister and solicitor in No. G .Nathan's Buildings, corner Grey and Featherston Stroets, Wellington. Mrs- Do Costa has the distinction of being tho only lady practising at tile Bar in the Dominion. Intending clients can depend on prompt and careful attention at Mrs, Do Costa's handß,

All local Rugby matches oil Saturday .wore postponed owing to the weather.

According to a Press Association telegram ■from Dunedin, the game Britain v. the Maori team has beon definitely fixed to be played at Rot-orua on July 21.

Tho Karori Rifle Club, which was unable, owing to tho, inclemency of the weather on Saturday, to fire off for the " Daily Mail" Enipit'o Day match, will commence firing at Pclhill Gully at. 10 a.m. to-day.

The Health Department reports the ' following cases of infectious disease for tho week ending Saturday last:—ln the city: scarlet fever, 13; diphtheria, 2; tuberculosis, 1; In tho Hutt County: scarlet ferer,' 1.

Tho Mayor (tho Hon: T. W. Hislop) lias received"; a letter from "the PostmssterGcnoral expressing his appreciation of the admirable maimer in which the. Fire Brigade carried out its work on Friday, night. It was a matter of much satisfaction that the main building had been saved through the efforts of the Brigade, and he would like to give something towards the men's fund.

The following business will be considered at a special meeting of the Onslow Borough Council, to bo held"to-morrow evening:— (1) Term of Kaiwarra Drainage Loan, £1464; (2) possible site for scptie-tanl; on ground now leased by the borough to.Messrs John Newton and Son, Ltd.; (3) appointment, of .member of the. Assessment Court (who may not be a member of the Council) to. represent tho Council in accordance with Section 2 of the Government Valuation of Land Act, 1906; (4) consideration of the question of a voluntary fire brigade for Kai-

AA'riting regarding the case of tho late Mr. Amos, 'a . correspondent to an Auckland newspaper ■ says-:—" It-has been stated that Mr. Amos" came to Auckland from Rotorua, when, as a matter of fact, he left the Government Sanatorium at Cambridge on Friday, May 8. Now, being in such an advanced. '.'state l of consumption, why . was he discharged from that institution? AYas he 'fired out' becausa he was incurable, - and, t-horeforo,' would not bo a good advertisement- for that institution? I. think this a matter that the sanatorium ,- authorities should clear up." •

Tho recent burglar scare was responsible for a resident of Mount Roskill, Mrs.' E. 0. Pegler, receiving a shock on returning to her: residence on Friday afternoon, telegraphs our Auckland, correspondent. A glance at the verandah indicated that .something uu'usual had. happoned, bedroom adjuncts in tho shape 'of a hand-glass, hair brushes, soveral ornaments, and various other things being strewn about. ' An examination of tho interior of the houso rcvoaled a further state of disorder, yet a hasty search failed to show that any property was missing. A distributor of the' King's mail arrived at the houso in tho meantime, and stood by prepared to intercept tho bold intruder should' be chance to pass by. - A .careful search of the promises was made, and tho desperado was brought to light, being a neighbour's pet monkey. How : over, no proceedings will bo taken. .

' A largo and enthusiastic meeting of representatives from the signalling detachments of tho various garrison corps in tho city/was held in tho Drill? Shed on Friday evening, for tho purpose of. forming a Signallers' Club. Captain C. B. Harton (Post and Telegraph Rifles), presided. On the motion of Sergeant Hulbert, of tho Post and Telegraph Rifles, it was decided to form a club t as such an institution would .tend to bring the Wellington signallers into closer touch, to ensure more uniformity of;instruction, and.greater efficiency. The following were appointed as a committee to.arrange'the preliminary details: Gunner 'Blake (PetonoNavals), P.O. Williamson . (Wellington Navals), ■■ Bombardifcr M'Kenzie (D Battery), Corporal Weight (No. 3 Company G.A.V.), .-Private' M'Phesrson (Highland Rifles), Sergt. Hulbert (Post and Telegraph' Riflc-s),' Private Meek (Collcgo /Rifles), -Private Lampen (Zealandi.i Rifles), and Corptoml Willis (Jolmsonville Rifles); P.O. Williamson was elected as secretary.

After waiting in Auckland gaol for seve-; ral weeks in order that he might bo tried by a jury on a charge of Vagrancy, William Doyle evidently thought better of tho matter; and when he appeared before. Mr: Justice Edwards at the .'Auckland Supreme Court. on Friday pleaded guilty. "Why did you elect to come hero then?" inquired His Honour of Mr.. Singer, who appeared for the prisoner. "I'm sure ! cannot.say," replied Mr. Singer. " Well," observed His Honour, " Mr. Kettle is much better able to deal with thcso cases than I am, because of his much larger experience. ' I'll talk to him about it. Ho knows more about it than I do.'! .Mr. Singer remarked that the case was not a very serious one, but His Honour was of the contrary opinion, pointing out that .the prisoner ; chose to make it so by coming thero, and must .be dealt ivith accordingly. The prisoner was remanded until Tuesday in order that His • Honour might consult the committing magistrate. . i ■ . Tho Mayor of Oamaru having answered a series of. questions sent from Tiinaru in regard to tho condition of tho former town under no-license, tho letter (says a Press Association telegram) was laid. before • business .and professional men of Oamaru, and 100. signed the statement that they consider .the Mayor's answers correct. The letter stated: —"(1) .That : statements asserting that nolicenso had hiridered progress, and that tho town wa.s financially, bad bccauso of it, are contrary to fact. (2) Property had-advanced in value. (3) Rates had been reduced, 3d. owing to the increase in revenue from all sources. (4) Business decreased- in 1907 owing to the' drought, but quickly recovered, and was now very good. (5) More houses had been erected last year than in any. recent year. (6) Crimo had decreased greatly, tho convictions 'being 442 and 142 for tho oigbtoen-monthly periods preceding and following no-license respectively. (7) Drunkenness is raio in tho streets and at ' public gatherings." Tho signatories include all doctors, headmasters of schools, most builders, president and secretary of tho Chamber of Commerce, and representatives of all classes of business.