LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 232, 24 June 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A special report on the North v. South Island Rugby football match will appear in The Dominion to-morrow.' It will include an article on the game by "Off-side Mac," whoso authority as. a critic is everywhere recognised. The Vancouver and Brindisi mails, which arrived in Auckland per Mokoia on Sunday, arrived per Manawatu express last night. Liout.-Colonol Loveday, commanding the School Cadet Corps, states that as ths Dannevirke Cadets will bo unablo to carry out their firing in tho " Lord Kolicrts's Boys'" Imporial miniature riflo match, the challengo will bo taken up by. the Oamaru Cadet Corps. The audience at Mr. Reginald Ford's lecture last night was vory much interested when it learned that a man who had accompanied Dr. Nansen on his famous expedition farthest north was present to hear of the farthess south adventurers. Tho Society for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, at its meeting yesterday, specially solicited the assistance of the Press in drawing attention to tho practice, all too frequent, of tying dogs up in exposed positions, without adequate shelters. It. is hoped that whomsoever tho cap fits will wear it in a spirit of practical repentance. "What do you make in-tips?" asked counsel cross-examining a waiter who appeared as a judgment debtor in tile Magistrate's Court yesterday. "It would' not keep mo in cigarettes," was the reply. " Perhaps you are a heavy smoker," interrupted His "Worship, who subsequently learned that smoking cost debtor about 3s. per week. It is understood that tho Special Committee of tho City Council has considered carefully a letter from the Gas Company,, embodying tho terms on which the property would be made over to tho Council, and that tho committeo is obtaining an independent report on the condition and value of tho property. At tho meeting of tho Council, last evening, Councillor Biss said that this, was an urgent project, and ho was glad to know that it was being pushed forward so encraetically.

At tho Exchange Land Mart yesterday afternoon, the vacant .business block at the corner of Woodward Street and Wellington Terraco, having a frontage of loGJft., was offered at auction by T. Kennedy Macdonnld, Limited. There was a fair attendance. Bidding started at £5000, and rose by bids of £500 to £7500, and the auctioneer raised it to £8000 by a £500 bid for the vendor. At that figure it was passed in. It ii understood that the reserve is £10,000. Mrs. Etliel It. no Costa. LL.B. (neo Miss Ethel It. Denjaniin, of Duncditi), aftor practising for ,6oiiio > yoars in l that city! has commenced practice as n barrister' and solicitor in No. fi Nathan's Buildings, corner Grey and Fontkerston Streets. Wellington. Mrs- Do Coata has tlio distinction of being tho only lady ptactisii)3. at. the. Bar in the 'Dominion, intending clients cau depend on prompt' and nutuful ultanfinn at Mia, Da Costa a h"" 1 *" '

It is understood that tho New Zealand Rugby Union has entered into negotiations with a view to acquiring the Athlctic Park. Mr. C. B. Morison (president of the Wellington Law Students' Association) will deliver his presidential address to the members in the old Magistrate's Court-room at tho Suprome Court buildings on Monday, June 29. Ho will deal with matters bearing on the 'praotice of the legal profession. A 'very largo number of letters to tho Editor are in typo, and will appear when tho pressure upon our space is ' sufficiently relioved. Many of tho letters are contributions to the controvery upon the effects of No-License, and with their publication. that controversy will close. Tho now Mothodist Church at Island Bay will be opened by tho Rev. C. E. Beecroft, of Foilding, President of tho Now Zealand Methodist Conference, on the second Sunday in July. This building is said to be the only ferro-concreto church in tho Dominion. It will hold about 300 worshippers. The latest use to which the cinematograph. | has been put is to teach Bible history to tho peasants in a church in the South of Franco. The cure of Condom has had cinematograph views of the Passion Play, which is enacted yearly at Roquebruno, a village half way between Monte Carlo and Menton, in which tho episodes of Bible history aro enacted 011 lines similar to religious dramatic productibns at Oberammorgau. ' • Speaking of humane methods of slaughtering cattlo, the Inspector of Cruelty to Animals (Mr. Seed) states that tho most merciful system ho has seen is in vogue at Ngahauranga, whero a 71b. hammer is used to stun the animals before dispatching them. Spearing is resorted to at Pctono, and as tho vital spot to be struck at Measures only about a cbjiple of inches, the spear is liable to miss tho mark, and cause ncodless pain by striking some other portion of the animal. "There was nothing 'infra dig.' in tho work, was there?" suggested Mr. Wilford during the course of his cross-examination of a gardener who was giving evidence in a Magistrate's Court case yesterday in reference to a dispute over the formation of a lawn. Witness looked puzzled for a time, and then a flash of intelligence swept over his countenance as ho* replied with spirit: " Indeed, there was as hard digging in that job as 011 any other job," Counsel and His Worship exchanged glances, His Worship remarking dryly, " That was lost."

On Saturday next, the anniversary of tho death of tho Very Rev. Father Lewis, S.M., <1 requiem mass will be celebrated at the Sacred Heart Basilica, and a mnral tablet to tho memory of the late priest unveiled.

A deputation from the Bakers' Employers' Union recently approached the Master Bakors' Association with a request for an improvement in their condition, increase in wages, shorter hours, and an extra holiday (on the occasion of-the men's annual picnic, if held). These" demands were subsequently put in writing, and were considered by tho employers at a "special meeting held on Monday night, when it. was resolved that no departure could be made from tho award of May 23, which bccamc operativo on Juno 22. It is rumoured that the workers will not improbably carry tho matter further. The matter was considered' by them yesterday.

" One of the' worst in my experience," said Mr. Seed, Inspector for the Society for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at tho Society's meeting yesterday. He referred to a case which ho had investigated at Wadestown. The owner of ii liorse which had sustained an injury to its knee by a fall had kept the animal in a.small yard, where there, 'was hardly any grass, and no' sign of chaff having boon given. The horse could not lie down, and if it had, would not have been able to got up again. It was not rugged, and had been exposed to tho full severity of the recent southorly weather. "I got an order from a local Justice of tho Peace to destroy the animal, and mercifully ended its misery," said the Inspector in his report, which is supported by that- of Mr. Quiimoll, veterinary surgeon. The matter is to bo referred to the Society's solicitor, with a view to prosecuting tho owner.

A conference of the officers "of' fell the divisions of the St. John Ambulance Brigade in "Wellington District was Held last night in the Y.M.C.A. .Buildings to discuss twentyone points of interest submitted by Major Barclay, Deputy-Commissioner in charge of tho brigade in New' Zealand. Tlie divisions of the brigade represented were Wellington Ambulance Division, Wellington Nursing Guild Division, Wellington-Manawatu Railway Ambulanco Division, Y.M.C.A. Ambulanco Division, Petone Ambulanco Division, Petone Nursing Division, Masterton Ambulanco Division, Napier Ambulance Division, and Hawera Ambulance Division. This was the first conference of its kind ever held in Wellington, and a considerable amountof good work was done by it; Mr. H. H. Seed, chairman, was representative of the Brigade Staff of Wellington District. The suggestions adopted by the conference aro calculatcd to simplify and generally bonefit tho work of tho brigade in tho district, ,and to improve the status of tho men of the brigade. Siriiilar conferences aro being held in Auckland, Palmorston North, Christchurch, Oamaru, and Dunedin.