LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 234, 26 June 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Cabinet yesterday decided to call for tenders for the erection of a .Courthouse at Lower Hutt. " .. ■ Tho east wing of the prison at New Plymouth is gazotted as-a reformatory prison for tho detention of habitual criminals and habitual offenders. An exhibition representative of tho cookery' work dono by tho girls attending the South Wellington Centre will bo hold at the South Wellington School, Rintoul Street, to-day. Shareholders of tho Bank of New Zealand are reminded that tho 'annual, general mooting of the hank takes place at tho Banking House, Lambton Quay, this afternoon at 3 o'clock. : . Mr. Justice Denniston and a .common jury of twelve will hear the case between Dr. Faulke and tho City Corporation, a claim for £1000 in respect of personal injuries, on Monday next'. The New Zealand University football team, which will be chosen ■ after tho match this morning between North Island and South Island students, will leave for Sydney by this afternoon's boat. " Pons Asinorum " is the name which has been given by Victoria Collego. students to the pdssagc-w.ay erected for the convenience of legislators between Government House.and tho' Parliamentary Library. The appellation was 0110 of tho most popular "hits" made at tho capping carnival last evening. Tho forthcoming sittings of tho Compensation Court may have to be postponed, as it is likely that the sittings of tho Supremo Court at Nelson, which aro being presided over by Mr: Justice Cfiapman (who is president of tho Compensation Court), will last som'o days longer-than 'was at first anticipated. At tho annual mooting of the Paparoa local Mining Company. hold yesterday, the chairman of directors (Mr. J. P. Maxwell) stated that 'an' experiment had been 'made' with- Paparoa coal for- smithy* purposes'!#' Messrs. Cable and Company,-of Wellington.' It was pronounced to bo very good, and as good smithy coal is not plentiful in New Zealand tho news would bo gratifying to shareholders. , < Those school teacliors who, in tho past', have devoted, much timo to tho organisation and supervision of swimming classes, and so added to their professional duties without fee or reward, will bo pleased 'to know that, as a slight token of appreciation of their efforts, the Education Board lias decided that up to 75 per cent.' of tho capitation earned by such swimming classes will : in future bo divided among tb<j.teachers who havo acted as instructors. The attention of Civil Servants, who are contributors .to tho Superannuation -Fund, is directed to an advertisement in another column requesting them; to' consider the claims of their brother officers at distant points. It is urged that it is very desirous that other largo centres besides Wellington should have a local member, so .that contributors to tho'Fund, in such centres, may be enabled to confer personally with a representative member. .

. Two years ago the Presbyterians of Fellding decided to try and reduce their debt by out-of-hand giving instead of by sales of work, etc. Announcements wero made from time to time, and on tho first Sabbath of June', 1907, the first collection was taken; It was so substantial that £100' was paid off a debt of £550. On Juno 3 of this year, a similar ■ collection was taken, and (according to tho "Outlook") the net amount of £102 2s. 7d., is now available for debt reduction. Yesterday afternoon Detectives Broberg and Cameron arrested a man named George Oram oh a charge of breaking and entering tho shop of Mr. Thos. Crouch, jeweller, in Cuba Street, early on Sunday morning. Oram, who is a single man and 33 years of ago, has been residing in .Alma Lane, off Tory Street, and following tho occupation of a labourer'. Tho articles stolen are stated by Mr. Crouch to be of a total valuo of between £400 and £600., It will be remembered that someono broke a portion of his window with a brick. . . Tho following list of tenders is published in last night's Gazette Additions to Courthouse, Palmorston North: William Adams, Palmerston North, £1838 3s. 6d. (accepted); Hopwood and Sons, Palmerston North, £2226 10s.; W. Mouldey, Palmerston North, £2577; G. . M'Alister, Palmerston North, £2830; Union Sash and Door Company, Palmerston North, £2990. Erection of Post Office, "VVeraroa: W. Pringlo, Wcrncoa, £696 (accepted); Williams and AVright, Levin, £719 16s. 4d.; L. Arcus and Son, Oliau, £750; Humphries Bros., Wellington, £987-; A. and D. M'Lean, Wellington, £1045. University overstrain oamo in for somo comment by members of tho Wellington Education Board yesterday. The discussion aroso out of a statement that tho physical breakdown of a lady teacher who was applying for leavo of absenco was mainly duo to tho fact that, in addition to her ordinary schoolwork, sho had attempted to attend and carry out tlio work incidental to no fewer than four University subjects at Viotoria Collego. "Itis a most unreasonable undertaking," commented tho Board's senior inspector, Mr. T. It. Fleming, and tho Board signified its cntiro agreement by unanimously adopting his recommendation that tho professors at the College be advised of those of their students who wore public school teachers in activo sorvico that tlioy might tako stops to prevent these particular students ,from overburdening themselves with University work.

is gazettod forbidding the issuo of money orders and delivery of correspondence to M. Lone, P. 0., King Street, Sydney. Tho Miramar Borough Council has decided to forward a flag, as suggested by tho Premier, in connection with tho American fleet celebrations at Auckland. Tho growth of population along tho Main Trunk route is indicated by tho. gazetting of the Town Hall, Ohakuno, as a place where a Magistrate's Court should be held. Tho number of Commissioners of tho Town District of Johnsonvillo is to bo increased to seven, according to a notice in tho Gazette. Tho change will take place at the election in September next. Tho proposed federation of unionists, as outlined by tho Trades and Labour Congress, was discussed at the meeting of tho Wellington Council last night, and delegates to tho next conference were instructed to approve of tho proposal, with a fow slight amendments. Tho vital statistics published in last night's Gazetto give Christchurch tho lowest death-rate of tho four chief cities for tho month of May. Tho proportion of deaths to the thousand of population was as follow Auckland, 0.88; Wellington, 0.79; Christchurch, 0.69; Dunodin, 0.91. Messrs. Donald M'L.ean and Company aro making good progress with tho erection of tho Harbour Board's wharf at Petono. It was announood only a few weeks ago that the contractors were about to make a start with tho approach, but Mr. M'Lean informed a Dominion reporter that the whole of the piles (181) had been driven within three weeks' time, and they , were now being braced together. In some schools, apparently, miniature rifles and ammunition aro kept lying about, offering temptations to irresponsible youngsters, which might easily lead to serious accidents. Mr. T. R. Fleming, Senior Inspector for the Wellington Education Board, drew tho attention of members to this dangerous practice, at the Board's meeting yesterday. He recommended that the Board should lay down a strict rule that all miniature rifles and ammunition bo kept under lock and key. His recommendation was adopted.

A feature of tho Dairy Conference at Palmerston North has been the excellent understanding between tho farmers,' factory managers, and the great mass of those employed generally in the industry, and. the Departmental heads. 'Two or threo years ago this spirit was not present to the same extent. Messrs. D. Cuddie (Dairy Commissioner) and his chief assistant, Mr. W. M. Singleton, wero in this case the principal representatives of the Department, and both wore received with undoubted evidences of 1 popularity. An Order-in-Council gazetted last night, in terms of tho Public Service Classification Act) 190", extends the period of temporary employment from six months to two years for the following classes of employees of the Tourist Department Guides and porters, employees on tracks, gardeners,.' and labourers, artisans, nurses, bath-attendants, masseurs and masseuses, photographic assistants, employees on steamers or oil launches, managers (and wives' where employed), and all servants employed in Government hotels and accommodation ■ and tea houses, < and caretakcrs. • •••••" >■ "It has been reported for two years," said Mr. Wilkinson, of Feathcrston at the Dairy Conference at Palmerston yesterday, "that tho Danes have been importing Siberia .butter,' and selling it mixed with their own. Is there any.truth in that?" he asked. Mr. Cuddio (Dairy • Commissioner) said he had made it his business to investigate this mat-; ter when abroad, and it was not so. Tlio Danes had been responsible, to a large extent, for starting the dairy industry in Siberia, and they Controlled a certain amount of the output. Many of the merchants there were interested in the Siberian output. They had the butter .sent to Copenhagen in bond so as to classify it, and then shipped it to the London market as Siberian butter. New Zealand lost slightly in population by arrivals and departures during the month of May: Tho arrivals were 2659, and the departures 3031. The arrivals in May, 1907, : wero 1988, and the departures .3139. A total of 576 persons came from tho United Kingdom, and 473 departed thither. . From New South Wales camo 1407 peoplo, while 2006 crossed over from New "Zealand to that State. Of the arrivals, 1310 landed at Wellington, while 1691 persons departed from this port. Those numbers are considerably in excess of thoso at other ports, but it is explained in tho Gazetto that . immigrants .to- the Dominion are all counted at tho first port of, .arrival, and emigrants at tho-final port of departure. Sixty-six.Chinese landed in New Zealand during the month, and 33' departed.

A jcortain school in tlio Wellington District having been twice adversely reported upon by tlio Education Board's inspectors, for tho general untidiness of tho premises, the Board at its meeting yesterday' demanded that a reprimand should be administered. As it was not altogether clear whether the untidiness complained ■of was the result of negligence on tho part of tho teacher in charge, or whether it was attributable to the Committee failing to properly clean up after entertainments held in tlio school building, it was decided that the terms, of the reprimand should be of a general nature. Captain M'Donald was of opinion that tho school should bo named. Tlio matter furnished an argument for tho institution of a regular system of medical inspection. Mr. Hogg jocularly suggested that tho services of tho Dairy Inspector be requisitioned in the meantime! Wo liavo received from Messrs. Gordon and Gotch a copy of "The Flag," published by the "Daily Mail" and tho Union Jack Club at 0110 shilling, for the purpose of raising funds for the Union Jack Club. This is a remarkable volume in ovory way. It is splendidly produced. Tho contributions wero presented ,to tho editor, Major Trippol, tho paper was supplied free,- tho composing and printing wero done at cost prico, tho ongravors mado no charge, and tho advertisers paid great prices. . Tho quality of tho eontent's may bo judged from tho list of contributors. ' George Meredith, Mario Corclli, Alfred Austin, and " Linesman" send poems. Rudyard Kipling contributes a burlesque, and ,\V. ,S. Gilbert a curious sketch. Other contributors arb Pctt Ridge, Clark Russell, Lord Montagu of Beauliou, Edgar Wallace, Sir Gilbert Parker, Mostyn Pigott, Jean Middlemass, Dr. Conan Doylo, John Strange Winter, W. A. Horn, Robert Hichcns, W. W. Jacobs, and Lieutenant-Goneral BadonPowcll. This uniquo production, which is beautifully illustrated in half-tono and colour, is on salo at local booksellers. Mrs. Btliol K. (to Costa, LL.B. (nee Miss Ethel R. Benjamin, of Dunedin), after practising for some years in thut city, has commenced practico as a barrister and solicitor in No. C Nathan's Buildings, corner Grey and Featbcrston Streets, Wellington. Mrs. Do Costa has tho distinction of being the only lady practising at the Bar in tho Dominion. Intending clients can depend on prompt aud careful attention at Mrs. De Costa e hands.