LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 239, 2 July 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A preliminary inquiry is to . bo held this morning by the Collector of Customs into tho recent mishaps to the scow Whangaroa. ' Tho forniation of now parochial districts , bf Brooklyn and of Paraparaumu was provisionally agroed to at the last meeting of the Diocesan Standing' Committee. An enlarged edition of tho Now Zealand ensign fluttered abovo thij A.M.P. building yesterday to mark the thirty-seventh anniversary of tho establishment of tho Society in New Zealand. Tho Diocesan Standing has decided that with -as little delay as possiblo a Maori missionary should be secured for tho Rangitikei district; that a Maori clergyman should be provided for tho Wanganui River, and a second clergyman stationed in tho Wairarapa. ■ . Tho following gentlemen havo been nominated for the vacant seats in tho Education Board: —Hutt and Manawatu, Captain T. AV. M'Donald and Mr. A. J. M'Curdy; Wairarapa, Messrs. A. 11. Vilo and R. Brown (Masterton); Wellington City, ;Mr. J. G.' W. Aitkcn,. M.P. ' Feeling aggrieved' at''the' advanced transhipping rates and extra chargo for distanco delivery by tho Wellington Harbour Board, as also over a rise on tho coastal freight, .Wanganui merchants aro now negotiating with an English shipping company to discharge their import cargo as well as t'o load exports at tho Wanganui Roadstead. A defendant in a ease heard at tho Magis-. trate's Court yesterday .was so anxious to havo a light bail fixed that ho offered to report himself to tho polico four times a day, tho first call to bo at" 8. a.m., and tho last late at night: Defendant alleged that lio had been working 011 tho wharf,' and had made £20 in five weeks. He was anxious to get back to work. . A married man, Mr. Oliver Robinson, re-' siding at Hutcheson Road, was admitted to tho Hospital at an early hour yesterday morning requiring attention to his left arm, an artery in which ha.d been severed with a razor. Mr. Robinson was attended to hg his homo by Dr. Bowerbank, who dressed tho wound before ordering tho man's removal to tho Hospital, whore he remains in a rather sorious condition. Messrs. J. G. Harkness (chairman), G. Wilson, J. Duthie, D. J. Nathan, and E. G. Pilcher wore present at a meeting of tho Council of the Chamber of Comniorco held yesterday afternoon. Following up tho recent experiences as to the correctness or otherwise of statistics dealing with the value of New Zealand exports, it was resolved that it was advisable to ask tho Government to mako such figures as correct as possiblo. Tho Council also decided to writo to the Government asking for increased railway facilities between Wellington and tho Hutt, and also that tho suburban area be extended to tho Upper Hutt. Tho telephone between Wellington and Palmerston North has not proved an unmixed blessing owing to a disinclination on tho part of the wiro itself to distinct conversation. Tho mercan-j tilo community state that as often as not they aro unablo to hear or mako themselvos hoard over the wire, despito tho assurance of the Department that it is working quito satisfactorily. Tho Government aro to bo urged to improve the sorvico. The practice of business peoplo buying load from youths without making inquiry from the sollers as to where they obtained tho, load came in for condemnation from Mr. P. AV. Jackson in tho Magistrate's Court yesterday, during ,tho hearing of a chargo of theft of lead preferred against a youth. Two witnesses, representing responsible business houses, informed tho Court that they had purchased the lead without making inquiry as to whero it had been procured. Counsel characterised tho practice as a dangerous one, as, if lads knew thoy could dispose of load to firms using it without inquiry being mado, it was an inducement to thorn to sell it. If tho Court would express somo opinion on the matter it might havo a good eflcct. At tho conclusion of tho caso his Worship agreed that tho practico complained of was certainly a bad one. Everyone who purchased' lead should mako somo inquiry from the person selling- it as to where the lead camo from. A speciality or Hair and Scalp Treatment is mado by Mrs. Rolleston. Ladies troubled with falling hajr, dandruff, or any scalp complaint should call for advice (gratis) at hor rooms, first floor, 3 Willis Stroot, over Carroll'B, or tolephono appointment 1553. Personal attention only. Certificated. C 739 Crescent' Brand 'Tea brews a strong rich 'awny liquor, with a line smooth texture, and lavos the palato most agreeably. It lias a distinct and delicious flavour, and is the most favoured for the morning cup of tea. Tho quality and flavour of Crescent Brand. Tea novor vary. The same to-day as it was yesterday, aud tho price is Ss. por lb. Obtainable from all groooist CBBB

According to a telegram received from Picton yesterday by Inspector Ellison, a' sevenroomed dwelling-house, at Oyster Bay, owned by Mr. Hebley, was destroyed by fire on Monday night. 1 . There nro few men who have been beset with such troubles in the evening of their lives as befell Johan Friis, tho Norsewood ootogenarian, who committed suicide by, .hanging on Sunday night. The poor old man had been suffering for tho' past twelve years with "an internal growth, and had been operated upon sixteen times. Tho vitality of Friis, said Dr. Vcitch at tho inquest, was wonderful. At a conference held on Tuesday evening between tho Finance Committee of tho Wellington City Council and tho Technical School Board, a committee consisting of tho Mayor, tho Chairman of the Technical School Board (Mr. J. P. Luke), the Director of tho School (Mr. W. >?. La Trobo), and the City Valuer (Mr. J. Ames) was set up to report upon tho sites available for the location of tho new Technical School. A combine of British and American gas pipo manufacturers, which has existed for somo timo, has for tho present come to an end. This Association, following.'American example, sought also to control tho oxport freight of their manufacturers, and was thought to 'bo' organised on a permanent basis, ' but internal jealousies havo for the present proved too strong, and buyers are now able to dictate prices. . The Secretary of the Blackball Miners' Union has forwarded to all tho trades unions in tho Dominion a balance-sheet showing tho rccoipts and expenditure during tho strike. The total receipts amounted to £IGO3 Bs.'7d.; £1599 was expended on relief; £12s. 6d. was paid on exchange for cheques, and printing oost £3 6s. Id. The average number of persons relieved during the eleven weeks of tho strike was 104 men, 46 women, . and 111 children. • , H.M.S. Encounter has surrendered to tho Navy League, evidently, for during tho past two days pupils from tho various city schools and Wellington College have swarmed aboard in batches of about 300 at a time, and thoroughly investigated tho many v points of interest' in' the warship's grim interior. Tho bluejackets have been exceedingly liind to the youngsters, who were accommodated' in the ship's boats and towed over by a steam pinnace. Petty officers were detailed , each to take charge of batches of 20 children, and show them round. Captain Fyler, R.N., and his staff took a keen intorest in tho visitors, and arranged for a demonstration of torpedo work. Twico during each afternoon Whitehead torpedoes were fired from submerged tubes. Drills and target practice were also in progress—an added 'attraction for the youngsters, who testified their thorough appreciation of the ,trip, by cheering tho Captain, his staff, and.his crew.' With reference to a paragraph in yester. day's issue of Tee Dominion, containing tho substance of a complaint by a passenger by the Wellington-Napier express, concerning a "venerable" and allegedly incorrect timetable at. Woodville Railway Station, we are informed by. tho Chief Clerk of tho Traffic Superintendent's Department, that tho timctablo in question is perfectly correct'in detail, and that the passenger in question must have read down tho wrong column to find the timo. of train' departure as stated by him. Tho passenger's inability to procure a book time-table was, doubtless, duo to his applying for'one so la-to in tho month as the 29th, when the supply had been- sold out, and tho next month's supply not yet to handj The suggestion that the walls of the'Woodvillo Station .dining-rooms should ho "clockfaced" with time-tables is untenable. Tho' lessee would probably object to such a course, and, further, travellers aro too intent on dining to at that time study time-tables. ' "Fivo and six, .sir!";-was'tho'answer given by a local Jehu to'a..visitor to Wellington on his inquiring tho faro from tho Albert Hotel to tho steamer Maori lying alongside tho Queen's Wharf between 7 and 8 o'clock last evening. The stranger . within our gates had boon overcharged by the cabmen in all parts of tho world, and grim experience'had taught, him many things, but to be charged ss. 6d. for a fivo minutes' drive early in tho evening in the centre of the city appalled him, and ho was at no pains to conceal what ho thought. Subsequently he asked a policeman the correct fare, and with that lack of knowledge that. passeth ■ all understanding the officer said he did, not know. "Think it's : half-a-crown, but wouldn't swear to it. Go and seo tho inspector at the Town Hall in tho morning, it's no business of ours." This was doubtless excellent advice, but as the man was about to board tho steamer for Lyttclton it was impracticable. Why does not. tho City ' Council tackle the cab-faro and cab-district question as was suggested some little timo back by the Chief : Inspector? It would not do tho police any harm to learn what tho cab-fares are from point to point in Wellington, and so provent people, and in particular strangers, from being imposed upon.