LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 252, 17 July 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho Defence Department has received the offer of tho sorvices of an infantry corps at Foxton. Tho matter is at present .under consideration. Authority was given tho Fire Brigade Committee of tho City Council* at last night's mooting, to call for tenders for the Thorndou. •Firo .Brigade Station.. ■. .. . The annual New Zoaland Trades and Labour Conference is to commence at tho Town Hiill pu Mondn.v liwt, AtoM thirty delogates "axo expected toattfiMi

What was anticipated by. Pressmen, and b,| members who troubled to think of the matter, bus happened, In the House recently, while a member .was spp.pvUing, Sir Wrn. Steward remarked: "Is this confidential?'! the point being that the speaker was muttering what ho had to say, and that neither members nor Pressmen could hear, The members of the Press Gallery fully appreciate all .that has been done by tho Government for their convenience, but it must not. be forgotten that they are at tho extreme end of the Chamber, and that unless members speak clearly they cannot well bo heard, If they are not heard in tho Press Gallery, they cannot bo reported, Therefore, if tlioy waut to be reported at alj, they must speak up. Another thing; between tho Gallory and the Speaker's Chair many niembers sit. In their new quarters they keep up tho bad old habit of conversing among themselves, while a member is speaking, That, naturally, interferes with the work of tho Pressmen, The Pressmen have not the slightest desire to interfere with the members who -want to talk to 0110-another, but thoy on their part must remember that if their conversation prevents tho reporters hearing the speech of the brother mombcr, they themselves may suffer in. the same way on a future occasion, Tho Tramway Department was authorised at last night's mooting of' the City Council to arrange for tho advertising oir the backs of tram tickets. \ A sitting of the Native Land Court will take place at Palmerston North on July 22, and of the Native Appellate Court at Hastings en July 24, Tho new rolls for the Wellington North electorate are now in tho hands of the Registrar of Electors. The number of pames on'tho roll to date is 68(31, Members of tho Wellington Education Board will visit Brooklyn to-day for the purpose of selecting a suitable site for tho proposed' additions to the main school. V' Four seats are to be placed at the grass plot in the Kent Terraoo resorve by the City. Council, Eight others are also to be obtained from Mr. Lawton, the price being £], 3j. each. - ' Tho Fire Brigado was turned out at 3.40 yesterday morning to a slight outbreak of fire behind the Victoria Dining Rooms, 132 Courtqnay Place. Practically no damage was done, it bsing found that ?, pile of live ashes had set fire to a fence in the backyard. The Wellington Education Board has inthe dqlcgates to the Maori Congress to _vi?it one or two of the City schools. It is probable that a visit will be paid to the South Wellington School, whore , is situated the cookery centre, next week, Tho Technical fschool will also be visited, After Jistoning'to an address by Hori' Kakuero (Bay of Plenty) last evening, the Maori Women's Union Association passed the following resolutions:•—(l) "That no liquor' whatever be supplied by any liebnsod promises to Maori men, women, and children, including all half-castes." (2) "That tho Parliament of the Dominion should grant local option to(the Maori people." " When. is the clectric light likely to be extended >to Island Bay?" was a question asked by Councillor Hindmarsh at tho meeting of the City Council last evening. The Mayor ropliod that if the service hid to bo extended everywhere, a largo loan would havo to bo raised. There had been some complaints about tho electric light, but'it was hoped to put in new machinery shortly, Tho retiring allowances granted to eleven mombors of tho fund at the recent meoting of the Railways Superannuation Board in? volvcd a total annual liability of lis. 7d, Allowances to widows and children were authorised to tho amount of £158 a year, and refunds of contributions were m&do to tho amount of £1106 Is, It was reported that the Manawatu Company's omployoea had all jointed tho fund, paying £4216 for the purpose, while tho company had paid the .'first half iof £5000 required from' tliom. to' place their Employees in the same position as those, of.tho Department in rogard.to the'fund,. Professor T. Hunter, M,A,, delivered a very interesting address ;at the usual weekly meoting of th<s Karori Literary and Debating Society in the looal Borough Council Cham-' bors on Wednesday evening last, _ He choso' as his subject "Somo facts about vision-," and aftor dealing, exhaustively with the structure and* functions of the eyo explained many popular optical illusions and inaccuracios in tho visual judgment -of persons of normal .sight, ' The address, was instructive and .interesting throughout, and at its conclusion Professor Hunter was accorded a hearty voto of thanks. In tho Auctioneers Act Amondmnt Bill, to bo brought down: this session, Section 9 of the principal Act is repealed, and tho following substituted:—" (1) Except in the case of special districts, all sums received in respect of any license under this Act shall form part of tho ordinary revenue of the local authority which issued the license. (2) All sums as aforesaid received in ( any special 'district shall bo paid into the publio account, and, after deducting therefrom all expenses incident to the administration of . this Act in tho special district, shall be paid to the local authority of tho district wherein tho licensee bas his principal place of business, and' if there is no such local authority shall form part of the Consolidated Fund. Soction 4 of tho principal Act is am'euded so as to provido that when a person applies for an auctioneer's license lie must make the ajiplicai tion to the clerk of tho local authority in the district in which he resides or has his principal business, Loitering in shop doorways was tli'o subject of a letter from Inspector Ellison to Mr. H. F. Allen, secretary of the Shopkeepers' Association, doalt with at yesterday's meeting of tha,t body. The Inspector explained that there was no method of punishing persona foi; loitering on premises, unless they refused'to leavo after being warned to d? so by tho owner or an authorised person, The polico regularly moved on such loiterers, but there wore many strange constables here, and they sometimes did not grasp all their dutios for several weeks, sometimes much jonger, Shop doorways standing back from the footpath were privato property, and ho was not aware of any city by-law governing the matter, and doubted if the City Council had! jurisdiction to mako such a by-law. The pojiee would do the best possible under the oircumstanoej to koep loiterers moving. " Wa are anxious to got tho Bill through and to assist the Govornmont to do so," said a i'member of tho Plumbers' Union last evening, to the Minister for Health, referring to; a proposed Plumbers' Registration Bill. The plumbers of other centres, ho said, were also favourable to the Bill, arid Dr. Mason' had oppressed approval. The Minister said he could not propiiso that the Bill would be' introduced this session. The session would bo somewhat short, and the Government had yet a good deal of business to doal with. Tho Government had disclosed its feeling regarding the measure' by having introduced a similar Bill last year. Tho deputation i pointed out that at present plumbers wore licensed by the municipalities, and in going from one place to another vory ofton had to! pass examinations at each place. Tho Bill would give competont plumbors a status. Tho Minister replied that this point mado tho Bill contentious, booauso municipalities felt thoy should havo some idea of the competonoy of tho men thoy licensod. Mr. 'D. M'Laron, secretary of tho Wellington Waterside Workers' Union, spates that tjioro are a great number of wharf labourers out of work at.presont, owing to the supply being in excess of tho demand, which 19 always lightest at this time of tho year. ,As soon as tlioro is a slackness in work elsewhere, men swarm to tho wharf looking for casual work, and tlioro wero married men with families earning as little as 12s. per week. Tlioro wero 1600 men on tho books of the Union, and at an outsido computation tlioro was not work for more than 1000. -This was tho result of tho Government forcing them to koep an open door as: far as membership is concerned, whioh in his opinion should bo limited to a cortain number, 1 to be ascertained by data as to tho actual number of men that find employment on tho wharves in winter and summer. In the interests of tho married, Mr. M'Laren imvtoan lunula men not to apply for work on the wharves,

The fennel and rubbish :at: tho suspension bridge, Hobson Street, is to bo cleared away, and tbo site will be' planted, witli nativo shrubs. The Fire Brigade -acknowledges the receipt of a choq'uo for £3 3s. from Messrs. Humphries Bros., in recognition of the work of the Brigado in saving tho firm's factory from destruction by firo on July 9. There aro 2701 certificated teachers engaged in public instruction in Now Zealand. Of this number, 1323 are males, and 1468 are females. Twenty-four hold provisional cortifioates, while liconsos bsvo been issued to 00. A coffee stall at the corner of Ghuznoo and Marion Streots was practically destroyod by fire at 5,36 last night. The stall, which was occupied by Peter Haddrcll, was not insured. Tlio fire brigado saved tho stall from being totally v destroycd. Tha City Engineer's staff of draughtsmen aro still engaged upon tho plans for tho new dam at Wainui and tho new pipe .and traffic bridge that is to span the Hutt River. NeitTier work is -being mado particularly urgent, as little qan be $ono until the worst of the winter is over. ' Tbo Mauawatu Land Drainage Commission is constituted, as announced in this week's Gazette. Tho area involved includes the Manawatu, Kairanga, and Oroua Counties. Tlio Commissioners aroMessrs. A. D. Thomson, S.M. (chairman), W. S. Short, G. F. Robinson, and C. R. Vickorman. " Defendant is cither dead or a bankrupt— I don't know which is tho worst," Remark of a solicitor in making application for a civil case to be struck out at tlio S.M. Court yesterday. Apparently a corpso and a bankrupt aro on the same plane as far as costs aro concerned. Plans of the proposed'sub-fire brigade station- at Thorndon were submitted to tho City Council.last night by the City Engineer.- .'lt is intonded to' convert the old schoolroom at tho corner of Pipitea Street and Murphy Stroot. into a two-story building. Quarters for two married firemen will bo provided ontho first floor, whilst on the ground floor will bo located tho engine-house, watch-room, dormitory, mess-room, and conveniences. During the month ending June .30, 2706pcoplo arrived in New Zealand. as against 1878 for - tbe ; corresponding month of'theprevious year, Tho departures for tho month totalled 2758, as against 2201 in the previous yoar. Of tho arrivals, 636 wero from tha United Kingdom, 1954 from the Australian Commonwealth, and 116 were from other British possessions; 278 left for the United Kingdom ,"2324 for Australia, while 156 wore for other parts., The benefit of tho telephone connection recentlymado betweon Stephens Island and tlio mainland (via D'Urville Island) was appreciated on Wednesday, when tho Warrimoo, from Sydney, was roported-to have passed, though no report had been .recoived from Capo Farewell. Not infrequently shipmasters find it expedient in thick weather to stand well out froni Farewell-Spit, and it is thou impossible to signal, but every vessel passing through tho Strait must pass within iignalling distance of Stephen's Island. ' ' The question, of commutation fares on suburban trains was brought up at yesterday's mooting of the Shopkeepers' Association Ono tr&iu leaves Pctonc at 7 a.m.,' and the, noxt at 8.20. Tho weekly faro to and from Petono by the former is 25., and: tho latter 4s; The result is that girls and others are compelled, in some cases, to walk about, tho streets for an hour diiring tho morning. It was; decided to ask the, Minister for Railways to allow tho 2s. ticket to hold good for the 8.20 a.m. train.' . ' \ . • Tlio Wellington "system" of street numbering was discussed at yesterday's meeting of tho Shopkeepers' Association. A member said; "It concerns the shopkeepers closely, and I think the City Council should .tako a definite stand in the matter. ; At present' it is optional whether you put the number up or not." Another moniDer said that his place of business had been known for years by a certain liumbpr, but the man opposite had lately been given that number.! It was dccided to write to'tho City Council on the matter. .fifHf/.'K'l.fnj Wi It is popularly supposed, even in sporting circles, that tliore is little to reward tlio guir in tbo country, round; Wellington. : Messrs. Harold Brown and . A, ,M. Samuel, who have roturned from' three days' shooting at Orongorongo, tell; quito • a' different story, and many, of their friends dan bear testimony to tho cxccllcnce of- tjie sport they experienced, In threo days they shejt thirty, sevon brace of pigeons, 1/0 goats,- and a few hares. Mr. Brown also secured a pair of fino cocl>;pheas-. ants recently at Wainui. As' some good pcoplo might imagine ' that tho wholesale slaughter of the goats was an uncalled-for proceeding, it is explained that Orongorongo is overrun with thousands'pf the animals, and they have become a pest oii'ing to the inroads they make on tho pastures required for shoep. Peculiarly enough, tho Victoria University College, which is the strongest'in point pf its student-roll, is> 'financially,! the weakest- of all the New Zealand University Colleges. This, contended Mr. A. W. Hogg, M.P., at tho Council meeting on Wednesday evening, would help them to make out a strong case for financial assistance from tl|o Government. A comparative analysis had been drawn up, setting' forth tho respective financial standings or tho colleges, but, as Sir\ Robert Stout pointed out, it was idle to suggest'that such a comparison would assist them t-o advance their claims, bccauso tho circumstances of eaoli was very different. It has beeu-decided that a deputation, consisting of\ Messrs. -T. R. Fleming, H. D. Bell, and lier. W. A. Evans, will wait upon the Premier in the, near future, and-lay beforo him a\statemcnt of the position. ' \ Tho Canterbury School CommitWes' Association have gathered valuable' information throughout New Zealand, Australia, and. Amprica, and have thereby been enabled to put their finger down upon some of weak spots iu our education system.' Tl\ey re'coutly put their views before tho Premier while in Christchurch, and he promised a oaroful consideration or tho.topics discussed. Tho Association with commenuablo zealj are sending a deputation to Wellington to interview the, Hon. G. Fowlds to-morrow, pie deputation, consisting of Dr. Russell, Messrs. G, Franklin, H. Langford, C. H. A. T, Op|q, and W. R. Smith, will lav beforo the ?ln\istor for Education tho following matters ;-rTho importance of medical inspection of schools and scholars; the need for altering tile present basis upon which salaries, staffs,-, and superannuation are determined: tlio advisability of introducing tho single desks into our primary schools. The aim of t-bo Association is to make school llfo pleasant, and to better equip future generations for the battle of lifo. ' In the last number of "Te Pipiwharauroa," the organ' of the Young Maon Party, published in Maori at Gisborno, is an artiole by Archdoacon Williams 011 the history of tlio two lotters in the Maori alphabet, lig and wh ■ Though tbeso lotters contain really two characters each, they are sounded as 0110, Attempts were mndo by early -Maori linguists to bolvo this difficulty. At one tiiiio tho letter ng was represented by g'alone, as in l'agopago (Pangopango) tlio capital of ; tho Samoan group. Thorn was also a tinio when w alono represented, eithor w or wh.'nnd in the famous documont pf the Treaty of Waitangi, it is so used. This practice was found however, to bo unsatisfactory, as waro was not quite tho same.as whnre. It was Dr. Maunscll who first used tho letters ng and ,wh, as wo have at present. Archdoacon Williams suggests that new symbols should - bo found for theso lotters".- For wh ho adds a half v to tho h, and for ng lie gets rid of tho g, but lengthens tlio last leg of thou into a sort of j. It remains to bo seen whotlier tho Maori people will tako kindly to tlipso innovations. ! During Race Week the Rooms of Jits. Rolleston, Hair Physician, Face Specialist, and Masseuso (certificated) will be open overy ovening for Ilaivdressiiig, Shampooing: all Hair and Face Treatments; adtfee free; per, sonal attention.- 3 Willis Street (over Garroll's). Telephone 1509, ; C 73?' - Crescent Brand Tea brews a strong rich - >awny liquor, with a fine smooth texture, ami lavos tho palato most agreeably. It has a distinct and delicious flavour, arid is the most favoured for tho morning oup of tea. Tlio quality aiid flavour of Crescent Brand Tea never vary. The same to-day as it was yes-: -terday, and tho prion is gs. per lb. Obtain-1 able from all grooera, CBB3'

Tlio Normandalc Settlement, in the Beijnont (Hutt County) Survey District, hag been thrown open for selection. The area ii twenty-soven odd acres. Consideration-'of'tho matter, of; the* tenders for additional plant for the City' Power House has been deferred, pending the return of, tho Electrical Engineer from ,a. proposed visit to Australia. ' The recpminondation of tbo Conciliation Board in respect', of the engineers'dispute will be filed, this jnoniing, . Tfc was expected that the document would reach the handi of tho Clerk of Awards yesterday, Tlio Maoris,'according to Dr. Buck;'bar# an old' proverb, which says that tho fame of - a warrior is not lasting,, but tho fame of the tiller of tho soil is. 'Unfortunately," "i*y« the doctor, "tbey do not carry tha prortrli' out." . - ' ... The delegatcs-to the Acclimatisation Conference met yostorday morning to • decide what steps should bo taken: regarding decisions arrived at on Wednesday. Thp mat? ter was' left in tho hand? of tile chairman mid secretary. The caso of W. Blundell and othorji.trusteps for the Brett, benefit fund (appellants), v. tho "Now Zealand Times" Co., Ltd. (respondents) will bo taken by His Honour tho Chiof Justice (Sir Robort Stout) at 10 o'clock to-morrow morning. ,j. Tho hearing ,of the case of lteed v. Simpson, which relates to certain securities given' to Levin and Co., will he continued before ■ Mr. Justice Copper this morning. A sit-,, ting in Chambers will bo held by. Mr, Justice,. Chapman at 10.30 a.m, ■ •; '( Tho following cases have- been set' tjown for, hearing next week Dunein v. Duncan, a divorco suit; Tuesday, Hutchison v. Benge, a civil action; Friday, Smith!and Smith v. the Wellington City, Corporation, .a-claim.for compensation.' , . ~;V . The business beforo tho City Council jlast;. night was concludod in fifty minutes. tOn only one occasion previously has the Council business been transacted in a shorter period. The Council met at 7.30 p.m.,-and everything was done by 8.20. |V" Wellington's delegates-to the Commercial Travellers' Conference, to bo, held; in Wellington :to-morrow, will bo Messrs. J.' $1. •Turnbuli and. W. O. S. Levers. There 'ijill be two delegates from each of the other pro- • vincial associations--Auckland, Canterbury, and Otago. The Conference will.bp heldjjln the Commercial Travellers' '.Club, Victoria Street. ■ » ' '. j.. It was decided by the City Council last night, on the recommendation of the, R£ serves Committee, that; : owing to the neces l ;.., sityfor a constable boing stationed' at tha Botanical Gardens to protect tbo public against certain-lawless individuals,- strong representations be'made to tile Government to station, a constable, there. ..•'CouncillorLuke said that the Government had been applied to, but'hadvdone nothing; and further action should be taken.' The following additional matters have been set down at Wellington for consideration by the Court' of Arbitration cases: Building Trades Labourers' award, R. A. Wakelin, John Wood, and H. .Ranson: cooks' and waiters' award,, Bevcridge' ana \ Hum, Jas. Fyifo, Susannah, Oxenham, Winnie Philpott, Mary Owens, Jerome Bacovitcli, _ aud Mary Jane Bacovitcli; butchers' award, - W, H. Rule, Win. Ziezler; Thos. , Lewis, "■ Levin Meat and Cold Storage Co., andOhaa. Bolton; letterpress printers' award,; J.- B. Innes; tailoresses' award, E. Norton.and Co.;. and an application' for' exemption from the . bakers' award by. tho Wellington Hospital Trustees. .■' • ■ ... . . . • There are at present in Timaru a considerable number of men out of employment, A registry-office keeper estimated of . unemployed by hundreds, and said that at present there is less work than'at anytime during tho past five years. ' Owing-to'tho' recent -.wot weatherj .therq, is of work for general labourers; and, as snipping is very slack, and,has been; so.for some time, there is practically no casual work to be ob- • taiued about tlio wharves. The freezing works are not as busy as usual, as•tbo'season is drawing'to'a close, and the heavy r#ins bavq • checked,,,,the ,'pf;stock;coming for- ; ' ward ■ for. slaughtering,. V A "good' many of '..the bands aro. leaving „«u>d.: seeking where, as they are not able -to, nijike good) wages. - The /.iinderground^drainagp:.contract" might ha*e-bepii'.-.pxpcc^ mciit for a- good niaiiy, b u t-t h c contractors.are wgrking'with re.duced gangs, as- thp : rain has made tho conditions' of' work;'unfavpur--able;.'. . •" ''' - v