LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 285, 26 August 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tlio sum of £900 worth of bad debts was written off by the Hospital Trustees at yesterday's meeting, ; A special meeting of the Karori Borough Council will bo hold on Friday evening next to consider the question of callipg JW a 'l rates, ■ . ■ The Arbitration Court will be occupied tor day with defended oaoes, in which breaches of awards are alleged. There are in all thirty oases for hearing. The tender of Mr. H, Alexander has been accepted by the Public Works Pepartment for'the ereotion of a polico station at Pg* tone. The contract price is £1065, Tho members of tlio Now Zealand Repre* sontative Rifle team of schoolboy marksmen, who are to firp for tho Imperal "Roberts Trophy" match at Polliill Gully on Thursday next, got in sonie useful practice yesterday afternoon, although tho weather was characterised by a dispiriting southerly drizzle. ''I won't swear on that," feelingly declared a witness in a case in the Arbitration Court yesterday, when a copy of tho Scriptures was placed in his hand, Continuing, the witness said that ho was willing tq make an affirmation. When the Clerk of the Courtcame to the words; "So help jou God," witness paused and asked: "Is that part necessary?" His Honour pointed put that it was not. A claim for compensation .has been made against the Harbour Board by Alfred Franklyn Hoy, of Epuni- Street, Cluimnnt, who is a rigger by occupation, bad beon in the enir ploy of the respondents for four weeks, On Judo 80, whilst ho was working on some run* ning gear in ( 'E" shed, ho had his shoulder dislocated. Hβ claims £300 in respect of in, jury. The matter was mentioned yesterday in the Court of Arbitration, which, decided to consider the claim on September 11.

A paragraph which appeared in yesterday's'issue mentioned some possibilities in connection with the yisit of an Australian toam of cricketers to New Zealand next season. Mr. S. W. Thornton, of Christchurch, who returned some two months ago from a visit to Australia, was stated to have been negotiating in the matter. Mr. Thornton, who is a member of the New Zealand Cricket Council, states that lie had no negotiations in relation to the yisit of an Aus= tralian team, and that the paragraph gene? rally was incorrect. Possibly tho confusion arises out of the fact that ( a Now South Wales team is expected' to visit the Dominion next season,

Occasionally cases come before the Benevolent Trustees in which application is made for the admission to the o|iiro Home of people - who are prevented by old age or other disabilities from earning their living, but who have relatives capablo of supporting them. A case of this kind'came under notica yesterday. An old man had been making himself troublesome in the Home, and tho secretary to the Board upon making inquiries found that tho inmate in question had sons and married daughters, all in a position to look after him. When examined by the trustees, however, a son said he could not take tho responsibility without inconveniencing himself, "Well, Mi'. Chairman," ho said, " can you show mo how I am in a position to look after him, if a benevolent institution like this cannot?" Tho chairman, however, pointed out that the man was not a fit subject for admission to the Homo while his son was possessed of the means to make provision for his care.

The Karori Borough Council has been approached with a request that it provide the means of conveying the children at- present 'attending the 1 South Karori, School to tho Main School, iis the -Education Board's inspector has recommended that the former he closed, The question of closing the school has occasioned considerable diiferencc.3 of opinion in the district, and the Mayor of ICarori is of opinion that these differences should be settled before the Council should intorfere. "If," he said at tho Council meeting last evening, "we agree to convey those children, the Education Board will immediately close the smaller school, and whether it should or should not bo closed is not for this Council to decide." The convey, ance of children was properly a matter for the Education Board, It was stated that the Karori School Committee had supported tho proposal to close the South Karori School, and that the residents of that portion of the borough were about to bold a public meeting to consider the notion of the committee. The Council decided, like "IJrer Rabbit," to"lie low and say nufßii'." "I walked down from Now -Plymouth to Wellington," was tho surprising statement made by a one-legged man wbo yuumped into the Magistrate's Court on crutches yesterday morning 011 a cbargo of insobriety. Defendant, who looked'a feeble old man, has been frowned on by fickle fortune of late, and the polico were in a quandary as to what was best to do with him, as he had only Is. 3d. in money, and in his maimed condition could hardly be expected to work. Questioned by his Worship, defendant stated that it had taken him four or five weeks to "crutch" his way from Now Plymouth to Wellington. Friends had helped him on tho way down. The old man did not want to go into tho Ohiro Homo, but expressed a wish to go back to a station in Marlborough, where ho had worked at ono timo. "You will bo found dead on tho road ono of theso days," said lus Worship, but defendant looked 011 a brighter side, and replied cheerfully: "No I won't, sir, I never sleep out." His Worship said 110 could not force defendant to go into a Homo against his will, and tho only thing that conld bo dono undor the circumstances was to convict and dischargo him.

Jurors summoned to' attend this week's. Supremo Court Sessions arc. notified elsewhere that they will not bo required tg attend today until 2.15 p.m. The Mayor invites citizens of Wellington to observo ii half-holiday this afternoon for the Southland—Wellington and Bush Districts— •Wellington B football matches. At yesterday's meeting of the Hospital Trustees it was dnoided to record a voto of thanks to an anonymous donor of four guineas to the Hospital, funds. Thero wero 777 mor'o arrivals in than departures from the Dominion during the month of July. The arrivals totalled 2941 (as compared with 190S in July last year), and the departures 2264, aa 'against 2119 last year. The sittings of the Arbitration Court in tho country districts will commence on the undermentioned ' dates: —Napier, September 15; Wanganui, September 22; Palmerston North, September 25; and Masterton, September 29, Tho tender of Messrs. Kompthorno, Prosser, and Co, for the supply of drugs was accepted at yesterday's meeting of the Hospital Trustees, and that of Messrß', Burgoyne, Burbidge and Co., London, for tho indonting, Tho civil sittings of the Supreme Court will, begin this afternoon, when the case of Annio Stewart v. Mere Isherwood, a claim for £250 damages for alleged slander, will bo heard before Mr. Justice Cooper and a, common jury of four. Owing to an electric light wire falling across a tramways overhead wire about halfpast eleven last night the traffic was in-r terfered with, and about a dozen cars woro stuck up in Willis Street and Lambtpn Quay for about half an hour. Tho Trustees of the Benevolent Institution mot yesterday afternoon, but as only two members—Messrs. D. Robertson and H. present, the businosß transacted was confined to the consideration of applications for relief. The number of inmates at the Qhlro Home was reported by the master (Mr. A, H, Truebridge) to bo 104 (70 malea and 34 females), an increase of four on tho number for the previous week,

It has been definitely decided that tho rifleshooting season will open on Saturday, October 3. Tho Volunteer special train will run as during last season, leaving Wellington at 1.45 p.m., and Treutham, on the return journey, at 6 p.m., arriving in Wellington at 7 p.m. A local officer states that during the winter months a number of corps got through their "trained-men" class-firing, there now remaining the class-firing for the recruits.

An order was received by the Labour Department yesterday • for thirty farm hands for Taranaki, '• The Department can find places for forty of lihis class altogether, and expects tP havo no difficulty in disposing of tho farm' workers vvlio arrive to-day among the Tongariro's immigrants. The Department also has employment for tho right class of men in oomiQction with railway construction and road works, It could provide about 100 pien with work pf tins kind in the North Island.

A mania for travelling at any cost appeared to bo the affliction of a man who appeared before tho Benevolent Trustees yesterday afternoon. Under difficulties, for ho was possessed of a wooden leg, he had been on the tramp ever since January. He had started from Wellington and journeyed to New Plymouth, earning his living on the way by pending bags and doing odd jobs. At New Plymouth ho stayed but a short period, but went on again, and finally worked his way to Wellington. Now ho appeared before tho Trustees and asked for a ticket to Piotoii. saying that oncp there lie could get plenty of work, as he w as W °M known in tho district, but on second thoughts decided that hp would prefer to enter tho Ohiro Home. Thu Board was of opinion that this would be the host course, so tho agod wanderer was sent up to tho Home,

Tho . Sydney magazine "Building" has awarded tho first prize for designing a bil-liard-room to Mr, G. W. Callpndcr (of Mr, J. Cliar!e3woi'th's office), son of Mr. W; tjallender, general manager of tho Bank of New Zealand, The magazine says The designs for the Billiard-room Competition, which aro tho best and most numerous to date, arrived from all parts of the Commonwealth. Tho first prize has again been secured by Mr, G. W. Callender, care of J. Charlesworth, Wellington, New 'Zealand, That gentleman has been successful in every competition ho has attempted, In ' almost every case the designs are highly recommended, so much sq that the adjudicators have extended further awards to ( the competitors' placed second and third on the list." The adjudicators' note was "First prize, 'Remuera.' This design which is the most original, jm« posing, and modern shows great constructional skill, and every comfort is given to the player, including floor space and top lighting over the entire table so that no shadows are cast. Two bays for galleries and ample wall space for billiard furniture are shown in enlarged section."

The Parliamentary party, which is to visit the Wairarapa (writes our correspondent), is to arrive in Carterton from Wellington by the up-express on Saturday, September 6, The visitors will bo welcomed by the Mayor of Carterton (Mr. W. Moore), and later will drive to Groytown, where tlioy will bo received by the Mayor of the town • (Sir, Loasby), and also by Mr. W. Udy, on behalf of the Liberal Assignation, It is understood that tlio visit to Groytown has something to do with the long-deferred construction of tho Papawai Bridge, famod in song and story, for which tho sum of £500 has stood on tho Estimates for sonto time. It is understood, liowcvoi, tliat the bridge will bo erected ovor tho Ruamnhanga, somewhere near Morrison's Bush, and about four miles from Greytown. The proposo'd sito will bo visited by tho Parliamentary party, together with other places of local interest. Tho visitors will tlion return to Carterton, and leave thoro on Monday morning for Featherston, whore they will be met by the chairmnii of the Town Board (Mr. J. W, Card), and by Mr. W. B. Bidwill (vice-president of tho Wairarapa Racing Club), who will take them to the club's course, and also over tho proposed route of tho railway which is to connect Foatherston with Martinborough. On Monday evening thoro will be a; series of political addressos dolivored by tho visitors at a gathering in Carterton, and tho party will roturu to Wellington on Tuesday morning.