LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 338, 27 October 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho postal authorities advise that the W-aikare, which left Sydney for Wellington 011 Saturdaj', has oil board a large Australian mail, which is due hero to-morrow afternoon. Alexander Goldbloom and Mark Goldbloom, trading as Goldbloom Bros., ladies' tailors, filed a petition ill bankruptcy yesterday. Detectivo Lewis arrested a driver yesterday on a chargo of the theft of a piece of silk, valued at £3, tho property of Mrs. Clark, of Hataitaj. The Opunake "Times" relates that during tho storm whiqh raged on Thursday last Mr. Jones, of Oaonuij had a valuable horse killed by lightning, and\a settler had some of tho boards ripped off his house. At the Seddonville State coal mine a very' good patch* of coal has recently been 'struck in that portion of tho mine known as tile cave area. The coal is good and hard, and tlio output increasing (says the "Grey Star"). At present about 400 or 500 men are employed at the mine." The police are at present making inquiries as to the whereabouts of a man named Wm. Patrick Jones, 25 years of age, a blacksmith, and a resident of Gisborne, who has been missing from the Albert Hotel since October 17.: Jones left Gisborno on October 7 to come to Wellington to undergo an operation in the hospital, and is said to have been in low spirits of late. Tho Auckland oyster season closes on Saturday next. The Marine Department, having gauged the demand, stopped picking operations last Saturday. No complete report has yet been made on the financial and other aspects of the State's experience as oyster seller, but it is thought that tho returns will show a fair profit for the season. The Department claims that it has kept the market supplied all the time, and has consistently sold at 12s. 6d. a sack, whereas in former years the price would fluctuate' between 15s. and 20s. A new branch post office was opened in Courteuay Placo yesterday. Tho Public Works Department having acquired Mr. J. Trevor's residence, made the alterations necessary to fit it for the proper transaction of all tho business of a post office. On the section at tho rear of tho building it is preposed to erect a garage in which to house the motor mail-vans. Mr. T. Kirkcr, \vh6,is the officer in cliargo, occupied a similar position in To Aro post office, when that branch was first opened for public business, but of late has been stationed at Sumner. Mr. Kirker has two assistants nt_ Courtenay Place— Misses Driscoll and M'Kcnzie. As a test of endurance, rather than an occasion of pleasure, the trip by special train to Auckland for the official opening of tho Main Trunk line bids fair to be remembered. Since it has'been decided that tho Makatote ceremony cannot be held before Friday, November 6, crowded arrangements have been necessary to bring the Ministers, Parliamentarians, and others back to Wellington before tho following Sunday. They will go at 10 p.m. from a banquet at Wellington to their train, which will have no sleeping carriages. At 8 a.m. tho next day they will turn out for tho official ceremony at Makatote, limited to half an hour. Tho hour of 6 p.m. will seo the travellers at Auckland, at 8 'p.m. begins another banquet, and 10 p.m. must see them in the train once more to spend another sleepless night, and!arrive in Wellington .011 Saturday evening. ; Yet numerous applications, it is said, are being made for places in tho special train. , The Wellington Homing Pigeon Society held a race from Auckland on Saturday. Tho birds wero liberated by Mr. W. Ellis at 4.42 a .'ill., and tho distance was 306 miles air lino. Tho race resulted as follows: —It. W. Lamb's "Scout," BS2 yards per minute; A. Clark's "Day Star," 866 yards per minute; J. H. Clark's " Molock," 708 yards per minuto; C. Hayues's, No. 59, 707' yards per minute; W. Bailey's No. 413, 703 yards per minute. Tho Wairu raco (140 miles air line) resulted in a win for Mr. A. Croskery's " Bohemian Girl," first, 1271 yards per minuto; 0. Haynes, second, 1270 yards per minuto; P. W. Lamb's "Disdain," third, 1269 yards per minuto; J. 11. Clark's "Flame," fourth, 126S yards per minute. Tho Culverden raco (138 miles air lino) resulted as follows:—C. Haynes's 8.C.h., 951 yards per minute; J. H. Ciark's "Magician," 934 yds. Ift. Bin. per minuto; P. \V. Lamb's "Pioneer," 934 yds. Oft. llin. per minute.; W, Ahlor,s " Surprise," 922 yds, 2ft. Din. per minuto.

The Chinese of Wellington have subscribed nearly £100 for tho hospital. The amount will carry a £ for £ Government subsidy. The collection in aid of tho hospital funds taken up at the performance of the Garrison Band in the hospital grounds on Sunday amounted to. £10 12s. Tho City Council has accepted the tender of Messrs. Dutliio and Co. Ltd. for the supply of tho water mains required in connection with the now reservoir at Wainui. Arrangements aro being mado to amalga-, mate the opening of tho Thorndon Cycling Club's season with "Ambulance Saturday" on Saturday next. Tho cyclists will parade through tho city, and collections will bo mado en routo. The secretary of the Hospital Board (Mr. Geo. Willis) states that additional accommodation for three female patients lias been made at the Otaki Sanatorium. This will make accommodation for 14 females and 19 males. Tenders aro to be called shortly for the erection of tho new Church of England at Muritai. Tho plans, prepared by Mr. F. de J. Clere, show quite a handsome little edifice of concrete, finished in rough caste, with added architectural graces in the fonn of a graceful bell steeple and a tiled roof. The new church, which will be built with a view to enlargement, will seat about 150 people comfortably. Between three and four o'clock yesterday afternoon a bolt occurred on Waterloo Quay, and caused a mild sensation. • A horse attached to a covered express, belonging to Mr. J. Wharton, came along at a great pace, and when opposite tho Customs Buildings the express struck a tramway pole, and was very much smashed up. The horse careered as far as the G.P.0., where it was stopped, none the worse for its gallop. Mr. Harry Kerr, the well-known walker, who returned from the Olympia Games on Saturday last, is to be entertained by his club-ma.tos and'"friends at the Hotel Windsor at 5.30 p.m. to-day. Although not successful in obtaining a championship at the famous games, Mr. Kerr worthily upheld tho prestige of tho Dominion. All those who subscribed .to the fund raised to enable Mr. Kerr to bo sent Home aro heartily invited to attend to welcome the popular athlete. Towards' the closo of last session (telegraphs our Christchurch correspondent), the Stamp Duties Amondment Act was- passed abolishing the 2s. 6d. stamp fee upon conscientious objectors' declarations (against vaccination). It having been brought under the notice of Mr. C. if. Gray, M.P., that the Christchurch registrar was still insisting upon payment of the fee, he telegraphed yesterday to the Minister for Public Health: "Registrar here still requiring declarations ro vaccination to bo stamped except when witnessed by magistrate. Has not received copy of Stamp Duties Amendment Act last session, kindly instruct." No reply has yet been received. With the memory of tho lavish hospitality meted out to the American fleet, tho first visit of Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Poore (on board H.M.S. Powerful) to New Zealand deserves more than ordinary courtesy and consideration. II; has been suggested that in view of the fact that we now liave a magnificent Town Hall (tho lack of which was made the cxcuse for social shortcomings in the. past), tho citizens should give a ball in honour of the visitor, and that something in tho way of a picnic should be arranged for the men of the fleet. It is highly probable that some such programme will bo arranged, but 'tho time is short, and public-spirited citizens arc admonished to initiate tne movement without delay. Writing from Kuro Naval Station, on September 3, one of tho Japanese naval officers who visited Wellington in the ill-fated Mat*shushima, in referring to the disaster, quaintly say's:—"Tho single-masted ship Matshushima, which made lier appearanco before the city of Wellington and received tho greatest heartily welcome of the citizens,! is now on the bottom off the coast of For-' mosa, from a sad circumstance. I will not speak' more about her, you must have received many messages by telegraph. ... Great and powerful. iAmerican fleet will make their appearance in Japan next month. All Japanese poople make their mind what kind of welcome will get their satisfaction. We have only a burning heart for tho guests from far distance. . . . The name Wellington always reminds me of the beauty of that city and the warm heart of my only three friends." On Friday afternoon a lad named Alexander Johnstone, one of a number of cadets shooting on the.beach range, hear Oamaru (states the "North Otago Times"), found a boot in which were a stocking, a number of bones of a foot, and a piece of skin.- The boot, and stocking were wrapped in a piece of paper, and laid alongside a telephone post, the bones being placed close to the parcel. The police were informed, but on Constable Perniske going out he could not discover the parcel containing the boot, but brought the bones to town. The parcel had evidently been removed by_ someone. As the boot is the only clue to identification it" is requested that the person who picked it' up should hand it to the police. It will bo remembered that a 'man was supposed to have been drowned in the vicinity, while it may also be stated that a man was washed off a schooner While passing Oamaru recently, and the remains may belong to either of these. Mr. H. J. H. Blow, Under-Secretary .for Public Works, will leave ior Christcburch on Saturday night in connection with two important compensation cases that are being brought against the Department. The -first, brought by Messrs. Macfarlanc, Macdonald, and Archer, is for £26,000 compensation ill respect of the taking by the Government of tho section at the back of Cathedral Square, occupied by the old tramway sheds. This site has been taken by tho Department for. the erection of general departmental buildings, rendered necessary by tho growth of postal and telegraphic business, which leaves no proper room in the Post Office building for the Customs, Public Works, and half a dozen other departments which find or used to find a roof there. The Government offered £16,000 for the site, which was declined, and the matter will be considered on November 4 by' a Court consisting of Mr. Justice Denniston, Mr. James M'Kerrow (assessor for! tho Crown), and Mr. Hugo Friedlander, of Ashburton ' (assessor for the claimants). On November 6, the same Court will hear a case in which Mr. Clegg, perambulator-makijr, claims £7000 for the taking of property fit tho corner of High and Tuam Streets;; This site was taken for the erection of a branch post office, the Department offering £4500. in payment. The trade returns for the port of Wellington for the quarter ended September 30 make interesting reading. Tho imports from each country during the quarter were as follow, the value of the exports (where there aro any) being shown in parentheses in each case: United Kingdom, £982,351 (£259,143).; Victoria, £48,795 (£17,877); New South Wales, £191,918 (£23,721); Queensland, £106 (£19); South Australia, £1980 (£203) ; Western Australia, £12,189 .(£114); Tasmania, £2863 (£356); Fiji, £7237 (£665); Cape Colony, £1437 (£4872); Natal, £350 (£5657); Hong-Kong, £733; Bengal; £19,851 (£92) • Burmah, £1039; Ceylon, £16,426; Singapore, £1526; Canada, £8002 (£911); British Columbia, £2704; France, £9657; Spain, £734; Portugal, £142; Italy, £1085 (£38); Sicily, £590; Austria, £895; Switzerland, £998; Greece, £378;, Germany, £30,340; Norway, £791; Sweden, £2151; Belgium, £8526; Denmark, £1-128; Holland, £2552; Turkey, £228; United States (East Coast), £113,148 (£6565); United States (West Coast), £7120; West Indies, £606; Uruguay, £ (£2712); Egypt, £29; China, £2120; Japan, £7854; Philippine Islands, £354; Java, £819; Asia Minor, £40; Sumatra, £447; Friendly Islands, £560 ; Navigator Islands, £ (£96) • ' Cook lslands, £2347 (£290). . Mrs. Rolleston, Hair Physicnm, regrets to inform her clients that sho will be absent from Wellington for a few days on very urgent private business. C 739 There aro more ways than one of blending tea, but there's only one honest and right way nnd that is to blend for quality, ilany leas are blended for value—that is, teas of certain fi'iccs aro lumped together in order to make cjc'-ain of profit. Crescent Blend Tea is blended lor quality, irrespective of the prices of tho taus required to make tho blond. It is a scientific combination of the strong robust teas of Dnrjeoling and tho fine delicate teas of Coylon. Two shillings por lb. fryrn all stores,—Advt.