LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 401, 9 January 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Minister for .Public Works (Eon- 1 M'Kenaie) is exohanging the: t.oy eminent Buildings with-the.- Minister • lo Education (Hon. G. Fowlds). -This wdl bmi each of tho Ministers, oloser to his principa Departments. . . " • Tho Public Works Department receive' tho following tenders' for. tho erection_ot. Courthouse at Feildjug: Adams and Smart Wellington.: £2244 (accepted)j_ D. S, W ston. FeildW, £2427; Theo.Wcsfc.Feildmg E, Heald and Sons, Feilding, £2655 ~ The .Christchuroh Tramway Board has de cided to dispense private audifc o its accounts,- Tho: Auditor-General.; am covers all branches of the boardl £ finance and a double audit is not. considered neces sary. : .. Dr. Goodo I(says .a. K>w Plymouth. Pres ■Association message dispatchcd _ yesterday was again remanfed thfs mornrng, on„th charge of murder .of Mrs. Klwmer, ; aV tara Ho.iis. still .in the hospital, but hi condition is improving. ' .: _ ;. The excavations for the Victoria Co.lleg Gymnasium are ejected to be finished in > fortnight. Tenders will then be called fo the erection of the b™ld u which• t hopedi to"' have finished by Easter. ; Add! tional funds arb still required. : Th'e. Clerk of Awards, Mr. A. Stubbs, ad vises ; that tie Conciliation Board will. sit .a Napier • on. January; 18. ini connection: wiU tho bricklayers' dilute.' at .Mastertori. on North on January 20, and Wellington, oi January 29. . ■ .. :A'cable message' was. Tcceivcd by Police -Department, iyesterday.tq, the .etteel that William Johnston bad b e ?a arrestod i Hobart on a 'charge of. committing ."a"™ lent bankruptcy .A OTliw office will go to Hobart by~the.next boat to brai£ tho accused man to Now ■ Zealand. . , . The cabled news'.. that' Tommy Burns, th. pugilist, had decided:to .come to New Zea land' has' l -been confirmed by. a letter re ceived by Mr. W.' Coffey,; secretary .of ~%< Boxing Association.', Burns, who will bo ac S"fed by his wife is> expected; to arrive in Wellington tpiwra. the end ! of February... • ■ • The Wellington' Battalion paraded las night, Lieutonaut-Colonel W. G. Duthie beinf in command: Battalion -movemente wer carried out on -the" BasinVßeserve .for. tw< hours by tho 390 officers aod Following vis the parade state 1 28 Guards 25, Kelburne RiS©s. (witL detach ment of . two Maxim guns) Rifles 32; Post and T e le g raph.Rjfles 30, Co lece Rifles 22,' Zealandia Rifles 49, aighlanc R§les .35, Battalion bind 21, Cycle Corps 10 Fate,. which hands.',,out', two-headet calf and the. exaggerated, gooseberry m dul seasons to feed the .oraving for sensation, hai again 'been kind. - A South; pland paper ha. Sored ona of,.tho ifcfated 1 life-belts, near ..Portßobinson. also, great ,things;h*vo ;^dou^.: A tot cousin of the sea-serpent, has -made,.a timelj Stance ofi Gisborn,. fees' of' him : wer'e "distinctly seen. .L; _ J-h< testimony of the second mate of ths.Mpno wai is printed by way. of corroboration.;; ,v - ■ At a recent meeting of tho Now Zealant ■ytility. Poultry. .at; Chnstchurch -th president, .stated' .that; nearly. £2000 ha< Wen: expended:-in the ,tb four conip£titiott3 beld by tni club at Lincoln, and congratulated the clul which .was' formed; four any- capital on,? pnlr prit kind^ont^^!*}^ hat balance;- ■ He. been- paid for buildings. i According-to .a resident of Greymouth, win wirs-itt',-' Timani'! on v;W ednesday, (says ou ChristcKurch' 'correspondent),. politicians oi the ' w^fet','.coast'■ take, time ;by the- forelock $£'VvisitoLsaid' thatHMrV y -for ft. Westland seat, has-already made witl hi ß ' campaign for •the next ; general, elecfaon a!fl, 'with the object of, securiM; his' retwi nest time, h'e is keeping all his committe together-for a long, a strong, and a .sur pull three years honco. . s; The ranges .attd targets for . to-day's .shoot ing' iat Trenthnm are follow.:-S«ddoi Range, 800 yards—Guards; 2.6, 17; Post am Telegraph ' Rifiosi' li-'2, .ana 3;; Permanen Force,' ; 4." Sommervillo Range, 500 and 60 yards—Engineers,: 8, 4;; Zealandia.;Rifles,, 5 Hiitt Valley Rifles,; 7, 8; Karon Rifl nf„if 9 ■■', 10, 11,' and 12. Collins .Range 200 and 500 yards-City Rifles, 12, I|, am liX- Guards'. 15; :.K6lbiimft Rifles.;lV}<■ Civil Service Rifles, 18, 19, and 20 j High land Rifles, 21, 22, and 23. 7 5^-ISSI^ ! SfSSSS Architect, 'Hid' th v rfh" for the building will be about thro mbnthl' time.' The building will -erect® in • front : of ite present mental hospital, a Mount View,, so that tho inmates of that in stitution may remain there - till' tlie new. hos nital' is ready to' receive, theni.; ;an :un used wing of the present institution wll nee; to be.: destroyed to make, TMm.,for;:the ■ resi denco, and 'room is being', left, it is said, fo ample gardens before tho house. Dear old friends of the"school-geograph; hooks como back'at times m new connc-c t^s.^ : '-Evett'-thß|." i diin, v .;halW<>Tß^Jit en ; citie of South America may. occasionally enjoy j legitimate 'innings, in a New .Zealand , news uaber. Our." Christchnrch corresponden states that'. Dr. O. 'Coleridge -'Farr, of Can terbury, has received a letter from Dr. Bauer who is itt : ohargaVof tho Magnetic Surve; Sopartment oftho. Carnegie Institute a Washington, confirming the tlie new- temporary observatory, will be «s tablished at Bnenos Ayrte; Dr. Bauer add; that Mr. Kidson, formerly ( of .Canterbury PoUpjto -is' now .'on an' overland trip fron Quito ltt' Ecuador- to Bogota m Columbia aad is getting on satisfactorily. ; ■T&: last- summer number .of aster: were atScke<l by a blight during the growing IS and just;as the plants.commencec to send - up. their, flowerings stems., they, sud dinly -wilted a ; few. day (states tho Christchuroh;: "Press"). This &ease 'has •appeared again this season, anc J the sudden death of astei Ss are genetal -The disease, which 8 Sid, attacks the lower: leaves, of tlu 'S ',1 w ill be found on t)ie. underside ; ,i t'nn lie Dlainly seen with the naked eye, x e Sao aV the roots, and on lnspectior S found that the rootMs have quite their vitality. ■ The first impression one Lets is that the plants are suffering frorr. sleeping sickness; 'but reS tie cause of, the trouble. So far nc luVo has been, found to counteract this latest garden disease. .. ■' '■ As stated in a special message to Thf nmoNioN. published in Thursday's issue, it tho opinion' of the Christchuroh scientific Lwlition which'has just: returned from a o?age'to the West Cbast Sounds that the Government Tourist Department; should deSte froni .its guide mans any mention.of, the iverland track from Mannpoun to DouMiul Sound. ' The traok (it now appears) is prac■ically non-existent, and it is well nigh an impossibility to follow it. Seven members if the expedition: who made tho journey , encountered extraordinary, difficulties in crosstic; it.' Tlio track is completely- 'overgrown, it is quite impossible in many places: to de;ect it, and it was only th'e'fact of the party jeing numerically strong that the Rakiura ;cientists got through at .all. At times they md to wade khee-deep through, thick, heavy nud, and to pick up the trAck it was often onnd necessary to leave one man stationary vhilo' the - other 1 six.Avent searching for its ibntimiation: For. one or two'persons, tb 'at:empt to,cross it.would' simply moan being 6st in heavy bush, out of which thoy prombly would never return alive. Furthernore, the scenery on tile way is of the most irdinary description, and the difficulty of the oufney bears no compensating factors whativor .' save for one waterfall' about' lQOOfti ifeh at the head of the pass. -

During the school holidays in Tcmuka tho boys ihave been making" a raid on tho small birds,. and the result has been heavy do. m&nds on the funds placed: by the County .Couucil-in. tho hands of ; Raad- to pay for birds.-^The-board has already spent 'v £207 19s. for heads and birds: On Saturday last, one .boy had brought in 220 dozen. Tho lias been a general - exodus of shady characters' .from .'tho'; city ...during : the -past two days, the ' town, in the' opinion of an undesirable, being too warm on account of the --persistence-...- with which the, police have been applying the "crust,", or, in . other words, tho vagrancy clauses of- the Police Offences Act. -. . An improvement, is about to bo mado to the tottering architecture of .Manners Street : by Mr: H. Brittr.iivwhose old-established premises at the corner of Herbert Street are to be; demolishkT forthwith tb make way for a .. new and: up-to-date block of buildings.'; The plans and. specifications are now in course of .preparation. - - Some little inconvenience was • caused by tho rtoppajjo of tho tramcars on the Cuba: Street section at 2.30 p.m.: yesterday.. .The cause of the;,trouble was •the slipping of a , horse drawing a load of coal, which had to be tipped on 'the line to release the-: ani- .-■ mal. . The .result was that- the cars..in'wait-. : ing .wero 'thrown .out of their time .of run- ( ning.' ■■ _ The lads, engaged on the Government training ship-' Ainokura-' were 'diomed to- disap- . pointment-;during' the - Christmas, "and .-. New..: Year's holidays. They'had made up their i minds for flying visits, to: their homes, but found that they were-under orders to bo at New.-Plymouth:on" : New,.-Ye_ar!s Day. -Although they are on their midsummer holiday ■ leave now,' they were naturally disappointed at missing their 'Christmas "dinner at' home, -and seeing the dear'home faces'of those who, . in; many cases, only, assembled once 1 a'year, viz.',.at Christ nias-time. : Six'thousand bales of wool are now. stored- : in No.' 1 .shed of the King's Wharf;- Al- .' though it'will be a couple of months-yet be-; : fore the last; bolt-has'-been- driven in this gigantic structure, it has nevertheless provided the Harbour Board; with much-needed additional berthage.': Tho second shed is well on the way towards completion, and: may ha ; available - for -use - before:- many • wwsKs have . passed. Almost tho whole of the! decking or.tSe ''wharf is down,-and the Har'oour. Board mechanics are .busy fitting tho crfi^ps.:. .>■ ,

■' At .11 a.m.' on Monday Jlr.. X P. Luke, M;P.;will,; introduce a ' deputation-..t0- tha ; Minister * for, Railways(Hon; .J. ..A. ~ of representative's -of'' the ■ Ons»ow -BoroTiga Council; i Johrisonvillo Town Board, ;and■ resi- , dents iof..the district;.on ,;the , subject ;of..tna railway, disabilities • which . the, Manawatu line suburbanites labour. under., as compared with the excellent .service enjoyed'by', residents along the Huttiline. This is a burning ques-, • tion in.Ng'aio, and Johnsonviilo, and a strenuous endeavour is to be made to 'improve the railway connection between AYel- t lington and the places mentioned. ;. ; • ; In conversation with Captain Hooper, of ; the '- training; ship ' Amokurii, ryesterday, a , ' Dominion ..reporter; was . informed, that,- tile ; lads on-his 1 vessel wete much, put '.out. at the • news ofy,the sad < mishap in Sydnoy to some ' of' the Encounter's, men. The vessels .have in.several Niw Zealand_port9, and_ acquaintances and friendships formed op -both ! sides. Shortly-after.' the, news' of the toishap was received .on board, a deputation of boys, :fortified.with b, collecti6'n of small. .coins, , :made up■from.their.savings, ; Captain H66per, desiting' ; that no would/-send a , cablegram .of condolence the ; Master . Arms on ; the .Encounter, at Sydney; from the , Amokura.;Captain. Hooper dispatched. the cablo as requested. ..' Richard' Arnst;\ the 'champion; Sculler of .■ 'the .world,' does, not' confine his endeavour to, 'the 'wager'boat Ho is known as-.i;' gwati : cyclist, and last evening;'at tho .splendidlyequipped 1 Excelsior ißilhard .Parloiiry iDixon SfcieeV he; showed no mean- capacity ; iM'-a- cuoiiitJ ; .In ■ & game of; 200. lie defeated ; Mr." S.' s -H';:.-Palmerj proprietor ; ; ofj, the parlour, %56'-'~Nd sensational'breaks wero re-, corded,' but" Arnst gained• steadily.fby , ten, dni''&elv%" r 6reats', put up in a mirencj which 'showed-thafain forni hb.cwoulcL make- a formidable opponent on the green cloth to .many .'of the;best'famateurs. 'in. The Excelsior rooms; contain eight new Wright, Ranish tables, including a" Very fine oval table and a -French cannon. (pocketless) .table,'.' all fine' specimenS; of; the -billiard-table ' maker's''art;- 'v; 4 ' i. - 'Ere • comes one. . Look;:;out, 'Arry,!' • says one. coal' thief to the. other, as a cart iladen with coaLlooms up in the. distance. The coal , thieves; juveniles of mixed sexes; ..eagerly : • IwaiV foiv.tlie ivehicle loaded up, to -its,fullest: extent .to approach. . iScveraf' small i piecec fall ; from-the cart,.-birt> there' is no i rush for • : them. Suddenly''a.'_boy;.of:; about-.teny sum ' .mers',.'more tenejgetio.'than, tbe ; >• iwith, aJstick,' apprp"aohef.;tho;cart;;'and.witV, a few • skilful moves 'dislodges a ; lump ofcoal, i : 'which- narrowly; misses entombing/ Sim..- Be-.. , forb he has timo to recover,from tho shock, i half a dozen' less, daring youngsters rush in ; and'claim:the.prize; ' After it is safely stored. • in various gin', cases, mounted on wheels, the: ; next cart is waited for;' and yet on four-carts > raided 'yesterday not ono of the drivers even ; looked behind, although: a crash marked tho ; falling of tho lumps of coal..

Tho patients'at the Health Department's leper station Von -Quailvlslandiliyttelton bar-/ bonr. are reported to bo progressing very. ■favourably (states the l 'Tress ,i y.i;-.Tlie : Nastm: i -treatment; .which has.:.been\.used. ,ih both cases, is stated to have.effected a,considerablo : improvemenfc in tho ■; condition. of tho. whito man. and-also of tho young Maori yrho was -,brought down from the ;North\ Island s omo month's ago.: There has been a wonderful improvement.in the latter's general health and appearance-since He' has been/ on ,Uie_island. for' which the special. treatment and good.: food-has been - largely' responsible. " He [ is' quite cheerful and has put on flesh, so much ! so' that" the clothes , which were... supphed .to.;. 'Him when he was first isolated on the island are now much too small for him.,. . .The phonograph 'and the gramophone a.nd records which were'presented to .the,patients : some, months ago still continue to. provide' enter? tairiment for the'''two men.-; THe'y do not want for reading 'matter,: as from timo to time gifts of books/ magazines, and illustrated; papors are received from various donors* Mr. W. Thomas, carotaker cf, tho island, told 'a\-''Lytteltbh:TiniesV'-;repjjrtor:.'that the European' patient might recover and be fit; for discharge nest summor. Ho also stated that 'ho had received a' lottor, from -tho, .Maori patient who was discharged recontly, stating .that ho : was quite.well, and that he had been .earning money. . v:V" The chamois which were'' liberated near tho Hermitage, .Mount Cook, about ; two years since;;seem to bo 'holding - their own, (says the "Otago Daily- Times"). They have -been sefen.on several occasions'in the'inter-:, val, and on Saturday'last Guide Murphy, while coming, down,the Hooker Valley with sonib visitors -saw':;one- of the chamois. It was ; very, to ,;the', party, and rapidly made its way-"some distance up the mil, but returned to the lower ground as soon, as the party had passed the spot where it. was feed-. ■Trig. Mr; M'Donald, who is,in charge of the Hermitage, gives' a: graphic of the liberation of the' chamois when they weresent- up to the district. They wero taken down to the point of the mountain v-here .tourists: are taken: across the , Hooker llivcr in a wir© cagOj and' on tho door bosos in which they had been confined: during their voyage from Europe being-opened they oamo out with some hesitation. With a slightly bewildered look they scanned their surroundings, and apparently: recognising something familiar - in; tlio steep - mountain- side : beside them, they made two ■ or'three iquiclc' jumps into the air, and fled with speed pp tho nearest spur- It was reported-some ; " timo since ' thafc'a young chamois had been seen with the hord. The animals: were a gift .to the Dominion from tho Emperor of Austria. : :: :. j> or -.instructions on the latest and: most bo. coining stylo of- Halrdrfssing. for. Hair/Treatment, l ? ace :aiid shampooing,. visit Mrs.- iMleston, Willis Street -(over. Carroll's). Personal, attention, advice free.. Tel.:. 1599. \C7S9

: There'are moro ways than on« of'; blending, tea, but there's only olio honest and "right why,' and, that is to Wend for.. q;mlity." , 51 any: teas are' blended for. value—that" teas of .'certain prlo.es aro lumped together in order to make certain of profit. Crescent Blend Tea is blended for quality, irrespective of the prices. of tlia. teas required to mako the blend. It is n Fcientifib combination of the; strong .robust teas .of Darjeeling and the fine delicate'teas of Ceylon. IVo shilluiffs per lb." f:om all stores."-Adrt,. :-