LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 415, 26 January 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

■The postal authgrjtiep adyis.e that the Mahenp, which left Sydney for ■' Wellington on January, 23, has oji board. an Australian mail, which' is due here on Wednesday morning. ..,.."

The Bon, 4-. TP\ Hogg, Minister in charge of the Roads Department, intends to visit the Hawtrey Estate, in company with Mr,' P. .tiike, MvP., before giving" a final "reply to the-deputation which recently waited upon' him in regard to certain road connections in that locality.. !.' '■".'■'■'■;•-•■•. . /

Corporation officers are making their annual - crusade against 'Unregistered dogs, and proceedings are' about to be taken, in some cases of continued neglect. Seeing that tho last day for paying dog taxes is past, any one in possession of an .unregistered dog is liable to be fined.'.

"Money makes money" is a, common enough saying, and jn"-'tb9 present lean financial days the possessor of money has his opportunities. A growing practice (especially in the country) _ is. to raise, money on lifo insurance policies, and lend out tho proceeds at anything'up to ten per cent. ~

'■ In crowded thqroughfares ,tl)e addition of a few feet to the width available far vehicular and'car traffic may. mean almost complete exemption from accident. The advantages obtained at AYinder's corner '.aro tho more, appreciated- wlieii one reniembors how close to the footpath the cars', used ..to run. Now tl}p ljne is 14ft. distant from the pavement, which, itself is Sft.'3in. wide. ' ' '•

Pursuant to a resolution carried by' the annual No-License Convention 'held in Juno last, representatives of the electorates met in committee yesterday morning in conjunction with the execut/iyo'of tho New Zealand Alliance. \ They _ discussed mutters concerning the financial interests of the party and. its pffe'ctiye- work. In'tho eyenjng the delegates met at tea in the Young Men's Christian Association rooms, and bade farewell tp Mrs. Ostler, who lias long been a most active No-License worker, and !S now proceeding tr England for two years...'The conference will : continue for another day or two.

For instructions on tho latest anil most. becoming stylo of Hairdressiug, for ' Hair ; Treat?Wfc> -%!8 Mftssago mi Shampooing, visit Mrs. • Kplleatou, Willia Pt'roe't (bvov iCn.rriU's). Poreonal attention, advice fice, Tel, 1599. 07119

A further subscription of £4 25., from ployces of tho Ruanui slieep station (por Mr, J. F. Studhohue), has been received by.tho Mayor for- tho Italian Earthquake Belief Fund. The amount has been handed over to Mr, Robertson, Italian Consul,

Thero will ho great doings at Tahiti on July 14. Tahiti being a French possession, great preparations are beings made to coler brato the anniversary of tho fall of Hho Bas-r tillo. Thero will bo jiative dances, and other displays, and all tho resources of tho group will bs taxed to produce a first-class island carnival. Three steamers will probably be at Papeete at the tiino, namoly, the Mana-r uouri from Wellington, the Tot'ua from Auckland, and tho Mariposa from San Francisco.

Considerable comment has been made on the report that Mr. Lauronson, who h»3 just ontereil into partnership with Mr. Hornsby, ex-M.P., at Carterton, lias been appointed agent for the Public Trustee., in. place of Mr, W. B. Chennolls, of Masterton. Although, accoramg to tho ''Wairarapa Daily Times,'' the new firm has gone so far as to put up a sign worded .'.'Hornsby and Lauronson, land brokers and auctioneers, Public Trust Agency," it appears that the announcement ■is. without authority. AYlien the matter was mentioned to the Prime Minister last night, he stated that no appointment had yet been made. , -."' • '/■':,■ ,'

Specimen copies of the wages and time sheets required under the Arbitration Act of last session are ■ being sent out to employers from the Labour Department. The time sheet provides for the entry of the number of hours worked daily, the total number per week, the amount of overtime, the wage 3 paid, etc. The provision/covers every employer bound by an industrial award, and later on the unions propose to advocate tho ms ? of. a like .provision in the' Shops and Offices ..Act, The amended Arbitration Act came into operation on January'l, and it is understood that its provisions will bo strictly enforced from the beginning of next month. .- - = - -.-.-,

The parishioners of the Roman Catholic Church m Wellington gouth have decided to hold a, bazaar m tho Skating Rink during Jiaster week. It has boon agreed that the proceeds shall bo devoted towards tho cost of building tho new church at Kilbirnie, and to paying off the present indebtedness on tho general parish of Wellington South. In con, nection with tho proposed bazaar, which will run for from seven to ten' days, there will bo four fancy stalls and a refreshment stall. A strong general committee has been formed to mako the necessary - and Messrs. R. W. Collins. J. J! Butler, and Wi Frost have been appointed joint secretaries.'

To improve our Now Zealand- lighthouses, tho work of installing oil incandescent lights (Chance's patent),'' is 'being pushed ahead by the Marine Department. Tho Tutanekai, which leaves Wellington to-night, will'take Mr. Scott, lighthouse .expert, l to instal one of these lights at Tho Brothers. These imV. prpvoments on tho old oil burners' are now in use at Pencarrow, Jacks Point (Tiniaru), and; Stephens Island, and give every satis T faction, 'Mr. Scott will acopmpany tho, Hinompa when she makes, her northern trip for the purpose' of "installing, the lights at Cuvier.: Island and Capo 'Maria ' Van Dioman, In the South Island the lights will ho installed at-Nugget Point, Ceutro Islandj and Puysogur Point. ' ''.'■'■'• '■

The unemployed trouble is growing' all over tho Wellington provincial district. Our travelling .correspondent roports . wholesale cutting-down of working staffs, .especially on farms,. At the same time the number of immigrants (all in ques.t of work) 'is, of course,' increasing. Mastertoh seems t'o.havp sustained a heavy, invasion of the latter, During the' past few weeks- over ISO' men and women' hays applied at one labour agency, The applicants comprised, carpenters, engineers,' printers, bj'icltlayers, .'and plasterers. Many pf theso were" willing to enter the field of unskilled labour, but opeib ings were few. •

A young lady of this town met;with an exciting experience : on Thursday .evening (states the '.'Poverty' Bay Herald"). Whilst strolling along the groyrio with.a girl.friend and. three young gentlemen,:she slipped and' fell into jbno river. The' night was a very dark ; ono, and there.was a swift current running' out seaward. With- great prbiiipi'tude. two 'of. her companions, jumped 'over 'after'hor, whilst the third with much presence of mind ran along, tp tkp wjiaj'f and.secured a rope./-The other : girl noticing a rope on a lifebuoy near by promptly . throw orio end to the swimmers, and was: able with .the. help of a passer-by to.get her girl friend on shore... Shortly afterwards ' the young, man returned'with: a stout rope, and was:eventually able to get tho others oii 6hore.. Tho lady was non.p the worse for her "ducking," although .very exhausted. •. The -Harbour Bpard wpuld do well to. hang a number of ropes, over the sides of tho groyne, as it, is is impossible to hold on-tq the slippery boards at present. ' ' .! ,' " ';'" . ' .

The Oaniaru poljce desire a claimant for 52 bottles pf whisky and. a half-dozen of beer.. At first sight (says tho "Mail"), it would appear easy to place such delectable refreshments, but ownership. would carry with it certain' responsibilities. If a thirsty soul gaye way to tho temptation, to piake it his own, the police would ask him all kinds of questions, such as, AVhy is it not labelled? Oiy Why did not tho Clerk of tho Coiirj; receive notice pf its being'sent in? 'The magistrate, during .tjie hearing of a case affecting this"same liquor, remarked that these might, under certain circumstances, bo viewed as technical _ offences. Is there - anyono daring enough, in-order, to become' sole proprietor of the necessary adjuncts to a small to accept tho risk of-tho Bench adopting such a.-view?,'Wp'..fear not,-and that liquor will repose,-the solo occupant of the local lockup, until such as the police, having despaired. of finding an owner, send it to Christchurch-to bo sold .at auction, the proceeds to'go into the pocket of bur. Sovereign, i

An accelerated postal service will be established between. Wellington ' and ■'Auck 7 land with the inauguration-of.''thie daily.-ex-press service on February 15. : Like'.everything else depending on transit via. Oner hunga, the dispatch of mails'.in the past has had to depend upon the' weather and the'state of the bar. But with an express, train leaving Auckland at a fixed hour each evening the closing time for southern mails will be a fixed one —at, say, an hour before the train starts. With this service, mails posted in Auckland at -7 p.m. should bo .delivered in Wellington before 5 p.m. the next day. To bring this about, the sorting will be'done en route as far as is possible, so that very little timo will be lost 1 on ar-. rival in Wellington. In view of the many changes tb.£ new through service will bring about in the transmission "of majls, Mr. C. Ganna,way, Assistant-Postmaster at Wei-, jingion,; ha? just returned frpm a: trip over the Main.'.Trunk line to Auckland, i;o consult with Mr. Drycfen, Assistaait-Ppstmasier at Auckland, who returned south with his confrere. The officials have been conferring on matters that will arise on the initiation of the dai)y express service, but so far nothing for publication has been definitely arranged. ' . ■■■'.•' ,

, In. many, instances assisted immigrants sent to Gisborne have given complete satisfaction to all'concerned, but in a couple of recent instances, sjtates the' ''Herald,'' the "new chums,'' arriving with excellent credentials, have turned out, to be quite unsuitable for tho work offering, and with disappointing results. A few days ago two ' young men minors arrived in Gisborne, and were duly forwarded on to the Public Works railway construction works, .where a special conveyance was engaged to take them on to the work. Shortly after their arrival, at their destination, however, tho young fellows rolled up their swags and. returned to town, apparently declined to tackle the jobs offerings thorn. Again, three able-bodied s'oung mien, advised by tho passenger agent at Home to be capable and willing, to' turn a hand, to general farm work, were soon found, on reporting .themselves at the pffice here, to'be incapable of accepting the work offering, and they were accordingly forced to seek other employment in town. As long as this class of men 'aro induced to seek their fortunes in the Dominion there is bound to bo some disappointment. .

There aro moro ways tha nono of blending tea, bnt there's only one honest and right way, and (bat is. to bland for quality. Many, tens aro b'ondod fpr valued-Hint is, teas of cortain prices are lumped together in order to •-.ako cortain of profit.: Crespen't Blend Tea is blended for quality, irrespective of the prices of the teas required to make tho blend. It is a scientific pnmbination of tho strong, robust teas of ParjocUbf? nnd the fino dolicato tons of Ceyloa, Two shillings per lb. from all stores,—Advc

Tho Conciliation Board will sit in Wellington on Friday next, at 10.30 a.m., to hear .evidence in tho. bricklayers' dispute.

D Battery, under the now regulations, is now entitled to a commanding officer with the rank of major, its roll strength being now over 100, and the hope has been generally expressed in all ranks of the corps that Captain F. J. Courtenay (active list, unattached), who formerly commanded the battery, but w.-.s forced to relinquish his command through pressure of private business, will sco his way clear to return as senior officer. Captain Courtenay has always kept in touch with his eld command; - and has regularly put in his annual 16-days' training with tho-battery. In the past'ho showed himself to be a capablo and enthusiastic company officer of tho calibre that the volunteer forces can ill spare. .. ;

Considerable interest is being evinced in the coming licensing election for Manuk.au, but, so parties are -keeping quiet over their "tickott" (says the "Herald"), The sitting committee consists of Messrs, John Rowo, D. M'Lennan, Angus W. Goiv don, Daniel Neilson, and William Westney. The first four.named are "moderates" while Mr. Westney is a No-License representative. Three hotels will be closed if a No-License ticket succeeds, while the minimum number that may be dispeused with is two. It is considered certain that. tho four sitting "moderates," together with another to be chosen, will comprise one ticket, while the Manukau No-License League will meet at Onejiiiiiga on February 2 to select their candidates.

What is supposed to bo the trail of the escaped prisoner from the Terrace. Gaol (Archibald John M'Neil). has been struck at Island Bay by the police. ' A resident .'of the Parade,'lsland Bay, has reported that a man entered his house on Sunday night by forcing one of the windows. The lady of thehquse (who was by herself) locked; the doors and windows before going to bod, nnd, shortly after retiring, she hd-rrd.a noise in the attic. At first she thought that it might be a cat, but later (at 3 a.m.) sho heard the .front''-'door.'being slammed, after which tho front gate was opened and shut, Nothing w.as.niissing from the house yesterday mprii-. ing, but on investigating in the attic the prints of bare feet were found. The police are at present on the trail. ■„. "\

Last. Saturday, the A. "W. Hogg, Minister in charge of tho Roads Department, visited some of the country roads in ;ns own electorate, in company with the district inspector. One important road which he went oyer was that from Mangamahoe Railway , Station ' te / ■ Ihuhurua - ■ Yafley. ; , For many years this ■ had been a 1 very bad road. Mr. Hogg. stated .yesterday" te" a-Dominion but metalling, had been prosecuted rapidly-tbis se3son,'nhd:he had giyeh'.'.orders', that it should be , continued uiitil.the: whole, was completed. The road gavo access: to the heart of the-Mount Baker Estate. Tlfo metalling was bejng done by'the settlers- and their sons, paid by the Government; and,this was turning .out better arid/cheaper than the contract, system. The books would show that-the cost per chain was .considerably less than. in. the' case, of similar work done by Contract.

The reading of some letters at the University Senate .on Friday : drew from .tho Chancellor, Sir Robert. Stout, some pointed comment (states the Auckland "Star''). Referring to s'omp .objections,' lie said that the objections raised .camp.'from law students aknic. The Senate skould stop tlje; practice of law students writing to; tho examiners, and resolve that any. law student corresponding with' an' examiner should ipso- facto "be dis? qualified. '/Some of .the letters were absolutely childish. The law was plainly-laid down that, any man who failed must take i his exam, oyer .again,. But hardly a year passed without law students writing to be passed in, the subjects, in 'which, they, had succeeded, notwithstanding that they had failed on the whole. They should not cor-, rospond with examiners to £ain benefactions. It was like a man. writing to'a judge to gain bjs" ear! Ho. could not understand /law. students: doing,that.,:. ~,,-/.."/

On Friday night, About, 9.30, a girl aged 1.9 was violently seized in 'Webb Street, by a pi.an who,; though perfectly sober, was evi-; dently-not to he deterred'by the fact.that other '" pedestrians ' were, approaching from both; directions, ' '/The!'man. had',the appear-.ance-'pf being about 25 years of age, aud was tall, and respectably dressed. : The girl threatened to strike him withher sunshade, upon which the fellow, making use of disgraceful language/ hauled .off to strike with clenched fists, at tjiis stage another woman.-' .coming up, took a band in. the proceedings, hitting tlio man with 'all her str.en.gtk, and thus .effecting a timely diversion. The man, howeycr, was far... from .cowed, and followed up the ladies. (both thoroughly scared) for nearly a quarter of a mile,, AVebb Street is by no jneans a lonelystreet, and the.occurrence,is, therefore-, tke more remarkable. , '' •;.''.'• :,.,

Tho absence i>f Justices. of the-Peace in papier ■ lias 'been a standing- grievance with members of the. legal profession, for some considerable, time ■ (says the / ''Telegraph':'). Last Friday morning the Court waited for -an-hour while the.town was searched:for'a gentleman privileged to take his seat on the Bench. Tho delay, had the'effect of keeping two small boys charged with stealing mouth organs trembling in their 'juvenile: shoes, but it was only luck that other more important people were not'involved in a scandalous waste of time; .Justice was only dispensed by, an anxi/nis police officer meeting ono_ of tho great unpaid in ,the street and telling him''that he jwas" wanted.'-..1t happened that tho Justice-was a.gentleman who, is seldom to be found in towii. Lawyers find considerable, difficulty in obtaining necessary signatures to judicial documents as they, are constantly forced to lay :themselyes under an obligation to the same .limited'number of gentlemen—when they are to be found.

; One of- the most ingenious fire, planus submitted to public notice for a long tinip is that invented.pyi.Mr. G. H. "Wcstneat, and exhibited, in the. library .of the Institute of. Marino Engineers,- Queen's . Chambers, yesterday. It'is an electrical device attached to a.particular kind'of thermorneter,. In this case "the. thermometer has. a long screw top in vyh'ich is fixed a hit of platinum wire that runs'down the- tube to any length desired. In the lower end the platinum wire is melted into the tube, leaving a projection in tho. mercury. ■' Both wires lead to electric terminals, 'au3 thenco to an alarm hell, which is rung-by the mercury .rising until it connects with the descending wiro in the tube. The apparatus was,tested hundrcdsV times yes--terday, merely by "warming the cup of nier-. cury with'the fingers or breathing on it. The; apparatus is simplicity itself, and adjustable: to any climato. 'In a cold climate all. that wojiild be '-"necessary would be to twist the screw top with the attached wire lower, or to lengthen the piece' of wire. It is understood that the invention is regarded faypurably hy tho shipping authorities, and that it is easily adaptable to wool and.flax stores, factories, warehouses, arid even private j houses is quite evident.