LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 429, 11 February 1909, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The New Zealand Newspaper Proprietors' Association and New Zealand Federation of Master Printers are to meet in Wanganui towards the end of the month. For the convenience of everyone, it has been arranged to hold the annual meeting of the United Press' Association' about the same time in Wanganui. •;•..-.•!■■:'.•.-..• •■■■■■' • ' • :■'• ■ •_ Arrayed in the: latest creation of tile dressmaker's ■ and- milliner's art, -May Hallett. . stood tho, ,'■' fire . of several hundred oyes ; at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. '■ Qur detailed report of tho proceedings appears elsowherc. -

Sheepskins (put mas evidence) made tho atmosphere at the Supremo Court yesterday even more oppressive than usual. .Referring to the matter, Mr. Justice Chapman said:— "Let tho skins bo taken outside-when they are not needed for the purposes of identification. Thoro are quite, enough smells of one kind or another hero already." (Laughter.) The new Anglican Churoh,,at Wadestown. which is almost completed, is a. substantial brick building, roofed with: asbestos slates, and occupying .tho best and most central position in Wadestown. The building' will seat about 2SO persons, and.will be lighted with: electricity. Chairs will bo'used instead of pews, and a successful scheme has' been launched by which tho cost of over 90 chairs has already been promised. , Every parishioner is asked to give a chair: The opening cororaony will take place on' Saturday next, at 3 o'clock. . Tho preacher will be the Archdeacon of ■ Wellington; Tho Bishop of Wellington will hold a confirmation oii Friday, February 10, nVB p.m., nnd thajßov; T. H, •flprowi-u among the fipeolal preachers,,;.

Tho first case on tho list for tho civil sittings, which commence to-day, is that of. Philip O'Brien and another v. John W. Easson, a claim for £207 13s. Bd. for work alleged, to have been done.' • Sentence will be passed at tho Supremo Court this morning on- the following prisoners:—Edward John Searl, forgery; Wm. Neil, John Cormick (two. charges), .and Edward Bichard Black, robbery with violence. A largo number of excursionists 'journeyed to Day's-Bay last .night, when an excursion was held under the auspices of the "Wellington Perry Company.'' The. illuminations in the grounds and a concert in the pavilion, together with the side shows, made tho outing enjoyable.' .At their meeting last evening the Wellington. Accountant Students' Society > discussed municipal accounts, devoting ■ special attention to the accounts of tho Wellington City Council. Mr. H. D. Vickcry,l'M.A.N.Z., treated the subject in an interesting fashion,' and was ably seconded by ;Mr. Petherick, to both of whom .the meeting returned thanks. _ Mr. T. E. Donne has received a copy of a Swedish publication,, entitled : I'Prarieblomman," in which, appears an illustrated article on New Zealand, written by' Mr..Frederick LarSen, entitled "Svenkarna.'pa Nya Zeeland." The letterpress' is in Swedish, but, judging from the very fine photographs,-used, tho article should bo enlightening to dwellers in the land of the.midnight sun. A unanimous "call" has'come to the Bav. W. Marshall, of the Hutt, from the charge of Balfour, in the Southland Presbytery. The invitation will, be .considered, at a. special' meeting of the Presbytery' on February 7, when ; representatives from the Hutt will be present, and the Rev. W.Shirer will support, tho call on behalf of the: Balfour-congrega-tion. It is understood that Mr. Marshall may accept the call.'.- . :•_ _,An alarm of fire reached the central station at 9.50, arid the brigade set out to 20 Elizabeth' Street; where a blaze had been noticed in the premises of the Wel-lington-Dairy Company (Mr. George , Edwards,, manager).. .The flames-were confined chiefly.to thosarking of a lumber room over the boiler house, and were caused by a defective flue. They-.were suppressed in a': few minutes by the use of the hand pump, and .little damage resulted.'■', "',' ',:■'.,.;; A special summoned meeting of the Loyal Antipodean lodge, 1.0.0.F.M.U., was held last;night, Bro. Hird,N.G., ; presiding oyer' a- large attendance of members. ' One. candidate was initiated into .the lodge,and order.-The-following- were elected delegates ;to at tend the district meotirig to bo held at Mastortori on.February. 15:—Bros. J. Smith, E. C. Ludwig,: and J.. Avery,. P.P.G;M;'s; ,A. Guhse, P.S.; and H. Dormer,. P.G; "It. was ' decided to co-operate ■ with the. other ' town •lodges of the-M.TJ. in'carrying out the' decisions of the medical conference.. ', '"••.'•Mr. Guthrie,;M.P. for. Oroui,:wasin.Wellington, yesterday, seeing, Ministers in icon-, nectiqn with matters relating to: his constituency.. " Amongst other things';he-brought forward the question, of the Kararewarewa Bridge, and also urged the. necessity'.,for acquiring and preserving'the scenic reserve near Fofldihg.: ;An officer -of , the' Department is to. inspect arid report bnthe reserve."" Mrl Guthrie, also brought .before:.the -Minister for Education several matters relating to the Wanganui College; of the board of which.ho ib'a. member.-'".. ■.. '■•, •:■• -•■•""- •';■[ 'J ■'■■) •;-rv,' ■.

:... On Tuesday'next,,"W; Elliott, champion professional feather-weight boxer of New Zealand, will make his debut in the professional ranks m Australia at Sydney. ' Although, his' ■ bppo--rient,whose name,is "Wells, is 71b-. heavier, Elliott expects to come off victorious.' "Writing to a. member of The- Dominion: staff, Elliott : says ..that,, although he 'tried very hard, he was unable to -sequre/a match-in Melbourne.; The- afrangonients .on his' side ra connection, with the /contest -next week were/mado by Burke,: who trained Burns for' Jiis encounter with Johnson;'.- 1 .-'"' . •'•:■' .. -!'The-New. Zealand Publio Works': Fund;'!' says-the writer of,'a characteristically trenchant article, in the " Investors': Review ".of December 5, /" is utilised ,W'manufacture': unreal surpluses and to disguise tho horrible -waste that marks the administration of ;the public, revenue.' ■. . ■'.. Do the people of New Zealand; imagine ,:that "the -waste,: .that,'/thedemoralising; and wholly dishonest iriortgag--ing of -their future, this waste "of capital expenditure indicates can go on for e'\<er? .If not, .why do', they not - rouse themselves. and put a stop to-it? iOno of these days old England will have to money to.lend.; "What will happen then ?" ' ./ . .-; ■' Gambling/in Haining Street Was a question on which Mr. Herdmah,.counsel for several Chinese /whose were raided by -the police last week, and 'Sub-Inspector Phaif agreed to differ, yesterday. During the hearing of. the charges Mr. Herdman submitted that the - Chinese. kept ,tb: themselves, and that tho polico had the run of their- establishments, and, would probably admit.--that-tho evil:of gambling in the.Chinese quarter :was decreasing every : year. / Sub-Inspector Phair.informed, the Court that gambling was growing, arid not only'amongst. ths,Chin"eso;i For the/sake of. the rising . generation,:: he urged \that sovere penalties sjioiild be inflicted.' They/were; l . : ; ,' '- ':."/' :':":■ ■ At the: Christchurch I ', Supreme Court '■■. on Monday it happened that- after a prisoner had pleaded "not guilty", and- a -jury/ had been empanelled, the absence of certain Crown witnesses made it necessary, for - his Honour :to discharge the- jury and' hold the case over...'-■ Tho prisoner asked the Judge to_. take the names Of the' jury, so that -fie might be sure of getting the same men next time. He. referred to the jury as "my. jury" and ''the men I chose.". His ". Honour drily' 'remarked that the prisoner, did hot-choose and 'there was no reason why the same, meii.should, try his case' when it-next came up: He would promise /the prisoner', however,: that. ho. would/ bo supplied with ■ a jury "just as ■ good" as: the', one he had lost. —"Lyttelton Times." '-'J -The Pennsylvania railroad to-day (states, a New York message of December 21 to a london contemporary), filed plans for .building the largest- bridge, in the world. It will connect the mainland'-.of New York with'/..Long Island, and, with its approaches, will be three miles long.; .The greatest "span, over Hell ■ Gate Channel, will be 1000ft./long. /-The ; bridge will be 140 ft. over the water, permit-ting-the passage of the tallest vessels..-Thej entire-structure, except'.the: piers for the ,arch. will' be of steel, having an' estimated weight Of 80,000 tons'.:. 'It will'have four tracks,.two for passenger trains;and two for freight, and is designed for live loads on each of the tracks of two 190-ton'bcomotive's,'fol-:lowed by a uniform load of 60001b. per lineal: , foot.:: The estimated cost 'is between' £3 000 -, -000, and £4,000,000. ~: .'/■ .; !',;.'''

Messrs.. A. S. 'Adams and G.B. .Nicholls who during the past few weeks have been attending the hearing ,of the : Ohinemuri licensing petition ,bn of the Temperance party, returned to Dunedin on Tuesday. Speaking to an "Otago Daily Times" ; reporter, Mr. Nicholls stated that the time occupied, in the hearing of the petition was .the longest in the history of the'No-License : party, and the .petiticto was remarkable in matiy ,- ways;, Tho time occupied, wbb -.' ten days, and on one day the No-License party, 'put. through 65 witnesses. Mr. Adams's concluding address was a very eloquent one, and lasted for six hours. Considerable interest,- Mr. Nicholls stated, had been manifested as to,the reason.why judgment had' been postponed for a month.:' The actual 'reason was that there were three Magistrates from various parts, of the province of Auckland engaged in hearing the petition; and; they/-had'.met together at'considerable inconvenience, and had been detained: longer than was expected. They had had to leave immediately on the conclusion "of the argument, and March 1 was the first occasion on which they could meet together again: 'and it was essential - that all three should be present in giving judgment, as the question of costs was to be decided then; The decision will be received on behalf .of: tho Temperance party by Mr. Miller, who acted as junior counsel during the hearing of the petition,' thus obviating the necessity of Mr. Adams 'returning to Waihi. :.'''-.' : Teas grown in different localities have different and even the tea. from any particular garden is not the same in twosuc-' cossivo seasons. -Climatic changes, differences of soil; exorcises influences, and it is the art of the ten blender to bring together tho differ-' ent-teas and by: combination to produce a particular flavour. Crescent Blend Tea is a choico combination of Ceylon and Indian Teas, and .tho flavour novor' varies,.'■ All storekeepers, 2s, per lb.

The Mission Band is to give a performance in the Basin Reserve this evening. ••'.;.\' ~ In a. caso heard in the Auckland Polico Court on Tuesday it was stated that a father, mother; and eight children were living in one room, which served all house purposes—they ate in it and slept in it. ...Thero was only ono double bed, in which the mother and six of the children' slept. The father occupied;; a "shake-down'' on the' floor. ■; .This morning the; present Conciliation Board will conclude ite hearing of the last caso .which is to-come, before it—the bricklayers' dispute. The first sitting of the Conciliation Council, under the amended Conciliation and Arbitration Act, will be held on March 3 at Napier, and. Mr. P-. Hally, the hewly-appoiiited. commissioner,. will preside. The'case is a- dioputc between; the Napier Drivers' Union and the .employers./ • A protest has been made by the Wellington Employers' Association against; the decisions of Dr. M'Arthur in tho recent cases for breaches of awards. ;At a full meeting of tho executive, the following resolution mot with unanimous support That this association expresses its strongest- protest against l the by the Stipendiary Magistrate, of unduly severe penalties for.breaches of Arbitration Court awards." It was stated that in' Dunedin the Arbitration Court 'had' imposed fines of only £2 and. £3 for similar breaohes. . .... \ ,; . Mr. Herbert Flemming, theatrical manager, who died in Melbourne on l October 25, was possessed of personal property valued at £1260. In his will and a codicil, after'making specific bequests to his/ sons.; and relatives, the testator makes certain.other gifts to Mrs. Beatrice (Wall. In the'codicil: he left(to Beatrice; Day, or Wall, in addition to other bequests, the wholeof his'interests; in the Brough-Flemmihg /Company, and including his'.rights ,in certain plays. -In making these bequests: to her, ho; concludes:—r;','l should mention that a considerable portion of ray- estate : is '■ really hers, ( I having' guarded it; for five years."// ..•''■(('." : ; : "A record was established by'the. J; C. Williamson ; in securing '■ the : new play,/"The Englishman at Home," which is •reported by the cable messages to be causing a furore in London. The; 'first news; of .its success.reached; Sydney on Tuesday, and was verified in the morning; papers on Wednesday; at noon on Wednesday the,firm cabled to its London agent, Mr.vMalonej,,to secure the piece, and about 10 o' clock .the following morning a cable message came that it had been (acquired accordingly. .This is; brisk (eh-; terprise in negotiating for the Australian rights of ,a; play,/for in such' a-transaction many, people must.necessarily be interviewed .by.'tho agent. /■(;.■ (''''' : r /;: ■ .: ■•.,; -.'■'.;■'''• }:

. -".No more of them I" is- the/fiat of the City. Council ,with respect to Sunday picture ~The ■:Finance; Committee of the council, came'.tovthis decision "at: its meeting ;': on Tuesday,: afternoon, when, anapplication/was made,by Messrs.: John Fuller-and Sons: to: hold '.cinematograph entertainments on; .Sunday...evenings -in .both"the. '.Theatre Royal and His Majesty's Theatre. The committee determined further .that, no other exhibitions "of; moving "pictures will be .permitted, on Sundays, ■ so -that concerts, such. as havebeen held in the Opera House lately,'are now /prohibited. However, programmes to be presented oh -Sundays will still be passed by the.' 'town clerk, ■'. provided that no, picture items ~are'"included;- :■';..'; ■'■':; '■' - ; ;'-" "The, Ruslrin "doctrine that ; wealth consists; in.the 1, possession, of ..goods, that we, can: use isillustrated. in /a story- which was told by. Major'J. R.'.'Sankey, at the Queensland Government'Office,-in the Strand (states :a London'journal),. where 'the: magnificent'blue topaz is< on,, sale in which / the, Queen took special interest, when she saw . it .at the Franco-British / Exhibition, /..remarking: "What a.beautiful thing, it ''is'.:-.-. It is like a; drop of limpid sea water." Professor.Sketeh-'' ley,,;the eminent/geologist, once :visited' a remote mining'camp inNortn Queensland. :,His attention ' was arrested /.by. a crystal which lay exposed to view on a box,' and he was surprised .to be told: by a miner .that it was ' kept as"a missile '.ready' to" be thrown .'ai a dog. which might steal'some meat/, The miner responded, to the- professor's expression of surprise by': laughingly ,telliirg:him to put-the stoneiin his pocket. ; He- i aid so, and;this is the gem which, after; being cut" was ■'■■. "pronounced tobb the largest bliio topaz of! last ■century, 'and;is.no'w" to be seen in the Strand.'OnceVthojewernearly came into the posses-' sibn ;of the .King" ; An .'.arrangement 'was made' for his Majesty to inspect "it, .with a- : yie\y,"to purchase. /But: the illness; which postponed the Coronation also ypre-' vented the appointment carried/but.•'.. "

'■.TH«:first-;week's oyster ;fishing. : has v ; been very 'satisfactory, .-writes. a Bluff'. correspondent:;. Supplies nave been a shade in. advance, of'the demand, and one-,or;twc) '-rafts have' had to- take; short spells insider : -The bank operated; on--; is-the one worked last season. 'It is,;situiited to the east,:of '■■'. Rua- : puke. ; It -is- accessible; to- and from -the port.- Its general' dimensions'are. 4s'miles m length. by ■' 2j-; miles wide. i That gives: a fine dredging;fiweep : on;either'tack>. It avera/ depth 'of 12. fathoms.:- It was first discovered in .'IBBB, : and', worked during the open :■• season: : for - the .first' - seven .'or "eight years., _ On v account of,'theV oysters becoming small,';it was then left-idle for several years; The oysters found on this bed are how large,; of ! good quality, ,and ; ; are noted for keeping; longer, than; any. of. the: others. •'■ "That is at- : ;tributed..to the.fact of;-the!wator.being shallower than.it:is;at the'■ other; beds.' - It has been ;a' most prolific. bed;' as ;many;; : as;'■.4ooo dozen.;have, been; caught ..by -tho : one...craft. ih;a-;day.-.- _So; farVas-too season's experience has .gone,'its productiveness: has not.in the , slightest... degree - become lessened. ''•,-. On -the. contrary,', it seems to be "getting more- prp'lifie':than;ever,.'this;,,being;.attributable,; -no doubt,, to/the fact .that, 1 it : is • being" judi.ciously: worked. ■' Small, oyster grbwths.'have ■ beeto - found ,'6n : the outskirts, as also a separate, bank..two .:miles; : in .length' by' threequarters of -a. mile broadj in the; immediate . vicinity.' - The latter,, however,.', has'. a ; depth of 13J ; fathoms. -These facts , go to; prove that ..the bed:-is, much, more .extensive than the; ; limits mentioned 'above, and that it will . be,' found ' soVwhen; the : requirements of : the trade demand further, extension. ;; -.■'.-;■■'.".-