LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 469, 30 March 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

■ Tho Minister for Marino (Hon. J. A. Millar) will receive a deputation from tho Wnirau Uarbour Board at 11 a.m. to-day. Judgment in tho case of Wyness v. Lingard and Co. and Diamond Sign Co. will he delivered by Mr. Justice Denjiiston at 10.30 this morning. The selection of Labour candidates at the forthcoming municipal election will be ma<lo by tho Labour Representation Committeo shortly. What is said-to bo a fairly coalmino has been discovered on tho hills near Fcatlicrston. The scam is good coal, and is about five foot in thickness. It is many years (says tho "Wnngamii Herald") sinco such a number of men - .vno may bo termed "dead beats" wcro seen in Wanganui as aro hanging about Uio town at present. Tho tenders of Messrs. Whitcombo and Tombs for printing and stationery havo been accepted by tho City Council. Mr. A. Levy's tender for the supply of fire brigade uniforms has also been accepted. In the course of tho next few days (says tho "Hawera Star") samples of honey from tho various apiaries in tho Hawera district will bo forwarded to Wellington for analysis. It is ' understood that afterwards tho honey will bo shipped to London for exhibition purposes. A. conference between the Headmasters' Association and the sub-committee appointed by tho Industrial Association to make arrangements in connection with tho exhibition of New Zealand industries in May will be held to-night, when the subject of essays by school children and kindred matters will bo discussed. The agreement conio to before tho Council of Conciliation in connection with tho Napier drivers' dispute has been embodied without alteration in an award of tho Court of Arbitration. Tho award will come into operation on April 5 next, and remain in forco until April 5, 1911. Major lascelles, of tho Headquarters Staff, is to tako' charge of tho four infantry officers recently selected for a course of training in England, prior to their departure from Now Zealand.' They will report to him on May 1, for a course of training, and will bo' quartered at Alexandra Barracks. At tho Mount Cook Police Court yesterday, boforo Mr. H. Baker, J.P., William Hogg and Frederick Jackson, charged with insobriety, woro fined 10s., in default 48 hours' imprisonment. .Tliroo first offenders, charged with drunkenness, wero fined 10s., in default 48 hours' imprisonment. Two other first oifendors wcro convicted and discharged. A very mean typo of thief must have boon at hand on tho occasion of a tram accident to a young lady on Saturday. She was carrying a' parcel containing a pair of boots, when she fell, and, sho naturally dropped them. Between tho time she was picked up and carried to a neighbouring shop and the return of tho bearers to the scone of tho mishap, somcono had mado oil with tho boots." Two cases of alleged breaches of tho seamen's- award will be heard at tho Magistrate's Court on' Monday. Tho first case is against a shipowner, who is stated to havo employed a lamp-trimmer at getting up steam in a donkey engine without paying overtime. The other case is an allegation of employing an ordinary seaman ae a lamptrimmer, and only paying him at tho rato of £4 10s. per month. It is claimed by tho union that £7 per month should be paid, as tho man was the lamp-trimmer of the ship. Experiments conducted by Lieutenant J. E. Duigan, under tho authority of Colonel A. W. Hobin, C.8., Chief of tho General Staff, have resulted in a device for making tho bull's-eyo signalling lamps moro efficient. Acotylone gas burners wcro substituted, and tested last Friday night in signalling operations between Kaiwarra and Mount Victoria, with excellent results.. There aro about 100 bull's-eyo lamps in the Dominion, and theso 'will bo all called ,in after Easter and fitted with acetyleno burners. A good opinion of Now Zealand as an agricultural country has been formed by tho Hon. P. M'Cracken, a member of tho Upper House of Tasmania, who is now in Auckland. Mr. M'Cracken has in tho last two or threo weeks travelled through tho Dominion from the Bluff to Auckland. Ho informed an interviewer that .he had been delighted to findplenty of grass, and to see tho stock in fiiio condition. Ho ..commented favourably, too, upon the numerous large towns ho had passed through, noting that they were not very widely soparated, showing closo settlement everywhere. ■

Mr. W. P. Price, who addressed a meeting at tho Queen's statuo on March 24, writes as follows:—"In your report of my meeting on March 24, I fail to seo why you should say the crowd failed to agrco with my ideas to alloviato tho present distress. Why, sir, it was just tho other way about, tho crowd to all appearances quite agreed with my -views." Mr, Price adds that tho report, if loft unchallenged, would tend to bias tho minds of tho public, who have not yet attended his meetings. Ho is »to address another meeting at Courteilay Place corner, near Taranaki Street, at seven o'clock to-morrow evening. A pica for tho preservation of tho Now Zealand bush has been nuulo by Dr. Tempest Anderson, of York, England, who recently toured Now Zealand. Ho told an Auckland interviewer that ho was particularly pleased with tho bush on tho northern shore* of Lake Rotoiti. Ho was much grioved, however, at an announcement ho had seen to tho oficct that this bush-clad area was about to bo thrown open to settlers. Dr. Anderson said ho would suggest that a band of a quarter milo in widtli should bo preserved to somo of tho finest■ scenery m tho world from destruction. By destroying tho bush, ho considered the island was losing ono of its greatest attractions to tourists. At last Thursday's meeting of tho City Council tho Public Health Committee reported that it was of opinion that an insanitary nuisance in tho shape of a cesspool existed on premises at Island Bay, and a recommendation was made that tho Public Health Act bo put into operation for the abatement of tho .nuisance, liegret was also expressed that the matter had not been dealt with previously by tho chief sanitary inspector. ' On- Saturday last a number of persons, including tho city engineer (Mr. W. H. Morton) and tho district health officer (Dr. Frciigley),' went to Island Bay to investigate tho mattor, and preparations arc being mado tor putting an end to the nuisance. The Court of Arbitration lias filed its award. in connection with the llawke's Bav Fishermen's dispute. It is provided that. a week's work shall not exceed 72 hours during tho period from October 1 to May 31, and 06 hours from Juno 1 to September 30. Tho minimum rates of wages shall bo: Firstclass trawlers —Master, £13 per calendar month; engineer, £18; mate, £10; first deck hand, £9; second and third deck hands, £8; firemen, £10; boy, £6; cook, £11. Secondclass—Master, £3 12s. Gd. per week; engtncor, £3 12s. Cd.; second hand, £3; other men, £2 10s.; boy, £2. Third-class—Same as second-class, excepting "that thcro is no provision for "other men." Fourth-class— Samo as second and third class for master and engineer, and, in addition, deck hand £3 per wock. Masters and mates, of firstclass trawlers shall reeoivo in ndditon 3d. per cwt. on fish caught, and first, second, and third di'ck hands, 2d. per cwt., and masters, engineers, and second hands on second, third, and fourth class trawlers shall receivo fish money at the rate of Is. forovery 100 bundles of fish caught. Overtime shall be paid for at tho rate of time and a quarter. Tho share system at present in operation may bo continued. Employers shall not discriminate against members of the union. Tho award shall apply only to trawlers running out from the port of Napier. It will remain in force two years. Teas grown in different localities liavo different characteristics, and oven tbo tea froni any particular garden is not the samo in two suecessivo seasons. Climatic changes, (inferences of soil, exercise influences, and it is in the art of the tea blender to bring together tho different teas and by combination to produce a particular flavour. Crescent Blend Tea is a choico combination of Ceylon' and Indian Teas, and tho ilavour never varies. All storekeepers, 2s. per lb,

The main municipal roll, containing 28,239 names, is now on sale at the City Council Chambers. Tho supplementary roll clows on •April 14. Of tlio contact cases quarantined at Somes Island, two who wore- sickening for measles have developed tlio disease. T'ho other cases .arc steadily improving, and some wiJJ bo brought over to tlio mainland next week. ; The oil launch is playing an important part in tho *» development of tho Queen Charlotte and Polorus Sounds, and every month sees somo addition lo the fleot, which, according to tho calculation of one resident of tho Sounds, numbers 173. Members of engineer volunteer companies will shortly bo supplied with copies of a conciso handbook which has been prepared by Lieutenant J. B. Daigan, Staff Instructor for Engineer Services. Tho book is at present in tho hands of tho Government Printer. Semaphore signalling charts are also iu preparation, and it is hoped to issue copies to overy infantry corps uefoio next winter. Tho postal authorities adviso • tlmt tlio Mokoin, which left Sydney on March '24, fnr Auckland, brought .English, Australian, and American mails, whicli will como through by tho express train this afternoon. Tlio Moeraki, which left Sydney on Saturday, for ■Wellington, has on board an Australian mail, which is duo hero to-morrow morning. ■ Baffled by tho bad acoustic properties of tho Magistrate's Court yesterday, 'plaintiff in a maintenance caso sat through tlio proceedings without hearing a word of what was said. It was only after the case wai over that she understood that evidence had been given regarding which certain documents in her possession might not have been without effect. Similar cases aro reported occasionally, those who suffer being generally women. An appeal to the Magistrate in such cases, either for a batter position in Court or other remedy, would no doubt not bo without result.