LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 473, 3 April 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Owing to tho Easter holidays, the next meeting of tho City Council will bo held on Wednesday evening. On account of next Friday being Good Friday, tlio direct boat to Sydney (tlio -Manuka) will sail from Wellington at 11.30 p.m. on Thursday next. , Replying to Mr. Skerrett,-K.C., tho president of, the Court of Appeal -yesterday intimated that it'was probable tho Ohinomuri inquiry case would bo taken on Monday nest. The' Tramways Band will givo a perform-ance-at the Basin Reserve to-morrow afternoon, When a collection will' be taken up in aid of the St. John Ambulance Nursing Guild. Upon the application of Mr.. Treadwell, tho Court of Appeal yesterday decided to tako tho following cases on Monday fortnight:— King v.; Baker, a question . reserved by Mr. Justice Chapman; and Poingdestro v. Poingdestre, ,a .point. i«s,. to, ;jiu:is(|iction. During last month New Zealand' expoiied 40,0440z. of gold, of the , value of £156,522, as oompared with 41,5850z., of tho value of £166,276 in March of last year. Tho export of silver last month was 204,0080z., valued at £20,343, as against 89,0350z., valued at £9051 in tho corresponding mouth' of last year. In tho course of liis epeoch at St. Thomas's Hall last night, Dr. Newman advocated tho establishment in Wellington of a "common good" fund. Sueli funds, ho explained, wero established in many cities in Great Britain,, and wero devoted to tho alloviation of any special distress which might occur, such as unemployment or sickness. 1 - Assisted immigrants by tho Ruapeliu, duo from Lgndtrn on April 6, number only 72, of whom- 49 are nominated by relatives in Now Zealand, who guarantee that they will havo work to oome to. They includo 7 domestic servants, 6 farmers, 6 farm labourers, 2 dairy farmers, and 11 wives and families who aro coming out to join former immigrants. The capital of the newcomers ranges from £25 to £250. Yesterday afternoon, Mr. Francis Birtles, the Australian cyclist, left for Auckland on his bicycle. Tho journey north ho intends to make quietly, observing tho naturo of tho road on his way. Ho will pass through Taihape, Ohakune, and To Kuiti, and expects to reach tho ltudgo Depot at Auckland on Wednesday morning. Conditions proving favourable, he will coinmenco the return trip on Thursday, and, riding straight through, arrive at Wellington on Saturday afternoon. There was troublo on tho Matai on tho trip from Napier to Wellington on Wednesday night. It soems that, owing to the motion of the ship, caused by a heavy easterly sea, the big engino that has been built at the Thames for tho Railway Department, and which was standing on tho foro deck, broko away from its lashings'and nearly jumped tho chocks, before the great bulk could be mado secure again. Tho prospect of a hugo engine washing through the bulwark into the sea was quite imminent for a time. House-shifting of a somewhat uuiquo kind took ' placo at Newtown Park yesterday, when tho "Zoo." lion, wliiph has been up till now accommodated in a cage of rather cramped dimensions, changed his abode to tho now and moro commodious quarters which have been prepared for liini. Tlio now den consists of a cago with an enclosure in front, in which tho king of beasts will havo more freedom than hitherto. There aro two compartments, so that there will bo amplo room' for tho long-looked-for lioness when she arrives. Some interesting observations on tho consolidation of the statutes were mado by Mr. Just-ice Edwards in tho Court of Appeal yesterday. According to his Honour, it has provided plenty of work for lawyers. "Formerly," ho said, "some of us knew—or thought wo knew—something about the law. But now wo aro quite sure we don't know anything of it at all! This consolidation is purely for tlio «ood of the legal profession j it is not for tho benefit or convenience of tho judges, because it has increased tho labours of the judges to" an enormous and outrageous extent. It is glaring, absolutely glaring!" In regard to the milk supply question now before the City Council, tlio _ point is raised as to whether tho council has authority under the Municipal Corporations Act to coni|)cl private dealers to dis-patch their mill: to the municipal depot. In order to prevent any hitch of this description, the necessary stops are being taken to secure a-n amendmont of the law, should it be required. Tho suggestion has been mado that the" candidates for (lie Mayoralty should address a public meeting on the general question of milk supply with Dr. Frengley present. Tho latter is willing to answer any questions at such a meeting. Teas grown in different localities have different characteristics, and oven tlio tea from an;particular garden is nol the samo in two successive seasons. Climatic changes, differences of snil, exercise influences, and il is in tho art of the tea blender to brinp; together the different leas and by combination to produce a particular flavour. Crescent Blend Tea is a choice combination of Ceylon and Indian Teas, and tho flavour nevor varies, All storekeepers, 2s ttsr lb.

Tho Prime Minister stated Inst night that ho had just rcccivetl advice that tlio bank rate of interest in London had been reduced by onehalf per cent., and that British Consols had risen by ss. per cent. It is understood (says the Taranaki "News") that after allowing for interest and sinking fund,-the New Plymouth elcctrio light department will show a profit for tho past year of between £1300 aiul £1400. Tho inquiry into tho alienations concerning cesspits at Island Bay was commenced by tho Public Health Committee of tho City Council last night-, and adjourned until Monday. Tho oommitteo' sat from 7.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m., and examined a largo number of witnesses, but no decision was arrived at. This tho month when tho Churches of Christ in Australasia, and other parts ot tho world, are celebrating their centennial, Mr. J. J. Franlclyn will deliver two special addresses at the Vivian Street Chapel to-mor-row. At 11 a.m. tho subject is "Our Heritage," and at 7 o'clock "The Meaning and Massage of Our Centennial." Speaking at Upper Hutt last night, tho Primo Minister said that tho spoech in which he intends to deal with tho finances of tho last year and tho legislative proposals of the Government would probably be delivered in Wellington. It is understood that the date will bo shortly after tho middle of tho prosent month. The expert witness is sometimes met with in tho Courts, but it is not often that a magistration is treated to n dissertation on tho peculiarities and characteristics of the rabbit. licforo Mr. \V. G. Riddell, S.M., yesterday morning, a witness in one case said that ho had been poisoning rabbits for about 26 years, and was beginning to know something about them. One pair of rabbits, ho said, would in ono year multiply to a thousand, and he had known a hare to travel over seven miles to a ■ parsley patch. Ho assorted that it was no good putting down noison near the rabbits' water-holes. It ought to bo placed on tho placos whoro they assemble to play. "The German Navy League Journal is by far the most populnr publication in tho country. It has a circulation almost double that of any other periodical." This statement was made at the monthly meeting of the Navy Leaguo yesterday, when an amount of £19 12s. was being passed for remittance to London in payment for Navy League journals supplied to adnlts. Tho wish was expressed that tho public of New Zealand could bo induced to take a greater interest in Navy matters, and fcubscribo more freely to tho journal of tho Leaguo. If this were done it would place things on a footing equal to that of tho German Navy League, for which popular support had not to bo solicited.