LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 477, 8 April 1909, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

• Judgment will bo delivered by Mr. Justice Cooper this morning in the case of Staimtoti and King versus the ■ Wellington Ti'ducation. Board.

A party belonging to the Deep-Sea Algiers' Club will leave for Picton to-night with the intention of fishing throu<;b Eastor in the Sounds. The fishermen will have lieailqnarters at Endeavour Inlet.

Upon tho application of Mr. A. L Hcrdman who is representing Captain Naylor, master of tho ill-fated s.s. lWuin the hearing of tho appeal from thft decision of tho Court of Inquiry, has boon fixed for

Collections taken up in tlw Boman Catholic churches of the archdicoeso for tho relief of sufferers by the Italian earthquake have realised £200, which will bo' forwarded to tho Pope to-day for distribution among tho«o needing assistance.

Tho Loyal Antipoflean Lodge 1.0.0. P Manchester Unity, met last evening Bro' Hircl presiding. Bro. Oucn Daly was presented by Bro. C. D. Robertson (Prov. G.M.) with _ a gold albert, suitably insciibcd. in recognition of his prtst services as a trustee of the locte. Two candidates for admission were initiated mto tho lod"o and order

Tho Hon. T. Mackenzie, speaking to an Ashourtott Guardian" reporter, in rosaird to the Mount Cook Hermitage, said that the plans for tho. new building would probably bo departed from, and that a less expensive scheme to moot the demands and convenience of visitors would bo adopted. Ho believed that tho best plan would be to erect a number of bedrooms; plain in character but convement and comfortable. Peril.™ it would be ■bolter not to have them attached to the main building, and they might be constructed in a way that would allow wi?fnn, T ? - tc n aftenrardl >> if that course was lou.ud desirable.

frnit } e Wcll,n .St<»n pnWie can get -cheap fruit and vegetables is evidenced by the prices that wore being obtained at the markets yesterday. The writer was present i.r dnv-,r r i A , Md SaW , fi,le cabba Ses knocked dov.n at 6d per sack, turnips at Is. per rack and beetroot at Is. Gd. uer sack Potatoes were down to 3s. and 3s". 6d. per cwt., and tomatoes brought from Is. to -> s od. per hall-case. The prico of bananas is governed by the "visible supply" Owing to ■ tho llarofconga shipment (ex Jiananonn) coming on top of „ e ,-.ite recent lot from Fi,,, the market wont i, pieces, and the nnco of big cases coutaiai..g from 18 to 20 dozen (according to size) fell to 3s a case, ami were hard to dispose of at that. Uno or _ tho leading fruit merchants ventured tho opinion that the cause of those extraordinarily low prices was not so much that the market was glutted (though the season had been a good one), as the fact that the public was not buying so freely as at this timo last year. Ho had been >old this by both Chinese and white dealers, who purchased their stocks at tho markets

A man who had been injured whilst in Government employ appeared before the Dunedin Benevolent Trusted to apply for relief (slates the "Sttr"). His cascdirected attention to tho difference seemingly existent betweon private employers and tho State it being remarked that tho injured man was experiencing difficulty in pressing tic red tape of officialdom into action to the extent of receiving compensation for his injury lomporary relief was granted by tho tnisl toos and tho .man was directed to sw to trustees' solicitor and lay his case before hmi, when-tho matter would be again considered. Mr. London undertook to see the manager of the Department in which the applicant "was injured and report fen. the nest meeting. It was remarked in the course of the discussion on tfys case that there seemed to exist very great difficulty in obtaining compensation from the Government in cases of this nature, the chairman (Mr. Talboys) statinthat tins was tne second case- of the kind which had conn before the trustees, and another monitor, while stating that the Government would pay, regretted the timo it took to do it. This lirou--lit from Mr London the suggestion that the heads' of Departments snoiild have power to advance money in cases of tlm kind. Next meeting will sec tho matter further considered.

Teas grown in different localities have differen I characteristics, and even the ten from any particular garden is not the same in two successive wasons. Climatic changes, differences of soil, exercise influences, and it is in the art of tho tea blender to brinß together the differeiK leas and by combination to produce a particular flavour. Crescent Blend Tea is a choice combination of Ceylon an( l Judi-m Tcis and thn JlavQur novor varies, All stacokaepoVi., 2s.

It wag decided, at last night's meeting of tiie City Council, that application be made for an ordor-in-council to authorise, tho opening of tlio Maramii tramway.

Nearly four hours wove spent by the City Council last night in transacting the business on tho order paper. Tho discussion on tlio cess-pit nuisance at Island Bay occupied a:i hour.

A man, arrested in Auckland, will appear before the S.M. Court to-day on a charge of theft of £5, tho property of Margaret Pike. The money is alleged to have been received by accused in tonus requiring him to account for it to Mrs. Pike.

Tho City Council last night decided that tlio City Solicitor bo instructed to draft tlio necessary legislation in connection with the milk supply proposals reported to the council at their last meeting, in order that the samo might ho submitted to tho next session of Parliament.

The undermentioned hours will bo observed at the Wellington telegraph oflico on Good Friday and Easter Monday:.— Good I'nday: 9.30 to 10 a.m. and 5 to 5.30 p.m. Jlaster Monday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and 7 p.m. to midnight. Tho midnight cable, service wil bo as usual. The- telcphoiio exchange will bo open continuously.

A report from tho District Health Officer on a case of alleged overcrowding and lack of ventilation in Hopper Street, reported by tho Benevolent Trustees, was referred to at last night's meeting of the City Council. Dr. Frcngley stated that amplo air spaco and ventilation were provided. It was decided that no further action be taken during tho tenancy of tho present occupant.

Among the recommendations submitted by tho Fire Brigade Committee at last night's meeting of tho City Council was one to tho effect that tho St. John Ambulance Association; bo informed that it was regretted that their request for the storage of tho ambulance wagon at tho Central Fire Station could not bo acceded to, owing to tho want of accommodation, and the effect on tho efficiency of tho brigade which would result from working this wagon. The report was approved.

At the bi-monthly nieotiug of tho Wellington School Commissioners, hold yesterday, the following apportionment of funds in respect of primary and secondary education was made:—Primary Education—Wellington Education Board, £517 6s. Bd.; Wangr, OT i .Education- Board, £282 13s. 4d.' Secondary Mucation—"Wellington College, £78 15« 2d • Wellington Girls' High School, £41 l? a lod' : JVanganui Girls' High School, £4?, 4 S 2d' : < almerston North High School, £'tf Gs 10d'

The Question of the issue "between tho City Council and tho p a rk Trustees was referred to by "tho . Mayor at tho City Council last night. Ho said Mr. Moorhouse (representing tho truces) had agreed that it tho streets unfer consideration were closed and vested iu the trustees, tho attcr would vest in tl.ro city four and a halt acres, including tao land required for the purposes of tho Wndestown tramway and road. Ihe matter was referred, to tho Finance Committee.

n T [ ,o ,% V, ,' W v 9-' Taj*" , , of tho Sydnev Central Methodic Mission, gave, his second lime-light lcctnyo last evening in Taranaki Street Methodist Church, before a good audience. F.is subject was: "Some of the Modern Pro'olems of City Life, and How to Deal with Them." For two- hours Mr. Taylor interested his audience with incidents from tho work of the mission, both fravo ?nd gay, and altogether the lecture was an instructive one. Mr. Taylor sails for Sydney to-day..- '

Government Departments pay about £15,000 a year to lawyers in private practicj for conducting criminal and other prosecviions, conveyancing, and giving opinions. is much as possible of this worll will in ftitiiro be done by the Attorney-General, tho ' Solicitor-General, and the counsel to, tho Law Drafting Office and the Crown Law Office. Tho three officers mentioned will take tho more important oases in tho Courts.. It is estimated that several thousands of pounds will be saved every year' Ijy theso changes.

"Formerly Ihe question was: 'Does a man belong to a '/nion?' now the question seems to be: 'To which union does a man 'belong?' " Such was tho manner in which a representative of a' lar£o "comnany, employing over 100 men, remarked on tho difficulty the/ company had with its employees anil trades' unions. The representative, who was defending an enforcement of award case, added that tho company had no fewer than nine awards to watch. "We have no desire to evade any of the awards, your Worship, but it's a tanglefoot," concluded the speaker sadly. • l

At last night's meeting of the City Councill Councillor Fisher, in accordance 'with notice, moved: "That tho by-law relating to the keeping of poultry confirmed ot' tho mooting of the council held on March 11,. be repealed." It was the. opinion of Councillor Fisher that the by-law should not apply to outlying districts, Tho Mayor: "Why not move an amendment that the committee consider the advisabloness of limiting the operations of tho by-laws." Upon Councillor Fisher expressing a desiro to move, as had boon suggested to him, objection was raised by several councillors. As there was no seconder to tho proposal tho matter then dropped. i

Special Easter services in connection with tho 61st. anniversary of modem spiritualism, under tho auspices of the- New Zealand National Association of Spiritualists, will %a held at the New Century Hall to-morriUv (Friday). Several speakers will address the meeting, and there will be psychometric readings and spirit messages. There'will also.'bq a religious, scientific, and musical festival ai' tho Opera House on Easter Sunday, for which' a special programme has been prepared. The event promises to be of exceptional interest from a religions and scientific point of view. Professor Willy Reichel, author of "Ah Occultist's Travels," "Occult Experiences,", etc., who is at present on a visit to New Zealand, will tako part.

The annual conference of the Churches of Christ in the middle district of New Zealand meets in the chapel, Riddiford Street, South Wellington, to-morrow, at 9,30 a.m., under the presidency of Mr. J. T. Hunter. Delegates will bo present from all the churches in the co-operation. The programme provides for business sessions in connection with homo and foreign mission work, an essay by Mr. D. M. M'Crakett, of Petone, and a paper on Bible school work by Miss Richards. All subjects are open for discussion, and the meotinags are free, to all interested.' To-morrow ■ evening there will bo a public tea and home mission rally. Addresses, interspersed by musical items, are to bo. given by visiting preachers on various phases of "the Church of God." The conference will Inst till Monday, April 12, on which day there will bo two sessions for the deepening of spiritual life, at 10 a.m. and 7.30 p.m. There will bo a number of good speakers on interesting themes.

Sorao vory vivacious and entortninina observations by tho Hou. J. Rigg on tho "congratulatory messages" that tho Government received in connection with the Dreadnought offer appear in to-day's issue of ''Tho. Citizen." Mr. Rigs believes that somo of these congratulations ore sincere, but as for the majority of them: "They are tho congratulations of those who desire somo personal distinction or benefit at tho hands of the Government, and who are prepared, therefore, at any timo to praise and cajole them. They congratulate the Priino Minister or the Government on every nossible occasion and about anything. They congratiflato the Prime Minister on attaining office. They congratulate him on the reconstruction of the Ministry. They congratulate him on the appointment of a certain Minister; and, when that Minister is removed from office in order to mnke room for another, they congratulate tho Government on the change. When tho Prime Minister nails his colours to the mast in connection with a question of policy, they congratulate him; ivhen he hauls those colours down they congratulate him again. They congratulate the Prime Minister on the completion of his iirst yrar of office, and thereafter annually. The birthday of tho Prime! Minister is always a subject for congratulation, also the birth of a'child or tho marriage of a son or daughter. 'When thero is no othor subject for congratulation they congratulate both tho Government and the Prime Minister on his latest lwlicy speech, which they describe as a statesmanlike Utterance,