LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 504, 11 May 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is understood that Parliament will bo opened on Wednesday, June 23.

Tho Prime Minister stated last evening that no decision has yet been coijie to by the Government with respect to the representation of New Zealand at the Imperial Defence Conference. \ For some time communication betwoen East Capo and tho mainland by cable has been impossible through the cable beiug out of order. Next week the Marin© Depart- . ment intend dispatching the Tutanekai north, when the fault will be located and repaired.; ■■',■■■■

Novel barriers were raised to shield James Hemingway from the oonsequenoes of the law when he oamo up for sentenoe at tho Supreme Court yesterday. According to the statement of his counsel (reported elsewhere) the alleged robber-proof condition of the Government Printing Works'first drew him into crime by its implied challenge of his ingenuity. "Unadulterated conceit" spurred him on to his last robbery. "This," said Mr. Wilford, "was the aomd ' of supremo adulation —the crowning effort of a conceited man."

'• Armed with a trusty, pair of scales, tho Inspector of Weights and Measures has, for some days past, been making a round ot the wholesale and a number of the retail butter stores with a view, of ascertaining if tho butter sold iB up to, weight. Out o£ about 30 establishments visited, it is stated, that only at ono place was the butter found to be actually under the pound. In another instance some of the butter was under weight, but other buttor of the Bame brand was .overweight. Although there is no prosecution in cases of short-weight buttor, the buyer can insist on the buttor boing.weighed. V: . A combined practice of the members of the local divisions of the St. John Ambulan'co Brigade took place last night.: The following divisions were, represented: Tho Wellington, tho Y.M.0.A., tho Corporation Tramways, and the Harbour Board, twenty-five members being on parade. The programme consisted of !stretcher drill, "first aid" to patients, loading stretohers, loading waggons, passing obstacles with loaded stretchers, unloading waggons, retiring from waggons, and lifting patient with injured : spine and placing him on stretcher. The'work was earned out with much interest by the members present. /

Tho' utility of tho motor-car has been [largely extended by an Oamaru. inventor, who (says ifho "North ,otago Times"), has constructed'a car for his own use as a builder.'. The oar he has built travels at a good speed, and . takes him in a short time to his objeotive in tho oountry, wherever it may be. 'On arrival there he disconnects the travelling gear, .and with tho aid of. pulleys and a bench starts , the engine off in the cutting of the timber to, the noccssary lengths required in. the building., This it will do with a oircular saw . with' a rapidity that would discount the work'of half a dozen men. •

Several persons who, were summoned .to act, either as grand or common jurors,, were .excused on various grounds at the Supremo 'Court yesterday. For non-attendanoo Clias. E.' Fabian waa fined ;fivo pounds,; but later the fine was remitted upon satisfactory-ex-planation having been made.... A business man wished to be excused, from ' servico in view of the; fact that he was 1 extremely busy, owing in a firo having recently taken place in his -premises; but. his Honour. . thought ,that, if the applicant wcro requirod'.to servo, for only one day no hardship would be indicted. • , . - ■

■ A party of United. States . rifle - cadets, about forty in number,' will'fo due in Australia about the end of July, for the purpose iof touring the Commonwealth" States. They will also visit New Zealand. Preparations •for tho visit, have boon made by'thid Common'wealth Department, of. Defencp, and tho State commandants have been notified by' tho Minister, who has written to .tho secretary of tho AVestAustrajian-Young-Australia League, tho chief mover in tho arrangements, oiforing to give every, assistanoo to make the trip successful aHu plcQSQTit'. tcunv ■ will bo : allowed to use their own -pattern of rifle in matches. The lads-aro, between eleven and. nineteen years of age. V , . ■

One of our country cousins had quite a .goodinnings in the witness-box,'at .'the Supremo Court ycstorda'y. Whilst on a visit to the city for a holiday ho had;' he alleged, been assaulted and robbed. "Weren't you'a bit muddled at. the time p'f. inquired defending counsel "Yes, ; I , suppose' I was," was the reply. ■ "How, many drinks had yo'u had?," and: "How many can'you stand?"',were the next question. In the courso of his reply prosecutor remarked, that ho could stand more drink in the country than ho could in town. "Upon •• my" word," ho observed, amidst laughter, "the beor down Lore, is just liko soap-suds I"

Slowly, but each year always'a little more, the valiant little coastal craft of Now Zealand exploit our leas known , bays, and creeks, lifting a few bags of' produoo here and a few-sticks of timber there. 1 The eye of the co&stil navigator is now turnings oh the'little Hollyford Eivcr, wliioli breaks tho coastline, of an ' almost uninhabited part of Westland. But the Hollyford, it seems,; has teeth—teeth of basalt and granito—and tlieso teeth must: needs be drawn. At 2 p.m. yesterday, therefore, the' Government steamer Hinomoa left Greymouth -for Martin's Bay, with a party of men to blow up oertain rocks which ,obstruct the entranoe to the Hollyford, which prevent, vessels from entering., Tho Hinemoa is due back at Wellington on Thursday or Friday,

•A few minutes before the Magistrate, took h.ts post , on the bcnoli at the S.M. Court yesterday morning,: tho assembled policemen were surprised to see a naval olfioer, in dazzling uniform, take a soat on the bench alongside tho magisterial chair. IVo men-o-warsmon G , names figured on the chargesheet, aad the offioer: had oomo along to see them through. Ho .urged that lie could, and had before, sat beside the Magistrate, but the Court orderly held ■ otherwise), and -at length prevailed on tlo naval. olßcer to come down from the, position l , of : honour. After turning the, matter over in. his mind, the officer intimated that ; ho thought he would go back to .the Bonch after all, but' when the' Court orderly intimated plainly but hrmy that if this was followed he would bo compelled to proooed to remove him,, the man of the sea left to interview the Magistrate personally, . .His Worship occupied the Bench alone.

Do inmates of the Victoria Home for Chronic Invahd3 rank as hospital patients or.the recipients of charitablo aid? Tho question was pretty well .thrashed out two or three months'ago, aa. the.outcome, of which tho financial upkeep of the homo was withdrawn from tho Hospital Trustees and mado a charge upon tho Wellington and Wairarapa Charitablo Aid Board, theroby practically declaring, the homo * a .charitable institution. A new development Vhas now if if ! j aco , ln S lo ' * orm an appeal from the Mastcrton County Council to tho Government to be Relieved of their, apportionment of the rates levied by the board for '"plroep of tho home (£1800).- Dr. M Arthur, S.M., has been appointed adjudicator in tne matter, and will bo 1 assisted in his inquiry by two commissioners representing tho County-Oouncil and tho Charitablo Aid Board. In lodging this appoal the Mastorton County; Council is, roally stating -a ease for all tuo othor Wairarapa bodies which havo been rated for tho Victoria Home, and if the appeal is upheld tlie board will have no option but to make a new apportionment.

Tea that is not pure should never be sold. Inferior teas consist mostly of tho woody fibres of tho leaf, and brew out a considerable amount of tannin, which is injurious to tho system. There is rare enjoyment for those who can appreciate fine tea. Drink Crescent Blend tea; it is absolutely pure. It is a blended tea with distinguished qualities—tho strength of the •full-bodied, robust teas of Darjeeling' is added to' the fino-flavoured, delicate' teas of Ceylon, and the luxurious Crescent; Blond is tlio result! Obtainable from all storekeepers at 2s. per lb.

Employees on Government co-oporsvtivo works during March totalled 9750, of whom 4711 wore employed by the Public Works Department, and 5039 by tho Roads Department.

Applications for orders of discharge will be made at the. sitting of the Bankruptcy Court on May 31 by John Morris Scliapers, Frederick Norman Harold Eado, Owen Thos. Baigent, and Wm. M'Alley.

Au interesting crowd which watched some fishermen drawing in their nets yesterday afternoon near tho Thorndon Baths was rewarded by the sight of a fine haul of fish, The haul consisted of flounders, a few dog fish, and two sharks, one boing about four foot in length.

■ At the Wellington Crown Lands Office yesterday, 263 ncros of the Normandalo settlement, Belmont Survey District, Lower Hutt, were opened for selection, but no applications wero received. Tho ten sections offered ranged in area.from 3 to 70 acrcs, with halfyearly rontals of fi;om £4 10s. to £21 ss. 3d.

, Tho postal authorities advise that the Moana, which left Sydney direct for Wellington on Saturday, has on'board an Australian mail, which is duo hero to-morrow morning. The Talune, with English and American mails, via ltarotonga and Tahiti, 'is due to arrive in Wellington to-morrow morning.

A meeting of all those interested in the complimentary concert to be tendered to Mr. Alfred Hill, now and for some months past ill a precarious state of health, is to bo held at the Dresden Rooms at 5.15 p.m. to-morrow (Wednesday). It" is pleasant to record that offers of assistance are being received from all quarters,, including one from Herr Lemmor, of Nelson, who has a great regard for Mr. Hill's musical - ability as a composer and conductor. Tenders for the construction of tho bridge over the Waiau closed with tie Public Works Department on Thursday. Further proceedings (says the ''Press") are awaited with considerable-anxiety hi .-"'Cheviot: 'Ho settlors have for yoars been strenuously urging, on the Government the necessity for. the erection of tho bridge, and were hopeful of seoing their desires.attained when tiho tenders were called.' However, a feeling- of. doubt now'exists whether any tender' will be accepted. Several building-contractors/, have visited the site,'and tnoy .have,.expressed the opinion that the contract timo of eighteen months is ridiculously short for a 'work of.suoh magnitude. It would take tho successful tenderer six monthsto got tho ! timber on to the site. . It. is also said that the Government estimate , is on. an ortremaly low basis, and tlio fooling seoms to be that ■the Government will soizo the escuso, if tendon cxocod the estimate, to hang up tho work indefinitely.'■ '

Referring to'New'Zealand's otter of a. | Dreadnought to the Homeland,- the London "Daily Telegraph" . ' Bays :—"The . total' first cost of a Dreadnought may be' regarded as, roughly, £1,760.000, with' tho guns; somo ships have cogt' less than, this, but it *is a fair average.' In the case of. a oolony tho sum need not. bof paid down at .once, of course,; .as such' a ship could not be built in the existing circumstances in England'much under three years, The outlay oould be mot I by a loan repayable.in any number of annual payments. Such a ship will remain effective' 120 years—the period of replacement fixed in tho trermany Navy Act 'of last year., In the circumstances the \ cost oould be' raised" as a loan on tho same principle as has been adopted in the past for British naval works. If this .loan ,were placed .at 81 per cent., the annuarpayment for 20 years, N for . interest', and. sinking .'fund, would bo about '£125,000;'. Fortho whole of that period such a colonial Dreadnought would remain a unit of the fleet. If, on the'other :hand, decided to■ pay for. the, vessel in ten years, tlion tho payment would ba about £215,000.