LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 545, 28 June 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

. Phe \s,s. Wimmera, ~f with Brmdisi and Australian mails on.beard, .arrived at Auck- ■«, ~. ■ ween 10 and u «•»•' yesterday. Tho Wolhngton and soothorn portions of tjib mail will-arrive in townby tho Main Trunk Jixpresa this afternoon. .'■.-,'

n 3 .""""^S..: tho. Aoting-Primo Minister (Hon. J. Carroll), will bo waited upon by a deputation from tho Wellington City Connoil with reference to tho negotiations which are now proceeding touching the proposal to purchase the property of the Welling-: ton Gas Company. , '.

■- During tho poriod between April 1 and June 20,'n0., fewer than seventy-fourcalls were; received by , the Central Fire Brigade.' It is interesting- to, note that during the corresponding period of last year tho calls totalled only forty-two. ■ '- ; =

Cabinet passed ■ tlie following appropriations for expenditure on railway works on Saturday:—Stratlord-Ongaruo, £7000; Hoiensvillc, northwards, : £4000; 7Kawal;awaGrahamstown, £3000; M'cstport-liiangahua, £2000; Rivorsdale-Switzors,i;i2oo; OiopukiAYaiau, £600;' and Catlins-Waitnahaka, £4500. . -~.■■■'

Tho Ore brigado received,a call to Tnncra Crescent, Brooklyn,,at-. C.15- on,,tSaturday evening. It was found that, a - (ire \ had oeciirrediii a five-roomed wooden, .house occupied by Mr..David Dull. Inquiry'elicited •'the. fact that Mrs; Dull, had placed "a lighted .uiullo on n dressing-table, in n; bach bedroom prior to going into the kitchen, to'preparetea. Shortly afterwards ihe found Unit'.tho : Ira light had blown tho curtains against the .■audio.' Tho contents of the hr.drcom, which . .y.rrc; valued at £50, were destroyed. Jnsnrmocs were:—lluiltlinc, £3pU: >furnifn»JUSOj and piiuo, £25—a1l in '-tho Sun Office!

Honour Mr. Justice Sim presided at a sitting in Chambers on Saturday morning". In the.case of J. Gelhor v. A. C. Sinclair, Mr. Tringham moved for judgment on a counter-claim, £14 .10s. Mr. O'Lcary, who represented tho other side, did not. oppose the motion. His Honour entered judgment, .allowing £3 3s. costs, with disbursements. In order ,to relievo tho distress, among local painters, Cabinet, has decided' to have tho old Government House, now the' Parliamentary .- Buildings, 'painted.' The cost of the work is estimated at about £200. .Expenditure has also been authorised to meet the cost of repainting n-largo proportion of the Porirua Asylum buildings. • . v award was filed on Saturday in tho, dispute between the Wellington branches of the: Amalgamated Society of- Carpenters and Joiners' Industrial Union and the employers, file award, is limited to employers -carrying' on business in the city and suburbs-of Wellington,'.and within a radius' of twenty-five miles from tho Chief Post Office, .lib award operates from' June '28,- 1009,, until Julv 131. 1910. ; ~ ■'. : .: ' . • - > . ' i " 8 , '.. ' ■ ." . I.'Before taking action on tho findings' of tho Commission of Inquiry into the Addington Workshops, the Minister' for - Railways (Hon. J.' A., Millar) is awaiting further information.' Ho states, however, that,'' as there is no general' desiro in' the railway service.' to do away with classification, ,it 'is not likely that thoro will bd any alteration m the /.present, system. ; Judgment in throo appeal cases'will bo do-. Uvcrcd by his Honour Sir. Justice Sim in the Supromo Court this morning.; .-The cases aro: John: Milesi and Joseph Ingle v. .William Hurcomb (claim on; rabbit transactions); Matilda .-Turner :V.- William George August (damage, dono by a. oow on- tho. road at Taita), and New Zealand Acetylene Gas Co., Ltd., v. F. .'A. Piper (installation; of a gas plant'in, Hawke's Bay). • -.At a,meeting.of-tho,directors of the Thorndon. Bowling;. Club, held on Saturday afternoon, oflicors were elected as follow •.—President,. : Mr; AY.: ; F,- Barraud; ■ ■ vice-president,■'. Mr. v G. T. Masonj Greens Committee, Mr. W. F. Barraud, and, associated with him, Mr. R;, W. Slinllcrass; Match Committee; Messrs.; J. T. King, and W.'Wiggins, jun.; Refreshments Committee, Messrs. Leighton, Collins,-and Mason.-..:

■With regard to the Canadian message put lished, on Saturdiyy to, tho effect•'. that the withdrawal; of. New Zealand's subsidy ' was endangering ■ "the Vancouver "'"service," v a Press 1 , Association telegram sent from Dunedin on Saturday states: "It is the AJky line,of cargo, steamers trading between Vancouver,-. Now -Zealand, and: Australia,-.'-,;to which' New, Zealand contributes an annual subsidy, of £10,000, which.is referred to in. to-day's '.cables.'..-' New.' Zealand's subsidy, oxr pired in April, and was hot'renewed; Canada is riot prepared; to pay alono:- tl\o subsidy which the-contractors;ask.'.';..''.:'. ~;.;.

.;'The alleged'scheme of, retrenchment, which is being carried out in the' Tramways; Department was explained,to a represontativo of The Dominion on; Saturday, from, tho City Colinojl'B 'viewpoint;, The official explanation. ■ i's', that 'a nuiuberj of; men liavo to," bo. put, off on; account 'of ■ • construction works having coma to an ..end,'' and,'thore being no other.work to put. the,men oh, the council is not, able; to.'retain their services.' ■Whori" car-building ceased, work 'Was found .by having a'number of the old cars,done; up, but tho whole'of.the cars' are now in\ order, and, further,' the men who have: been' 1 doing wiring work uro not. required now. ; : Tho. men whose: services are" being dispensod 'with have been l gi'ven' two months"notice,.'to carry' tbdm'.'Over the winter."\ '; . " ;';" ''' '•'';'...,.:

On Friday oventiig, St;-JohnV Literary and Debating .Society held their- usual weekly, debate, "the subject being: "That the pro.seift state; of international affairs ronders it imperative that: Now Zealand shouldxadopt compulsoryi; military training.".' > Messrs'. ■: 0. A, lteclgravo,'and ;,L.:.Naedl affirmed ; this, ; and Messrs,' ;M. Galloway., and D,. Douglas took the Negative .'side. :^Soveral speakers 01^. . l'l..;tho:,!,wako,; i pf,'.,!iho,,,le9ders ) :', the majority benlgi for the. being ?",'{■ )( V™ S hy a: largo, margin.'.Dr.. Uibb placed the five, most effective-debaters in'. the following. order C. A. Eotlgrpve, ;H.,;.p6j7dy, ? HV: Ileid,;'Mv' Galloway/ and D. Patterson;- Next'Friday,ovening,' the .society will try its' strength in'' a- debate' with the Karori Club, the subject-being that' mentioned, above.';: ''' ■■■'•'•'!' " '';' )'■" ' '■'.';

. ; ;.Tho.- attention of .the Native -Minister (Hon.'J'. Carroll) .has' boon' directed to,'that portion'.of'.'MlV'Hogg's; speech Avhibh' 1 related to the settlement'of; tho lands in tlio lung Country.', In.roplv,;hd,-stated that h 0 : could not agree .with'the suggestion' that settlement is being' retarded by speculators,' and;'tho % Government monopolising' large areas.v-'lt .was the duty'of- the Native Land' Gojirt,,lio continued; to seothat the Jimita.tiott' as to area was .strictly',. adhored -toi Speculation' might creep'' into every transaction,. regard .to those affecting Crown landsr All'. that the - Government'could- do was,,to sce ; .that the statutory provisions are oomphed wiUi. "It. is my opinion,!' he added,,' Hhat.uhloss you' give* l fifty years' tenure, or a lease for twenty-five years with tbe'right of ronewal for twenty-five years, you cannot get pcoploto'go. into the back-block's;",; '

jAt the .Vivian' Street Baptist: :Chrirch yesterday, altcrnoon, ■■-~. a .-•; successful •'-'; men's meeting was conducted, by/the Rev. J K Archer, of Napier, it was the initial•■meeting; of, the Hibio .Class, in 'connection with Church; the- intention being to form a Brotherhood, on tho lines already.iii operation in Napier. -.After ah address,'delivered by, tho Kov. Mr. Archer, : tho,, subject of which,was;'"Tho: bad: old. times,: and the goodtymocoming," a number of speakers took part in the discussion that ensued, arid, judging from tho 'enthusiasm shown, tho proposal sooms,to : bavo>a future, and the meetings Which-have been arranged should be 'very successful. Mr, Wright, M.P., is to conduct ;tno meeting next Sunday, 1 when, the subject will bo."Politics Miiiu's■ Mcligiciri." .'/,,.:. .'...- , r The, substitution, of 1 the J'ateona for tho Mararoa, in .connection with tho Lyttolton- \\ elbngton, .service, is tho, subject of a protest forwarded by 'Mr. I'. E.: Taylor, ltd'., for ; Unstchurch North, to the' Hon. J. A; Mil-' la/i /Minister ,for Railways. According ■to Mr.'Taylor,. the Pateeha bolongs to a olass ,of. vessel •that is entirely; unfit for tho scrVico. -Compared ,with other vessels', she is .noisays,: uncomfortablo^/and,. ho doubts , whether she ranks as a -.third-class' steaiucr in, tho oompany's licet..-: Ho,-''therefore trusts that tho Minister will•'• make representations to the -company on" the subjectIt is Mr. taylor's opinion- that tho Government should itself (own nnd run the boats necessary.to conneot.thotoniiiiial points'-'of. t£!' r cftr^H et T cn -u l^^ Torth >' lsla n ( l-and tho Sputh,, Island.:; "KuV not,",' he; adds, •''bohoTO: that...tho' State 'could govwwmt financially in establishing a, service, that would, fit in with . the .trough, systems of railway between, Auckland,'and\the Bluff.V • _ A reply has ■been the Minister for Ra.lway S ,(non.. J A. Millar)M ff ,regard-to : the recent request for increased railway faciliics at Paremata. .Ho states that it.has been found that the traffic docs not warrant the appointment, of a stationmaster.N As it is not necessary,- to an:officer in chareo for .tho purposo of signalling- trains,-ho regrets that bo cannot sco-his way to accede to tho request. With; respect' to tho r'oouest foi-sVKkyards,.Mr: i Mildlar; S ays:thaLX B! .occasiona consignment is likely, to be loaded at the station owing: to,the' fact that tho settlers are within, driving distance of the oaleyards and freezing works.. As there wero more urgent _ and- more important Mvorka in hand, or awaiting funds, tho expenditure'd<y sired could not bo.authorised.' In regard to the suggestion that lights, should bo maintained on tho- platform, Mr. Millar points out that there wore many flag stations where .!? W-not; tho'prnetico .to'provide platform lights. Thiß was *moro especially .the caso where thoro was nobody in ohargo to attend to lights. _No exception.could bo made in favour of Paremata.* It was' also mentioned by Mr. Millar that instructions had been given for tho -crossing, giving-: nccoss to the station,-,to bo widened, and for more turning room to bo given at-tho,cart dock at the station. . :>, '.'--. '■'• \, , ."..