LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 548, 1 July 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The report fif tlio Timbor - Commission; - having been signed by all tho commissioners, was received ,by the \-Acting-PrimeMinister (the Hon. James Carroll) yesterday.' ' ; The English mails by. tho R.M.S. Turakina, which arrived in tho stream last night, will not bo brought ashoro until this • morning. The Customs revenue, for the quarter ended June 30, docs., not compare • favourablyi with last, year's total.; The figures -for 1909 Were :■ .2148,03!) 1-ls., of wjiieh, , duty on beer amounted" to £3,338 IBs. 3d; : For i Juno quarter, 1908, ~tho. corresponding : . figures wore; £163,384 10s. Bd.,hoar £3381:0s. Gd. Approached yesterday in reference -tb tho 'breeEo' -at Tuesday's meeting of • the I'inanco Connnitteo of tho:City Council, bbth Councillor, J", P. Luke and tho Mayor declined to say anything, for publication..' It is understood that Councillor Luke Mill mlike a statement, at .to-night's; mooting;, of the council.

- Four draughtsmen ;in the Government Architect's office have received notice of reTwo of, them, it is understood, had' only beomput on to. copo with an extra rush of work, -but tho'other two aro victims of retrenchment. -; N .v'•

In pursuance of the- Government's decision to run the Tourist Department moro.economically, tenders aro being called for the leasing of the Government hostels at To Ptiia Springs,.Lako. 'Waikaromoana, Lake Pukaki, and To Anau, for a period of five yeprs from Augtist l next.- ■

\ Tho ejector for use in connection with the lioseneath drainage works, ati Intension of] the Shone system, arrived from London .vot-j ten jay.' by - the; steamer; Turakina'. v Tho. same-' i( vessel 'has: oh boards a 'small.?"quantity . of ' hiricliin-rr.y Department of the corporation. :

At the 'Mount Cook Police Court yesterday, before Mr. George - Lnmbert, J.F,, Clarenco Hanratty, charged with insobriety, was convicted ana John; .Nelson,• ,oii bail, V,'ho did not appear, .ivas' fiiied; 10s., in default 48. hours' : imprisonment. X)no first offender was convicted and discharged..; Hie; AVcllington- Acclimatisation Society is obtaining 400.000 broivn trout' oca" from the Marino Department. The supply is drawn' from, tho North Otago and Canterbury rivers: The Department is also supplying other, • societies, the / price : . being' 55,. per one thousand. ' . .!•

During the mortth of June, 181 births. 01 deaths, and .07 marriage's were rccordeij in Wellington by 'the Registrar, of Births: Deaths, ami .Marriages: The totals for tho past .six'month's Were .as follow (the' figures in . parentheses arc thtiso 'for the first htalf of last year) Births, 1050 "(1000); ■ deatlis (including the victims in t!io Penguin disaster), 430 (360); niarriagcSp-oSO (555). ,' ■V--1 "The advice of ore so', loiir famlliV wllh Land Values, : as Mr. Gardner, of Pnlmerstbiv North, who is also well known to the Capitalists of Wellington.' .should be of gfeat. value to Investors, lending Institutions, and 6iiy one who wants to avoid mistakes in,the purchase of land. ToI.JAS, Palm. Mottk-rAdvt.

During tho i she memths aided yesterday thero were 16 bankruptcies in 'Wellington. Only two wore registered, durins Juno. ; !i Thero was a fair muetor of the WeJUng'ton Nnvals on parade last night, and some useful work was performed in musketry drilL and in (iompany movements on the • Basin Reserve. After parado Lieutenant Somnierv,ill6 was elected captain and Mr. R. M. Watson was olficlcd lieutenant. Seven new members were enrolled. • ' -. : - -, , '! _St. .iiimoa's Literary, and Debating Socioty hold ;i Indies': debate oh Tuesday evening, tho subject being :- "Town Life v. Country Lifo." M'ss B. Mason ably upheld the attractions of town life, and Miss D. Finlayson proved herself a competent advocate of the silpojiority of a rural environment! : After an interesting, discussion, a motion in favour of country life was carried. Mr. 15. M> Finlayson presided over a good attendance. 1

Tho representatives of marine insurance companies doing business in New' Zealand are holding a cqnforence in Wellington, The. represenl ation 'is : ns followsQueeiisland Insurance Company, Mr. D. A. Abeicromhio ; 'AUiance Insurance \ Company, Mr. W. D. Meiires; London ;and Laneashiro Insurance tjoinpany. Mr. G. T, Mason; Commercial Union, Mr. C. . A. Ewon; TJiiited. Mr. J. 8. .lamesonj Australian Allinnce, Mr. A:ls.* iCeriiotj Canton, Mr. S. Dix; British rind I'oreigii, Mi, U.^Ualharry; Royol Exchange, Mr. 0. R. Bcndall; Marine, Mr. 11. M. •Simpson.

■_ It,» tho intention, of 'tho ,Govornmont to .throw rooro of tho responsibility ot roadiug the rural districts upon-tho local bodies than has lioretoforo been tho case. , Tho plans for road construction works will bo subject to tho approval of tlio Public Works Department, and it is clairiiod ;tliut, the change in the sysH ,n . result in, a cohsiderablf; saving of .administrative expenses, 'As a natural hccompamment of this-alteration, the'staff of the iteads and Bridges Department (now absorbed ill tlio Public Works.Department) is boing substantially reduced. . Certain road works will still be carried out by tho Public Works Department.

- Tho Auckland oyster beds, which are under the- control of the Marino Department,- will be nule to supply only, sccond-grndti oysters .luring tho remainder of tho present season.tho virtual exhaustion of the supply of iirst--2?l0 vf c I ! -, is attributed to tho depletion or the bods before they \tero taken over by the The proposed planting of many jf the beds is now-under consideration. ■ The l.)ei)artmont has also boeti disappointed in the supply of mangrove oysters in.the far north, •ffv ' J -. I'■ -A-yso", Inspector of Fisheries, liter \isiting ; tho beds, reported tlmt, owing iO provi jUs aoprodations, tuo available supply * ad very limited. ,

1 'Ncvspapor; enterprise extraordinary I \ | contemporary prints from its' London coricspoudeiit a communication- that gives l itwit tho air of. being an exclusive statement,• on the . highest vauthority, of. the Jiritiih Goveijinicnt-'s attitude. towards th(i :jni-1 : migration restriction tolicies of the colonics, .llus portentous revelation m a practically leibatim ■ reprint of a spcech delivered by i Colonel Seely in the 'House of Commons on July 31 of last, year—a speech briefly.vre--1 P° r m V cable at the tiino, commented on by Ins JJostiMoii next day, further discussed ivhen the mail arrived with the full report some: woota later, and again ■ discussed in I.thid-paper a few days ago! 1". V',v' » Residents; of Northland .will;wait on tho i,City Council tins evening ill connection with a .matter of some importance to" those of tflcir- number who wake übo •of the • old Military Road in, their daily journey to the city. Some tirno ago tho. rough : track I'Uii" mlig'fjdiM O/ipes's quarry to the top of tho I | hill was improved, slightly, .'but the • grade remained unaltered. The track, Wkioli is. a short cut to the hilltop, la much used by residents of Northland and Creswick, but is atrociously steop, and the deputation,will aslt the council to improve the grade in • sucli manlier as ; tho City Engineer .may' outsider jest.,, ,<The cost should bo. small,' and tho' con-i yeiueneo ■ would . bo' great to 'a. growine population. V 4-;; 1..--', Ac6ord'nn to Mr 11 W; chaumirti of the • lioard rqf .;Mucat(o(i,- insufficient attention js.' paid to. w t fn,tho , public' soliuois. lie 'stated' -J -) al )'®"3o jostorday, that the, cultivation: i or the-.sense.of; art most suroly.led* to tlio cultivation of habits of cleanliness and gone lal oracr. What he would like to see, at every, school was a,bordor.of flowers, with a .background of shrubs;, and, behind them again, 'a:beltt>f native :trees. .'; It was his opiniorf-also, that the boys and- girls, in evory •' class should bring (lowers to school to be , maccd 'in ; vases.- ITvivtbo.v, ttio watts shoaM, ho thought, , bo. adorned with, good photographs,' works of art,; mid suitable picI . tati'dey, iitcaiiinglcss '.things,'.,but' things.\vlucb wore, m tbcmscWcs, an educbi- | fcion.. It was not. possible, ,he added, for a Iwy or'girl'; whose, sense of art was-trained I i to bo untidy ill:dvess or., slovenly m habits, i Tliti Chnstclnirch City, Council, at its last i meeting, received the following-: letter ' from Dr.,C. Ji.Russelli—"Having a desire to have I my body cremated after my- dcCtiase; ahd I there , being no . crematorium m a reasonable «istanc« tb 'ivhioh my remains cAn, bo conveyed for that plitposo, t and having, satisfied myself that'tho service can be performed at the City .Council destructor successfully.;/alid having provided meaiis ■ in' my will for' tbo payment of ally and-all costs connccted with tho cremation; and fooling that cremation is 1 ihe : most reasonable, speedy,, soilnd, and 1 satisfactory method for clisposing of. the dead, ; and_ fo? resolving decayed; matter - into its original." elements, you are. mostv rcspcctfully . solicited to.-grant my .trusteeauthority to ■ have, my remains crematcd at the city destructor; andtowrarige all'details witli'yoUr' representative,'.the City SUrvoyoiy for • the successful, conduct- of -the .same; it' being clearly understood that you are, to bo at- no loss or cost whatsoever in tho matter;" Tlio matter was referred to the Resorvos Committee with power to act.

;A; liumotOus incident occurred' at' WaikA«ao yesterday, whilst' tho- Minytor for Jiaucawon (tho Hon. G. Fowlds) and pa'rty .wore waiting on the station plutform for JS 0 ,.*' n " 11 " hlch , * a ? to take them back to Wellington. on. Give'it to liim. It is , tho' chaiico of- jour., lifotimol" . remarked ono .lady -to another as tho Minister walked past ; them. • From tho resultant conversation between Mr. Fowlds- and the . lady, it , appeared, that sho; was taking lior son to the town .whero her 'sister..lived in order : that : h®'-;might: get.', somo; schooling.: In. tlio,: bkan district, , when! they had their home, tiiiro was, sho said, onl.v a half-time school, held • ill. ci uliaro. 111. their district she knew a 1 largo : family tho. members of which colild neither: read : nor: write.' ; j Her strong appeal tor a school-house "for our district" was. relieved by touches of' sarcasm.: "1 heard all that you wore saying over, at the school; just liow,.butthat.,dots' not got- us one," sho added \with emphasis. Mr. Lei, the) ohairmaii .of the Wellington Board /-or Education, who- was among tho bystanders, inquired of the'lady, why feho did llot remoro.to this district.' '.'No, thank you. Wo can't.afford to,live in your district," was curt reply. ' v ,• ■•'■:.-'vs/.''.' :v' Referring to the tvccjuisition of the Maiiawatu line by tho Government, Mr. FioldMiPli' stated at Waikanao yesterday that the expectations of residents along the'routo had ' not- been' f uhilled. /.. Ho affirmed that - they li-ero led to belipvo tliat, when -tlio;lino .became ; Government* property} there would bo (among, other: things) an miproveil set-vice.' Another soureo '- of aniioyanco.'!-.wils :tliatwhereas local bodies had'the ixiwer 'to collect rates fronr the , company they , wero now 'un-: ablo to levy them on- tlio Government. Not long ago ono of . tho "then members of- the' Ministry'• had. told* him that, they might -bo iinabfo' to get grants-: for■ sofiie considerabletinio seeing that, as a resulf of the Govern--ment'. taking' over tho line, the value' Of tho property thi:oiigh : which it .passed -had . boon enhttlicod by olio poiiml per, acre. 110 trusted that tho. Hon. G.' Fowlds, who was . present, would make tho," position .clear to 'his colleagues When . the opjiortunity .for'' doing so came. Tliero was ono improvement, in coniicction with:-; tlio' servico—and that Was that tliero;.were officials to see that floods wero not' lost. front platforms. "We aro behind the times,",-lie added, "if we can't set-to town—a distance 'of 37. miles—sufficiently early in tlio morning, to enablo us to do half a day's shopping without having to remain: there overnight.'/,

v \Yc have to advise that we have (alien liii tlio sole ngenby ,for New Zealand for the Burgon ami JJnll Slieeii Shearing Machines. YYiitis for quotations ■ for. ihst&llatioiis. , Andersons. Limited, IS Batik Chamber*. ■' - 9180

Two licw batchcs of labourers wore drafted on to tho'Happy Valley !i Road -work, and the Island liay eulvert yesterday. • About 40 inon wore put on the two works, .leaving 10 men distributed-over both. jobs;. to givo tho now hands a lead. At tho end of tho ' week,- the present gangs • vrill, be' replaced by other, mon,' gangs being Vorkod week about, to meet the unemployed difficulty a# ' far as possible. 1 In order that tho. public money . used in\ providing free technical education shall bo spent m the most, ooonomical and, efficient manner, it is advisable, considered the directors of technical schools yesterday in; confer-" 1 onoo assembled, that local authorities should insist upon parents or.guardians of freo pupils guaranteeing the said local authorities against loss m tho coso of' irregularity of attendance by the said free pupils. Irregularity in attendnnco means a drop in' the capitation grant. , I'ho Turalcina's list includos 150 .ui tho third-class, and of,this tmmWr 54 are assisted immigrants.' It is noteworthy that of those assisted only 14 are mon—lo adults and 4 young, men under 21 years of age. Most of these, it is understood, havfc positions to' go to. The number is completed by 21 ,wom«& and 19 fthildren.i l.lie occupations of tlio immigrants aro ; variously described <as farm labourers, farmers, and domestics,'while Bix wives have come,out to tho Dominion to join their husbands. ■ rwv