LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 571, 28 July 1909, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Questioned yesterday as to th^'total number of-applicatbns which had been received toidate'.for water-power rights, the Hop. B. ill' Kenzie (Minister for Public Works) stated, that a few had come to hand from the West Coast, and,- : 'in addition, one br.,twp' from, other 1 parts of the Dominion. '■'' '. Although certain legal formalities have still to be gone through in" connection with the Lyell Bay tramway, the obstacles : that delaying progress ■■, have " ; been cleared away, and it is expected that a start will be made with the new tramway about the middle of August. • '■,',■'■ The substitution of 50 candle-power Osram lamps for the old -20 candle-powor lights which have done duty in 'Hdbson-Street and Thorndon Quay was finished on Monday, and a start is about to be made at Constable Street and Owen Street. .As,each new lamp is fitted, the reflector is taken down * and ro-ehamellfd, the result being an all-round improvement -in. the lights. . ■■ ,■ ....',,

The extension of the electric lighting to the suburbs is progressing as fast as/ possible, with the;' material 5 in hand, a start having,been. in poles.,at South Kilbirnie,; where 'operations; are' being conducted in. Hendry Street and. Wellington Road. Ah inspection of the Brooklyn- lino is to be made';to-day, and work' will-' be' started when a. pormit has., been' granted.:

■ Arrangements in connection' with the social and dance under the auspices' of tho' local women's branch of the New Zealand Political Reform League to-morrow evening have' been completed.' During-'the' evening short speeches will be delivered by Mr. W. P. Massey, Leader of the Opposition, , Mr. Herdman, ahd others. The branch, which has secured a permanent-room in Boulcott Chambers, is reported to be making steady .progress. At the weekly meetings papers are to bo submitted and read, and these will bo followed by. discussions. ,■"'-.'"

With reference to the letter from 'Mr/ 3. P. Luke, M.P., respecting the situation of: the cattle,and sheep yards at Ngahauranga, the Hon. J. A. Millar (Minister for Hailways)'has replied that ho. finds that the yards are placed in the only position in which there is room for them. The railway linej both, north and south of, Ngahauranga, is bounded by the sea on one sido and hills on the othor; consequently, the only means of obtaining another site for ' the cattle yards would be.by reclamation, which could only be obtained at prohibitive cost. He would point out that the cattle yards havo for many years stood, between tho_ road and the railway station. • The duplication'of the line, .the: widening .of tho road, aiid'cutting back of tho hill bavo materially; improved matters in so far as the township'is concerned, while tho : position in respect to the oattlo yards is-practically unchanged. - Ho regretted,that while desirous of.meeting any reasonable request in connection With rnilway facilities, hi? was unable to authpriso any expenditure beihg incurred in renioriflK' the \ iMb. ■'".■■. > : ; ; '■•" "•;'; • L '

Jhi/mo sittings will bo hold by his Honour Mr, ilunlkn Goofier this morning. The Court of Apprj/il resumes to-inorrow to hear 'a motion for a now trial of. tho caso,'ltox. v. Olil'liiml f/nulii'S.

A wnoUiig of tho creditors of William] M/iM)iotv Jiz/rio, tailor, of Carterton, will l/« IwM It: iho 0!!Wnl .Assignee's office' on Atlwiht, b. Creditors'in tlm bankrupt estate of Jforliort Olifor- VViJton, fnnncr,, of WadesU/wn, will moot on August 6. r

, Yosto/vlay morning ft prisoner named John 'lli'Miiaft Driscoll, who is serving a sentence of six months, cMjaped from a prison gang tt'hioli if/is working at Mahanga Day. His ("SC'tpo was soon discovered,.and after ho had lioe.n at largo for about an. hour, ho was arMuled by a warder at Worser Bay. '

,A street is being formed across the new<:flt area of reclaimed land at Waterloo Quay, that will connect that thoroughfare with tho Kitig's Wharf. Tho Railway Department is also doing a good deal of work in tho samo vicinity in tho laying down of tracks to connect the wharf with tho arterial linos at Thorndon Quay. For convenience in working, a "dead ond" is being nin down Iho odgc of the now filling, to facilitate shunting operations in connection with trains • using ■ tho wharves in that vicinity, '■•.■•'

Of the two hundred odd passengers by tho Tongariro, which, arrived from London yesterday, ,74 aro assisted imrhigrants, tho. number boing made up of 80 women, 25 cbildron, and 19 men. Occupations of the immigrants aro given variously ■; as 18 do-, mostic servants, 8 farmers,' 7 farm labourers;: and 1: shepherd. Five women among the number are eoroing to tlio Dominion to join their husbands, .Four domestic sen-ants and four: (armors left- the vessel at this port. Over £2000 capital has been brought out by the immigrants. , ..'..■..'.

Tho annua! mecting : of. the Presbyterian Church at Kelburno was held last evening, tho Rev. Dr.'Gibb presidingovor a good attendance- The toports of the' Rev. W. J. Coinrio, session clerk; iMr. H.. D. Grocott, clerk of tho managers','courj;, and Mr. J. Caughley, in regard to the Sunday School, were of. a most encouraging description. _ It was stated that over £200 had been raised during the' year for the.church, and over £200 paid on debt on the' church 'site; A'ladies' sewing guild'is at present preparing for "a sale of work, to be neld in. the firßt week of' September, by'which it is hoped to'reduce this dobt by a further £100.

Nameless carts were made the'subject of a brief discussion at the S.P.C.A. meeting yesterday. Several members of the society told of cases of cruelty . whfch had come under, their notice, 1 and which could have been reported, but for the absenco of any c?ue' as to the.owners of the animals. It was also stated that a number of licensed vehicles were on the streets without names or numbers;"' and that a good many _ drays I which came in'frbni the-coiintry carried no trace of the owner's identity. The society decided to urge City Council to compel all owners of vehicles, to have their names painted on their drays, ana to be particularly strict .with carriers-and cabmen.

The weekly meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Ohiro Home was held yesterday,there being ■ present: Messrs. l - John Smith (chairman), D. Robertson, H. Cook,. R. W-, Short, and. J. Wakeham. The , secretary reported "that;' of : the'.Bs , males and 29 female inmates on the; books .-of the homo last'week, one had since-found ,cm-, ployment, throe were'transferred to the intermediate ward, one had left, and one had died, leaving a- total of 81 male /and 29_ female inmates, at present under,' the care ?f tho trustees. The riu'mber'in'the intermediate ward,••'■•2l;' had been' increased by > six new inmates,'but eleven of the.others had since left, leaving a total- of-16 inmates.

The fortnightly meeting of the ■ Sydney Street and Northland Primitive- Methodist Mutual Improvement Society. was. ..held on Monday evening, f ,jn- /j.tio' , Sydney, Street Primitive' ''Methodist '• "Schbflboftm;- -'when there was a good attendance; • Tho.; president (RevidCh EtivWardhowtasi/ih iftftxpbajik,...Tbe subject for the evening, was . a debate 1 - 'Is Compulsory Military, Training Necessary for New Zealand?" The leaders werff—affirmative: Messrs- W. I. Clark: and G. WillianK son; negative: Messrs. J. Cable and.W., Egglcstono.- .On a, vote being the decision was against compulsory military'train*. ing, the majority, however, ' being ■ small. During the evening, solos-were contributed by Miss Jean Nicholas and-Mr. Ernest Dawson. At the next meeting a lecture on "Phrenology", will be .'given, by, the Rev. J. Crowes.' . . '..,.. , . !•• . ... ... '

.Applications, for relief, at tho, weekly meeting" of the Trustees,, of.the. Benevolent Institution yesterday' ' "were unusually numerous,' 'a fact-which afforded"- eloquent testimony of the distress which at present exists in the city. In a, great many crises the'plea for-, relief 'was supported; by Uie statement that: the family bread-winner : was out of work. The rent burden,'a' grievous one in this city, was'also mentioned. Oneof the applicants 'stated' that ' her .weekly; rent was 255., for a six-roomed.,bouse.. before her husband lost; his.employment, they had alwavs been "able to keep up with the, rent." They .had now fallen behind. ,and> by 'reason •of ''tho 'arrears woro> .unable to move into -a :obeaper. house. .In nearly all, cases the trustees granted temporary, reliet..

"Opossums axe becoming, very numerous in the bush along the lower slopes of. the hills" (writes the. "Woodbury correspondent. of the "Timaru .Herald") "and m' sundry places they'are'considered to bo a pest; ana are dealti with, accordingly...i-By /...reason., of their nocturnal habits'they may, mcreaso and multiply unnoticed;..and.,l.,think our poor unspeakable rabbit bears the ■; blamo-.' for many of their misdoings. Once when looking, through his. orchard -with; a,friend,. M remarked that;jsome,.,traps' ; Hms.t.;be set■ for. the rabbits,'"which were barking the trees. Then we found some branches which had been barked some sis foot-from .the ground,.and satisfied that no. rabbit in our neighbourhood could reach. so high, we examined them closely. There wero tho marks of soverar small teeth; 'quite different from'tlio largo distinct markings of a rabbit's incisors. . bo' poisoned apples., wero put., out instead of traps, and tour dead 'possums; were gathered later.-on." • -'"■■,.'■' :-f.:,..-■_ ■. ■' Perhaps the most striking feature of the Imperial Press Delegates', tour ; was ' tho' speech made on June 16; by Mr; Fichardt, one of tho South African delegates, at/.tho banquet given' by the Lord _ef Sheffield. Mr. Fichardt is editor of>. The Friend," of Bloemfontein. Hp fought.witli the Boers, in the South African war, and .was •made 'a. prisoner. : Replying to tho, toast of, ."The Guests;" he said,:—"England '■brought; to' my country "war and devastation.: : Sho,oonj' quored the flag of the country, but she'did' not conquer the Iwart-and,spirit of tho. race, r After tie war .there was ah aftermath of. bitterness—the bitterness of a sullen and discontented people, who waited the opportunity 'to' strike' another blow' for that freedom -For which they hod -given bo much.; But tliati was a wondorful day. A wonderful thing happened, in spite of all the cost, ui, spite of all'tJie millions of money that had been expended, and the precious blood -that -lia<l>. 'been shed, you came to us open-handed, gracious, and kindly, and presented, us with •the freedom which we asked for. (Cheers.) And you then, for:tho first time, andl-hopo for ever, 'conquered the boarte of tJio_ South African people. (Loud cheers.) What ..of. 'the future? We, in my country, have ; watched with a certain amount of Glivywhat 'the greater sister dominions adross the seas have been able, to do.'- Wo are ;a httlo.; country and we-are poor. ■Wo cannot pre-1 sent Dreadnoughts, but this I can promise, that if over a foreign foo attacks the liinpire in South' Africa, it will bo the unerring:rifle of the Boer whioh will give Groat Britain s answer on the wild and lonely veldt, i (Loud cheers.) v _x . ■'■■'; '"' .