LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 574, 31 July 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

•« — . • Arrangements Jmvo been completed by the Post mid Telegraph Department for tho challgc ill tlm charge for press cablegrams to Od. u word. 'J.'lio change to the reduced rate will coino into force to-morrow (August !.). The N.Z. Alli.mco intend having a Bill drafted nml presented to Parliament next tjcscion providing for IkilJi Dominion and local option by u bare majority. It is .understood, that tlio Gas Committee of tlio City Council and the representative of the (ins Company will probably, resume negotiations in reference to tlio laying of tin' main from Constable Street to Miramar early next week.

lliii Honour Mr. Justice Cooper will deliver judgment to-dn ( y in the cases Bridgo v. Booth' and the Public Trustee, and Jackson v. Hudson.

It has been decided to paint tlio outsido of the I'laguo Hospital;at Berhampore, and nlso to effect minor repairs. The total amount to bo expended on the building is £50.

That Foilding is receiving much benefit from the opening of the Main Trunk line is proved (asserts the Feilding "Star") by the fact that goods are being retailed from thcro as far north as To ICuiti, Oliura, and OngarUC. '

' That conscience which is alleged to make cowards of us all has led to the return of two sums of money, 9d. and £2 Os. 9d. respectively, to the Railway Department. Tho' receipt of : the amount is. acknowledged in this week's Gazetto by the Receiver-General.

Tlio police station, Manners Streot, re-ceivx-d word shortly beforo midnight last evening that a woman had been seriously asv r.aulted Ky four young men in Victoria Place. No locality of that name was known to. the officials, but a constable was dispatched-to a square off Gluiznec Street, where, however, there was nothing to indicate that the alleged assault has'taken place. - .

It is.- probable that the bronze allegorical figure which jS to' surmount the memorial to tho late Slr.Seddon on Observatory Hill will not. arrive from England till the end,of, the year. The monument will remain in its rrcBont condition -with the scaffolding rounu it till tho.figure arrives. A committee has been appointed in England to select a design for the figure. •

An instruction. has been- given to tho Superintendent of City Reserves to plant tho plot of: ground at' the sito formerly occupied by Martin's fountain, on Lambton Quay. The, work would have been put in hand somo. time ago, but for the fact that tho council is waiting for a supply of pipes which havo to be laid at the spot mentioned. Those pipes: will' arrive 'shortly, and;. after they have ; been laid the planting,will proceed.

The City Building Superintendent, Sir. W. D. Slurdochj reports that during the fortnight ended July '27, 25 applications were received for permission to erect,. alter, or extend buildings, and in 21 cases plans Were examined and approved and permits issiiod. Tho valuo ■■ of: the' work for which permits were .issued was £4jSGB, details being as under :—City, £2035; Slelrose, £2513; Northland,' £20. ...-■ .. . It is alleged that -during a search made of one of the vessels in* port by officers of the Customs; Department three members of tho oreiv'wfere found to have 'certain dutiable goods in their -possession, ( which ; goods did ■ not figure on', the list presented, to .the_/Ctistoms. . One of the Customs regulations providos . that the master of a ,vessel 'must furnish a'list of all dutiable'goods in the possession of, liis officers and crew. . Court proceedings .will, probably "follow..

. , Sir.. Eustace Lane writes to-u's. as fol-'lows':-t;" I.fihould. just liko to, point out that my amendment regarding freehold tenure at tho.Farmers''Conference was riot intended to convey that -the State should -immediately legislate to : secure : every individual farmer nnvabsohitc; riglutto; thc:fr.eehold, but it was intended to emphasise I .tlio general fitness.of that tenure, aud~to urge ..that .legislation should alivai's; be 1 in: that-: direction. I-wish-to .'make this clear, both to yourself, to ,your .evening ,coiitcmporar,v, - and, to . members''-.of-th(? Farmers' Union." : ''y< ;

The tender of Messrs. A. D. Riley aiid Co. for the supply of metallic filament lamps for .the,City,.Council has bebn. signed. The cori'tract: price 'was £245.165. Bd. The unsucceiss-' ■M tenderer's-''were V Laurence and Hansen,' £'261 '9s;: ; 2d., ;.Crosher and .Co., ■ £264' lis.' ,Bd.; S. Brown, Ltd.,, £265 ss. j.Turnbull aild Jones, ,£268: 155.";- Ryder and Frith (Auckland), £272; J. Dlithio and- Co;,: £272 18s. "4d.": Reid and Reid, - £278 2s. 6d.; P. 11. liaillio and Co.; £285 6s. Bd. ;■ -A. . and T. Burt,; £365 2s. ld,j; ; J. : J. Niven ..'and ,;Coi (A'apicr), £300. - . ' , , '

■ A voto of :£150., for the extension; of the elcctric lighting; mains to Brooklyn was authorised by. the City Council at Thursday night's meeting. A deputation, from Brooklyn had waited on- tho council early in the evening, and asliqd .for the. extension of;the electric light, pointing . out_ that , the light would probably be placed in many of the now houses.' as they are erected, as well as in some or the present";residences. From inquiries made, yesterday, we learn that in three ijeeks from .'date* the council. will be, supplying eltctrin light' to provide house's in: Brooklyn. . .Tho extension-.work to Brooklyn will ,ho commenced on Monday.

. Dr. Bell's audionoo at his lecture . at: the Training : G6lkge on Thursday involuntarily shivered' when, in illustration of a certain stag© of his progress during a tour lin the Southern Alps, a photograph showing two men imnluraed; in .'an Alpine pool .was • thrown on the screen. Bathing in tho Alps]', Tho' bathers did not look as if they were martyring • themselves ; cither. 1 • The lecturer pointed out that hot; springs wero very common in tho Southern Alps; a phenomenon explained by, the.. fact, that many, of- tho streams pursued a subterranean course; deep v down in tho earthj and became heated by the highi,temperatures which existed in the lower'strata. After following this course for somo.' distance,, tho water ' reappeared at the surface as u hot spring..

Tho decision of tho City Council to institute legarproceedings, against persons who meet with accidents whilst alighting from or. boarding . moving : traihcnrs,. savours, at first.glailce, of adding insult to injury,' but the council has had a trying exporieiic'o. wiri. these accidents of lato., One of tho Tramway, By-laws maltus it an offence, to get .on of. otf a car whilst it is. in motion, the maximum' fiiie being'4os. Defiance ut' this by-law has caused considerable oxpenso and annoyance to tho Department, the public ignoring the numerous warnings given at different .tinics,' and: posted:': in tlio< ears; '•: A'.return; for,.the two months ended with July, 10 shows that .40 accidents occurred, the cause: of which was attributable to getting on or off moving cars, and in six of tlioso cases, medical aiu was required. When an accident occurs the car'is generally, brought to . a sudden _ stop by moans of the emergency bi'liljo. This, is injurious to* the, car equipment in ; the .first ' place, and, secondly, the Department is liable in the case of injury to any of. the passengors in the .car. Hence tho decision' to prosecute.' ' ; ■ • ' ,

Professor Alfred Manes, a political economist- of Berlin, who camo t-o New Zealand a few... weeks' ago . to see wliafc lio could learn of our political stato as affected by tlio legislation of 'this' country, loft, for Sydnoy yesterday. Asked to erystalliso his impressions, tho professor quaintly ran his'fingers across his forehead!to indicate in moro than'words that he was quite puzzled as to tho economic situation in Now Zealand. .Professor Manes stated in effect that the now legislation had provided only for the good times, and did .tot appoar to meet tho case under other conditions. Tho ingredients that made up the economic draught were still, being stirred in tho mortar —what its effect would bo later— who oould tell? He could not. Ho.did not think- anyone oould' grasp, tile situation by being in tlio .country iv'.few 1 \Veeks. One wanted to .live hero for two or threo years, and to wipe out of .his, mind .the; rules that governed observation of such matters on-the Continent. It was all puzzling, very, and once more the fingers wandered across tho forehead. What Professor Manes has to say of New Zealand whqn he returns to Germany should bo interesting.

We havo to advise that we have tabes tip tho solo agency for New Zealand for the Burgon and Ball Shtep Shearing Machines.. Writo' for quotations for inetallatioas. Andersons, J,[mitod, ifl Bank Chambsiß* SHJ9