LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 602, 2 September 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A small American mail brought from Sau Francisco to Auckland by the 'fymerio arrived by the Main Trunk express last evening. A more substantial American mail, dated San Francisco August 6, is due to arrive to-day by the Manapouri. ' The Government has not yet appointed a successor to the late Mr. Turnbull, S.M. at Hawera, but it is anticipated that, this will be done at an early meeting of Cabinet. Reminded of'his promise to N visit tho Waira-rapa. district at an early date, tho Hon. 11. M'Kenzio (Minister for Pub'ie Works) told a deputation which waited upon him yesterday that ho did hot'think that he would be able to sparo the time, before the session commenced. . ■ ' The Hon. G. Fowlds, Acting-Minister •for Defence, has consented to' receive a deputation from the Sunday School Union, protesting against calling put tho cadets on Sunday, September 26 (Dominion Day). This deputation will bo received on Friday at the same time as tho ono from. tho.Ministers' Association on tho same matter. . Work on the branch tram-line to Lyell Bay I was begun on Monday lost by a small gang of men under instructions from the City Engineer (Mr. W. H. Morton), with Mr. Gardiner, Superintendent of Permanent Way, to directly supervise tho operations. It is expected that the work, including the overhead gear, will take at least three months to complete. ' For somo Bays Cabinet has been busily engaged framing the _ Estinmtos - for tho current year. The main-clfoct of 'tho .-e----tronchmont polioy will qnly bo apparent in the figures from September 1, wlion the salaries of most of the officials who havw. been retired ceased.' It is expected that 'ho Estimates will continue to engage tho attention of Ministers for Eomo time. In Uio Wellington Garrison Non-Commis-aioned Officers' Club .Room last evening, Colonel A, W. Robin, CD., Chief of the General Staff, delivered a Iccturo to tho Garrison Signallers, on somo aspects of their work. Lieutenant Hulbcrt, District Signalling Staff Officer, presided, and Captain J. 15. Duigan (Headquarters Staff) was also present. Tho lecturo was listened to with great attention, and at tie closo Colonel Robin was accorded a hearty voto of thanks. There' will bo.a supplementary list as well as a main list of further appointments to tho Commission of tho Peace. Owing to-tho largo uuinbor of appointments to. ho made, it lias boon found impossible to mako tho necessary inquiries in all cases, and obtain replies from those to whom tho honour is offered in timo for tho ordinary list. Spooking to a Dominion reporter yesterday, Dr. Findlay (Minister for Justico) said it was hoped that tbo main list would be available ior publitttUen at iut early data

Intimation has been forwarded to Mr. Craigio, M.1 , ., that now railway workshops are to bo built at Timaru for light repairs to trucks and tho like.

'flie official opening of tho Now Zealand Tattorsafl's Club is to take place on Monday evening next, and will take tho form of a dinner. Tho president, Colonel Hume, will occupy tlio ©hair. ■ .

At the Mount Cook Police Court yesterday, before Mr. • T. Bland, J.P., an old offender, Bartholomew Mahoncy, was fined 10s., in dofault 48 hours' imprisonment, for insobriety. For a similar offence, Jno. William. Lucas was convicted and discharged. The re-trial of John Tancred, _ who is charged with breaking and entering Trumann's tobacconist shop at Petene, will occupy the Supremo Court to-daj\ The case of Alfred Binder, charged with attempted grievous bodily harm, will also be heard today.

Interviewed at Groymouth with reference to tho slackness of the coal trade, Mr. C6l- - M.P. for Boiler,, stated that next session ho would urge the'Government-to imposo a protective duty on imported coal. He believed that existing legislation would be sufficient to prevent the Now Zealand companies taking advantage of such duty to proportionately increaso their prices. Tho quarterly meeting of tho Wellington Licensing Committee was hold . yesterday morning,' Dr. M'Arthur presiding, and having associated with him on the bench Messrs. W. H; Helyer, G. J. Pethorick, and J. Smith. Tho following transfers of licensee were granted:—Cricketers' Arms Hotel, R. B. Taylor, to J. Porter (Mr. Blair);, Central Hotel, S. J. IFlcwollyn to A, J. Mace (Mr. Tripo); Barrett's Hotel, A. M. Gow to C. H. Williams (Mr. , Blair). • As a result of a meeting of the Gas Committee of tho City Council, which was held yesterday morning, another letter is to bo forwarded to tho Gas Company, from tho Town Clerk's offico. Several letters havo

passed botween the parties of late, and endeavours are being made- to arrive at a settlement of tho questions connected with tho proposed- extension of the gas mains through the Melrose district, independently of the legal proceedings now ponding.,

The signalling detachment of a corps is not tho place for a lazy man, according to Colonel Robin. During the late war, he remarked at his lecture to the Garrison Signallers last evening, the work of :ho .signallers was particularly arduous; especially at night.. Signalling at night to other unit? somo miles away, was no easy matter, especially when the deceiving flicker.of camp fires was present to add to the worries of 'ho signaller., "I havo known of many an animated conversation being, conducted with a camp fire," ho said.

A variety of subjects. was dealt with in papers that wore presented at tho meeting of the Philosophical Society last evening. Those of Mr. A. Hamilton,-on "Hongi's Armour," and Hare Hongi, on. "Maori Numeration," are dealt with briefly in another column. Mr. B. C. Aston read a papr entitled "Botanical notes made on a journoy across the Tararuas," illustrated by a. map of tho range. Papers ontitlod "Notes on a Collection of Sea .Anemones," by Mr. C. H.

Walton, and "Unrecorded habitats for' New Zealand plants," by Mr. Aston, and others even more scientific), were taken as read. Mr. T. King exhibited a language-teaching phonograph tor use in schools, and Mr, Aston exhibited specimens of tho 'alkaloids of the pukatea. There was a good attendanco at tho meeting, . and the president (Mr, A.. Hamilton) was'in tho chair. In tho prefaco to the third edition o< "Bovan on Negligence"—a recognised text book on the subject—appears the following high tribute to the Acting-Chief Justice of New Zealand:—"Where I havo'■ loft tho Americarii decisions I have replaced them by the colonial. Students of colonial law must know that at this moment thero.are in our: colonies judges—such, for example, as Williams; J., of Now Zealand—whose legal reputation constrains reference to their reported judgments, which well repay perusal by their clear insight into tho principles of the, common lair and their' yividy'.'presontrnqnt of them. Contrast the judgment of, the . lastnamed Judgo in Brown v.: Bennett N.Z.L.R., 487) with t t hat of tho Privy Coun-' cil on Colonial Bank of Australasia v. Marshall (1906, A.C., 559), and tho benefit m clear thinking and accuratd knowledge from tho perusal of tho colonial decision is apparent; and there aro besides other colonial I judges of an oxporienco and learning which will not permit of their indements being neglected without'as appreciable loss as appears hore." "•.-'.'' '' . ■

Many people imagine that travelling through the interior of China is an altogether dangerous undertaking, but in this they'are mistaken. According to Mr, 6. W. S-

Patterson, in a speech at the banquet to tho Chinese Consul at Auckland on , Monday night, it is quite as safe-as walking down Queen Street, Auckland. In narrating his experience of a journey which he made into tho heart of China, he said: "Throughout the whole journey I received the greatest kindness and attention on all' hands. The furtWer one seems to get away from civilisation in China, the less troublo it seems to be. The Chinese aro remarkably kind and hospitable people. There are-absolutely no difficulties m travelling through'" China ao long ob ono minds his own business and conforms to tbo rules of the country. ] havo often been asked what it ia like travelling through the'interior of China, and all I can say is . that it is just' as safe as walking down Queen Street. The people are highly civilised, and aro most hospitablo in every respect." : . ..■•'■•..'

' The- vicar , of St. Paul's pro-Cathedral, Wellington, has' just published a book entitled "Modern Study of the Old Testament and Inspiration," which has been printed by tbe Cambridge University Press. : . Referring to Mr. Sprott's book, the "Church Times" (London) remarks that he \ "writes on tho inspiration of the Old Testament» in ; tho spirit indicated by Jowett's famous remark auout interpreting tho Bible 'like any other book. 1 But ho quotes on his title-page tho whole sentence in which the much-misunder-stood tutor of Bajliol testified that tho Biblo would 'still remain , unlike nny other book.' And that is Mr. Sprott's oivn conclusion." No copies of tho book are at'present- for sale in Wellington, but :in viow of the fact | that Mr. Sprott is in tho very front rank of j New Zealand Biblical 'scholars,- the publication ; will l>o awaited with considerable *in-. terest by those who recognise the importance , of the subject dealt with. Mr. Sprott fully j accepts, the methods: of the Higher Criticism ' as interpreted by such scholars as Professors Driver and G: A. Smith, for instanco; but ho is also well acquainted with the works of .the moro conservative scholars and of the moro radical school. Tho .book is sure to bo fresh and vigorous, and well worth reading. Public opinion being with the Salvation Army pooplo, they aro not often assailed physically in the streets, nor subjected, to the disturbing tricks of roughs who in times I gone by deemed nil roadside preachers fair game. Ncverthelesi the Army still meet with an occasional troubler. One such, last Monday night, at tho Fountain in. Dunedin (says the "Star"), ventured to make use of filthy language, and- expressly insulted tho women. , Tho officer in ohargo went for a policeman, but,, not finding one handy, he returned to his sorvico, and probably the offender would have got off but for a constablo. chancing to hear of-the affair and going to sco what was tho matter. The offence being thus brought to light, and the mau continuing his misbehaviour, ho whs arrested, and Mr. . Widdowson sentenced him to six months' punishment richly dosoived. Tho forbearanco of tho Salvationists, even under extreme provocation, wns sliown in the evidenco of ono who was called as a witness. He was scrupulously fair to tho accused. In answer to tho magietrate lie said: "I would i\ot say that ho was disturbing our meeting, except for has words —ho didn't mako what we should 'call a, dieturbanco, considering that he m under tho influence of drink." This in respect to. a nmn who had burst into tho ring with language of such ghastly obscenity as would have assured his being knocked down in a pothouse, Tho etrangest part, of the affair Is that when quite sober, tho accused • attempted to 'justify his wickedness by a general hostility to tho Array on tho ground that they bad refused to givo him a 1 job bccansche took « glass of beer,.and ho urged as a further, excuse that as tlio , Salvationists were, meeting not in a hall but in tho street he had a perfect right to interfere as he likodl Mr. widdowson Boon undeceived him, ' ' '