LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 636, 13 October 1909, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The effaces of Tun Dominion will be ppen from 8.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. to-day, and again from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The postal ' authorities advise that the Manuka,, which left• Sydney on Saturday fpr Wellington, has on beard an Australian mail, which is due here thj§ morning. : ■ " ' It is presumably against tho rules to write in tho margins of library books, hut some peoples just pride of ancestry "knows no rules. In a copy of one,of Balzac's novels in tho Wellington Municipal Library the following inscrip-' tion has been neatly pencilled against a posr sage in which the author eulogises Scotfs charactor of Jeanie Deans:—"A tribute to my direct ancestress. A.W., Clarendon Hptel, Wellipg. ton, N,Z. •H/12/05."':-/ " '..,'■ The decision of tho Trades and Labour Council not to invite the Prime Minister and. his colleagues to attend tho "Labour Day celebrationsat "Miramar to-day was rescinded at a meeting of tho council hold'last evening. It has beep decided to invite the' Prime Minister and tho Ministers, also the local members of Parliament, and his Worship tho Mayor. It is stated that the original motioii against inviting tho above guests was carried at a meeting' at which there was not a quorum present. Between 30 and 40 members were presont at last night's meeting. A peculiar doctrine in regard to,the matter of debt was Voiced by an applicant for relief at yesterday's meeting of the Benevolent •Irustecs,' Tho applicant,' when' being ques-' tioned as a certain debt, replied that he did not consider t]iat any. man really owed money when ho bad not tho wherewithal to pay. ' : ■■" •- "• '■ '■.-"" i .The privileges of prisoners standing trial'in the Criminal Court were discussed "yesterday during the hearing of an appeal, case. Tho issue was whether,:if a prisoper'did not give ovidenco or call witnesses' in his own behalf, the judge, could comment to the jury on tho wot- Mr, ■ Myers (Crown' Solicitor) remarked that he. would take an early, opportunity of deciding another point: whether a prisoner.' whoso counsel had addressed the jury, was cntjtled to maka. any 'statement ; himself .'■ Mr." Justice Chapman said: "The practice in Wellington has .been for years that,. alter- (joupsel has spoken, the'prisoperis allowed then tp make a Statement,-It has-.been attempted hero,'jt has been done hero, and it has been abused'hero. Tho question ought-to be raised, for the consideration of this Court,'whether it is the in'«n{|W °? the-. Legislature that tho prisoner shall make a statement of fact, where he is defended by counsel, and lias an opportunity of giving .evidence," ' ~'".. Auditor's, (jigs' engaged the attention of the ■Karon,'Borough .Counojl last evening." The Town Clerk reported that the AnditorrGeneral had attached tags to several jtemp jn the accounts. The items in questiop 'WereJ'fully, in T vestigated and found, to be' iqiniafcfial and merely matter's of -accountancy method, except one item. This tag'read,'-in roferenco •to a largo sum of money, that this, bad* been written pff. as stojen.-from the offjeo ..without the authority of tho law." Tho peculiar wording of the. tag caused 'some nicrrimoji't,, the Mayqr-remarking'that the money was certainly 'stolen without- the authority.' of the law. 1 ' The history of tho item is that a sum'of about ■£500.-soma time - baek disappeared from the safe and .was never recovered! "'.l'art. of''this was.from the; tramway,funds and.part, from the general rates. .A cpunoillor asked what was the effect of the tagi must the councillors pay the nioney? The Jfay'pr 'observed (hat tho tag had no effect at all except to" point'out that the item could not. legally be written off, Another councillor:'-''We'couldn't'legally have grdnt«o>l|uHn7bpl>J»s SibSaisttTEhe tHief, and therefore wo cannot now ratify, it'by' writing it off.'-. A great difficulty.(he.addsd) appeared to be that (he Town Clerk had not pbtafhed a receipt for the s(plen.money, .Theprevailing idea of the Mayor and councillors on tags in general was tjiat the,Auditor-General- existed for a,purpose, and that' while liis tags sometimes seemed to do no good, they might at other times..serve a good puf'pose ;by directing attention to> thjrigs - which were .not irregularities, but merely "happenings." :

The ordinary service on tha Miramar'tram lines.:trill be suspended from noon to 8 p.m. to-day- in :consequence of-the 'special- traffic to the Labour Picnic,, 4'lia fares ironj the 'city to Wonderland will be fi've'poßcb, arid from Courtonay Place. 4d, ■'•'•.'■. "'■''■.•"" ' "',

; When in England and Germany, Mr, L. F. Ay6on, Chief ■ Inspector,. of-.' Fj6|ierie6, - made considerable inquiry from fish-cu|turjsts. and other experts, as'h ß -travelled about,' w jth regard to the.value of the minnow as a.means of increasing, the food-supply ,fpr trout, Everyone with whom ho discussed - tliof matter (Mr. Ayson states In his'annual report) Rave a most unfayburablo opinion :as regards his utility in this respect, • the unanimous • opinion being that ha' did a great deal .qf. harm to streams uy eating up the food of young trout,' and that no did not by any means provide himself a corresponding amount of food for larger trout. ' .. ■'■:.•■ '

Needs . qf : tyellingtpn Prison are :very plainly set forth by thogaoler (Mr. A. Arm-' strong) in his annual report to Parliament. More warder?' cottages.are, ho'says,' urgently needed, At present most of the married' oflioerV are liyjng.in different parts pf.the city, rendering communication with 'them awkward in case of necessity. : Owing "to the large number of male prisoners received, ilm cell nccoiipodahon was at. times' insufficient," and rooms intended-for. qther purposes had tp be used lis cells. The old prison is very inconvenient to- work, i havinfc iua'nv" angles'iond corners ■.necessitating extra provision, and does not- afford milch cell accommodation 'for the rsize. of it. It is ronstantly. requiring repairs, and the roof-slates get-disturbed iu windy weather, disclosingnewleaks at every fresh rain.. • The south wing,, an old wooden building, jammed as it is 'between, the new south wing-, and o(d. -prisoni' is a' source of danger ann ftnxioty, as in-the cr.se. of firo jn.it nd person could get into the.n'aw south wing or do anything for the inmntes (GO) there until the fire was extinguished. YTho'separate building |s_a, very old structure of wood, Tho'west wing is also a wooden building, and, although pf. more modern date, leaves"much room,for improvement, ■■ The feinalo ' prison is bright and airy,-but very old, and top close to (and excluding the light from) the bpttoro windows of the new south wing male prison; besides, tha cells are all ■ association colls,, which is pbjeptjqnablo, Mr. Armstrong thinks the time has arrived for erecting new prison buildings, workshops, and shelter-sheds, an'd v reconstructing ekerolse-yards. In regard to tha iuale prison, he suggests that a new one be built in the country, surrounded by plenty of land, whereon produce mig))t bo grqwn and stock reared, thus giving healthy ami profitable'employment to all (ong-senteiico-prisoners who cannot, for various reasons; bo sent *to a treeplanhpg prison.. ■ ' . '..

The Abattoirs Coinraitteo of tlie City Council hold a meeting last night :to deal with various matters ip. reference to the now- abattoirs, including 'tho appointment '. of 'a caretaker,'for which position no feiver fjhan 81 applications were received. ' T)ie corpmjtteo went through the list of applicants and narrowed tho selection ' down to three nanics, which wijl fee submit ted. to the full' council. Dr; frengley, pistrjct Health'o'ffic'e'r, : attended tho meeting, and luadp a report on disinfection •; work, which report 'will be submitted to the cbuncil after Dr. Frengley has conferred with' the City Engineer, Mr. W. H. Morton. About npo(i- yesterday, the Firo Brigade received a call to the corner, of Tory'nnq-Yivinn Streets, whore soino firewqad in tho. backyard of premises occupied by Mrs. Mary Lawson had becpmo ignitpd, Tho firo.was extinguished beforo tho brigade "arrived. •'"■■■" '■'"•' .

Prisoner? will bo sentenced by Mr. Justice Chapman on Saturday morning ns follow:— Jrcdorick Henry, ],ambcrt, bigamy (Wellington); James M'Lean, alias llovlo. theft, and ,?v?,°- r ? •""'"tteriiig (New Plymouth)! William Willis, breaking and entering and theft fffel: HBll, Bertha Bro\vn, conppalment qf. birth (Wellington), , : '

,_ftprk . at tho Portobollo .Fish Hatchery, Dunedn, has.bm restricted during the past year through scarcity of fiintls. Tho board points nut; in thoir annual report, that no part of Au.stralia, nor of Cape Colqnv (which' has a special Fishorios Department) lias.'beeii Wl , ~d o SUt ! n worl; > is has been done at IprtobeUo; ond -to arrest• this now would bp to take a singularly rctrogrodq step in the development _ of. tho natural- resources pf this country. It Is also pointed -out that all work of supervision, correspondence, and, indeed, all secretarial-work has been carried out by members, of the board, os a labour of love, *i W," 01 cost the country ono penny duringail tliosa years. -

In-regard: to' the alleged interview with' Lady Ward, published by an,' American paper, particulars of which wore printed yesteriluv in tho form of a 'riibssago. from Auckland, Lady: Ward explajns. that though sho discussed cerlftin political questions'wj(h various persons while, she was abroad/sho di 4 not Intend "that hcj remarks should be.used- foi! purposes of publication, Sljfi had;; expressed np- opinion at.--.alj. on tho liquor question, nor hod sho said any? thjng nboiit candidates' having, to, wait the chalk Ijiie:"' Evidently the' fertile ijnagin'a-; tipn of so'mp American journalist 'supplied (hesq details/. ''■ ■' "-•'■'".'-'" '

', Included in the nnnibcrs received at (ho »el!i|igtop Prison during last year were»l2 debtors, 1 for maintenance, and 1 lunatic, all pielcs;. plso 84 piales and i fcnialcs for modi, cal treatment- - These unfortunate people,states the gaoler in his annual report, ought fo bo sept, to another place fpr treatment. The improvements whloh aro being carried out at the Te Aro Bnths aro niaking towards completion, and although a good deal still' -remains to be done, the work should bo finished before the sumnier rush sets ; iii.~ The shells of the dressing-rooms havo been erected to (liq outside wall, and the finishing work, is pqw being done on the southern end, The now rooms havo open fronts arid will occomm'o-. date a dozen'or more swimmer's; A'broad platform lias heen erected in front,"Of the new sheds at the south end, but a start,b'as not yet been inado wi(h" the' platform pnt'fflOr, thcrn.side. ' ,-v ■-?-.. f- -.-■ -r- r ■' -• |•" » At i meeting-pf^tho 'Pplico Prpvident "Fund Board Constable Geprge Stewqrt, of Kanieri, Who.has. roacheoVthe age limit,'was granted a pension of £101 per annum, -'The' deaths of twq pensioners.-, (an ex-inspector'arid "on ex-pq% stablp). were.reported,:'','., ".'■'.'

Retiring aljpwanpes aggregating ,51789 Is. lid. per; annum were granted, at a meeting "of 'thq ltailway Superannuation. Fund Board to 2i members of tho service whi> have retired on superannuation. Payments amounting- to ,£264 a year were authorised to sis widows and 13 children of deceased contributors. Refunds toi tailing £lUS ss. lid. were granted to retiring membere,. ■■'-.;" ' "••','".

, The statements as.to'-(he alleged pyprlpaijs IBR of thp Te Akau-sections' mentioned by tho Auckland .correspondent'of The Dominion ara emphatically denied by the' Lands Dopa'r'tin.en"t.' The official'reply is that' the. highest'cash price Charged for the best of the firstpjass lapd'is only about £b an acre,'".while for tho Eo'cohdV class land the prices, range as low os 16s. 115 acrp, and'it is therefore, contended- thaf'it'is absirdtp, say that' the prices for these sections ore "at least 25s:' nq acre too. high'ln': price." It is claimed that the prices charged are fair, 'pjtd - It.-" ii further! stated that! whep: the whole of tho purchase money aud the pps£ Of roading, surveying", etc., have been paid tlierq Will be qo profit foV the Department. The that the numerous applicants include a .large; number of Waikato practical'farmers, who are .well"acquainted-'with the character v of tliq land, is also cited as a proof that the seftjoiij. are not pyer-valuCd.' ; : ' " - : •;-. : '-'-- :• " " r "

The following resolution, by thg Anglican diocese of Ch'ristphurch,. was submitted l for tha consideration of ; tbo Auckland Synod: ''That in view.of the fact that tpa early leaders of the Churphpf Zealand; who ara in possession,of ;ffteU hearing upon tho early life and history, of this phorpU ara, ■'' Slowly passing away, through death, 'this Synod :: strongly, urges (.tie Standing Carnmjttce to takfl ' such steps as. are'possible to further, the writ-; ! ing of, an uprto-dato history'of the Church." :' Mr, C, J. O'uuk? moved that the rosplutjpn.lja".■. adopted, with the .worcl: "authentip", 6Upsti- ,; t'uled for "up-to-date,'','T|)a . resplutipn WM i agreed to. ■ ■",■.'.•'." ,-Y; ■•'!•''

Private advices received ip. Auckland. froni . Samoa (writes our correspondent) aro to thq effect (hot the American, warship Ann.app)is Will yisit. Auckland next ; nionth for. the pur« pose'of docking and genpral, overhaul. , T'liq warship yisited'Aucklapd ip (Ictober of.jast year,.but; it; iyps. docidejj'. to tjiup-hor visit a, inqpth t!"S occasion, asthp fiudden, change in torapor&tnrp frpnj Samoa (0 Auckt laud at' this (ijne of -.the year, was '.top ■ sever? On'thecroiv.'Aicollier frpni.thp United States was due at Tutiiira'this'iripptn.with a, Bftpply of coal for the: Annapolis'and the ifavy Do. partmout. ■'.'. The United - States cruiser. M_il-. waukfie was, plso due at.Tuiuila this month from Sap, Francisco, witli. stores, and a, jeliof-crow,-for the'Aupapplip.■■'■.., ■ '.;

',An ■interesting- inattcr; rotating to, payment.. - far., services ; rendered • by'-Dr/'CahiU' was coii-" sidere4'',l)y' the Karpri Bpfough Council last ; : evening; '• It "appears that in about tho year 1,006 :Dr. o CahraPKt'tohde(l v fo\lV;nioii'- who were; injurejj'jp Tißt'taiii 1 ' works, ■•' At'llmt' tiifle. > ' the 'doctor's bill, amounting' to ,Cl 2 ■izi., came, - before .tbV;"cpuncit, -and, n - as ■ ;'■ them,, oh": tho ■ groujid that,' as', tho hioh'.;wej',a' injured, tli'e' : clajfii'fii(isn)o'pp''tli?m 'of p'ri'thsryinsurance f urfdl T]iW. piTei-od, however, to pay '\> the -fee' qf' 10s. 6d.'per .' man for tho' pro-'/" liminpiry which' ftey 'ftsked . ths r/ doctor'to make. 'Nothing more was l hoard Hi the matter for .t)io years ,which\followod. Last t ovening;'however, tho' question of the: .£l2 12saccount agiiin• ciitje up/iThq Fjn.anc,e|;Com., mittco ; recommehdeil .that the amount of, 10a,' od. per man' formerly plfovej(.s]ifin|d bo tendered.. This was agreed to. . '•'. .'V'. • In Ontario, Canada, through; the' sympathetic co-operation of' the J'ostinaster-Geiieral, a '.new.'-, sphere,pf onip]pypient has.been fpuhd forJh« deaf. : ' A ■• certain pumbcr' : pf''deaf V persons,' ■• trained iu'prai speech, have been during the;;' last two or three'years 'engaged/as' sorters;' or otherwise (n the General Post Office, and they ; have given'such satisfaction to the authorities that Vthe'-latter'haye asked for more'persona so trained. ''I'erhaps,"' 6iiggcsts the'Mlnlstet for :Eduoatipn (Hon.. GHFoivlds), in his anr ;. nual report, "somethiug be done in'this ; way in New! Zealand, especially for, deaf per- ' sons'not suited for farm; life."; ;; , ■;• ■;';

Tho indulgence of pnrentp where their chit•..:. dreu are. concerned cropped up at. yesterdar.'l '] mooting of tho Benevolent Trustees, when tb<> ' jlev: iW. A. Evans remarked oh'-the apparent indifference of tho parents of ». young man! in .;■ regard to the foundation of chprhator.wh.9n h«'■was .a'child;. Mr. Evans thought that parents ." in Wales, .whence the yqiing man qame, word inclined to '.bo too. Indulgent. towards the r. Y children, Mr, Rqbortson .thpniilit. th»t PRrenl( '.■ in New 7,esland.nlso sought to bring UP their ohildren af ladies and gent|enich, apd'did 1105 ■ , like seeing theiri eo'iri'fo'r'-'fi trade.. "I feel «"«"• thoupji 1 would like to go hi with a'stick and : stir then)'up, J ' ; concluded; Mr. JRobertspn with :■.• feelirig-'. • ..V• :■.'';.'.'■. Y '':'''• .'.!'. ,: ''.;'. ;■,.-.'

A good deal pf inconvenienco bus l^cn 1 occasione(| the Appea) Court already this -fession through the' unreadiness .of counsel from other pentm to proceed with their cases, Pa the opening day, the ActingfChicf Justice :exnressec| the feeling pf the Court on .the matter- Y<wter { : day'it-was foiind that sonie Auckland.casei which had been expected to occupy the Court during this week, could not commence uiitil ■j; riday. ■' When • this had been adjusted,'an' amplication was received' that a couple of davs next week should/be reserved. ' for Dunodiu cases. "We cannot extend all pur leniency, to the Auckland counsel, , said. Mr, Justice Edwards, 1 and the dates werd allotted,;:. : ■

Speaking to a Dominion reporter yesterday, Captain* Gumming,' harbourmaster at Gisborno, stated that-the.'new light on Tannine Point was now giving, every satisfaqtion, The Gts? .borne Harbour Board had'established a pc(v ninnent look-but man on tho point, had erected a signal .staff, and connected tho signal station with, the town, py telephone. '■ 'During the debate in the House last night Mr. Poole. M;P.', incidentally mentioned tnaj word had been received In New Zealand to the effect that' President Taft intended to tnak« an effort ■ to. get • a Shipping Subsidies- Bil] passed by Ooiujrpss before Christmas, It would contain' provision, ho- said, for a subsidy ', foj the renewal of.the.San Francisco' mail service, If the Bill were passed it would result in the three' steamers of the Oceanio Line, whicjj were now dying idle, being again brought. (uto commission, if there were any inducement frpuj this'end, ■ ■ '■■ .-'', :

- "When/ths (ii(cstion as tq .wfcen the Addres* in-Reply flebato should be, resumed was before the House .lost nigl\t, Mr. M'Laren"said lib would Jiko to SPG the House end,arso ment'hcld by a large proportion'of the people of the Dominion that to-day (Labour Day) should be.looked upon ■ as a national' day of celebration, )?oth the,Prime,.Minister anu.tho Leader of the Opposition "epcie in approval of tho proposal. It was agreed.-that the fiouso should not meet jigbjn until thus evening.; '

.The Scouory Prewrvntion Board is devoting special- attention to the North Island Main Trunk Hallway ■■route'.-' One reserve surveyed (says tho annual repor'.) v;asiu ths inuncdiaU vicinitv of Ohnkuno, and oompriscs a strikint forest-olad blull (Knelihi No. Sb Block) ih full view. of. tho railway.-.lt forms ah impressive background to tho view from the train, one is generally looked,, uppit or a, hiagnifjcpnt exalnpip of, the Waimarinojiusli scenery. Other reserves along, the line")near- Tut-nngararo /am) Whakapapa Oorgo are now ; under' process ol survey,, and it is to-be .hoped ■ that by 'tho publication next, year's.- report u liiost valu, able addition will Imve-been made, to the.presentreserved,'- Aiuoiig the lands pow being surveyed :• are some 2000 ncres in tho Whaharahir, Block, which, front, the liactlhi-Pipirikj coach road for six miles, and partially udioin th« U'auganui Hlvcr for ahbnt. three miles. ■ Th« famous "Dress Circle" is included' among -those', reservations, . and some, very; picturesque scenery i whilst ail historical - rata .tree khowri as."King Dick",ls among;the objects of In. ter«t on the roiito; at;is hoped that the areas will be comple.to.j- surveyed and gazetted by the .eud.jsf i thft!,yj»r.l;.;L. l :;.. Li._-,!_—■;.;.■.: :-. , T.l