LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 689, 14 December 1909, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The postal authorities advise that the Warrimoo, which: left Sydney on Saturday for Wellington, has on board an Australian mail, which is duo here on Wednesday afternoon.;: The mails which left Wellington on Novem-, her 5 by the s.s. Marama, and connected at Sydnoy with the Brindisi mail per R.M.S. Macedonia, arrived at London on the night of Decombor 10—duo dato. . The' Harbour Board met in committee yesterday afternoon to give further consideration to tho trouble at the To Aro Dock, now under construction, whero the concrete bottom has been turning out badly. A report was submitted by Mr. W. Ferguson, the board's consulting .engineer, who was present. The experiments that have been mado were also discussed. ■•'■ ••■■...■ : Tho > Wellington Shakespeare Club has deoided to study "Kichard III" : and "Oymbcliho" next season. "Eichard" will bo read during the first .quarter, from April to June, and Cymbelinb" from July to September, A novel suggestion was made by Mr. W. B. Mathcsoii, ot iiKetahuna, speaking as a member <if a deputation to. the Priino Minister yesterday. : He said that if this country was determined, at groat espouse, to maintain an formed force, and tho necessary War Department to control and direct it, ho would ask whether Cabinet would consider as reasonable n proposal that as a State wo should set aside, say, ono-hundredth part of the money, raised for defence purposes, to be.used in educating ourselves, and. particularly our youth, to understand- more fully the folly of war, the wisdom of arbitration, and the brotherhood of man. If New; Zealand was poing to take her part in'the van of civilisation, no more honourable position could be hers than to be the first nation to create and wisely ad-minister-a Department for the promotion of peace. The' Prime Minister, in his reply to' the deputation,' did not specifically mention Mr. Mathesoh's suggestion, but he indicated that, in' his opinion, euch ■; teaching as was meant was. more needed in bodio foreign countries thanin New .'-■ ; ■../.■.:-:■< ~ ltain, warm, welcome: rushing rain, descended in torrent?'between noon arid 1 \).m. yesterdajv making glad the hearts of those suburban residents and hill-top dwellers whose tanks, during the last: week, sounded distressingly hollowwhen anxiously lapped by the owners. Though there ,was. a little light rain after the first tumultuous shower, not nearly onongh feller rather.'it did not fall over a long enough period to do much practical good, and'those wf 9, live on the.; high levels are' iust. as far off the daily bath as'at any time this fortnight, lesterday morning's weather report noted rain at Chnstohurchi Timjaru, and Oamaru, but blue sky obtained at most places in the North Island. Earn is promised' for places south of New Plymouth;and Napier to-day, ; tramway extension to Lyall Bay IS to be formally opened to-morrow afternoon. A< special car, leaving the Town Hall at 2.30 p.m., will convey officials and councillors 1 to the beach. , - ■ , ... ; , \ The revenue from the city trams received another lift as a. result of the 'perfect" weather: of Saturday and Sunday. The receipts on Saturday .totalled ,£491 25,, lOd., : ns . against .£lB3 Os. lOd. for tho corresponding day last year,' and, Sunday's! takings totalled £248- ss. 3d., as compared with £108: is.' lid. for the corresponding Sunday lost. year. - ::-■■; ,vProfitable returns are shown on the work : , ing of the late tramcars from Newtown on : Sunday night. The car'from Constable Street carried; 87 passengers, to the .Government Station 'and U on the return. The car from New-' ..town.took 91 passengers on" the trip to town : and 18 back. V; .-.; . -.' _.■;'. ,'■■■; '.: cA deputation 'representing the Wellington Football : . Association waited. on tbo Reserves Committee of the City Council yesterday morning in reference to tho allocation of grounds for next season.-/ The deputation asked: that tho- committee, 'when allotting: grounds next year, should give' the Football Association the same consideration as -was given last season when tho .association was granted tho use.ol tour out.of tho twelve grounds, which proportion the deputation considered a fair one, in-view, of the, number of players under tlio jurisdiction of.the.-.association..".The chairman promised that'the request of the deputation would not be overlooked. when the. grounds wero' being portioned out, and asked that complete figures as to'the number pf teams playing and'general, membership "should be placed bolore the..committed.j:«,v -.'■■!■■'. .■ ■■■■: .-.-■■ . -.. ..-,-, ',' It wouldl'appear from"a on December^- by Mr. H.: D. M'lntosh, (says the Sydnoy '-'Daily Telegraph") ffiat matters in connection with the Jeffries-Johnson matoh for the championship pf.'tho: world are not'rroini! along any fob smoothly., Mr. M'lntosh's New F?f k representative : has cabled him as ;follow S: -"All, off:; .Tour £40,000 put. aside. Jeffries will: not fi?ht outside of America, and will not consent ncßro referee.' Jack Gleathe fight-£20,000, and two-thirds of picture rights. : rTex Eickard refuses Jeffries' conditions regarding conduct of. fight," and .the' referee to.be appointed:" Gleason has promoted several big boxing events in America, and is said to be backed by- a: Californian millionaire.-:; ...""•"..■'■ ,'•:■:■.,■':. ; ; ■;'■-.;". .... ■ ■■■ .■ ■ ;,"It'.is-a" healthy: occupation, providing' there is good sanitation and.plenty of ventilation" This; was the opinion oxpressed in Sydney on December 7 by a medical wijtness in the Suprome Court: .concerning'. the' work of coalmining,, and since" this question has: attracted some public attention on account of the strike, his eyidenco is. of'.interest:' The rockchopper, he said, was much more.unfavourably situated than the miner, inasmuch as he ; inhaled 6mall particlos of storio all day, and these, penetrating the lungs, set up: the complaint known-" as rockchoppers t disease." The doctor was askedwhether it would be dangerous for a , person suffering from, this'trouble to go into a coalmine to work.:. While, he would .'express ho definite opinioh'on:this : point, he declared that the particles of coal: were not irritating in the same way: as stone;*'"A coal-miner," said he, Jhyes to-an oldnge." The plnintiff iii the case had beon ri rockchopper, who had gone back to mining with oiio of his liihgs.affectedi but the Witness stated'that: he had nevpr' found any harmful l effects'to-the''man's lungs' from his following his work amongst the coal.- -'.- :■ Tho -"agreement; reosntly- arrived at in .'ttio' Pullers'' dispute :has been filed as an award- of the Arbitration Court, in accordance with the recommendation , 'of. the Conciliation Commissioner Tho'document was yesterday: placed in the hands of the. clerk -of .awards (Mr, A. stubbs).:.-. : ; ■''■'.; ;■.,.!;.-,■.■:■ -■'.;■" ■'. .;,- =■■ Trouble about a Maori's dog tax was ventilated .-at.-.the Petone Borough Council meeting last night. The superintendent of Maori Councils (Mr. Hackworth) wrote pointing out that the Kaukawa Maori Council had the sole right to. collect. dog: tax .from Maoris in the (hstriot; .One unfortunate Maori, relying on tho statements .of, the Borough Council's collector, had defied the Maori Council, oven after being, ordered' to pay by -a magistrate and had been imprisoned for a week. '■■ The ohairmau of the Maori Council had been instructed to apply for a refund of dog tax- paid to the Borough Council When Mho'letter was read '--at the Borough Counoil meeting last !night,- the town clerk, 'as collector,: explained, that: the. Maori, in question had a European name, and the tax was pajd, at the borough office by another man, who was a European;.'.: Tho next he heard of the matter was when the Maori told him ho had 6pent a week: in prison for paying the tnx. The Mayor (Mr. :J. ,W.-. M'Ewan)- said the money would have to bo refunded'when asked for. It was decided to bring the whole matter before the next Municipal Conference;. '■ _ Eomances have .been written about ■ alleged freaks in flowers, notably "the black tulip" (says, the Greymouth'"Evening Star"). But it remained to a'; well-known-: Grey' resident,' -Mr. Pa,"'.; of Ahaura, to' bring to our notice a black.;. lily; in reality,'.it is of purple hue, with a black stamen.' But the colour deepens as' the- flower ages, until, it bail fairly claim tho title 'Tjlack:' , This uniquo' flower, wo understand,, is of Mexican origin. ',;■ .. ; regarding a new attraction at the Waitomo paves, a .correspondent . of tho Auckland ; ■Herald' snys that it'has recently''been discovered that the underground river through the hills is nuito navigable; This b,eing so.:a large flat-bottomed. hoat hus been coiißtructeiV by which visito'rs.are enabled to do the trip. The sight is said tq be worth going ■a' long journey, to jee: , -: In fact;., a. partv of Americans who -have just toured ;the world stated there was nothini; in other lands to be conipnrod with. it. The boat glides through'a long av : ; cuue lighted by millions upon millions of glowworms, that light up the place as if it was daylight.' The whole thing is referred to. aa being absolutely •■ beyond description. . t■. . - A request has : been made to the Commonwealth Minister for Lands ,by a Syrian, who has asked ' whether. ho will provide land for nbput 50--families from Syria 'who desire to come to Victoria'to establish; the'silkworm industry. This would involve the cultivation o{ tho nuillwrry tree. About 100 acres would be required for each family.' The Minister lins asked his correspondent to put in n formal application; sotting out- the details, arid added that-no , .would then submit the proposal to his colleagues. ' - -,\ ..:■: ■: • , Shampooing, Clipping, Hairdresaine:, JlMicjiring, Face Massage; : : Trcatmeht.of Falling Hair and Dandruff,' Combings made: : up. Natural Hair-pade. .Mrs. Eolleston . (over Carroll's), 14 Viljis Stptet. '/Phone 1599.Advt, . •,' ;: •-. . :• .-,.;:. ..-..-...• ■;.. ■■.:,■;:'■'■

Tho specie) Sunday, morning trams again . good business last week-end.: Tho ■ special car to Seatoun carried 133 passengers nt Cd per liead. A total of 01 took advantage' , or the special car to Kilbirnie, and the Kami ; special carried 80 passengers. Tho Island Bay line special-.was'used, by ICO passengers. '■. Biiv penny fares were charged nil' round.: Captain Broun, d {the P. and 0.8.5. Korea,' which arrived, at Frcmantlo on December 7. reports that on December 2 ho passed close by Direction Island,. in the , Cocos Group, which : signalled: "Cyclone; do not require assistance." The captain said that on previous pas', sages ho was unablo to see tho'cable station ',- quarters, which wore hidden by trees and' dense , scrub, but now only a fowcocoanut trees remain standing, and thoro is no thick scrub, ThcMorea passed on the cast side of Clunnies, Now Selina, and Old Scliua Islands. All seemed ■. to have.suffered severely. At Direction Island Captain Broun put overbo;rda cask containing mutton,: papers, and magazines but it drifted away from the island. A couple of cable buildings on Direction Island appeared to Iμ roof■loss.. ;.-. •, .■,..■..■•', '... ■ ;,.-■'. . .'_.,'■'■: ;" ' : . • ■''".■ ,). ..''When is a bicycle not a bicycle? When it is a motor bicycle," was the purport of a legal opinion conveyed'to the Ilutt Borough Council ■ Inst night by Mr. T. F. Martin,'solicitor to the . Municipal Association. Mr. Martin said that ' in'.his opinion a motor . bicycle was not a bicycle within the meaning, of tho council's by-law. of March, 1009.' ;A motor cycle was a motor within tho meaning of the Motor Rcgu-. lotions Act, 1908. Tho. Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, empowered the Council to construct, cycle tracks for tho use of cyclists only, and , , to regulate and control the traffic of 6uch tracks, "A cycle," continued Mr. Martin, "is defined, in Webster's Dictionary as. including n bicycle, tricycle, or other,'light velocipede." He considered that the, council had power to' , . cxol «!e motor j cycles from: tracks constructed' specially: for cyclists. Lord Alvcrstone, C.J.," held on May i, 1004, that a motor bicycle came:, ■within tho statutory definition: "Any cari rage : drawn or propelled upon h road br tramt way or elsewhere thnn upon a railway by fteam'. or electricity or other mpcbanical power.", Hβ added: "A machine which oarries a person; I,along.a,road is none the less a carriage be- ; cause it is. a very uncomfortable thipß, arid. becawflho is shaken very much when he goes ■'.along."..■,''•: -' /■' ■■■ -.'■■■ :'" '■; ; '■.'... ' ■". ■;.; Thp. practice of [■ making dogs : Tun; after';', electric cars on long, journeys., is .'decidedly, cruel,.especially in hot weather. Speaking to »\ "Press" representative the ''othei ,; day, a tramconductor stated he had noticed ' many bad' ca?es of this nature.. Dogs which were mani-. festly in anything buta suitable condition for,, a. long: run attempted' to keep up with the ! cars, aftd,. although greatly' 'distressed, /■ iyera. coaxed on by their owners- at every.'.stopping-;I place. He instanced one case in which a big,, /long-haired pet collie, in a very soft condition, kept in the wake of a tram journeying.to the.', .seaside; arriving about five minutes later;than the car, in a terribly condition, Immediately on. reaching the terminus, . the; fatigued animal stretched itself put in'.tho I side. channel, panting painfully, and d'few.' minutes later took a fit, during which it almost'' died. ■ .';. .■ ■■' '• ~ , " ' '' " ■ : ,'.■'■ ■■'■'■ •' l . ; Some remarks in regard to'tho Austrian t Fiim_ .'diggers are made by Mr, J.'G. Gow in ■, his report "on the kauri guni industry, ■ wWch was presented to Parliament yesterday. Hβ ; s!iys:-r"lt is fre«ly stated that'tho Austriani only beepmo naturalised in order that' they may. secure, the 'five shilling ,license aia tho right;to work oh Government, reserves and ,, swamps. .■■':', Thcro is ; a strong feeling that th» Government should place: a , tax (through, the banks) on' all money sent by the Austrianj , out of New Zealand. It has been ■■ suggested. ; to'me'that if,the Government decided to ap•.point graders ahd ; . a representative to travel round in the .interests of tho /industry '9 ; license of. at least £i per annum should be charged, to all Austrians, as the private lnnd■owner will, reap the benefit of < the work of . the Government in establishing markets.;. It ■ would, of course, be. necessary that tho! Austnans: should pe advised of'.tho.chanee, 60. ■that .when they enter' into a contract, they will be fully aware,of their position. Judging by results-the Austrians conld well afford to Jay £i license foe. per annum;, or an. exnort uty of- ,£1 a ton.". "All Austrians," Mr.Gpw ! adds, "should be debarred from working in Gov.' eriment swamps or reserves until' they can got full employment from private holders of. Hum : lands or swampsi I understand that these.: pri> ,vate owers prefer 'Austrians to the.' British, dig-, gers.^;• ,;j ■;. , . ..■:, „■.'.'.■.: ..■ ■■'■:• ■.- .. . ..■;.., :