LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 725, 26 January 1910, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

So far, there has been no official an-, nouncemont in any shape or form, as to who will succecd lord Plunket' as Governor of Now Zealand.-A' rumour, las being going the rounds -of. the press that the honour, will',fall upon Admiral; Sir Wilmot Fawkes,. but that' is, not, at all a likely happening, and - there is . littlo doubt that no. one has yet been approached. The' appointment has ' been, rendered quite an open question owing'to the dissolution of the British Parliament as it; nnturally- follows that the Cabinet' of the dominant party in the new House of Commons will'. bave ' a -voice iin ,the matter.,.;.;'.

Ro tho katipo. Mr. Downs, (of' Downs Bros.). expresses doubt as to whether tho specimens discovered in. tins on Sunday in the vicinity of Wellington were: really katipo. He states:: (1) That;'katipo "living in . colonies" is. a new. feature : in the habits of the creature; and (2) that the. report makes no mention of a red mark ,on the' back. ' To this . the reply is simple: The bottle brought'into this office by., Messrs . W. ; : Wills and H. C. .Wilson contained katipo—red .j_ mark . and all. Theyi 1 have; since been identified- as. "the' genuine, thing" by a . number of'.gentlemen who know Uiem well. ,

The undergcar of the 30-horso power Thorneycroft motor engine for tho fire brigade, which arrived from !London • on January sby the Orari,'is at "present being fitted; up at; the Central Station; under the supervision 'of Superintendent O'Brien. The car-body is- being" built locally, and it is ,anticipated- that when .tho car. is iready for.tho road.it; will' only have cost about X 750. . A . trial, run ,;was made. recently, ; when-. themachine' i was taken over . tho Boseneath. hills.- Everything worked , most satisfactorily. With' reference ;to. the' arrangements' for. tho mobilisation; of .'the junior cadets at the four 'centre's';-for inspection 'by Field-Marshal' ■•', Lord . Kitchener .- next month,;, details of "which were, published; in Tin-; Dominion yesterday, ari alteration has been made -ivith respect' to. the dates set down for Dunedin and Christchurch, "as follows:—Dunedin: >. t. Outlying units, : February lfi; 1 city ' and suburban units, it'ebruary: 17.', Christchurch:, Outlyifig: units,- February, 21; city- and sub'urban: units,; ,February...22.- V. y.-^.

On the :■' Queen's: Wharf-., yesterday.' an . innocent, ; on that the' Arawa had just .arrived from London . direct; -made' bold to . ask:, ah official, how . it., was: tho .vessel:,was.lying .so '.light , in,.the water, forward. .IfWoll," said' the'offlcial, with a ; knowing ...look, ."all; the passengers: are off!" .As a matter .of," fact',i the 'tween .deoksV.,forwaT'd. : areV specially fitted -up for the accommodation of third-class passengers, . which , arrangement prohibits ,cargo r 'being stowed ih;that, part of the vessel. , i:> , '

.-. Instructional practice in Tjig-gun 6hootr ing -was . continued , bythe . Wellington Narals: ; at ■' Mahanga Bay- yesterday, ■- a series; being.- fii'ed::from:- the ,6-ihch 'guns ih tKe with Q.h\ ffuns was carricd out, undor the searchlights ;.in 'tho evening.., Class-filing. ■ will 1 ccmmenco; to-morrow. Railway_ matters will; bb'.discussed ; at ah interview.' whiohi has' been ; arranged by Mr. W- H. Ficld, M.P., : . t'o take placo between-the Hon. J. A.'. Miliar (Minister 1 for Railways) and a. deputation; of Otaki residents 'at noon to-morrow. ': ; The weather was fine and tho sea calm when .the Arawa left Cape-Town for Ho--.bart-'and:-.Wellington,'ana those.oh.boardwere afforded- a splendid view of ' what .remains .of,: the. wreck.: of/ the -. ShawrSavill: steamer -Maori -on Duiker Point. . 1 . - Among the passengers who . an-ived frdm •I<ondon by tho ...Arawa ..yssterday was Colonel H. ,R. R^der.'of' tne 3rd; (King's 'Own, Torksihe' Light Infantry (Reserve). Accompanying him are iMrsl' Ryder and :Miss. Ryder. Colonel Ryder was at one time a resident- 'of ' the' Waikato, but' has boen, in England ; for some years. /

. Tlio Miiiister for Education has been in,vited. to -formally opon the' new primary school, at.Addington,...Christchurch,■: on February 3. • The first meeting of tho year ,of - the City Council: will bo held to-morrow night. . • ." • • M;.::

A man will come before '\the/..Magistratefg' Court-t-CKiay on. fifteen charges ,oi theft iof; pianos V and' five chaises of * for* gery.

'A'-report reached Wellington' by the iHauroto -yesterday Ito tho effect that 'daring.:/the;.year -;'just,■<;ended,/-,' 100,000 bannua: seedlings ■ had : been planted -in Karotonjja. /. As. : the,.'banana:, tree bears when:-nine','months old, Rarotonga alone should be able to • supply New Zealand over and above by. the end of the; present year. It is imderstood thabtlie establishment • of direct communication witli Wcllington has ' given <: the'-.-, banana-growing .industry a' ~ big . 'fillip. : .The 4002 . cases of bananas which tho'Hauroto : brought yesterday were landed in splendid condition. The number of. assisted immigrtjits who, arrived from London by. the Xrawa yesterday;;: was., 129 (out of .a, •' total:' of. 400 ; passengers).. .Of these "54 ' were v: women •18 men and 27 children (under twelve 'years'; of' age). Of tho assisted passengers 22 adults and 20; children were" nominated by .relatives. -Those approved by the High Commissioner numbered '70 adults and: 15 children. They Included v 27,/farmers,, 7/ farm: labourers, 21, domestic servants, .. one' dairy-farmer, one cook, and. 14 women who'-'camo out to rejoiil' their , husbands./ : Fifty-tiro. of'. the assisted immigrants possess 1 between them Capital to the value of ,£4507. Mr. Danby, : Inihiigration, Officer/ who met' the Arawa, reports' that; the ..assisted - passengers "'are' •a first-class lot, ." who: promise .to make good settlers. = ■ . 'i- :;' ■•...- ; ■

, .Following: tho discovery of oxygen .and .water. vapours, in,:.the atnios p here' of i o ur neighbour, -Mare,' there/coines;. the .news that"flowers^and greeriL/foliage; must' bo present' on the -planMs VJupiter: 'and Saturn; and more '• particularly on Uranus and:, Neptune.The ' discovery 7 has been made quite.' independently,- according : to the' German journal by;-, two scientists, one : a Russian - iamed -Timiriaziewj. the other a Dutch botanist, lieyrinck: . .In; examining : the'. spectro-photo-graphs of these planets, ", published- by: Professor,Lowell, and taken,by the wellknown astronomer,., Mr.:/ Sliphor, these scientists.: have discovered:. certain, bands and-lines'which {correspond to'the spectra of . chlorophyll (to which';. the: : greenness of green foliage is due),'and: the red' and ■blue .cplouring' matter- of■ .flowers.•: As.the conditions Accessary' -:for '-'life exist;in Mars, -it is possible :that../the existence of flowering ■:*. plants', may ..be' traced there also. .

..:. A. '■: large j. number ' of:associations. of French: State employees, .representing over 181,000 civil servants, nave decided to form -a national federation. The Conservative Republican journals r<^srd'. the' movement as one which the Government ought ! to repress, on ; ,the ground that it is an insolent' defiance to thenational sovereignty; ■ v'v

You .wouldn't. think,". : said.ia . watch.niaker,,.:'fthat - it.:would : make any : ,differ- : ence,whether a. watch is wound! up in the morning or at night; .but it does make a jjood deal of .; difference. -.When a watch: is wound up at night, ooming ont 'of a .warm' pocket; and laid down orhung up; ,in a cool place, the mainspring i'will contract by the cooling of the metals. Being wound ; up.' tightly,, "all. chance 'of 'contrading has been shut oif, and'tho' spring' is mucli more ilikoly, to .break; J>lf,:lowever, i tho. watch is wound up /in! the morning, having partly run down through the; night, . there is room;:enough- left in, .tho barrol to contract. Another reason why it should bo'.wound: up'in the morn-, ing is ■ that. the spring will then" have moro power, and thus mil bo in a better condition to resist ' thd disturbing move--mcnts of ' tho bearer during the 1 daytime." ' ■■'■■v.

Estimates in connection with the building - of'a children's ; hospital are ,being ■held'.',back Hospital Trustees until a. meeting of .citi.zcns ,is arranged, and -a scheme formulated, to defray tno 1 cost: of erecting tho hospital. . .> < 'Shampooing,' .Clipping Hairdressing, Maniouring, Face Massage, Treatment of Falling Hair and 'Dandruff, Combings made: up.. Natural Hair-pads. Mrs. Eolleston (over Carroll's), li; Willis Stxoot. 'Phono 1539. Advt, .';

: Tho new Tutanekai' Masbnic.Hall - in ." Adelaide Road, Berhampore, 16 to'.' bo '" ' opened by Mr. J. P. Luke, M.P., at 3 p.m. to-dav.. " - The Wellington Bowling Club' is in- i'. .. viting members to attend, at the pavilion' at : 5 o'clock this evening,'.when the, win-:!: ' ning rink in tho lata Northern -Bowling; Association's .tournament fy G. Urown, and Churchward) . will'.be pr& "r..... sonted with "the" trophies won. The func- " ' tion is purely a club affair. _ A largo whale, between. 40 and. 50 feot in lengthV'wos captured .in., the Wairo* ;. River - last "Saturday. ' The visitor tivi- •' dently, came, over thorbaiv in' the after?. . noon, and was.'seen disporting itself -near the; South : Head, -• where it, : ultimately stranded... Mr.'JivHamson,. with'tho;WaK' ..wera,/ chanced, ; to be. in ' the, rieighbour- I. :hood.. and capture<l the whale, which was subsequently lowed to Waikare Bay.': ■ .The Bishbp of'Wangaratfa, told a good story, at .the missionary summer school .'at;•' QuecnScliff' recently-concerning, polygamy.',., f.j. The Bishop .of . Grahamstown, he • said,'?; .'.-;, had asked an aged kaffir catecliist tho rea- ' son .why his people were so.aversetohav-. ing only .one..wife,.and thokaffir'liad •' replied: '"We see that the Christian, with'• •Us one. wife, is not a free man. : : Hojii.at' / .her mercy. . She,knows he has no other. V. iwife to turn to'; and.therefore she asserts herself, becomes, independent,, is .less •. ... anxious- to : please,'; and 'is.;lesssubmissive." . "There is always a larger number ol applicants coming .forward ;than 'we.' can o •find- , room-'for/'.remarked'th4.''chii.rm4ui ,^(>l;-.'1 .-'--; l tho Hospital -Trustees ' yesterday," when' a;" • ■ question' wan -raised by one of • the trustees' as to where and why all' tho nurses were going. ' The chairman ; went," on. to explain that the-number of-resi^na-. : tions at the' hospital was probably caused i .by the fact that ; after semngi their, thrce.:i;W years a 'proportion of : , the nurses went out to take -.up-.', private" nursing. T \ There ; :;":. • . were' • plonty of ■ young; ladies *. aniioUs' to ' ■::;. fill the ; vacancies, ~ having '• been {received from all over. New' Zealand.', ; fTheyl all' appear; to .recognise % the 'value i i $S>, of .the' Wellington Hospital as a training • ground,'":concluded.the chairman."

.. In view of the number of ophthalmia . cases Vtreiited'at' the. hospital,- one, .of;.tho '; - trustees yesterday urged - the .necessity ';of: : .considering - whether ior. not, another oph-;, .. thalmic surgeon:.should- not: be. appointed.' :' - Most: of the- large: hospitals .in 'New; Zel-.'.:j:. v land,: the . speaker pointed out, had • two '- ophthalmic Burgeons. The chairman'; pointed out that . one of .. tho junior-;-doctors',' at : .the.;' local . rendered :; assistance to; the! ophthalnlie -surgeon,; but ; if .' it, was: desired he would ;as!t the opinion of: the surgeon 1 ; as:, to whether 1 ';, further assistance was required. "As a rule," : concluded Mr. Luke,' "they -are: the p first .to. let;'you' Know' if - they ' aro ' overworked." ■ Y;-".''■{'?,

Tho Hospital -Trustees have decided that , a ! memorial - tablet; is.'-.toj be and placed under the:centte window!in v,;.'.tho Hospital Block;-, of : the . Infectious Diseases Hospital. and that tho Minister for Public Health ti ; invited; to: attend \ y a .ceremony to be arranged for, . laying ... s tho.foundation-stone.'-' ■ 'V -V;-.'-...','

About 40 ' applications lme: 1 been re- received by tho Victorian Mines Department for tho position of .'general manager' •of the'Powlett Stat<i:coal: mine,ifor.;which::>v-: a salary of .£IOOO. a year is offered. A de- ':. partmental. board has boon appointed to select - the, three' most i ,eligible - v ■ and fram : these:the. Cabinet will' make its; choice. Some of the applicants aro.. from ■ New South Wales, and. others aro from . . ; ; Tho sagacitv, of a; spaniel,: kept at the • ... Roman Catholic presbytery, at Bukekohe, led. to the' discovery of a fire: in 'the din- 1 mg-room y: early on , Saturday' morniDg \'.: last. The housekeeper was roused.by the. •• dog • : jnmpihg--on.\ter.^bed-':'and"'liold^;neJ , /.-;ii;;'\ faco, and found theroom:.full .of smoke. .V- ---. liiveatigation; showed, that,.the -wallpap« : ro. / and curtains near.the dining-room win-. • dow were on fire.- The'outbreak 1 was .. quickly ■' ;extingui6hedi only;'about ' --c£s , - worth of damage,.being."done,Vand*:'this: ik'covered by-a!policy in.the:S6uth;Brit-;;A ,ish 'offide.;* 1 In the morhinga. man's foot- . were ivisible .underi thei window,: •and it :ia' thought- that ''the.* curtains were . set "on: fije"? 'either'! purf6saly ! 'or: by.,'Boniw : "V j 'drie : who was investigating; the/ premises for some purpose, presumably illegal.'' ,-..v , There were one or - two noteworthy; fea-' '' • : tures; in' connection' with- the: Seymour en-. .. . oampment,. .apart from, the; long-heralded;;- - visit of.Lord-Kitchener, 6ays. the The canteen question has tjQcomo rather ; a. burning one, in connection-with ,military;cainpsj and the; recently-passed; Dofence: Bill.' has pronounced■' definitely against the :sale."of .intoxicants'in,. con- :■' neotioji with;them.:■ The.prohibition,did. ' ■not come into force at>.Seymour,;as beer,'; in addition to soft drinks, was sold to the men at : their, canteen,. and appar-', cntly: without any harmful results, -: ,' far as sobriety was 'Concerned. however, 1 :were not .obtainable.'.y.There was practically nothing in 1 , the. course of tho eight days, that, could' the suscep-' ~ itibilities '.of: even a; Kociiabito apostle.. ; Oh; tho. Saturday night; after Lord ' Kit-chener'had.'gorio.back-'to Melbourne/ana the heavy -and .tiring work, of the field tna-;: noeuvres was . at an end, it might have been '"ry expected that, there would bo outbreaks ' in some ' directions,- but; .-. anyone' ,' who, looked , for these would have: been ;agre»- . ably dMappointed.; ; : A ..meeting of the Karori Borough Council was held last evening, tho Mayor, . Mr. C- ; I. Dasent, presiding. Tho councilors present were: C. Cathie, Jj G, . , Ralno, Walmsley, Standen,- G. Wellmg, , J. Hildreth, and- G. B. Barn. A largo : , amount .of purely \routinev business ;'.wa»- '■ . transacted . during: tho evening. '/ .'• '. ; ' Tenders- for the now- PalmerctoA fir» ; ■ station .were opened' yesterday -.afternoon, u.v,: and wero as follow :—C.:-\V. Blackbourne, J822U9 (accepted)! Union' Timber Co., ,;V: : .£2350; W. Mbuldey,' '£2365;' T.: Griggs and" ' Son, ,10s.; .Sollett;Bros.,' JC2585; J. Trevor and Son,'' .£2691.- There wis also ■ one' informal'.'tender'. The oxecutivewill appoint a clerk of works next Saturday, the remuneration' being .fixed<at •;JES pop. week... -i.:..

i A deputation ■ from tho Clinstchurch City Council .will' wait' on 'the - Prima ' Minister i to-morrow, on the' subject, oi ••. I the.Late .Coleridge-' 1 .7; hydro-eleo-trio power scheme. Sir Joseph. Ward, has already'declared that in lus opinion the «Stato should : utilise , the natural' Baurces of; the Canterbury: provincial ■ dis-. trioti ihVrespcbt ,to' waterrpowor ' for '■ tlial. benefit of, tho whole ' of'.' the '•Dominion;. On the other hand, the' Christchurcli municipality contends- that .the local :au-: thority vhas ;:eVery right-; to 7' the. beneflhj that will accrue'. from ' the utilisation' of

electrical, energy- generated by, the . water-, . power of their own- district. I ' Sir JosepH 1 ': . Ward's 'statement,.to-morrow- will-be.mads after consultation with;' liis -■ colleagues... ■: 1: • ."The exports of Fiji .bariantts'durinj;: Do- ' - cembcr," sa;psthe'-Fiji "Times" of Decerii« ber - 25, ? "will bo 'a record. ',- Tht--'six steamers sailing during tho month't take 5 •: A nearly 150,000 bunches: to.' Australia, and;: ■. New :Zealand. We are credibly, informed ,y*f that th 6 exports, for 1909 will total about . 1,000,000 bunches." .-- - -./:..:/:-' .':'. ■ A Gazette Extraordinary has been' issued.. ftirther "proroguing ■ Parliament until Feb~ . \ ruory. '■ ' ■- ■' - - - ■■ A. matter to come before the .City Council. at to-morrow evening's; meeting,.' will •. be Ythe-confirmation -of : the' reswution •- : at: a: special meeting >of the coun-! cil, held on December 16, 1909, resolving (by special order) to borrow' the. sum of '-' - .■£sooo to pay off the special loan ofi.£sooo ,/ .raised for: the, erection of a;firo brigade: station , at Jervois. Quay; ■; '/,)■■■■

1 fishing, : says the Cambridge cori respondent: of-the Auckland ."Herald," is getting much better in the Waikato in ; the neighbourhood, ' of . Cambridge, x .andthe inhabitants . are beginning : to realise tlmt' good sport is ' to- bo J had, especially between' the town .andVthe Jlora Ilora

Rapids,: where the Waibi ! ' Company'. ora erecting.: electrical' 'works.:'. A couple, of 12-pounders were lately"; taken in the - ireaclr near' the junction, 'of, tho Tirau; and Waotu 'Koads,. and they, gave; meat- sport, before they were captured. The Predion, of the above-mentioned... works: will: niake, it easy for. fishers to',-'get: up the river, <: as coaches; aro" to be. run into' and from

HorayHora on certain days, of; tho -.weeiii.: as may bo required. ; V.:'!..'.,.;' ''Tho Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to. Animals met- jestcrdav.-after- ■. noon; Mr, .T. Ilott presiding.'. The' 'following- were acknowledged: ; / .—Messrs... J. M. . Richardson, : and'. J. Holmos, 10s.,- each;. Misses.Eous Marten.: v Messrs. H. .Ay . Shepherd, ■ A.: Grey;'.W„ -i Onchton, J. W. Jacl;, A.: MDiarmid,-1.1 : Newton ' and Son, ' Union ; Oothing : tory,- and- Dr. Izard, ss. each, - Mesdamca At. Ross, Butt, -W. Gill. "A.8.," and "Friend,' 2s. Cd. each. Mrs. Cameron, ■2s; .. . Total, \ £6; Is.: 6d.Several cases afe , allegod cruelty were considered. ' ■