LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 740, 12 February 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A page of the sealed: book! winch allows how much liquor is taken into a No-License district was .opened at the Court .yesterday during : the hearing •of a charge l of sly grog-selling at Ngahauranga. A wholesale wine, and spirit merchant was called - upon -to produce his book, to-show how much beer had been • consigned to a 'certain address at 1 Ngahauranga ; ; since January '' s'' The' latter read. 108- gallons, or G kegs. of. 18 gallons each. Counsel for the defence proceeded .to-show that under No-License it was' quite possible for men to lawfully drink., more beer under ! the- above' conditions than they could' have done under hotel, .license. Ii was stated that the beer .costi.j£3' for-18; gallons, so that' the men who imported it got more for their ; money than if they had spent the money over.-a, hotel-bar. The profit was something approaching' 250 per cent.,- so 'that saying they, only spent tho. samo amount of . money (he men' cuulil drink .nearly three times ; ns much.' . The,- witness to whom,;these suggestions;were put believed that he was not the only, merchsnt who supplied beer ...to: the district in question. "No, it's hot weather;' and - there are . about 90 or 100 butchers there," explained counsel, and .tho Court' appeared to understand.

v Tr.c trend, of military .study and ideas m New Zealand along certain, lines is probably responsible for the announcement in General Orders from defence' ..headquarters that such reference works.as the classic "On War" (Genoral Carlvoh in. three volumes—this work has received frequerit! mention in tho editorial columns of The Dominion—"Principles of Frontier Mountain Warf are". (Bird) "Taoticol Problems" (Burde), and a number -of, volumes of '.the ■ "Special . Campaign"; series, by well-known military writers, including Colonel 'P./Jf;- Waco's "Jena Campaign, 1806," are now obtainable in town. ' • • •

Members of the, Slaughtsrmon's Union have decided .to strike; a levy/, of ss. per man to assist the wives and*children of the Newcastle miners, and to levy Is. per weok per member until the . dispute 'is settled. The Iqvj- has been collocted; during ■ the : past week, and totals about .COO.

Mr. E. Fletcher, in his election speech Inst night,: declared, thai some members of the Harbour Board's staff were working under, scandalous conditions.. Some were working :in V strongroom, with no ventilation, r and lit by electricity.

Sixty special, ten-ton trucks for carrying stone are being built for the Railway . Department. It js expeoted that they wit) bo out of tho workshops by the end of March..

Tho following resolution, is to' be rocommended by the Wellington: Slaughtermen's .Union to : the ( annual .Federal■ Counoil,- which! is to eit : in Adelaide on March 38;—" That in view of the drastic legislation on the statute books of some Australian States and New Zealand, the closest possible bond of federation should be,. devised; so that ? in .. the ,' event of trouble arising in. any. one' State;the dilute may be governed by,; and have tho undivided support of, the branch oigrniisnHoE located ">nv oiiuir State" '

A report was received recently.* to .the effect-that a life-buoy belonging to the •"Silberliorn, Liverpool," has b«jn found cast up on Bounty Beach at Pitcairn. Tie Silberliorn, whoee fate is. one of the sea mysteries, of recent times, loft -Newcastle' with a cargo of coal for - Iquique, on the west coast of Chile. She sailed about the middle of June, 1907, and- lfas.spoken a month later. This was the last ever heard of the vessel, ; a vain, search for which was made by a. British ■ warship,' which searched all likely places for traces of the wreck, including Robinson Orusoe's island of Juan Fernandez. Strange stories were circulated of a mysterious shin being seen. on fire off the west; coast of South America about the time the Silberhorn should have arrived at her, destination, but definite tidings as to her fate were never received. The; ,Silberliorn whs an iron barque' of 1923 tons, built by Russell and Co., Port Glasgow, in ISS-t, ami owned C. E. Do Wolf and Co., of Liverpool..

' It takes a rural agriculural ; show its prpduoe interesting 'competitions,, and if soine of the larger and nioro . august ladies, who are iUvays discus-sing - tinquestion of supplying mteresting. features for the - entcrtmnmcnt of their patrons, would unbend and learn: from , their humbler brethren they : might profit. considerably (say* ,the Minurtatn Standard"). . At Pahiatua, as at Wood, ville on previous occasions,' the pony ,race and tr-jfting competitions caused more interest .than anything, else.-- There-was also a hum-irons elcme.it in the. trot. With a delightful disregard for the fitness : of,. things,, tho .event was thrown open to anything and everything capablo of "moving in iho required ttridej 'and the entries wbic'i, faced the perplexed ■starter were a little Maori weed, a couple of raw-boned hicks, and two heavy-hack-neys' harnessed to equally: weighty spring .traps. The. small Boy:on the, weed,.who is quite famous in these parts''as.a trainer of trots, led tho field for half the distance, his only serious rival being a fine-step-, per in one of the , traps. A great contest ' ensued,: to tho "manifest 'delight of the crowd, but/entering. the straight the intall boy's mount broke, and lost, three lengths' before,he could,regain his stride; .the'result'being a win'for the big : horse by a couple of lengths. The' diminutive contestant, however, . received an ovation as he passed the post. v A small credit balance for the year, la reported by .-the 'committee- of the Wellington Kennel Club. Prize award certificates will be fonrardod to the winners in the course of a fow days. "The society fools that tho usual' penalty of approximately. 405., is i quite ineffective in preventing the recurrence.-' of. this class of offence,' said counsel who ap-' peared for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty • to Animals in a charge of cruelty to a horse, at the, S.M.„ Court yesterday.- Counsel went on to say that it actually paid . some; men to purchase and .decrepit.horses and pay tho ponalties imposed by tho Court. ;. A fino.of. 40s. .was. aimere trifle compared to whut the' men could get out of those iiorsua, If a penalty. of imprisonment was entered in ,one case instead of a fine it would; said counsel, have a mamEous deterrent effect. ' In- fining defendant; his Worship remarked, that the' different circumstances; had' to.be taken into account in each: case. :. For instance, a small fine on a poor man was quite as'-severe as. a penalty; against a man . of means. The question of -costs had also to be considered; in\the fine. :'; ■In the particular case under notico, the Court raised tlie fine 'to £3 and costs. • f: ; ' Professor Theodore Schiomann, as tho recognised exponent of Gorman Imperialism, never loses an opportunity of preset-; ing ■ the decline and fall of ; the . British Empire. : The- professor perceives many, signs of disunion mthin;the,British Empire.; /-Writing recently, iff: the , 'Tireuz-: zeitung," he 6ays: "In.the British coloiiies -very little; attention■ is :paid. to: F the antagonism _ behveen Great Britain- and Germany, and the' same; may. be • said of tho United. States of. America. Never has. the fact, been 'more.'clearly - demonstrated; that - Great.'. Britain, ■ is ' a country, standing by herself, and that her colonies havo grown' ( into separate '.nations'; with . their, own' separate; interests. In Canada 1 the wish • is ' coming to- he'' felt, more; and more that there should bo a separate Canadian; diplomatic corps '-'to', represent ■ Canada throughoufthe■ world.""

tr/Atypjqfog >(t? u a )J}ress- ; dissociation message, smoke, seen: at ; Wanganni : at midday, yesterday - indicated;/that the .Eangitatau 1 bush (felled during the winter by cooperative.labour),,which' was to have':been :burned; ; ywterday,';had ;been . set ; on:- fire. Onr own correspondent telegraphed late last night that the ,',T)um" had been very: successful;' It;is understood that the'area, which; is being/clearedVooinprises; about .2000 acres.;- ■ ;/'/; '■/ ; ' Sir. K. -PWcher, speaking at the Municipal Concert Chamber last night,, emphasised the fact that; all the municipal electors have a right' to vote; at the ; coming Harbour Board'election. . ;/ .

• Some-seven). comments lvero passed at •a",meeting, of the: Auckland Acclimatisation. Society with; reference ;.to the' Govornmehit'shasty:'; and' ill-advised . •legislation in oonioction with the Animals' Protection: Act;; 1 1908. (states . the;. "Herald"). According bo the Act, - this year is to. be observed as a .-olcoo season, for the shooting of imported, game,' quite irrespec*. tive of whether the; game will be plentiful or-: not.':-The society. derive an .incomo • from' this: issue of licenses, .which ■ enables them to employ , rangers to pro-; teot the gaine in '.the various/ districts. The authorities, tie . membersemphatic-: ally declare, appear to havo overlookedthe fact'-. that' if lioenees. are• done away with for a year no rangers can' be employed, .and. the Act. of, 1908. must,. therefore, beooiiuo null and void, as . the ..Gov-: oriimout has no'staff to; enforce the oarry-' ing. out of' the Act. ' The consequence will .be that'./poaching and: shooting will be oontihued* the whole year. round, and the object .for whioh the;. Act' -was instituted, to preserve' the game, will be' defeated. >It i[as stated:that ..every ; i acclimiitisa.tion society, in the: North,.lsland,'except one;; had strongly i declared against 1910 ;bein« made a close season., Settlers are much perturbed at.the. idea of the-season being a close one',, as / game birds are how ,so plentiful- as. to • cause serious .damage to ;crops in many : districts. .' The Auckland. Agricultural and-,Pastoral Asscteiatidn, has forwarded a protest against this year. b£ ing iriade a close. season. '. • . ;

- Commander Peary has beaten the record. in another, respect'than', that; of;be-, ing the first man to reach the North Polo. He has (writes:' Sir: Lucy; in ' the .Morning Herald") .oh-' . tained for his story of., the adventure the biggest price' ever..' paid for. a. similar work. Por'/some.- time ' Dr.' Sven , Hedin, failed; to obtain a publisher:for his book because he asked a fee of ,£IOOO. In . the .end he was obliged to take -loss, ; : an ex- ' peri ence',, that later befell Sir Ernest • Shaokleton;The proprietor'of ! an; American magazine: pays; Commandar ' Peary. a' sum: of : XII.BOO . Miuply'.'for the' serial rights,of .publication' in the "English. lanpage. ..' When the work.has rhn.its'course: in tho' magazine the' author.' will be at- • liberty to make a fresh'bargain .for: its appoaranoe in book form.';. The transaction is: unparalleled; in ; another, Tespect, ;The magazine proprietor' "vrill _ com.iienoe publication wi-tn 1 only: a -portion of , the manuscript in -hand, the author .undertaking .'to. complete, it in time, to moot .thai-exigencies'.of : a monthly magaano.. But in ,thei midst.of life we are,;in,death; In. .'order to secure' himself againet lloss owing to: tho demise of tho exploreT, .with .his literary work uniinishedi : like publisher has insured Commander,: Pearys life for' a period oovering the arranged term of publication at a figure-re-presenting the: full, outlay.

••'.': Unemployed.• difficulties "r.aie .(says the "News") 'almost unknown.in., Southland 'at present, and ■ there' is an ever-increas-ing demand lor all kinds of labour without any ! corresponding increase in supply.'; FlaxmiUing hands are in demand in any number at up to Bs. per day,' and for.'-farm hands at as. .high, in'..some cases, .at 30s..per week. .' Sawmffiing Is vory brisk, and . there are, no . vacancies in that department, but the demand for domestic labour is as, keen and as unsatisfied as ever.: There t. is a'prospective demand for harvest' : hands, but there mil be some difficulty in meeting farmers' -. requirements.- . A local labour ■agent, in conversation with a,-reporter,, said- that, there ,was not .nearly..the..same number of labourers coming from Australia this season as comparedwith, previous yoars. On the. other • hand,. ho' pointed .out that 1 many loear men ; lmd left for. the other : side,- and; these-two facts to a certain- extent-accounted .for the short labour supply at., present.

Shampooing, Clipping Hairdressing. Manicuring, Faco Massage,,.Treatmentof Falling Hair and. Dandruff, Combing# made up.. : Natural Hair-pads. MriiRolleston . (over ' Carroll's). 14 Willie Street 'Phono I®9. Advt, ; «%

. 'Earl Roberts, writing to a gentleman ; in Adelaide,, who takcs.a keon. interest., ... the immigration, problem, -' recently. ~ said: "I am glad to-note in the annual ... report of your Immigration League, testi- : ,niony to the value of ex-soldiers, sailors,' pensioners, and army reservists . as. immigrants. I amnot surprised at it, for, it has always bcen' my contention that there is. nothing like a' coarse of drill and discipline for thej moral and' physical/ improvement "of /the ordinary individual/ This is one of the grounds on which I am urging. this country to follow the exam'plo.'.. of Australia in principle of compulsory, military, training.' . 'The ques- . tiori of employment for pur ex-soldiers i' a' most serious one. : Day by day I recciv* : the . most .distressing : accounts •. from» men of good, character; who-have served'.their ■■ country in the field, and. 1 yet are unablo • to obtain work in civil life, 'and-I am v.' powerless- to help • them./ If . emigration , is'to be the ; solution I would: welcome it; for, though • the loss, to the icountry of some of .her best and most valuable citi- : • zeus would bo great,: anything ;is • better ~h fl n that such men-should .bei walking • the streets seeking for. work , which , can- ' . not be found for them,' while their wrvta and children are starving, at home/"' Bomewhat. sensational' burglary, occurred at. Mountain Ttoad,. Mount SdeiL - Auckland, on Tuesday night.'when tha residence,. of, Mr. William. to broken into and jewellery, .silverware,. : a , n d ;cash,: of .the total rvalue oi-'«6l4(L' stolen. Xhe case was briefly reported by•telegram,- and. additional particulars an ?? w ,w t hand. -It appears • that. Mr. and ' Mrs. Elliot had gone out early in tha f living a' domestic servant, in '■ L- &t the back of : the- ' which is a two-etoreyed one. Prior to leaving Mrs..' Elliot had' left her: bedroom door, leading. on ; - to ''a balcony': upstainv'■/ open- Mrs." Elliot retained' home, about 8JO," and going' upstairshalf an hoai'' later was surprised to find the door slrnt 1 Her • surprise increased when she found '■' the messing table drawers pulled n-nf and the room- in a. disordered condition, bnrpnse; gave, way to' alarm, .when ' Mm. ' Elliot discovered that the room had boon . ransacked, and silver-plate;aiid jeweliaj, " of tie value of £125, - and:. £5 wrffi of cash; -. stolen.Everything' was in canfxvsion,- peers' being strewn about flie bed- 1 room" floor and on tho; balcony,- when ' two drawers of the :,dresnng'table wm also fooiid. : ..The police were.immediately '■ ■ communicated'with; but uptoWednesday night no _ clue, had been obtained. Dui>; ing. the time the burglary, is supposed to ' havo happened the girl, who was' in Uw : kitchen :al ltho . time, heard 'no sound' : whatever, and was totally unconscious, of the presence of any intruder in the house. Apparently, tho burglar, 'climbed up verandah post to ' the. balcony, and 6b. ! tamed ingress by means of the balcony. door. . Marts. left behind by him. justify that assumption.; No other rooms were entered. -. .' v,'i,.

a: man orders a drink before 10 o'clock .* at night the lioen6eo : must,' pro-.; N ™J® it,, but the liquor ,mnst bo oomsmned. • before 10 o'clock." Such'was the ot Mr. : W: G. liiddell, in a licensing ■- case ; heard yesterday, in which it was shown that defendant: hadpnrchascd the beer'before 10 fa jn.,.btit was. still on'tho '. premises. after, hems. "There are Iran. j dpeds of people who.. can consume a* • pint .of beer in: less than; three minnlea" : ' added; his Worship thoughtfully, ajid the i eyes - of. some ■of tho. nul-leanere at tho ■ back of the oourt spoke more etarusirtij ■ than words

A mushroom Messina has'arisen m the" plaoe of the. beautiful old city which wa* destroyed by . the earthquake of a ycat ago, says a writer to tie "Ago." H» fear and. uncertainty which depressed the Siciliansduring the: first' two or three months after'the disaster, have been almost ; wholly overcome.' •'' Great - piles of :■ i melancholy rains are' still risible, bnt the princmal streets ? ; hayo been reformed," and . wooden:: ■ buildings—hotels, shops, •places : of amusement, churches, and ' dwellings-have been -erected oh 1,600,000 W square/yards of;,ground,Students :ai® once":; more; thronging;, the'; university and ; ;' higher schools; '■ whose: work, is'..carried/ on • in wooden bflildihgs and oorrugatod-iron / huis. :• The' resettled . inhabitants' number '. about 70,000.. M-any of them 'have.' gone backto- live in houses''which were partly destroyed i by. r the "and . have : been! repaired.'.: Om may-.see;, the corre- '■'./■ spondent-. of a London paper states,, interminable processions, o! trucks,' wagons, .omnibuses';'. 1 andii trade.sr.ien hurraing, to jtheir business at - the harbour, .or. coming from 'the harbour{'itself,V,full -of< bustle •: and energy, .'nearly/as; muclj, indeed, J as;/v in/the .good olddays.-v The American : .committee has supplied material for 2000 '" .;cottages.;whioh ..were' built .under'tUe'.'su.. . norvieion of . the Italian..Government, the . latter bearing all tho ncoessary expenses :■ of erection, v Many;.. other. committees,- 1 ': foreign as well as local, have contributed, to; the' resurrection of .Messinaby, building. 1500 wooden .cottages ,and-;churches, while the- Italian Government, partly on its owh'account;: and partly;with material :. . .'provided',. by. ■ the ...private'' committees,; ■'■■■ erected : 26,000/ cottages ;.-and ,236 - ; wooden shelters,- . public, offices,;,; schools,: and ''/'" ;churches.;..j The,: Government..'engineers have'also ; provided all; the • necessary, sani-,/ tary' arrangements for the wooden town, .. together,:with' an' adequate, water; supply...

' The Gladstono centenary might Imva r ■ been—what 0 it.'was not—a reverent • and unanimous tribute: from.'the.'nation ,as »i;' wholo to 'the• memory of ' a man who., .'whatever. view may-.- ultimately,, be .taken ! of the quality of.his statesmanship, was' o . great. Englishman in' honestyt: ofpur-:.\ pose . and... nobility; of ■m'ind'v (say 6. the-. correspondent of the."Age"). .The ; celebration came ,at an unfortunate time,, :withVthe.result- that, Gladstone's,charao-!, ,tcr,his recorded.views'on various ques-, tions; , including'. l£omeyiJule,;. : ■'SJciafismj-.y andthe.powcrs of the,: House of- Lords,. and eveii thc opinions which :he might! ' have, expressed on the "bitter contriver-:: sics of ,the,' day,, were ...turned to- account ■ ; by numerous;;.writers' and<.-■; speakers '.: throughout- the country. " Unionists," as ■ VloII; as' Liberals, claimed bis support, • .'and. quoted his words.'.;, On: the. one side',; .it. .was. said ,'ifcvt- he-.'uoulcl .have!-.been ;, delighted to, sharo. in. the., Liberal , party's elFort.to .'.'doivu .the/Lords'-;. on ; the, other" i it... was ~ confidently,. : cii :.;;the . strength: ofv a- famous',. declaration'; in"; oneof -his speeches—a s'^ieech'.delivered'at a timo. wheii'.-)ie;;.wtß\in';.direct , yb6^ct. , ''with';!;;. the Lords—that lie'would have'admitted, . if 'riot' ■ actually,' defended, the "claim -ol '; .. the 1 Upper' : Hoiise ; to - reject'.- an '.omnibus '.• Budget framed to evado opposition by a recourse to- the '"tacking 1 ';, system. By far the '.most' notable of the : meatus placed on the•,Gladstone ttatae': in the '.Strand on the anniversary I day. was. that sent' by ithe ' Bulgarians, -' which', has been .' mentioned in - , the cablegrams. It was 'a „ ■ ; splendid "affaipy.: of. :eolid silver,!, weighing V; ; nearly half' a htuidredweighty and iuclud-: -f .ing-.iu ';ts >dfeivn',T ieprest-ntati.ins.'if ' the,, various products■ of: the Bulgarian- soil—, wheat, grapesi .-with: .vine leaves,, laurel loaves,-and .acorns.. ;It: was: p'ermitted''toV remain' an'; the. pedestal of- the" statue .only for. a.'few hours.' ;.The police-refused ■ to take, responsibility, for. its'.protection, -::: and one of the Liberal ; societies; removed it. ; to', an hotel, where it; could be viewed - with greater safety. '- , :'••• •;•

The * • Kaurimn . correspondent of -the. "Auckland Star" writes; regarding a re-/ port that the steam which was hanging , over. Ituapehu' on Friday, last,.' .emanated jfrom: Ngaruhoe,' .that', this : is,..quite'-.■'in-'' ; correct. *:The . day , was ■': almost -windless, .but what wind there was. carried the. steam from Ngaruhoe towards Tongariro, while from thoWaimarino Plains it could bedistinctly' seen i. rising. from Ituapehu. :• - A parly,. which included • the. local; magistrate, left'Waimarino Station oil Saturday afterribon-to ascend.Ngaruhoe.;, Theyhad. Relayed their start too. long, and • night camo on 1 them /before. they got to tho "Haunted. Whore," , with the consequence that they had to sleep in the •' bush. Next morningthey-missed'tho. track,/and -went about four miles too far along:tho Tokuanu Koad, so they struck across .country- straight- for the summit • ;They were carrying their swags all the timeu but tho sights, when ■ they eventually go) there, were well;worth tho'■ trouble.' .: The 'discovery of . the Blockwater reef; demonstrates ' {says, tho "Greymouth Star'.') the value of systematic/prospecting subsidised by the Government.' Ths men commonoed to prospect on tho Blackwater field in October, 1905.: :'Helped/ by the. Government subsidy, - they discovered the payable reef less, than a niile from a. spot whore a good deal of money had boon : spent in an nnsnccossfnl attempt to reach , •payable ■ quartz in ' gold-bearing, reef. at: bnowy; Creek. Thoir. find .was; nearly sis miles from tho, nearest pay'able\'recf, but. ihs quality , was po undoubted:.and. definite that tho Consolidated BlackSvater'.Minea Company spent ,6100,000 in plant ..and; labour to develop the reef.-; and ..'since Parting crashing in September, 1905,. haa obtained tun average of over 100pZ; of gold . monthly.' -This fine ■ yield was doubled, last Noveonbor. '.../rt