LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 770, 19 March 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At yesterday's meeting of Cabinet a New Zealand contribution of £1000 towards the Scott Antarctic Exploration Fund was authorised. . . '

The Government decided yesterday to. authorise the payment of £M as a subsidy (on a £ for £ basis) in connection with money locally contributed, towards the expenses of sending Professor Bickerton to the Old Country in order to bnnp his theories under the notice of th' scientific authorities in the Old' World. A hose Teel belonging to the Harbour Board was to have been, turned uiw an instrument of gambling yesterday lot the timely appearance ■' of a policeman prevented the board's property from being turned to such base use. The reel was standing by the Sailors' Rest, and the hose was in use watering one of the eteamers adjacent, when some idlers, evidently tired of flie pennies and the dice, took ohalk and marked off divisions an the wheel of the reel.while an arrow was chalked on the upright, which h*l<Jthe axle. The divisions were then numbered 1 to 7, and backers ; were just ready to bet on the number that would 6top opposite the arrow when the wheel revolved. A constable then strolled along, and ,the mournful atmosphere \ which at once wrapped itself round the company ,_ proclaimed quite plainly that the projected mission of the -machine' was' at an emu

Subscriptions are being raised by a committee to provide a memorial to the late Mr. C. A.- E«dgrave. ' B has been decided to place in St. John's Classroom a memorial tablet and an enlarged photograph of Mr. Eedgrave, and to invest the balance of: the amount raised, with.interest, to provide an annual prae of library books to the'class affiliated to the Presbyterian Toung Men's Bible Class Union showing the greatest proportionate increase of membership for the year, 1 the conditions to be left in the hands of the executive of the union. The following are the members of tne committeesMessrs! G. A. Troup, A. Mackenzie, A. k. Hollis, C. Talconer, N. MTarlane, C. T. Andrew, and J. S.. Butler. • . ...

"I don't think the time of the Court should be wasted in settling boy.i , squabbles," - said Mr. ■, W. Q. Riddell, S.M., yesterday, when one boy of 10 years of, age was charged by another boy of about the ' same age, with having unlawfully assaulted him. "Did you ■ punch him on the nose and mako his mouth bleed?* asked his Worship of the .alleged offender. "I punched him on the nose, replied the youthful Johnson, "but I didn't make it bleed." Ton had better leave him alone jn the future—you may not be let off so easily again, said his Worship in dismissing the information.

Councillor Hindmarsh has given notice to move.-atthe'next.-.mceting of the City Council: "That a- tramway be made from Willis Street, to the main track near the Post Office, along Customhouse Quay; that the Post Office square be woodblocked r and that the cost of the. permanent way of such tramway (£3750) and the overhead equipment (£500) .be advanced by the district fund. to .Jtlw tramway department in ipril next, - The new miniature rifle range of the Worser Bay School will be formally opened by Mr. Eobert Lee (chairman of the Education Board).-at 3 o'clock this 'afternoon.- • : . . ; . , . ,-.■.■ . The tramway department of the CHty Oounoil ie now running an early, car from Kilbirnie'to the Government Station. The car leaves Kilbirnie eoon. after 6.30 a.m.', and-arrives at the station in : time to allow workers at Kaiwarra, Ngahauranga, and Petone to catch the train which takes them to their •employment. It was formerly urged that early workmen had to walk'through the Kilbirnio tunnel of a morning in order to got to work in time. Thia necessity has now been removed, ,and people who are found walking through the tunnel will be prosecuted. .-It is,'stated that the tunnel is not wide enough for. it to be mftde'a footway without danger..V ;, ". , .. The'TVakatipuMair understands that' the Government has purchased the peninsula opposite the Queeustown Park. : It is the intention of the .Taurist Department to utilise, it as a. golfing ground. Much greater attraction ■ will thereby be given to the place in the future. ■'■■'•■ '.-''"-■ ""• '-.'.

A meeting of the Ikai-oa District Maori Land Board was held-yesterday. Formal business (including \the approval of leases and the recommendations in connection \rith the removal of restrictions for the purposes of mortgages and sales) was transacted. The board will sit again to-day. ■'-. .'.■•"' '

Questioned' at Invercargill as to whe-. ther the leasehold members expected to get a , big backing in the House, Mr. Hanan, M.P., replied that in his opinion the Radicals, taken as a whole, practically represented. the debating ,pqwer of the . House. The proposed. campaign had, to bo abandoned because some of. the man could, not get away from their business, while others could not afford the time that would be entailed. To cover tho, ground properly, and particularly the couritr. , ' districts, would mean an expense, of "&.unething like ,£-400 or. .6500. Though offers'of financial assistance had been received, and it seemed certain that the amount required would be obtained if a fund were opened for. the purpose, yot .so'mnch time would be occupied in thi3 that there would not be.time left for. the campaign to be fully carrie'd out before Parliament assembled. Eeverting to. the real aim. of the Eadicals, Mr. Hanan said that there was an impression that their polcy was in tho direction of taking away the small freehold from every man. That was not so> und in order to make it plain the conference had stated the matter plainly in the following conclusion:—(e) That it affirms the principle that tiiere shall be no interference with existing leasehold or hold titles except where required for settlement or other public purpose. . The recent balloting in connection Vith a number of sections in the South Waimarino and Eangitatau Blocks is con- . sidered successful. Of the South' Wni'marino sections 16, out of 38, were disposed of. The sections in the Eangitatau Block comprise lands recently cleared and grassed by the Government. All the allotments, with the exception of two, have been taken up.

This week's Gazette, which was published yesterday, contains the following list of tenders for tho'. ditching contract in connection with the Kumara waterraoo extension:—F. Power, Greyniouth, £1381 : (accepted); J. Beban and party, Grey mouth, JC2IOB 95.; Drake'and Mordau'nt, Greymonth, .f)!)91 Bs. Bd.; F. J. Carley, HokiHka, .£1799 ISs.; J. Gilbert and party, Kumara, .E1791 lls.; W. H. Evenden, Kumara, X 1707 10s.; Kean and Skinner, Kumara, ,£lOls 4s. Sd.; 11. Morgan, Kumara, .€1512 15s. Ctl.; ]tf. Giffney and party, Kumara, X 1439 9s. 10d. Tho Government forbids money orders and postal correspondence for T. D. Howe, Post Offico Box 991, Sydney. Shampooing, Clipping, Ilairdressing. Manicuring, Face Massage, Treatment oi Falling Hair and Dandruff, Combings made up. Natural Hair-pads. Mrs. Rolleston (over. Carroll'e), U Willia Street. Thone 1539—Ads*

Mi. Fisher, TTnder-Secretary for Native Affairs, has returned to Wellington after an official visit to tho Wanganui district.. ; •.. .

The Government is offering a bonns of fourpence' per pound on tho production of tie first one hundred thousand pounds weight df good marketable retorted quicksilver, free from impurities, from_ any mine in New Zealand. The conditions are published in last nighfa Gazette. At loast one-third of the quantity must be produced on or before March 31, ISIV and tho remaining two-thirds on or before March SI, 1912. No bonus will be payable until the whole of the 100,0001b: oi quicksilver has been produced to the satisfaction of an officer to bo appointed by the Minister of Mines. /

The first meeting of the contributors to each of the separate institutions under tho Hospitals and Charitable Institutions • Act, 1909, will be Held on Tuesday, April 5. The times and places for 'tW meetings in this district (as gazetted last night) are as follow:—Wellington Convalescent Home, Town Hall, 2.30 pjn./ Wellington Society for the Relief of tie Aged and Needy, Town Hall, 3 pjn.; Wellington. Ladies' Christian Association, Chamber of Commerce, 2 p.m.j' SL Andrew's Orplianage, Nelson, Diocesan Office, Nelson, 4 p.m. ■'._/ ■..".' " On Thursday evening last the winners of the Dnthie Cup, donated by Mr. J. Dnthie for competition by the publio schools of Wellington, were each presented with a; silver medal. The foui winners attend Clyde Quay School, their names being as followe-V. Little, B. Leslie, W. Ilicks, and E. Paterson. Short speeches were givto by Messrs. J. Fanning and P. Wilton, the former making the f presentation; ' / ■ ' ■*■.':.; ': ■~.'.■'. The Benevolent Trustees are to be eatertained at lunchpon by Mr. and. Mrs, ILVnebridge on the occasion of their valedictory visit to the Ohiro Home. • The visit of the ships of the squadron I to Wellington has been marked by a luge increase in the juvenile membership at the Navy League. .Aβ a consequence, there may be some difficulty in arranging Uμ transport' of the children to and from HJI.S. Powerful, on Monday afternoon, though all the boats of the flagship have been kindly placed at the disposal of.tie league.for the purpose. llegulations prescribing valuation fees and: scale of costs and fees for advances to settlers under the New Zealand Stateguaranteed Advances Act, 1309,.-' are gazetted. . ■' , : ■.'■-■.. ■ Last nights Gazette contains regolationa respecting loans to local authorities under the State-guaranteed Advance* Act, 1909. It is provided that the term of every ■ such loan shall be S6J years, and the principal and interest-. shall be payable in half-yearly instalments. \ If the interest is at 3i per cent, the half-yearly instalments-will be £2, 83. 9d. for every .£IOO of the loan, and if the interest is 8} per cant., tho instalments will be £2 10s. 6d. for every ,£IOO. A local authority may, before obtaining authority under the Local Bodies': Loans Act to raise the loan, apply to .the £tate-guaranteed Advances Board .'for provisional approval. The regulations; also provide, intep alia, for the issue of a loan in instalments. A commission fee of over one-half per cent, on.the amount of the loan will be payable by the local'authority to the Super-, .intendent of. the obard. ~ . ■ The search' for a trace of the body of Mr. 7. P. F. Darcy, secretary of the Shearers' TJnion, whose clothes were found on the beach at Island Bay on Wednesday evening, was continued all day yesterday by a party of; four police probationers. The party; made a . close examination of thi> beach, , and went across to. the island to see if there' was any trace of the. body tlfere, but all their efforts were fruitless/ and the mystery still remains unsolved/ There was ■ a fairly heavy sea. running on the beach ell day. lhrea 'officers connected with the Shearers' Union arrived from Christ church yesterday morning to assist in clearing the matter .up,. :. ■.■■'■. : '-,.'..

Several members of the' Invercargill Borough Council, together with Mr. J. Sturrock (Town : Engineer) and Mr. G. Symington (Consulting: Engineer to the Christohurch City Council), visited th« Monowni distriot on Monday and Tuesday on a visit of inspection inconnectkm with; a proposed hydroelectric . supply for Invercargill. At. a meeting on Wednesday night .of the Special Trams Com-/ mittee the; matter was discussed in an informal manner and there is reason to believe that the .visiting party .-were fav ; > ourably impressed with the possibilities' of itonowai as a source of electric ply, whiclr fnlly' bore. out. Mr. Slurrock's report! Mr. Symington's report will be available in the course of a week or so. 'In the ; meantime all'..the information obtained by Mr.; Sturrock will also be placed at his .disppsaL