LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 992, 6 December 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Among the items in the police chargesheet at th'e Magistrate's. Court yesterday morning was the prosecution of a 'wall-known Wellington lady on a charge of having, on November 5 last; at Wei- > liugton, unlawfully procured whisky for one Ellen .Hewat, a prohibited person. When the lady's name was called Sub-In-spector Norwood asked leave to withdraw the information. He explained that the woman, Ellen Hewat, who had already been, fined for taking the '.whisky, had admitted that she had procured ..it from the lady in question, and acting orithis information tho police laid a charge against the procurer. It now appeared that the person named ■. in the charge was not in Wellington at' the. time, and that the police had boon misled. Mr. E. P. Bunny, who appeared for the defendant, asked for cost's. This, : ho went; on to say, was a very serious matter—a "blazing "indiscretion" on the part of the police. His client, for some days previous to the offence, on the day of the offence, and for some days after,. was', about 100 miles away from Wellington. •There was not a' scintilla of evidence, he said, to connect her with the charge. The lady in question was well known in' Wellington, and he thought that fuller investigation should have been made by Hie police in connection with, the matto'rlHis Worship (Mr. W. G. Eiddell), said that .beyond allowing the linformntion- to bo withdrawn, he could do nothing further, in the matter unless counsel, oir behalf of his client, chose to take action, against those who had in the first in-, stance supplied the information, to the police. ■ The information was accordingly withdrawn. .■■ ' . ■ '■_•

The progress which marks the development of sonic of the towns on the- Main'. Trunk Hue is a striking, contrast to that' of the • early . New . Zealand bush towns. Reference lias been .made from time to time to the progress of Tnihape, To Kuiti, Taumaruuui, and Ohakuue, and now llangatnua supplies an illustration of the manner in which her townspeople.intend to triumph over the muddy streets difficulty. The town was formed two; years ago out of a burnt bush. , fecti'om A few months ago a loan of ,£2500 was raised- for street improvements, formation, metalling, and draining, and. the work lias now been begun. The result is that next year Raugataua will .possess two or three miles of metalledstreets, instead of two or three miles of mud. The population of the place is about 700, and just now, Hke'Ohakune. its numbers are being daily- increased through the impetus , which'is being given to the timber industry. ■■ ',".''.-

Councillors Frost and Smith, with Mr. M. Cable, assistant tramways engineer, who have lately inspected several municipal systems, are due to arrive from Auckland this afternoon by the Main Trunk express. A conference, at which the various tramway-owning bodies will bo represented, opens in Wellington on Thursday next, December 8. ,

A meeting of the Tinsmiths' Union was held at the Trades Hall on Saturday evening. Apologies for absence on account of- pressing Parliamentary duties were received from the - Hon. John Rigg and llr. M'Laren, M.1 , . Messrs. E. J. Carey and "W. C. Noot addressed the meeting at length on the proposal to obtain better conditions of employment. It was the generally-expressed opinion of members that tinsmiths to nu increase of wages in order to bring them into line with other skilled trades' of similar standing. The organiser-'(Mr. Noot) stated that reports from :the various shops showed that renewed interest was being displayed by. members of; the trade. Several new members were ad-, mitted at the meeting. Within the next few days the employers will bo. invited to meet the -men' in conference. Mr. Noot ■ believes that there is every prospect of an amicable agreement being arrived at. The award under which the tinsmiths are now working was made in 191)1 and ns no demand was made, when it expired in 1904. for a new award the provisions of the old award have remained in force during, the past six years. . '

On the motion of Sir Kenneth. Douglas, probate of tho will of John Pattinson was granted on November 23 Inst to John Albert Barker Howo and Willie Ernest Hove, as executors.

The origin of a famous enterprise is recalled by the death of Mr. .'George Douglns AVillinms, for many years chief editor of Iteutor's Agency. It is just over sixty ..years since the idea of establishing an ngency for supplying the world's news in identical terms to all the newspapers occurred to Julius do Renter, an energetic little German, in London. When he broached the idea in Fleet Street it was received coldly. Beuter ' made arrangements with correspondents in all the principal cities of Europe, and when their messages began to come in he look them round to the editors of some, of the leading London dailies. "Try .them,-' he said: "1 make no'charge, and if they do not succeed—well, to you it matters nothing." The editors did try them, with such results that wlrcn presently Heuter began to speak of subscription rates they agreed to accept his ternls.—London "Chronicle."

In connection with the recent successful nlfert to raise funds (or a jubilee donation to the Uev. Mother Mary Joseph Aubert, one cannot speak 100 highly of the hard, untiring, enthusiastic work done by Mrs. T. G. Macarthy. Aptirt ■ altogether from the large donation made to the fund by Mr. Mucarthy, Mrs. Macarthy's personal endeavours have boon remarkable, and it is only fitting that ttiis brief record should be made. It is suggested that a ward in the new Children's Convalescent "Jubilee" Home , should be known as the "Jiacurtliy Ward." ..•

For the best, and most modern Hair and Complexion Treatment, Mrs. Rolleston, who has just returned from England and America, is recommended. Highest diploma for rcnioving superfluous hair. Vibro-nmssnse, Hairdressing, Shampooing and Clipping. ■( AVillis Street 'over Carroll's.). Tel. 1599,-Advt,' : ' ' •.

"Mason's Gardens," at the Taita, were recently deprived of their fine old accommodation , house by fire. ]?rom its ashes, however, is to arise something decidedly up-to-date iir the way of garden hotels. The owner, Mr. Richard Keene, who makes a hobby of the beautiful gardens beyond the Rutt, has in contemplation the erection of a- GO-roomed accommodation house, which will,' he feels sure, appeal to those in Wellington who delight to spend a few days in rural quiet without being too far from the city. In the meantime, a tea-room is to be erected at once, in time for the influx of holidaymakers during the Christmas and New Year season. Mr. Tilleord Natusch is the architect for the new house at Mason's Gardens.

The Wellington City Council's order of 25,000 superficial feet of powellised wood blocks for street paving purposes has now been completed by the Powellised Wood Company, RangaUiua, and the consignment may be expected, through very soon. The hlocks which are of birch, six, seven, and eight inches in width and four and a half and five inches in thickness, are understood to be for the area in front of the Post Office. Their durability under the process is set down at something' over twenty-five years.

It is not generally known that an ascent of Ituapehu may be made in one day from Itangataua on the Main Trunk line. Major Sreinetzer, the German officer who has just made the first of this season's ascents, accomplished the trip to the summit and back in fourteen hours. Tourists usually ride on horseback from Rangataua through' the eight-ahd-a-half-inilo bush track avenue cut two years ago by Mr. E. Snow,' of Rang'ataua, and now one of tho scenic beauties of the journey. At the end of the first beit is the snbalpine camp, when tho top of the mountain is reached after a three-and-a-half-mile walk. Major Steinctzer got to within a short distance of the top when a mist came oh which spoiled the view completely. In connection with these ascents it is stated that it is wise to. reach the summit by about 10 a.m., as the mists usually come on between 11 o'clock and jio6u. One of the features of the descent is the toboggan slide of three quarters of a mile on the snow in one and a half minutes, the ascent over the. same part of the route being done in one and a half hours. Last season one hundred and forty tourists ascended the mountain, many of them ladies. The. trips were accomplished with ease. The cost for a party of four is about one pound per head.for the first day and seventeen shillings and sixpence per head for the second day. A three or four days' trip would take in Ruapehu, Tongariro, and Ngaurrihoe, returning via coach to Wai--oU.ru.