LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1095, 6 April 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

"Since I have been in this court I have been accused oj some of the foulest cruelty any man could be accused of," remarked a witness in the Supreme Court yesterday, referring to certain questions put, to him by cross-examining counsel, allegedly to test his credibility. In each case the' witness had strenuously denied the suggestions, and at the close of his evidence ho asked 3[r. Justice Chapman if he had no means of redress. "I can't be vonr adviser," said his Honour, "but," he'added, "I can tell you in a general wav that what passes in the court between an'advocate and a witness is privileged. You have no redress. Counsel who had put the f|iiestiou asked his Honour if the Court would allow him to ask Iho wilnoss who had D"t him up lo ask that rmoslion. "No," was his Honour s sharp reply, "you will certainly not ask him any'more about it." \t n meeting of the 'Wairarapa Hospital and Charitable Aid Board yesterday (says our special correspondent) it was decided to appoint two inspectors under the Public Health Act at salaricu of ,£2OO per year, and travelling allowances. Jlr. Miller was appointed for Lower Valley, and Mr. Cairns fat present Inspector of Nuisances in Mas'terton) for the northern district*

When the Mcoraki loft Sydney last xnk n tbwaway was found on board nd was arrested by Constable Melville, le will n linear before the magistrate this lorning. Mr. Justice Drnni.ston pulled up a young lan'istcr in the middle of bis argument ii the Supreme Court Yesterday to nsk lim if he had ever heard the story of . Scotch judge who informed a jkiry liat if he could not demonstrate that ho case for the defence was finite im-ws-ible, he would prove that il was uglily improbable': 1 The barrister did not ay. Is if really so? Are we actually so cry unimportant? The popular cry has icon that the average Britisher at Homo onsiders us- half savages more or less in he bowing-down-to-wood-and-stono stage. S'ow an eminent citizen comes along and ;ny?, publiclv, that things arc even worse lis ii this—that the circle of oiir fame is larrower still. Dr. Faulke, at the Hoc;ey Association meeting last evening, 'omplained thai even in Sydney it was impossible to learn anything worth while ibout New Zealand—and, indeed, all hat seemed to be known about ns was Sunt wo couldn't play cricket. Yes, in:lced! A Press Association message from Sydney states that, the, members of Mr. .T. 0. Williamson's theatrical company which is about to tour the Dominion sailed from Sydney for Auckland yesterday by the Maheno. Yesterday Detective Lewis arrested a woman named Peterson, who will appeal before the magistrate this morning charged with using an instrument on March H, with intent to procure abortion. TV. woman was admitted to bail yesterday afternoon. Some exceedingly line hairs were split in the Supreme Court yesterday, when f complicated mining case was under re view. Even the patient Pencil grew t little weary, and attempted to restrair counsel at times, when they tliscoverec soma new intricacy. "Wc may assumi that Mining Acts are Mining Acts," fait Mr. Justice Edwards, on one occasion "unless you arc prepared to prove thi contrary-" Preparations are being made to maki the Bible Tercentenary thanksgiving ; notable event (savs the ' "Chiircl Chronicle"). On March 2fi. the Britisl Isles, Canada, and Australia will cele brate; on April 23, the United States, am in the Dominion, April 30 will be ob served. The several bishops or their com missarics havo requested their clergy ti observe that Sunday, the oilier* Churche arc also observing tho same date, aiu many of the towns arc taking action, st as to make some civic acknowlcclgm.cn by the Mayor presiding at a public gath ering; also by the school children havini their special gatherings, probably on Wed nosrlay. May 3, lo coincide with the gron Bible Society gatherings in London. A deputation formed of representativeof the Makara County Council and other; will wait upon the Minister for I'ublit Works on Wednesday next, with the request that the Government subsidise tin local bodies concerned in a scheme t< widen and otherwise make the Ngahauranga Gorge Road safe for traffic Parts of this much-used road—the or terial road from Wellington to the Mana watu—are in a very precarious conditio! at present, and with the heavy traffic incidental to the establishment of tho muni cipal abattoirs and other works, the roa( is daily becoming more dangerous. The annual meeting of the Welsl Society was hold at the Trocadero las evening, Mr. Pees Watkins being in tin chair. The report and balance-sheet (tin latter showing the finances of the scciet; to ljo in a very satisfactory state) wen read and adopted. Tho officers for tin ensuing year were then elected, Mr. E Williams being tho new president, j vote of thanks was accorded Mr. A. T Harding, late secretary, who is fhortl; leaving for Auckland, for his past service, to tho society. • Auckland is a country of wide space During tho hearing of a case in tin Arbitration Court on Tuesday, connso stated that the place where the fatal ac cident, which was the causo of the action occurred was 10 miles from Capo Pain away, in such a remote and out-of-tlic-waj part'of the country that; it took sever weeks for an answer to lie received ir Auckland to a letter sent thither. . When .the rating year commenced oi July 1 of last year (writes our Auck land correspondent) the City Treasure] (Mr. J. S. Brigham) and his staff wen net tho task of collecting X7-1,G03 7s. 5d During the nine. months which endflt with the financial year on Friday the; had placed in the citv's purse <S7-f,-lS: 6s. 10(1., leaving only ,£l4l Os. 7d. to bi gathered in during the remaining nuar ter of tho rating year. This is believet to bo a record for the Dominion. Some years ago it was customary foi Hie Onslow Borough Councillors, at th< closo of the municipal year, to forget tin worries of their office in a pleasant houi devoted to speeches and toasts. Of recent .years the custom was more honoured iii the breach than the observance, but it was revived again last evening when the deputy-Mayor, retiring councillors, officers cf the borough, and members of the press foregathered, and exchanged compliments. Quits a lengthy toast list was honoured, and, daring the course of (he speeches, councillors took opportunity of expressing their indebtedness to the press, and ventilating theii little grievances also. Members of the press, in reply, acknowledged that it was a pbasant enough experience to attend 11k council's meetings nowadays, but made it understood that any grievance that existed in the past had been theirs especially in thoso dark ages some fifteen years ago, when, to report the meetings, it was necessary to tramp to Kaiwarra and take- notes iii a lonely shed on a lonely hillside—a - place, where indignant ratepayers felt quite safe in adopting threatening attitudes towards the councillors, and took special delight in prolonging tho mooting.?. As an indication of the pleasant state of affairs that existed at the present time between ratepayers and councillors, the. latter included tho former on the tosat list last night, and more than one councillor admitted that the ratepayers of Onslow were a patient people, in whoso interest it was a pleasure to labour. The craze for displaying advertisements in public places is growing apace. Last evening the Rugby Union considered a letter from a commercial man, who desires to erect a "good stout hoarding" all round tho Athletic Park and display advertisements thereon. The particulars supplied being meagre, the letter was held over. The April number of the Wellington Bradshv.v is now obtainable from all news agents. Price, ono pinny. This handy little book contains all time-tables, ninif services, and a host of useful information.*