LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1544, 13 September 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that the s.s. Wimm-era, which left Sydney at noon on September 11 for Auckland, has on lward an Australian mail, also an English mail, via Suez. The Wellington portion is d>lo to arrive here by Main Trunk on Monday next. Tho Telegraph Office states that Dominion Day is not now a Departmental holiday. Hγ. Justice Sim announced yesterday/ that Dominion Day (Monday, September 2.1) would not be observed by the Arbitration Court. A. fixture was made for that day. i "Kooseyveldt—oh, yes, I knpiv him," said little Miss Hansi when speaking of things American in the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher's room at the House of Representatives yesterda) "1 do not' like him— oh, no I" she said with, a shrug. ' "He is i>ll so much show for himself—so much what you call " and then she lapsed into German. "She means," said Mr. Zeynaru, to whom she had appealed for interpretation, "that ho is too much on the bluff." "That is oet," said Miss Hansi, "too bluff—ho act theatrical and nulls his face about and arms! I heard him speak at Chicago' I know Toft, too —at Cincinnati—lie is different. Not so much theatrical. He say all the tiriie not to take so much notice of Win—more for tho~~country, the people. Yes, Jlr. Taft I like him the best for President." "The extreme discomforture of the jury box" in the Supreme Court was brought under the notice of Mr. Justice Chapman yesterday by Mr. Gerald Fitzgerald, foremnn of the special jury, which sat on the caso of Brown v. Hmlfield. Mr. Fitzgerald said the jury hoped that tho matter would be brought under the notice of the ■ proper authorities, so that the conditions would be early improved. . . His Honour pointed out that the construction of the court would not permit of the jury box being extended very much, but he would have the jury's recommendation sent forward. Jlr. Fitzgerald said he would be pleased to give any assistance in his power. His Honour thanked Mr.- Fitzgerald, and remarked that he would be pleased to receive a memorandum on the subject from tin, In the House of Representatives vestcrday afternoon, Mr. A. E. Glover (Auckland Central) brought under the .notice of the Minister for Agriculture the fact that a shipment of 400 cases of oranges from Rarotonga, which had been passed by the inspector at the Inland had been condemned on arrival at Auckland on account of the presence of Mediterranean fly. This meant (said Mr. Glover) that the cost of destroying the oranges at Auckland, and the freight, were all lost by tho merchant. Surely the Government inspector at Rarotonga ought to be able to prevent this, and if ho could not he ought to be recalled. The Hou. W. F. Massey (Minister for Agriculture) promised to make the necessary inquiries, and let the honourable gentleman know the result. , The officials of the Wellington Harbour Board wish it mado quite clear that they are in no .way responsible for the pilfering- of fruit, which they admit goes on at times on the wharves. Mr. Munro, wharfinger, informed a Dominion ' representative yesterday that they knew perfectly well who were guilty, and had consulted the fruit merchants about the matter, but they had replied in effect that he need not worry so long as he got a clean receipt for the delivery of tlw fruit. Mr. Munro stated that he had oven offered to pack the surplus fruit from examined cases if the merchants would supply- "empties," but they did not think it worth while, so the surplus "disappears." There is a Harbour Board regulation providing for the instant dismissal of a permanent hand caught pilfering fruit. As showing the need for the oontimiation classes urged by Chief-Inspector Mulgan of the Auckland Education Board, the experience of a boy emigrant who recently landed in Auckland may bo quoted. He is about 15 years of age, and at Home had bseii attending night classes for , shorthand. Desiring to continue the subject here, he mnde inquiries, raid was disappointed to find that no continuation classes existed in Auckland. Such a condition naturally impedes the ambitious, but, as Inspector Mulgan says, the Education ' Department increased tho present grant for such work, the board would be quite able to rectify this state of affairs.— Auckland "Herald." The entire population of Tiny Town with the exception of its Mayor, escorted by Messrs. Zeynard, Beaumont Smith, and Alfred Linley, made an interesting tour yesterday forenoon. In three cabs they drove down tho Quay from the Grand Hotel, ,-ind inspected the greater part of the Government Printing Office. The littlo folk were very interested in tho stamp printing department, especially in the machine which was at work printing £20 worth of penny stamps -per minute. Tho little people were then driven up to the House of Representatives, where (under the guidance of Mr. Charles Robinson) they were escorted through Bellamy's and the"Legislative Chamber, where several of them took turns in acting "Mr. Speaker." Tlie.v were entertained by tho Hon. F. M. B. Fisher in his room. The Prime Minister (the Hon. W- F > Mnssey) dropped in.and was formally introduced to the happy ring of Lilliputians, and when Mr. Fisher proposed that they should all drink each other's health, Miss Hansi stopped out daintily and clinked glasses with the proposer "and Mr. Massey. Then, after a brief visit to the Library, they were helped once more into their cabs, and so back to the hotel.

During the progress of n case' in the Auckland Magistrate's Court on Wednesday morning the defendant took strong exception to a statement made by tho plaintiff, who was giving evidence, and loudly and distinctly ejaculated "Liar!" This use of the short and ugly word roused Mr. Kettle, S.M., immediately, and the interjector was informed that at the rising of tho Court he would bo called upon to show cause wiry ho should not l>e committed for contempt of Court. When that time arrived he offered a full apology, and explained that ho was unduly excited by tho lack of truth in a statement that tho plaintiff had made. Mr. Kettlo said that the expression was one which could not be permitted in any Court of law, and it was his duty to keep his Court in order. He would accept tho apology offered.—Auckland "Star."

At n meeting of tho Auckland Presbytery on Tuesday night, the Rev. Ivo E. Bertram, who has just returned from a year's absence in Scotland, made some interesting comparisons as to tho state of tho Church in New Zealand and in tho Old Country. In Scotland, said Mr. Bertram, it seemed to him that the Church had greater difficulty in getting a grip on the public than in former days. This Dominion, he was convinced, was an excellent country to work in, both religiously and otherwise. He was rather disappointed with the state of the Church's work in the Old Country, but foresaw a great future for the Church in New Zealand, where the work was carried on under favourable conditions.

A concert in aid of tho Maraivui School ™«i was given by the pupils in tho Julbirnio null last evening. Scholars in the various classes gave exhibitions of physical drill and part songs. During tho second part of. the progrnmmo an operetta entitled "Cindrelfa" was given. Medical evidence was a strong feature of tho compensation eases heard in tho Court of Arbitration yesterday. During one period of the day no fewer than eight doctors wero in the Court together. His Excellency Lord Islington has intimated his intention of being present at the eighth annual competition for tho I'lunket Medal for oratory, and will present tho medal \o the winner. Tho competition, which is controlled by tho Victoria College Debating Society, is to bo held in tho Concert Hall on Saturday, tlie 21st instant. It mil bo judged by a board, of judges, consisting of tho Bishop of Wellington (Dr. Sprott), Jlr. Edward Tregoar, 1.5.0., and Mr. A. If. Atkinson. Tho annual meeting of tho Wellington Industrial Association has been fixed for Friday, September 30. The dato of tho annual conference of the New Zealand Industrial Corporation, to be attended by delegates from all the industrial associations in New Zealand, is to bo held in Wellington on Saturday, .September 24. Tho Wellington Association's delegates to lh© conference will be the president, Jlr. l<. Partridge, the vice-presidents, Messrs. 1.-'. H. Crease and S. S. Williams, and Messrs. J. P. Luke and-Thomas Ballinger. An Aucklander, who paid a recent visit to the Comonwealth, states that decent dwellings are very difficult to obtain. There is an unsatisfied demand for almost any kind of building that is fit for human occupation. It is nothing unusunl for houses to be engaged beforo the foundations are excavated, and in all handy suburbs there is now scarcely a vacant lot. In one case, where a husband was reported to bo on his deathbed, the distressed wife was harassed with inquiries as to whether she intended giving up her home when she became a widow. Housing its congested population promises to be one of Melbourne's future problems. Several leading Wellington architects have written to Mr. Thomas Moynihan, representative for the New Zealand Greenfitone Company, Ltd., expressing high opinions of the quality of the samples of the stono now on view at Messrs. Stewart Dawson's, Lambton Quay. It is stated that the greenstone is particularly ndapted for the decoration of main entrance doors and public buildings. Its colour and texture and its capability of taking a. high polish make it adaptable for decorative work of every kind in connection with buildings. The Eoman Catholic Education Board of Auckland has undertaken to purchase a portion of a largo section of land in Vermont Street at a cost of .£3OOO, and to extend the school to be erected by Father Edge, which is'to cost .E3OOO, at a further cost of ,£IOOO, making i! 7000 in all. In addition the board intends to erect another school for girls at a cost of .£3OOO, the two buildings to provide accommodation for a total of 900 children. Residential quarters will also Iμ provided for the Marist Brothers, who at present are located in Wellington Street. Another school will probably bo' erected in the near future in the Jfpunt Eden district to serve the needs of the children of St. Benedict's parish. The old school grounds and buildings at the corner of Pitt and Wellington Streets will Iμ removed.