LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Evening Post, Volume LII, Issue 1170, 9 December 1896, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

■ ♦ Lady Glasgow has been ordered a sea trip Tor the benefit of her health, and it has been arranged to put the new Government steamer Tutanekai into commission, in order to take her and the Governor, with their family, on a cruise in Auckland waters. The 'trip is to occupy about three weeks, beginning on the 16th instant. The Hinemoa, , which left the Bluff last Sunday for Wellington, vid Westport, is timed to reach here on the 15th, and her officers and crew will be transferred to the Tutanekai. Colonel Pox, late Commandant of the New Zealand Forces, left for the South by the Te Anau last evening for the purpose of joining his brother in the management of a sheep run, which they acquired in Canterbury some time ago. Major Pole-Penton, who succeeds him as Commandant, has been granted the local rank of Colonel. The Marine Department, acting on a suggestion made by the Shipmasters' Association, is arranging a signal to be used at night-time by vessels which require the services of a tug when entering a New Zealand port. On dit (says the Wanganui Herald) that in about six months' time His Honour the Chief Justice will be entitled to his pension, and will probably retire from the Supreme Court Bench. It is also understood that Mr. Justice Williams will retire about the same time. Mr. Peck, late chief engineer of the Waitara Refrigerating Works, whose method of defrosting frozen meat was fully described in the column* of the Post a few months ago, has, w6 understand, refused to accept £10,000 by an English syndicate for his . patent rights. He is still in England. Miss Helyer, first assistant teacher at the Mount Cook Girls' School, was recently granted six months' leave of absence on full pay on acconnt of ill-health, but was "informed that the Board would not undertake to keep her present position open until she returned. She has now told the Board that she cannot accept the leave under such a,' condition, and the Chairman has been deputed to come to some arrangement with her on the subject. The position of Inspector 1 of • Schools in the Cook Islands has been conferred upon Mr. Alex. M'Clintock, F.E.1.5., of Auokland. , * The suggestion to build a Druids' Hall on the present Exhibition site is impracticable under existing conditions, the laws of the Order preventing the investment of its' funds in leasehold property. All the schools under the control of the Wellington Education Board are to break ", up on Thursday of next week, the 17th inst., for the Christmas holidays. Mr. Muir, late chief engineer of the s.s. Hawkes Bay,- is now in charge of the engineering department of the National Skating Rink, West End, London. Mr. C. . J, M'Carthy, who served his apprenticeship in Napier, is second engineer of the establishment, the patrons of which skate on real ice. A company with a capital of £5000 has been formed in Napier to supply Pasteurised milk, butter, and ice in the town. In this connection a definition of the difference between sterilisation and Pasteurisation, lately issued by the Agricultural Department, will be of interest:—"Sterilisation,as distinguished from Pasteurisation, consists of heating the milk to a temperature" of 212deg F. or over, for a period of not less than 40 minutes, thereafter cooling rapidly to a low temperature. This operation must be performed in stoppered bottles in order to protect the milk from contact with the air and the germs floating about in it. Pasteurisation consists in gradually raising the temperature to 150deg P., stirring carefully the whole time, as otherwißef- the milk will acquire a • cooked' flavour. This temperature has been found sufficient to destroy the lactic-acid bacteria, and if the milk is rapidly cooled will suffice to ensure its keeping sweet for a considerable -time even in hot weather." A meeting of the Board of Education was held this morning. There were present •Messrs. J. B. Blair (Chairman), W. W. McCardle, F. Bradey, J. Young, J. Robertson, and W. C. Buchanan!" The Chairman said that after looking into the financial position of the Board he thought it would be possible to clear off £500 of the liabilities and place pupil teachers on the footing which it was intended they should occupy. On the motion of Mr, McCardle, seconded by Mr. Young, it was decided to constitute the following school districts—Rintoul-street, Rakanui, Pongaroa, Makomako, Mangahao, Nikau, Makairo, Coonoor, and Tiraumea. The resignation Of Miss Mary Franklyn (Maurioeville) and Mr. H. S. Whitehorn (Clyde-quay) were accepted. Consideration of the question of replacing the schoolbuilding at Kaitoke, lately destroyed by fire, was deferred. It was decided to accept the lowest tender for fencing at Kereru, and to paint the fence at Newman. Instructions were given for the purchase of a typewriter. The Star of Newtown Lodge, 1.0. G.T., held its weekly, session in the Trinity Wesleyan Schoolroom last evening, Bro. A. P. Hope, C.T., presiding. Two propositions for membership were received. It was resolved that a letter be sent by the Secretary to Bro. John Hutcheson congratulating him upon his return to Parliament at the head of the poll for Wellington City. Attention was drawn to the item for next Tuesday-— viz., cup and saucer night. The Master of the Ohiro Home desires to thank Mrs. Didabury for a parcel of books.

At the Education Board meeting to-day, Mr. James Robertson asked if the manual instruction olasses were being taken up throughout the district. The Chairman replied that only four had been established. One difficulty was that the Act prescribed that the work should be carried on after school hour?. Mr. Robertson stated that in the city pupils at the primary schools were allowed to attend the classes held at the Technical School during primary school hours. He wondered if tins was counted as an attendance on which capitation would be paid to ttie committees. The Chairman replied that the whole question was yet in an experimental stage, and that wherever success had been obtained it was due to, the | individual exertions of the teacher. Some further interesting information concerning the Habits and customs of bugs was given by various experts in the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon in the case of Geo. and H. A. Tattle v. It. Martin, a claim of £98, value of a vermin-infested cottage purchased by the plaintiffs from the defendant. It appears that to eradicate the vermin from a house is a costly business. For clearing bugs out of four rooms and a passage one witness had been paid £80. Another witness said that the inside of such a house would have to be demolished and then the whole place soaked with turpentine— " and set fire to," added one of the counsel engaged. Questioned as to whether the insects crept into devious corner* and holes and hid there till the turpentine man had passed, the witness replied that as a, rale the. vermin did not con- 1 fine their browsing to any particular plncej but required the whole house. One learned gentleman sin ted that a prominent hotelkeeper in Wellington had informed him that it cost him 30s a week to clear out the accumulated vermin from time to time brought to his house in travellers' luggage: The .main defence was that the defendant had made no representation to the plaintiffs concerning the vermin with, a viaw to bringing about the sale of the- cottage. Ultimately the case was adjourned till Monday next. The Chairman of the Board of Education informed that body this morning that the Mount Cook Boys' School had attained a state of efficiency which it had never reached before. At the half-yearly meeeting of the Excelsior Lodge, of Druids held last evening the officers for the ensuing term were elected as follows :— Arch-Druid, Bro. 0. Neilson ; Vice-Aroh, Bro. T. Taylor ; Secretary, Bro. I". Jennings (slh term) ; Treasurer^Bro. T. Elliott (24th term) ; Arch-Drawl Bards, P>ros. R. Howe and W. A. RitsoK; ViceArch Bards, Bros. R. Gott and G» Illingsvorth; Inner Guardian, Bro. Ackerman ; Minute Secretary, Bro. J. Lepperj Outer Gqardian, Bro. E. M'Carthy ; Auditor, Bro. J. Johnston ; District President, Bro.M. J. 3)onnelly; District Representative, Bro. J. Johnston. Bros. F. Jennings and M. J. Donnelly were elected delegates to attend the meeting of the Friendly Societies' Vigilance Committee on the 10th inst. The balance-sheet, which was adopted, showed a very satisfactory state of affair^ and there has also been an increase in membership. Assistance was voted to a brother in need. It was deoided to hold the usual Easter Gala in conjunction with the Pacific Lodge. The local matriculation examinations of the New Zealand University are now being held in the Parliamentary Buildings. Amongst those to whom the Board of Education recently awarded a country scholarship was Stanley Brown, a pupil of the Vogeltown School. Since then it has been ascertained that Master Brown is a, resident of the city, and is consequently not qualified to accept the country scholarship, and the , Board has accordingly decided to pward it to May Atkinson, of Petone, the candidate next in order of merit. She received 391 marks, while the number j Obtained by Master Brown was 454. At k meeting of the Board this morning Mr. W. Bradey said he considered it unfair that the Petone School should be classed as a country school for scholarship purposes. The fihairraan agreed with that view, and explained that it was proposed to amend the regulations next month so as to place the Masterton and Petone sohools in the list of town schools. A man named Sheriff, working for Messrs. WLean at the T* baths, had his left jinn severely cut with an adze to-day, necessitating ]% being .«own up. The wound was attended to by Mr.W. C. Fitzgerald. Sheriff will be laid up for some days, A solution to the question frequently asked about marriage was afforded, so far as one case was concerned, by the wrangling of a married couple in the Magistrate's Court this morning. Simuel Mason was charged with having been guilty of persistent cruelty towards his wife, Eugenic M. Mason, and with having failed to provide for her maintenance. She therefore, prayed for a separation order and ask«d that her husband should maintain her. After hearing evidence at great length, the character of the conversation between husband and wife fully disclosing the state of their married life, his "Worship 'made an order that the complainant should be no longer bound to cohabit with her husband, and gave the wife the legal custody of her three children, Eliza, Stephen, and Henry Mason. The husband was also ordered to pay 7s costs. Mr. Young appeared for the wife. The only other business at the same sitting of the Court was the mulcting of a first offender in the usual amount. Thd annual soiree of the Sidney-street Primitive Methodist Church was held last night. The chair was occupied by Rev. j J. Guy, and addresses were given by Revs. A. B. Cbappell and E. Drake, and Mr. W. Rose. Tht> Secretary's report, read by Mr. Fisher, showed that the total income for the year amounted t<s £128 19s, and the expenditure to £122 64 Bd, leaving a credit ' balance of £6 13s 4d on the year's transactions. The choir, under the leadership of Mr. Nicol, sang several anthems during the evening, and Mra. Grant and Mi» Daniels acted as instrumentalists. A 1 very successful meeting was held last evening in the Baptist Church, Brooklyn, f<<r the purpose of welcoming Mr. William Lambert, who has just been appointed by the Vivian-street Church to conduct services and to visit the homes of all belonging to the Obiro congregation. There was a large gathering at the tea, and the church was well filled at. the public meeting held, afterwards. Mr, C.Godber presided. Addresses were given by Rev. C. Dallaston and Messrs. Hoby and Ilaxlam. Several musical items were given by the Ohiro choir. In the report presented it was stated that during the last two years the church had made rapid progress. A new church had been built, the old hall (which is now being used by tho Anglican Church) being far too small; the congregation was also very much larger; there were 120 children m the school ; there was a flourishing Endeavour Society, and cottage meetings were held in the district each week. Mr. Lambert starts It itli good prospects of success. The cantata "The Oiled Feather" was admirably performed by members of the choir of the Thorndon Wesleyan Church under the .leadership ot Mr. Salkeld, at the Home for the Aged Needy last evening. The Superintendent and Matron desire to thank the party for the musical treat, and al*o for the fruit and pastry they brought with them. A race for boats of either class of the Port Nicholson Modal Yacht Club will be sailed on Saturday afternoon next, weather permitting, t ~VVe nave to thank the local representatives of the Royal Insurance Company for copies of the company* trail calendar and blotting-pad calendar for the year 1897.

The net proceeds of the recent Convent Bazaar amounted to £714 10s 3d, and the expenditure was £114 7s 9d, thus leaving a surplus of £600 2s 6d. Tho balance-sheet was passed last night by the Committee which superintended the bazaar, and a hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. T. Davis for his services as honorary secretary. Tickets in the Caledonian Society's Grand Art Union are going off very freely. The Secretary has an important notice to country residents in this issue. Messrs. Robert Holliday & Co., stationers and booksellers, of Lambton-quay, have now on hand, besides the seasonable stock pf annuals that the little peopl? (and larger people, too) look for at this time of the year, and of books suitablo for school prizes, a Ifcrge supply of the latest publications in the way' of fiction. Notable amongst these are " George Tressady," the latest production of Mrs. Humphrey Ward, and the sequel to her "Marcolla"; Marie Corolli's "Murder of Delicia," which admirers of the author havo pronounced to bo the best book she has yet written; newest Scotch humour and romance, from the pen of lan Maolaron and S. it. Crookett; another work, "The Splendid Sin," by tho daring Grant Allen; and Australian books by Ethel and Lilian Turner, the latter furnishing her prize story, " Lights of Sydney." Christmas numbers of the chief illustrated papers are also a notoworthy feature on Messrs. Holliday's shelves. A splendid lot of gentlemen's boots in ton and black has just been received by Mr. E. Pearce of the Boot Arcade. Cuba-street. The goods are the latest London fashions. , Cyclists will be pleased to loam that the new Amdricfin Triumph oydos, favourably known for lightness combined with maximum strength, are now obtainable at the D.1.C., Wellington. Prices are quoted particularly low for high-grade machines. Messrs. A. G. Tame & Co. will hold a speoial sale of a, superior lot of fbrniture and a lady's bioyole at their rooms, at 2 o'clock to-morrow. The lot is being sold on account of a gentleman who is leaving for Sydney, and it will go to the highest bidder. On Saturday next, at his Carterton rooms, Mr. F. H. Wood Will sell by auction two small farm properties situated at Gladstone, on exceptionally easy terms. The farms are for absolute sole, and those looking for this class of property would do well to have a look over them and attend the sale. Fall particulars appear in oar advertising columns. Messrs, J. H. Bethune & Co. announce that they will sell by auction, at their rooms, on Friday next, immediately prior to their sale of books, a superior four-wheel lady's phaeton, specially built by F. Bailey, Bradford, England. Messrs. F. Sidey & Co. will sell to-morrow, furniture and sundries. Mr. W. F. Shortt sells to-morrow, at Ms mart, furniture, &o. Messrs. G. Thomas A Co. sell to-morrow Japanese ware.