LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Evening Post, Volume LXII, Issue 64, 12 September 1901, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Interesting debates took placo in the Legislative Council yesterday on the subject of physical drill in schools and cigarette-smoking by youths. The breach of privilege question was debated at length in the House, and was disposed of after two days' debuts. The instruments for tho magnetic observatory at Christchurch hava arrived from England. The necessary buildings ■will be ready and tho instruments ■wul be in position by the time the Antorctio expedition arrives at Lyttelton. Archbishop Redwood and the Rev. Father Mahoney left by the Rotorua today for Picton, from where they will commeuco a mission through the Marlborough and IvuikQura districts in cour nection with the Wellington Catholic Cathedral building scheme. They will return to Wellington about the middle of next month. Tho children of Mrs. Deighton, who was before the Magistrate's Court yesterday as the principal witness in the charge of theft agiinst Doyle, wero today committed by Mr. W. R. Ha.selden, S.M., to industrial schools, on the ground that they were .found associatiug with reputed prostitutes and habitual drunkards. Largo consignments of kerosone are on the way fiom New York lo Wellington. Tho'barquo Star of tho East, now due, has 16,000 cases on board, the steamer Healhdene, which left the American port on 17th August, has 10,000 cases, and the steamer Forfarshiro, which sailed on 28th August, has 20,000 cases on bonrd. Four first-offence drunkards were dealt with at the Magistrate's Court this morning by Mr. W. R. Haselden, S.M. One of them was ordered to pay 17s 6d medical expenses or undergo seven days' imprisonment. William Martin Hatfield, charged with deserting his wife and two children, was ordered to pay 15s per week towards their support. Last evening Messrs. John Norton, editor of tho Sydney newspaper Truth, Mr. W. A. Kennedy, manager of the Union Steam Ship Company's local office, nnd Mr. J. M. Ritchie, a directdr of the Union Steam Ship Company, arrived by the Mokoia from Sydney. Mr. William Vincent, the well-known Christchurch brewer, whose death , was announced by telegram yesterday, was in business as one of the proprietors of the City Brewery from 1861 to 1889, and was for seven or eight years in the City Council, besides being a member of other local bodies. The New Plymouth Chamber of Commerce and Borough Council have begun an agitation for a deviation of the railway lino to prevent a recurrence oi th» fatalities that have happened recently at railway crossings in the town. Yesterday Miss Izard won the September competition for the silver putter of the Wellington Golf Club. The best cards were — Miss Izard, minus handicap 108—25,83; Miss Gore, 118— 30, 88 ; Miss Duncan, 107—18, 89; Miss Harcourt, 110—20, 90; Mrs. Brown, 121—30, 91; Miss A. Johnston, 107—14, 93; Mrs. Turnbull, 105—8, 97; Miss Brandon, 115—18, 97 ; Miss Bell, 103-3, 99. For ladies' gloves the firm of Kirkcaldie and Stains (Ltd.) is noted all over New Zealand. Gloves of reliable make at 2s lid, 3s 6d, 3s lid, 4t 6d, 4s lid, fia 6d, 5« lld.-Advt.

The evidence in the case of Odlin v. Odlin, a suit relating to the partition of land in Brooklyn owned by John Odlin und his two sons, was concluded in the Supreme Court after we went to press yesterday. The Chief Justice delivered judgment on several disputed partnership items, but intimated that he would not give his decision as to how the unsold part of the land should be disposed of until he had made an inspection of it Unless something unforeseen occurs the Kelburne-Karori tramway will be running within the next two months. The powerhouse is approaching completion; the rails on which the car wheels will run have been laid ; and a central rail to which the brake is to be attached ii now being fixed. The two powerful boilers made by Mr. E. Seagar are- in position, and the engine, which was obtained from Messrs. Ransome, Sims and Jeffries, of Lincoln, England, is being put together. The cars are ill course of construction by a Dunedin firm. The machinery has been placed in charge of Mr. Darling, late second engineer of the steamer Wainui. An incidont occurred on the trip of the Clyde to Grey mouth a few days ago (says the Grey River Argus) that is worth recording, as showing what narrow escapes from death seamen occasionally meet with. While the mate of the Clyde was hauling in the log, tho vessel gave a violent luroh, and he was taken overboard. Fortunately for him, his leg was caught by a loop of the line, so that he wns being towed by his leg when the man at the wheel sang out the dread alarm of "Man overboard." Tho mate was goon hauled on board again, little the worse, except for his leg being {(inched and scraped a little by the .log inc. Mr. Robert Johnson, who has just arrived in Wellington to take charge of Messrs. A. and T. Burt's business, was entertained at a smoke concert and : "social" by the master plumbers of Dun- - edin and suburbs before he left the Southern city. His health was toasted at the invitation of the President of the Master Plumbers' Association, and substantial mementoes of regard were presented to him. One of the demands made by the Dunedin tramway employees from their employers is that the drivers and conductors should be allowed to smoke when the cars are standing at the out terminus. 1 The *Otago Daily Times says that although, this practice is at present a. breach of the regulations, it is well known that the employee frequently takes the opportunity of enjoying for a few minutes tho soothing effects of tobacco. An exhibition of Humphries's patent window -frame was given in the Government workshops yesterday afternoon before the officers of the Public Works Department. The invention, the feature of which is a patent "pocket piece," is the work of Mr. G. E. Humphries, a Wellington builder, and it has a distinct advantage over other window-frames for the glazier, the house-owner, and" the housekeeper, in that the window can be readily and easily taken out without the \ usual breaking away of the beading. The disappearance of a. swag was instrumental in bringing Joseph Berry, an ! officer of the Salvation Army, into the I Magistrate's Qpurb to-day as defendant in a civil action. Alex. Bullick, a labourer, sued him for £3 as value of a swag and contents which plaintiff had left in the Salvation Army hotel in Torystreet. The case for the defence, as stated by Mr. Dunne, was that the swag had been lost, that the Army in accommodating it took no responsibility, and , that plaintiff had previously stated the ! value at 30s. Plaintiff, who was unde- ! fended by counsel, and who gave his evidence ioi a confused manner, apparently j admitted the last two points. Asked, v he had any other witnesses to call, he enquired, "How is it going on, your Wor- j thin If" Mr. Haselaen — "It is going ; against you at present." The Magistrate gave judgment lor defendant, at the some time remarking that as the hotel was conducted on business linos, it would no doubt be the Army's aim to show the public that their property was safe, and to make up anything that might be lost. Defendant did not ask for costs. The fifth annual meeting of the Wellington College Old Boys' Cricket Club was held at the Trocadcro last evening, Mr. J. P. Firth in the chair. In moving tho adoption of the report and bnl-auce-sheet, the Chairman congratulated toe club on its strong financial position, •nd expressed a- hope, that during the coming season, with the special facilities the club had foe practice, it would meet with much better success. The motion was seconded by Mr. E. V. Sanderson and carried. The election of officers resulted as follows: — President, Mr. J. P. Firth (re-elected}; Vice - President*, Messrs. M. C. Burnett and A. de B. Brandon (both re-elected)} Hon. Secretary, M*. ' 'H. M'Gowan ; Hon. Treasurer, .its. S. Jacobs (re-elected) ; Management Committee. Messrs. W. E. Belhune, E." V. (Sanderson, E. K. Kirkcaldie, and K. Gilmer; Senior Selection Committee, Messrs. JB. V. Sanderson, E. K. Kirkcaldie, and K. Gilmer; Junior Selection Comniittee, Messrs. A. Odlin, K. Darroch, and J. Blnckwood ; Delegate? to Cridket Association, Messrs. W. : E. BethunOj E. V. Sanderson, and H. M'Gowan j Hon. Auditor, Mr. B. M. Wilson (re-elected). A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Firth and also to the hon. secretary and hon. treasurer for their services during the past season. The Wellington and Southern portions of the San Francisco mail arrived by the Mapourika at 9 o'clock this morning. The regular fortnightly meeting of the Committee of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children was held on Tuesday. PmemV-nMrs. W. A. Evans (in the chair), Mesdames Darveil, Findlay, and Kirkcaldie, and Lady Stout. It was reported that two new cases had arisen since last meeting, and two adoptions had been finally settled. Entertainments would be given by the Dramatic Students on .the Ist, 2nd, and 3rd Oe* tober for the benefit of this Society and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Tho following subscriptions were acknowledged:— Sympathiser, £1 Is; Mrs. J. Blundell, 59; also clothing from Mra. Malcolm Bosa and a Friend. < "The annual report of tho Department of Labour recently presented to Parliament entirely confirms (says the Southland Times) the very general opinion that the Secretary, Mr. Tregear, holds a brief for the trades unions. We have had occasion in previous sessions to remark upon the extreme impropriety of a promitnent official, a, member of the Civil Service, taking so prominent a side on the labour > question, and suggesting extreme class legislation in favour of the workers and against employers. ' The report on this occasion is, however, worse than ever, and bear* indeed internal evidence that the Secretary has been the instigator of the policy embodied in the Labour Bills now before the House, which ore almost universally condemned, and find little favour even with members of the dominant party." Aa we go to press we learn that great excitement still reigns at 115, Upper Cuba-street, where Richardson Bros.' great house furnishing Bale is still on. Open every night this week until 8 o'clock ■— Advt, i

With regard to the accident at the Bunny-street railway crossing, Mr. J. W. Norman writes urging the necessity for either employing a signalman or erecting gates at the crossing. An article in the Lancet on nicotine has a direct bearing upon a subject that is now engaging the attention of the New Zealand Legislature. Many people Will learn with surprise that the. great medical journal inverts the order of injuriousness usually associated with cigarette*, cigars, and pipes. It states that ' nicotine itself has been proved to be practically guiltless of evil effects in smoking, but pyridine and its derivatives are responsible for headaches, trembling, and giddiness. The degree o! toxicity in smoke depends largely upon the completeness of combustion. The combustion of v cigarette is more complete than that lof a pipe or cigar. A pipe acts 4» &> - condenser, but the condensed products do not reach the mouth, while considerable condensation must occur in the cigar, the products reaching the mouth ana being absorbed. Therefore the Lancet placet the cigar first in the order of injuriousness, then the pipe, and lastly the cigarette. ! The agitation for a Greater Wanganui is being revived. The delegates comprising the Confer* > ence of New Zealand veterans met again at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon and confirmed the work of the committee, which had sat throughout the greater part of the day. In addition to the 'business published in yesterday's Post, the Conlercnce elected Major-General Sir George Whitmore, K.C.M.G., a life Vice-Presi-dent, he being the only gentleman so honoured, and Captain M*Kellar' Wix was elected General Treasurer, The following General Committee was appointed:—For Wellington, Commander Home, R.N., and Lieut. -Colonel Newall, C.8. ; • Hawkes Bay, Majors Gascoigne and G. Garner ; Dunedin, Colonel' Morris and Lieutenant O'Callaghan, R.N. ; New Plymouth, Captains A. Standish and R. 6. * Hamerton; Masterton, Captain Hewitt, R.N., and Mr. P. 0. Cullen, R.N. ; - Wanganui, Captain Preece, N.Z.0., and Mr. J. W. Day. The Standing Committee elected consists of Lieut. -Colonel Newall, Commander Home, and Captain Wix. At 6 o'clock the delegates met Lord Ranfurly (President) at- Government House, and went aver the day's work with His Excellency, who generally approved the rules adopted. At 11 o'clock this morning the delegates again assembled at Government House, for the purpose of having a' group photograph taken. This concluded the -work of the Conference. Excellent progress is being made by the contractors (Messrs. Burke and M'Grath) with the erection of the Tetaining wall along the Clyde-quay foreshore and the new baths in Oriental Bay. The concrete wall, which extends from the Corporation Yards' to the bathß lite, is 24 chains long, and is practicully coin pete. All the piles for tho bnths have been sunk, the shell of the shed is erected, and the flooring is down, and although the necessary plumbing and painting may not be finished in contract time (27th October), bathers will be peimitted to use the baths within a month. Messrs. M'Grath and Burke ask us to state that no charge will 1 be made for admittance until tho work is handed over to the City Council, and their considerate offer will no doubt be appreciated by the public In the annual report of the Wellington Builders' and Contractors' Association, it is stated that the year ha» brought iw usual quota of labour disputes. First the plasterers took their claim to tht Conciliation Board, and it is to be' regretted that the recommendations of the Board became law owing to an overnght a* to the requirements of the Act. Then the builders' labourers had a turn, and the recommendations of the" Conciliation Board were not accepted, and it is just possible that the Association may yet have to appear before the Arbitration Court. Perhaps the most notable feature of the year was the formation of the •Federal Council for New Zealand. At . the suggestion of the Wellington Asso-. ciation & meeting was held at Christ* church in February, the outcome of which has been the establishment of, this Council, and it is safe to say that in the near future the Council will make itself felt for the good of the trade generally. The Karon Borough' Council held its fortnightly meeting on Tuesday.' Present—The Mayor (Mr. F. J. MDonald), | Councillors Cook, D&sent,' Farr, Liesi&gton, Monaghan, Thomas, Tisdall, and ' Spiers. The Works Committee reported that it had inspected the Northland roads, but several alterations were required be* , fore the roads were taken over. It tras resolved that the compensation for land taken for the road throngh the Dell Estate be paid, and the road fenced. A transfer of land for a connection between Friend and Hatton streets was signed, ' as was also a plan of deviation of road through- section 40. The Town Clerk was authorised to give notice to residents on Paritvale-road to cut back trees Overhanging the road. It was resolved again I to ask the Government to make a standard survey of the borough. A committee consisting of Councillors Farr, Cook, | and Spiers was set up to aaceVtain tliß best means of obtaining a water supply for the borough, and report at next meeting. Accounts amounting to £275 15s 7d were passed for payment. If you are not particular as to the quality of the butter you eat, doh't bother about Black Swan Butter; it is too good for you.— Advt. The people are indebted {o the makers of Defiance Butter for providing them . with such a delicious article of fxtod. Sweet, wholesome, and good.— Advt. For new cyoles end best repairs try Oates, Lowry and Co., Zealandia CycU Works, Cuba-street ) reasonable rates. — Advt. Ladies are requested to look at G Smith's ' recent shipment of imported Millinery vow ■ being shown in the window and in tue show- ' room— Frenoh Pattern Hata, Bonnets, add' Toques ; nlse a. special display ot new Sunshades and Umbrellas now in one of tie windows. Ask to see some of the new Single Drestt Pieces — exclusive goods. — Advt. Speoial show iv C. Smith's window of Laota* , whioh aro.anro to form a very important item in drew trimming, etc, as present mdi- • oaLiona of tue Home trade point to euoraoua business in laoea during the past treason. 0. Smith is now offering £1000 worth of new liftoes, diroot from the makers. — Advt. Housekeepers are inrited to soe the niw patterns in Inlaid Linoleums just opened at , C. Smith's. These goocta are worth looking at; thoy are in beautiful designs, and the pattern is right through, so they are praoti* oally everlasting. — Advt, Messrs. Osborns and Bakar, 98, Cubastreet, have just openod their new itock of summer goods, comprising; all the latest , patterns in English and colonial tweedt. All garments are guaranteed thoroughly shrunk, and only first-class workmen employed. The Wairau Road Board invitet appli< oations for the office of lnspeotor, A working manager is required by the Hutt Farmers' Milk Supply Qo-operativ* Association. Boys' man-o'-war sailor straws, and straw hats for boys and men, are now being shown at the New Zealand Clothing Factory, 57, Lambton-quay. The company claims to have the finest lot ever shown. Prices are given elsewhere in our columns. An electric light display will be mad* to-morrow «veui&R. ,

Up to yesterday, the eleventh day of the present month, 43 deaths were registered «t the Wellington Registrar's office, making an average of nearly four per day. The usual average of doaths works out at 1.6 daily. The Agricultural Department has been informed by one ( of its veterinary surgeons (Mr. Clayton) that he is thoroughly satisfied with the precautions which have been taken to prevent the spread of tvnthrnx amongst cattle in the Opotiki district, and is willing to grant a permit for the removal of the affected stock whenever the owner desires it. Frost was seen on the ground in and about the city this morning, and fino weather followed throughout the day. The shado temperatures in the four centres this morning were— At Auckland 68dog, Wellington 56deg, Christchurch 50deg, and Dunedin 64deg. Shipping houses report that they froquently have been unable during the past winter to obtain labour for tho loading and discharging of vessels. Today, again, several steamers wore being worked with only ono or two men, nnd difficulty was experienced in securing them, although thero were plenty of men on tho wharf who seemed to be 'unemployed. If labour is «o scarce on the jetties in the winter, when there is .'omparatively little demand for it, how wi|H shippers fore in the rush of the summer months? Mr. Owen Naughton, who has been a messenger in tho Government service iv Wellington for the past eighteen years, died in the Hospital this morning, aged 59. The deceased leaves a widow and two sons. {ntendin? •übicriberr to Messrs. Barnett nnd Uoppaii concert! are requested to pay npcoial attention to ,tno uotjoo appearing in onotbuc column. Mossn. Mocdonnld, Wilson aud Co. will cell to-morrow, *b tho rottdenee of Mrs. Simkin, No. 7, Lovy-itreot, commencing at 11 o'olook, th« whole of her household furniture, piano, e,p. ware, otc. The goods aro described as of s. nrst-olass character, and we to bo sold absolutely without reiorvo, as Mrs. Simkin is giving up houiokoeping. Catalogues can be had on application.