Page 4 Advertisements Column 5

Evening Post, Volume LXVI, Issue 152, 24 December 1903, Page 4

The matter of the proposed extensions of the electrical tramway system to Miramar and Island Bay is to be considered by the City Council after th N e hojiday season. Botb proposals jvill have to be submitted to a poll of the ratepayers after the Council has come to a decigion. Mr J. P. Maxwell, consulting engineer, is acting for Mr. Pulley, the contractor, in connection with the investigation which is being held by the Harboui; Board regarding the collapse of the Clyde-quay culvert. The Government is being strongly urged by the Poultry Ijlxpeit to take steps to ascertain the number of poultry there are in tjie colony. It is only by this means, ho points out, that the growth and importance of the industry can be fully realised. He suggests that a column be added to the Registrar-General's ceneua schedules for this purpose. " The final heat in the Gear Company's Employees' Bicyole Race was run off on the Potono Recreation Ground last evening, resulting as follows:— M. Al'Gurk, lj G Woods. 2; Budwick, 3. Further seasonable greetings are to hand from the editor and staff of the New . Zealand Times ana Mail, the Petono Chronicle staff, the Feilding Star, Mi. i : P. R. Dix (Theatre Royal), Messrs R. ' j and E. Tingey, the Liverpool and London ' ( and Globe Insurance Company, and , Messrs. Oatcs, Lowry, and Co. The good wishes expressed are reciprocated by us. The Melbourne City Council has rej solved to ask the Government to intro- ! duco a Bill to alter the incidence of taxation under the Fire Brigades Act, so that instead of the Government, the municipalities, and the fire insurance companies each subscribing one-third of the cost, the fire insurance companies Bball be required to contribute one-half, and the municipalities and the Government one-fourth each. The police want an owner for a tin box bearing the letters "A. W. F." Frequent complaints are heard that persons desirous of planting orchards cannot procure in the colony sufficient trees of the varieties desired, and also that much of tho local-grown slock is not true to name-, says Mr. T. W. Kirk, Government Biologist, in his annual report. The extensive importations mentioned last year have therefore continued. It is not to the credit of .our nurserymen, he says, that thousands of pounds Bterling should be sent to Australia annually. The recommendation that the Government should take up this matter, produce reliable trees true to name, and supply settlers at a reasonable price has muoh to justify its adoption. Growers are now strongly urging this. For some years business people in Woodville have been accustomed to obtain supplies of greenery from tho Manawatu Gorge for the decoration of their premises at Christmas time. They have now been informed that if any of the trees, plants, etc., in the Gorge are interfered with in future prosecutions Will bo instituted under the Scenery Preservation Act. On Boxing Day Jump's Band, numbering thirty strong, will tunl out in new uniforms of a kind which should stamp it as the best-dressed brata band in the colony. The uniform is of navy blue, with scarlet and gold facings, with a smart peaked cap, also faced With gold braid. The full dress of the bandmaster (Mr. W. Jupp) consists of trousers with gold braiding, a frock coat handsomely braided', cap with a distinguishing badge, * and a scarf of crimson silk — in iact, the ' regulation uniform of a British bandmaster— not previously worn in the ! colony. The whole outfit is exceedingly 'smart and presentable. The band has I imported from England two portable | acetylene gas lamps, intended for ilJumin* 'at ion purposes at night performances. They will bum for wiree hours at a I stretch before they require to be recharged. It is not generally known that tho band has now been in existence for a period of thirteen years, and that tho whole of its property is, by deed of trust, properly vested in the Wellington Hospital. The instruments, music, and uniforms have all been paid for out of the earnings of the members, who also contribute weekly fees, and who look for no recompense for their services. This is surely something .unique in its way, and shows a publio ipirit worthy of emulation. The urgent necessity for 6ome assistance being granted in tho Biological and Horticultural Division* of the Departnusut of Agriculture is again emphasised by Mr. T. W. Kirk in his annual report His present duties are : (a) The supervision of the instruction in fruit-growing and horticulture ; (b, the supervision of the inspection of imported fruit and plants ; (c) examination of all specimens from crops, orchards, and gardens attacked by fungus diseases, advising preventive or remedial measures ; (d) examination of all specimens from similar sources suffering from attacks of insect's, and advising bow to fight them ( (c) identification of grasses, forage plants, weeds, trees, etc., and advising as to relative values, etc. (0 the examination and testing of seeds 5 (g) editing departmental publications and supervising the distribution of same. Sixtysix hours a week has been the average working hours for the past ten years: As we nave chronicled, the Government proposes to meet the situation by offering £175 a. year for an assistant in this division, and applicants must haye v some knowledge of horticulture, entomology, fungus diseases affecting' plants, and of editorial work. Mr. Kirk's report also again urges consideration of his recommendations for the appointment of officers to (a) assist in the laboratory, (b) to give instruction in agriculture, and (c) to instruct in canning, evaporation, etc. ~ 1b it in tho power of a Rugby Union to decide, on outside evidence (or evidence other than that of the referee), that a referee lias rule^pwrongiy I The opinion of the MonngenWit Commit 1 1 01 0* the New Zealand Ragb/ Union i«: Thiu' in deciding » question a* Wween a player and a referee, a Rugby UiuJn v power to admit other evidence tk&a that of the referee. The feeiina is that (as has been laid down by tlie English Union) the referee is in sole charge of the game, and his decision a* to facts must be final if his authority is to be maintained. The point is of importance because of several cases tliat havo recently occurred, in which players ordered off by referees have been exonerated as the result of enquiries in which other evidence was admitted. There in tho Porteous incident in Dunedin, and the exoneration of two Wanganui players ordered off in Palmerston "North ; and the cosh of tho New Ztmlauder Cook© in Syduey seems to be on all fours with these. The matter which was immediately before tho committee was that of Pojrteoua, tho Otago Referees' Association having taken up tho case on behalf of tho referee who ordered Porteous off. As a Referees' Association, unlike an individual player, has apparently no right of appeal under the rules, the matter could not be taken as aii appeal, but it was decided to inform the Association, also tho Otago Rugby Uniou, that the committee's opinion is as outlived above. The Wanganui incident was posU poned till next meeting. The Secretary of the Wellington Benevolent Ins'i tut! on acknowledges the following additional donations towarus providing Christmas dinner for the inmates of the Ohito Home: — Rev. Fathei Devoy, Rev. Father O'Shea, and Rev, Father Moloney, £1 Is each. Black Swan Butter has a fine nutty flavour, and mch« the poiaA of butter perfection.— A drt. I