LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 49, 26 August 1904, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Practically tho whole of yesterday's silting of the House was occupied with nn Imprest Supply Bill. The discussion, which lasted from 3 p.m. until 11.30 p.m., was practically a duel between the Premier and Mr. Jas. Allen on the subject of the Imperial guaranteed debentures and the " paper " balance of the Consolidated Fund. There was little new matter in the debate, considering its duration. The^ill was passed, and an hour and a quarter was spent in Committee on tho Hokitika- Ilnrbour Board Empowering Bill. The Legislative Council put the Police Offences Amendment Bill through Committee, and also the Coroners Bid. Tn compliance with the demands of the City Council that the Opera Uouse should be put into a state which, in the opinion of the Counoil'a advising officers, is compatible witli the ...ifjety of the public using the theatre, tho directors have authorised Messrs. James Trevor and Sons to carry out tho work. The square corners in the stairways are being rounded off, the doors loading from the auditorium on both sides of tho stage and. tho dressing-room door aroto be protected with a covering of sheet iron and other interior improvements made, and a straight flight of stairs is to bo built direct from the dress circle vestibule to Manners-street through the office lately in the occupation of Messrs. .lamieeon Bros. These alterations arc- being hurried along. , Botween the hours of 7 and 7.30 last evening 4he Fire Briga-d© was called out twice. Tho first call was to a house- in Elizabeth-street,, where some hangings in a bedroom wore found burning, and the second was U> Crnbtreo'a Founary, where a quantity of coke- had again ignited. Both outbreaks wero suppressed before much damage was done. Mr. J. Dineen has been appointed Truant Officer to tho Wellington Education Board. It was stated at tho meeting that there had been a marked diminution of tho truancy evil in the Board's district. Tho Chief. Justice will sit in Chambers at 10 o'clock to-morrow morning. Complaint was made by Councillor Barber at last night's meeting of the City Council that the horse-tram service along Manners and Willis sbreels and Lambtonquay had been discontinued without notion to tho public. The Mayor explained that tho horse-cars on the section in question had been stopped because they wero not paying. The desirableness of establishing outstations in Potono was affirmed by the local Fire Brigade last oveniug, and it was resolved to request tho Borough Council to establish an out-station at Cuba-street (the eastern end of the borough). Mr. J. Hooper, of the Empire Hotel, has donated n gold medal for the one-man-manual competition. The brigade is arranging to hold a concert and also a bazaar lor tho purpose of raising funds. A business man sent a cartload of shavings to the destructor to bo burnt, but tho offering was refused, and Councillor M'Laren last night wanted to know why. The Mayor said tho Corporation was not bound to receive trade refuse. "Then wnat uro tradesmen to do with it?" asked Councillor Godber. "Eat it!" commented Councillor Izard, and tho Council left it at that. Tho Chief Justice to-day heard an appeal by Edward Collins, of the Wairarapa, ugainst a conviction by Mr. W. P. James, S.M., who hod fined appellant 40s, with costs, for breach of a. heavy traffic regulation made- by the Wairarapa South County Council, closing heavy traffic over the Gladstone to Kaiwhata road. Mr. Hollings, of Masterton, supported the appeal, and Mr, H^rdman opposed. Judgment was reserved. "What's the uso of Mr. Seddon talking about the decreasing birth-rate when he allows Education Boards to close schools and forces small children to travel by train to other schools, with the likelihood of their being killed off as soon as we, get them?" fiercely exclaimed a member of a deputation to the Education Board yesterday. According to tho Labour Department tho scarcity of errand boys, which was dealt with in these columns some timo ago, is due to the prosperity of the colony, parents being able to afford to keep their boys longer at school and to place them in tho way of learning a trado. Tho street playground miisanco drew a protest to the City Council last night from eleven residents in Kensingtonstroet,~ who appealed for relief from noisy boys who mado tho thoroughfare "a holl upon earth." The Council sympathised, but expressed its inability to curb tho animal spirits of tho rising generation. In addition to the list previously published, tho City Council has granted public hall licenses for St. Paul's Schoolroom (Sydnoy-strect), Christian Chapel (Taranaki-placo), Druids' Hall (Tara-nnki-sttcet), tho Spiritualists' . Hall (Kent-terrace), and tho Missions to Sea- . men Hall (Whitmorc-street). An ex-patient of tho Cambridge Sanatorium, Mr. Ikuth, who was cured at tho institution, and bus resumed work for the last eighUHUi months, has collected £32 in aid of the library fund at tho Sanatorium, and this amount hua been subsidised to the extent of £25 by the Government. The institution is much in need of boolfe for the use of patient*, and donations of literature will be much appreciated. Wo have just opened Borne extremely exclusive model French blouses. We give fuller particulars of "thoso in our ad. on page 7. KirkccUdie and Stains, Ltd.— Adyt,

Tho boating seaßon in Wellington will be opened on Ist October. Tho Uovernor is to be asked to perform the opening ceremony. Tho poll of ratepayers in connection with the proposals of the City Council for the extension of the electric trannvay to Miramar North and Seatoun is to bo taken on 7th September. Tho Supremo Court Judges have reserved their decision on the law points raised in tuo compensation case of Kingdon v. the Hurt River Board, involving a claim of £22,000. The Collector of Customs at Ohristqhurch has received 10s conscience money from "Duty." An effort is to bo made to induce the New Zeuland Amateur Rowing Association to hold the next championship regatta in Wellington. Messrs. Muni, Cottrell and Co. are suing the City Council for the cost of conveyance of the electric care from the ship's side to tho car-sheds. A seven-a-sido adaptor match was fired by the officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates of tlie Wellington Guards last night. The privates won, the scores being: — Privates, 187; officers and noncommissioned officers, 159. There will be no parade of the company next week, owing to tho dri'.lshed.being engaged. The City Council lias decided to establish in Brooklyn a branch of the Public Library. Tho building, which will co.st £500, will be erected on the public re serve i?i Ilarrison-street, near the State School, in accordance with a design prepared by the City Engineer. Tenders for its -rection will bo invited forthwith. The>eequel to the accident in Newtown on tho morning of Sunday, 7th July, when a motor-cyclist knocked a boy over causing him to sustain concussion ot the brain, was brought out in the Mngis trate's Court to-day, when Albert Sawtoll was charged with having ridden at a greater speed than, eight miTes an hour. The defendant admitted the charge, and Sub-Inspector O'Donovan explained that the boy s parents had no desire to prosecute. The police, however, took a different view of the case, holding that the wood-blocking of the streets in Newtown tver© so conducive to scorching that fast cycling had to be discouraged. The defendant admitted that he was travelling at the rate of fifteen miles an hour, but several witnesses were nre pared to say that the speod was moro like thirty miles an hour. Dr. A. M'Arlhur, S.M., imposed a fine of 20s, with 19s costs, and told tlie defendant ho was getting off very lightly. Speaking at the annual missionary meeting in the Donald M'Lean-street Primitive Methodist Church on Wednesday evening, the Rev. J. Cocker said that the Connexion now had property io the value of over £4,000,000, a membership of over 201,000, and half a million scholars and teachers in Sundayschools. The Connexion had been in existence over 97 years. Tho young woman May Alley, of Ngahauranga, who was exposed by Mr. T. J. Leighton, bootmaker, as an expert shoplifter, and who recently pleaded guilty to four oharges of theft of articles valued at £35 14s lOd from different shops in town, j came up before Dr. A. M'Arthur, S.M., for sontenco this morning. His Worship said he could not accede to the request of counsel to admit accused to probation. Sho had deliberately victimised tradespeople of this town — how much she had done it before he did not know. But here was sufficient evidence of a decided plan of accused in conjunction with somebody elso to rob our shopkeepers. Every one knew they lost large sums of money every year at their ewles by petty thieves, and they must be protected. Accused would be sentenced to two months' imprisonment on each charge — terms to bo concurrent Oscar n French, defended by Mr. Luckie, was found guilty of having used insulting language to a railway guard on a train travelling or- the Lower Hutt section, and wa« fined 10s, with JBI 9s coat*, in default seven days' imprisonment. On tho recent voyage of tho Monowai from Syclney a. steerage passenger developed signs of insanity and had to be placed under restraint. When the vessel arrived in port yesterday a watch was placed over 'him, but notwithstanding this he climbed through a skylight and escaped into the city. About 7.30 on Wednesday evening Constable Cahill saw a man pick up a stone and shatter one of tho Police Station fanlights with it. The constable took him into custody, and very soon afterwards tho prisoner was identified as the escapee from the Monowai. Until then tho police had no information concerning tho man's escape from the vessel. On tho voyage across he had in his possession a fully-loaded •six-chamberod revolver. Arrangements are being made for returning the man to Sydney at an oarly date. The lot of the newsvendor who patrols the streets after dark was discussed by the City Council last night at the instance of Mr. H. G. Ell, M.H.R., of Ohristchurch, who wrote that he had noticed young people, especially girls, trading in the street at hours when they ought to bo in bed, and evil might result from this custom. I>- England, Mr. iiill said, a law passed last year expressly prohibited children under eleven years of age from trading in the streets, and Christ church had also adopted a bylaw on the suoject The matter had come before the Bylaws Committee, which sought an opinion from the Council, jlr. Evans thought the Council ought to tiiko cognizance of the fact, as street trading by young children was not in the best intere*tt>. ot our coming citizens. He moved that the Bylaw Committed be requested to draft a suitable bylaw. Mr. Oodber seconded. This trading by children was not conducive to the good morals of tho children, and they ought not to bo allowed in the streets at all hours of the night. Mr. Wiltshire failed to see how the Council could deal with the matter without making the prohibition general, to apply to all young children. It waa argued by several Councillors that there were cases in which these small girl newsvendors were assisting in keeping a home togother, and were undei tho watchful eye of their mothers, but it was admitted that there might be a converse case in whioh children were made to work to tho advantage of their parents. Mr.* Devine thought it was a matter for tho Legislature and the police, not the Corporation. He did not think there wure parents to be found who would send their children into the streets unless it was necessary for the purpose of tho home. On divuion. Councillor Evans's motion in favour of a bylaw was lost by 8 votes to 6. - Black Swan Butter has a fine nutty flavour, and reaches the point of butter perfection. — Advt. Tho cough of to-day may be consumption next week. Stop tho cough now by taking Wilton's Old English Cough Linctus. Is 6d and 2s 6d per bottle.— Advt. Furniture carefully packed, stored, and removed by experienced men ; special low rates. New Zealand Express Company, No. 20, Customhouse-quay. Telephone 92. i — AJvt, Munt, Cottrell, and Co., general carriers, Customs and forwarding agents. Storago a speciality. Furniture packed and removed. Office; Queen's Chambers. Telephone Ifo. 23.—^ Advt-»