LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 97, 21 October 1904, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tbe Licensing Bifl produced an interesting discussion in the Legislative Council yesterday, particularly in regard to the club clauses. The Cook Islanus Bill was put through Committee, the Payment of Members Bill was read a second time, and the Local Elections Bill completed its progress through Committee. The chief subjects discussed in the House were the Shops md Offices Bill, which developed into a town v. country argument, and the New Zealand Loatjs Bill — a subject which calls for careful consideration. The Weights and Measures Act Amendment Bill, Carrington Award Bill, University Degrees Bill, Public Health Act Amendment Bill, and the Counties Act Amendment Bill were read a second time. The traffic returns on the Wellington-Napier-New Plymouth section of the railwajw for the four weeks ending 17th September last (with the figures for the corresponding four weeks of 1908 appended in parentheses) are as follows :— Revenue, £38,560 (£34,231); expenditure, £30,007 (£29,814). Tiie principal items of revenue were: Passengers, £15,040 (£14,145); goods, £20,0W (£17,413). Taking all the colony's railways, the total figures for the same periods are: Revenue, £145,147 (£144,275); expenditure, £109,126 (£113,402). ' In reply to a second letter from! the Hutt Kiver Board, the Hutt Borough Council notified the Board last night that the old bridge "would be removed at the earHest possible date." The Chairman stated that the Council did not appear to be aware of what the Board required to have done. What was asked was that the approach to the eastern end of the old bridge should be removed so that the Board could make its road for drays to get -to the river bed. After some discussion it was decided to again make this request with fuller details, and to intimate that if- the Council did not remove the approach, the Board would be reluctantly comDelled to do the* work itself, ana charge the cost to the Council. The local representative of the NewPlymouth Arts and Industries Exhibition (Mr. H. F. Allen, Secretary of the Wellington Industrial Association) has, during the past week, received applications from Wellington business houses for 1000 square feet of space at the exhibition. The committee has had to increase its floor space from 40,000 ft to 43,200 ft for Industrial exhibits since its original plans were made. The exhibition and eports carnival are to be held during the Christmas and New Year holidays. All supporters of the Political Labour League are iseqpested by advertisement to attend the inaugural meeting to be held at the Trades Council Chambers, Cuba-stret Extension, this evening at 8. A profusion of embroideries and insertions will be the decorative theme of most summer gowns, and the wanted kinds may now be obtained from Kirkcaldie and Stains, Limited. Particulare^are- given on page 7.— Advt.,

Five years ago to-day New Zealand* First Contingent left Woilingbon for South Africa to take part in the Boer War. The members of the First New Zealand Contingent Association are to celebrate the anniversary with a dinner, the fourth of the Association's annual reunions. It is understood that a Magisterial enquiry into the circumstances connected with the stranding of the barque Addenda in Palliser Bay will not be held, as tlie vessel is owned and registered in a foreign country. The steamer Manuka, which arrived at Auckland from Sydney on Monday, brought a further batch of twelve Chinese immigrants, five of whom had previously resided in the colony. The City Council does not intend to permit any advertising either on the interior or the exterior* of the electric tram cars. The Trustees of the Northern Wairoa Hospital have decided to hold an enquiry into complaints made against the medical superintendent's treatment of two cases. The Mayor, meeting an objection to apparent hard and fast rules, relating to the Town Hall tariff: -'There is a com-mon-sense way of interpreting these things." Councillor Devine: "There is, and there is not." Councillor Evans: "It depends entirely upon the interpreter!" The tender of Mr. A. Seamer at £2765 has been accepted for the erection of a three-story brick building in Upper Cuba-street, for Dr. Mackin, in accordance with the plans and specifications of Mr. James O'Dea. The unsuccessful tenderers were; 11 — James Trevor, £2770; Henry Ranson, £2790; A- Wilkening, £2800; W. G. Emeny, £2812; E. A. Reynall, £2937; Wilton and Jones, £2996 10s; W. L. Thompson, £3060; J. Priddy, £3199 7s. A series of Japanese pictures just received by Mr. T. Pringle from Japan and exhibited by him in his shop window on Lambton-cpay is attracting much attention. The pictures, which give the Japanese idea of incidents during the progress of the war with Russia, are more remarkable for their colouring than the correctness of the drawing. The i.collection, which is most interesting, wHI be on view to-day and Saturday only. The pictures are not for sale. '- At the Hutt River Board's meeting last night the Board's foreman (Mr. Radford) reported that tiie river had been in heavy flood the previous week, and the strong wind had f done some damage to the river banks — viz., 5 chains at Belmont, 3 chains on Kyle's Island, -and 5 chains at the back of Mr. Barber's property. As instructed by the Engineer, he was driving 2£ chains of piles as fast as possible to protect the stopbank at the latter place. No other j parts of the works had been damaged. All j the doors and culverts had worked well- j The foreman added that it was the effect of the sea more than the river that caused the damage towards the lower part of the works. According to the Registrar-General's report, the number of births in the four chief citiesiof the colony (with their suburbs) during September was as follows : — Auckland, 144; Wellington, 127; Christchurch, 113; Dunedin, 101. The deaths during the month, with the proportion per thousand of population, were: Auckland, 46, 0.82; Wellington, 32, 0.60; Christchurch, 43, 0.83; Dunedin, 61, 1.08; Wellington thus showing the lowest deathrate and Dunedin the highest. The total births (485) in these boroughs were 45 below-, and the deaths (182) 23 below, the numbers in the previous month. Fortythree of the deaths, or 23.63 per cent., were of children under the age of 5, and of these 37 were under one year of age. Of a total of 38 deaths from, constitutional diseases, ,11 were due to cancer, and 17 to phthisis. Violent deaths numbered 10, one being a case of suicide, and the remainder resulting from accident. Medical testimony generally supports the statement that telephone instruments which are used indiscriminately by the general public sometimes become a medium for disseminating diseases. At least a dozen inventors claim to have discovered a means by which the "receivers" can be prevented from becoming a menace to health. For the most part, their patents consist of disinfectant papers, which can be stretched across the instrument, and may be removed at will. The Victorian Postmaster-General has declined to select any o.f these inventions, but he has directed that subscribers may use any means which they think fit to protect themselves against germs, so long as they do not destroy the receivers." If the efficiency of their service suffers by the adoption of any of these safeguards, the department will not accept any responsibility. In the list of subscribers to the St. John Ambulance Nursing Guild Bazaar advertised in our issue of yesterday, two or three Slerical errors were inadvertently made. Mr. R. Hume, Mrs. J. Sundies, and Mr. H. Howard, should read : Mrs. (Colonel) Hume, Mrs. J. Saunders, and Mr. H. Howorth. Mrs. J. Saunders subscribed one guinea, and Mrs. Hume and Mr. Howorth one pound each. Addressing the Premier yesterday afternoon as a member of the sawniillers' deputation, Mr. J. J. Patterson, of Danneyirke, said it had been argued that the importation of foreign timber would cheapen the cost or the rent of buildings. The argument was used on the erroneous impressionthat the chief cost of a building was the timber. As a matter of fact, the value of timber in a building was really a small proportion of the whole. The chief items were : First the land, then the labour — such as painting, plumbing, bricklaying, joiners and 'carpenters — and the material used by these trades, in addition to ironmonger baths, grates, hot water service, etc. In purely wooden buildings the cost of timber was only a minor quantity. Take a five-roomed cottage in Wellington. The total average cost was, say, £450, the "timber costing about £90. A rise or fall in price of timber would not make a difference of £10. This Mas the class of building in which the timber bore a, greater proportionate (share than in any other. In a better class private residence of eight or nine rooms, costing with ground £1200, the price of timber— that is, a rise or fall of Is per 100ft— would not make a, difference of £20. Three winners of class-firing medals amongst public school cadet corps of the colony happen to be in Wellingtor at the present moment, and opportunity was therefore taken to have them presented with tLeir medals by the Mayor before the City Council last evening. The possible was 84, and the ranges were 100 yds, 150 yds, and 20Oyds. The three winners are : Sergeant Clemaaice, of Greylown, who won the medal for the Wellington district, with 78, against about 1000 competitors; Sergeant Tanner, of Coroniandel, who won the medal for the Auckland district, with 70 ; Sergeant Egglestone, of Lawrence, who won the medal for Otago, against about 1000 competitors, with 71. These particulars as to the youths' performances were detailed by the Mayor in an appropriate address, in which he dwelt on the value of the public schools cadet movement. The recipients accepted their ttlushing honours modestly, and subsequently conveyed their thanks to the Mayor per medium of a letter. A meeting- of Wellington Masonic Lodge, No. 1521 E.C., will be held at the Masonic Hull, Boulcott-street, this evening. Gold Leaf Butter is the standard of quality. Obtainable only from the Fresh Food and Ice Co.— Advt.

- Tie cost to the City Council so far of raising overhead wires along the electric tramways route has been something like £3000. The estimated total cost is between £4000 and £"5000. The annual meeting of the Chemists' Association was held last evening. The report showed the association to be strong both in regard to finance and membership. Mr. W. S. Wallace was elected President, Messrs. L. M'Kenzie and F. Castle Vice-Presidents, and Messrs W. P. B. Perrott, Bennett, Williamson, and Burrows as a committee. A paper on "Reciprocity" is to be read at the next monthly meeting. The fortnightly meeting of the Hibernian Society was held on Wednesday night. Four new members were initiated. Great regret was expressed at the death of the late Bro. Mark Lenihan, and a letter of condolence was ordered to be sent to the bead of bis order. The youth Hugh Austin, at present charged with having supplied perchloride of iron to a young woman, knowing that it was intended for an unlawful purpose, was again brought before Dr. M'Arthur, S.M., to-day. Mr. Myera, prosecutor for the Crown, said one of his witnesses was still indisposed, and on that account he desired a remand until Monday. Mr. Herdman, for the accused, offered no objection, arid 1 his v Worship granted the application. Recommendations made to the City Council by Wellington architects with reference to minimising the danger to buildings by earthquakes, have been referred to the Bylaws Committee for a report. In Chambers this morning, before Mr. Jupstice Cooper, an order was made for a new trial of the case in which Frederick J. Ryder, of Otaki, claimed damages and an injunction from Archibald Hall and wife of Te Horo on account of the diversion of a watercourse. The case Was tried recently at Palmerston North, but the jury was unable to agree. The new trial was fixed for Monday, 7th November, at Palmerston. A radium clock, which will keep time indefinitely, baa been constructed by an English clockmaker. The clock comprises a small tube in which is placed a minute quantity of radium supported in an exhausted glass vessel by a quartz rod. To the lower end of this wonderful little tube, which is coloured violet by the action of the radium, an eleotroscope formed of two long leaves or strips of silver is attached. A charge of electricity in which there are no beta rays is transmitted through the activity of t/he radium into the leaves, and the latter thereby expand 1 until they touch the sides of the- vessel, connected tb earth by wires, which instantly conduct the electric charge, and the leaves fall together! This very simple operation is repeated incessantly every two minutes until the radium is exhausted, which in this instance it is computed will occupy 30,000 years. There is apparently ja scarcity of surveyors in the colony. The Commissioner of Crown Lands <n Marlboreugh stated at the last meeting of the Land Board that he had applied? to all the chief surveyors of the colony for additional surveyors, bub without success, so that the delay in surveying land in the Marlborough district was, unavoidable. All the Government surveyors available were at present employed on the subdivision survey of the Flaxbourne Estate. In company with the Warden he had inspected the vacant Crown lands in the vicinity of Cullensville (Mahakipawa), and/ after conferring with the miners, it was agre«d to reserve a block of ltftid sufficient to provide tie miners with timber for mining purposes, the balance of the land to be surveyed and opened for settlement as soon as surveyors could be obtained. At its last meeting the Marlborough Land Board considered an application by* Mr. J*. Moore, Stock Inspector, that/ the Island of Motuara, Queen Charlitte Sound, be vested in the Department of Agriculture for the purposes of breeding Angora goats. It was resolved' to recommend the Minister to change the purposes of the reserve from "public utility" to "stock reserve" and vest it in the Agricultural Department. The Moturoa Island is opposite Ship Cove, and has (says a Blenheim paper) interesting historical associations in that it is the spot on which Captain Cook hoisted the Union Jack and took possession of the South Island of New Zealand in the name of King George. It was on that occasion that the famous navigator drank a bottle of wine and with much ceremony presented the empty bottle to the chief of the onlooking Maoris. An inspector who was examining a class in a Roman Catholic school at Timaru the other day, received a reference to his moral character which- his virtues scarcely justified. "What is meant by 'close proximity?' " he enquired diligently ; but the tautological phrase was beyond the defining powers of the children. As last the examiner' leant over the shoulder of a little girl, and, nestling 'his head close to her face, blandishingly besought an answer to his question. ' Come, now," he said, "surely you can tell me the meaning of 'close proximity? 1 " The girl glanced apprehensively at a group of nuns standing near, and then murmured half apologetically, "Please, sir, the devil." Replying ,to the protest made by the Waitotara County Council and other bodies against the inclusion of- the Wanganui district ' in the area said , to be affected with blackleg, the Minister for Lands states that the question of the quarantined area was very carefully considered before a decision was arrived at, and that so far there has 'been no evidence adduced, which would lead the Government to alter its decision. "No quarantining system," adds the Minister, "can be adopted which will prevent hardship to a few, but I do not think there will bo any great hardship to any one within, the boundary. Had the movement of all cattle of whatever age been prohibited, there might have been some reason for objection, but seeing that it ia only cattle under eighteen months, there is not a great deal of ground for complaint. Should it be found later on that the disease can be confined to a smaller area than that now quarantined, the Order-in-Council can be, amended accordingly." Mr. Gtiruth, Government Veterinarian, is to address a meeting of farmers on the subject of "blackleg" next Saturday. Relating his impressions of the County Councils' Conference in Wellington, Mr. Haggart, Chairman of the Bruce County Council (says the Otago Daily Times) said at Tuesday's meeting of his Council that he had hoped to put County finance on a better basis and do away with the system of Government grants, having instead a subsidy on a sliding scale. The Premier, however, would have nothing to do with this, and wanted to slide it off altogether. (Laughter.) Talking about grants to North Island representatives was like failing a red rag before an Ayrshire bull; the members for tho North Island and the West Coast, particularly the latter, could not get along without the Government grant system, and probably Bruce, if it were in a like position, would be the same. The West Coast, so far as he could learn, got nearly £10,000 in grants. The most important consideration is pure and wholesome food. Defiance Butter, made only from selected cream, is pure, wholesome, and the best in the market.— Advt.. •

The Arbitration Court will sit in Masterton on Bth November, and in Dannevirke three days later. Six Chinese arrived in theicolony during September^. Tho departures were twenty. It is probable that the compensation case Gadsby v. Hutt River Board will be heard next Friday. A telegram was received this morn* ing by the Marine Department from tho Harbourmaster at Foxton stating that the steamer Himitangi, which w«n(, ashore near the mouth of the Manawatu River last week, has been floated off, and is now alongside the Foxton Wharf. She has sustained no damage. Among the Post and Telegraph announcements in the Gazette are the following: — Money Order Office and Savings Bank opened at Kilbirnie ; game and Post Office opened at Pirinoa (whence came the first news of the recent wreck at Palliser Bay). Telephone bureau opened at Weraroa. Cadettes appointed to Wellington Telephone Exchange: Mabel C. S. Corliss, Lily Foster, Clara E. Yon Keisenberg. At Mount Cook on Wednesday night the Wellington Navals mustered 82 for the usual weekly parade. The* new system by means of which the quick-firing men are trained to work the heavy guna and vice versa is working splendidly. The effect of the system is to increase the efficiency of each man, in that he ban a thorough knowledge— 'both theoretical and practical — of two distinct types of guns. The gunners show a marked keen, ness to adapt themselves to the altered conditions, and recruits are filled wtili enthusiasm. Wednesday evening's par. ade was devoted Jtf gunnery, v Sergeant Webb, R.N.Z.A., instructing the quickfiring detachments, and Bombardier Sawle, R.N.Z.A., the 8-inch. Five new recruits were sworn in, and one new member was proposed. Recruits who join before the end of the present month will, if they attend parade regularly, capitakA for the present year, and so rank as efficient Volunteers. Munt, Cottrell, and Co., general carriers, Customs and forwarding agents. Storage a speciality. Furniture packed and removed. Office ; Queen's Chambers. Telephone No. 23.— Advt. Furniture carefully packed, stored, and removed by experienced men ; special low rates. New Zealand Express Company, No. 20, Customhouse-quay. Telephone 92, — Advt. Afternoon Tea.— At C. Smith's, Cubastreet, ladies oen see the prettiest aworfc ment of pure linen afternoon tea dothe, hemstitched and embroidered; also a fen hundsome embroidered linen bedspreads, doyKee, and duchess runners, etc. Thes* goods a,re the beet value wo have yet seen, and sire confidently recommended. Bloase muslins, delainee, voiles, silks, etc., in great variety of design and colouring. Spots everywhere, but no spot bettor th«n our Cuba-street shop for a grand selection at moderate prices.— O. Smith.— Advt.