LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 123, 25 May 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Evening Post special sports edition, issued on Saturday evening, was in great demand. The edition contained a report of the British-Wairarapa football match, with comments thereon, de scriptions of the local hockey and football matches, and special reports of the Wanganui Steeplechase and other sports fixtures. Papers were sent by motor-car to Petone, Lower Hutt, and Upper Hutt, and the publishing office had a busy time in meeting the demand for copies of the paper. Considerable interest is being taken in the allocation of the two gold medals presented by the proprietors of The Post for the best forward and back respectively in the Wellington team in next Wednesday's match. The matter will be decided by public vote. Th* sittings of the Supreme Court at Blenheim have been postponed from 10th to 15th Jane, when, Mr. Justice Chapman will preside. The public examination in bankruptcy o* E. J. Searle, restaurateur, was opened this morning by the registrar (Mr. £>. G. A. Cooper), but was adjourned untii Monday next, at 2 ,j.m.. in order that the official assignee (Mr. A. Simpson;" might file papers concerning the conduct of the bankrupt, and on other matters/ with which he might think the cours should be acquainted. Pressmen were well content with the arrangements made for their comfort a 8 Masterton in connection with the opening match of the British Rugby team. They had a long line of tables — room for about twenty writers — not far from the field. They could see and work cosily. Men who had taken notes on many a ground in various parts of New Zealand, said that .aever before had they been so well pleased with the place allotted them. Members of the British team who were not taking part in the day's match sat amongst the newspaper men and greatly assisted tnem by identifying players who were prominent in various incidents of tho game. In the course of an interview with a representative of the Poverty Bay Herald, Mr. W. Pryor, secretary of tho New Zealand Employers' Federation, referring to the Blackball strike, said the federation had taken considerable part in the matter. The advisory board had offered to pay the Blackball Company's expenses if they would institute proceedings for aiding and abetting by unions. They had considered the legal opinion obtained was not a right one, and had obtaind one from Mr. C. E. Skerrett, K.C., which was exactly opposite to that obtained by the Government. "In a few days," added Mr. Pryor, "I will know what is to be done in the mptter. as 1 Rm. flat auito su«^eW-

The Customs revenue and beer duty collected at Wellington last week totalled £18,493 19s 7d and £400 18s respect- ■ ively. In comparison last year's figures were £] 0,916 10s 7d apd £159 12b ra. spectively. The Canterbury correspondent of the Farmers' Union Advocate, writing in the last issue of that journal, says : — "What this country wants more than anything else just now is an influx of about 10,000 good farm workers." Mr. Joseph Curtis was to-day excused by Mr. Justice Chapman from service on the jury owing to his being over 60 years of age. Mr. A. M. Gow was also excused. Mr. Blair read a doctor's certificate stating that Mr. Gow was suffer* ing from influenza and was unable to attend court. About 26,000 acres of land on the banks of the Wanganui River have been reserved by the Government for scenio purposes. This decision waa come to on Saturday, in view of the rapid development of settlement in the Wanganui district. The famous bush in the Tipi-riki-Kaetihi-road has been already r&. served It jb stated that there are no rabbit* on the Chatham Islands. Two skeletons of rabbits haves been found, but it is thought that they are the remains of pets. Pigs and cattle, apparently, are the only wild animals on tha islands (says the Lyttelton Times). Tha pigs eat the young lambs and the cattl© destroy some of the vegetation. Thomas Murphy, a seaman belonging to the Cobar, slipped while crossing Manners-street on Saturday night, and fell across the tramline. The motorman of an approaching car had just time to pull up and prevent a serious accident. Murphy, however, was struck by the car and was removed to the Hospital later. The injuries are not Berious. The Premier has written to the Mayor of Wellington conveying his appreciation of the work done by the City Fire Brigade at the fire in the Post Office block on Friday night. Mr. J. O'Brien had a floating insurance of £200 on his stock of horse-feed, harness, etc., the greater, portion of which was destroyed by the fire. Some of the people who had furniture stored in O'Brien's premises had individual risks on their property. The Union Company still complains about the delay in the despatch of its vessels caused by shortage of trucks. The Railway Department told a Post representative on Friday that only a slight delay had occurred, and 1 that the difficulty had been overcome. This tha company states to be erroneous. TVo of its colliers, viz., the Kittawa and Koromiko, were on Saturday waiting upon the rolling-stock. Furthermore, it alleges that if berthage accommodation, had been available for th© Otterburn the department would ha,v« been, hopelessly incapable of coping with tha traffic. y The Hon. T. K. Macdonald will move at the meeting of the Harbour Board next Thursday, "That the acting-engin. eer be instructed to prepare a scheme by which the "P" store can be converted into effective offices for the use of th« board's clerical staff and officers and the members of the board." At the sams meeting the board will consider Mr. F. G. Bolton's motion (adjourned from tha April meeting), "That steps be taken to insure the buildings of the board against damage by earthquake and fire resulting from earthquake, such insurance to be effected locally if at satisfactory rates, and, if not, in London at Lloyds." Romano's to Friday next were granted by Mr. Eiddell, S.SL, this morning in the cases of Frank Evans, charged with assaulting Francis Newman, and %Tohn, Walsh, charged with being the putative father of an illegitimate child. Bail in, the first case was allowed in the sum of £20, and one surety of £20 or two of £10; in the second case, £25 and one surety of £25. For indecency, Thos., Lester was fined £5 and witness's expenses sa, or in default ordered to nn« dergo 21 days' imprisonment. For insobriety, Charles Lawri© and three first offenders were fined 10s, one first of •« fender ss, with corresponding defaults in each case. Two first offenders were convicted and discharged. Students and missions were the prlncipal features of Miss Rouse's address to students at Victoria College on Saturday, and to lady students at their hostel on Sunday afternoon. In 1893 seven students from Cambridge joined tho China Inland Mission, being the first of the students' volunteer movement which, had since placed a great number of men in the field. The Students' Christian Federation was formed, and its work, according to Miss Rouse, had resulted in an incalculable amount of good among students of all nationalities, and latterly it had been working with great success among Chinese students, it being recognised that the time may come whea China will exclude all foreign influence, and so close the door to"" evangelisation of the Empire from without. It has (remarks the Sydney Morning Herald) long been recognised that any. thing ia possible in a demooracyi Qtis the. South Sea Islands, and each mail still brings vivid descriptions of exciting scenes and thrilling tales of adventure. The latest story is one concerning a shark of gigantic dimensions, and a trio, of unsuspecting natives. la tha coursa of a letter, brought by, the German steamer Langeoog, which reached Brisbane on Saturday, a prominent resident of New Britain tells his friends in Sydney that a few weeks ago a party of Germans succeeded with great difficulty) in capturing a shark measuring 33ft in. Matupi Harbour. Tho monster was eventually landed on the beach, and th» entire population turned out to witness, the operation of dissection. A cry ot horror rent the air when the well-pre-served bodies of three adult natives wore extracted from the interior of the Wo fish, and the women fled. It is declared that the shark swallowed the tneft whole-r-probably one at a, time," The problem of over-crowding ot tramcars has of late years become us acute one in Sydney, as all suburban, dwellers who travel to the city daily «r& aware (says the Syflney Telegraph). Bufr the problem is not by any means confined to Sydney, and similar trouble is ex* periencod in almost every large city ths world over. In several plaoas attempt* have been made to solve iae problem by regulations providing thaft no car shall carry more than a certain number, name* ly, its complement of seated? passengers, but after a little practical expenenco this experiment proved a failure, and the same fight for places continues to this day. In this fight for places tha question of the sexes also crops up, and this seems at present to be exorcising the minds of the tramway authorities both in London and Now York. It is stated that in both these cities schemes have been proposed that separate cars for women only sljould bo run during the "rush" hours. It is doubtful, how* ever, in the opinion of local authorities, if such a scheme will succeed. If tha experiment alluded. to is tried in Now York and London, it will bo watched with Interest. The probability is, to judge by the experience in New South Wales of reserved compartmonts lor ladies on railway trains, that if a tramcar were set apart) for ladfes they would not show any anxiety to travel ia them. Tho presence of the male box in the other cars, it is said, BtiU seeing to have an attraction. Yokohama Silks, 54in wide in navy, golden brown, sky-blue, pink, ivory, bronze, at 3s lid. Suitable for street, or evening wear. Kirkcaldie and Stains, I*i»4ted.— Adxt.