LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 111, 6 November 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

ox *} y x, one transfe r w as effected on the Stock Exchange to-day, and that was a parcel of Talismans at £2 Is The market for this scrip closed with buyers offering £2 Os 9d, and sellers holding for £2 Is 3d. ' Sales of Waihi G.M. scrip at £8 18s 6d and £8 19s were reported by brokers;- enquirers were, offering £8 18s to-day which was 2s 6d below the figure fixed by sellers. Big Rivers (cum dividend) were available for £1 17s 6d, but no bid went higher than £1 15s 6d. Sales' of Leyland-O'Brien Timber at £1 Is 6d, and Gear Meat (£4) at £9 15s, which was the price asked by sellers yesterday, were reported. 'Monday next (King's Birthday) will be observed as a close holiday by the Postal Department in all its branches. Country mails will close at the usual time by the early morning trains only. Mails by steamers sailing during the day will close at 7.30 a.m. To-morrow the letter-carriers will make a full afternoon delivery, closing at 1.45 p.m. ; aiso a delivery over the public counter at the Chief Post Office on Saturday evening from 8.30 to 9.30 p.m. The Wellington City Council has referred the grievance of Kilbirnie owners of property in connection with the tunnel rate to its Finance Committee for a report. An alarm of fire was sounded at Petone this morning, and the Brigade turned out, only to find that some palings in a fence near Adelaide-street had been on fire. The imported apples (2900 cases) condemned at Wellington because they are infected with the codlin moth, we're placed on board the Maheno for Syduey this afternoon. It is stated by the Wanganui Chronicle that Mr. Geo. Buckley has accepted the position of conductor of the City band, m place of Mr. F. L. Spurdle, •>vho has been connected with the band since us inception. The Education Department has decided to make 'a grant to Education Boards to assist in paying the cost of the inspection of private schools. The grant will be :— (a) £1 for each private school inspected ; (b) 6d for each pupil present at the time of the inspection. Mr. A. J. M'Curdy, the only candidate for one of the Mungaroa Ridin* seats m the Hutt County Gouncil, who has been addressine; meetings, spoke at Kaitoke on Wednesday night, and at Mungaroa last evening, meeting with a good reception at each place. A case brought by the Acclimatisation bociety against James Wark Cromwell, an assistant at the Porirua Asylum, charging him with killing and having in his possession quail out of season, was further adjourned before Mr. Riddell, S.M.. this morning. Evidenco a? to the possession of the quail was given by Frederick Charles Jacobs. Mt. Gray" prosecuted, aitd Mr. Blair appeared for the defendant. Mr. C. M. V Whittington, of Hawkes Bay, defeated Mr. . Gilbert Carson,the retiring member, for the vacant seat on the Committee of Advice of the Wellington Training College. Mr. Whifctington will represent the education districts outside the Middle University districts. Tirt) other members of the committee are Professor jßrown, of Victoria College ; the cnairman of the Wellington Education Board, and the Chief Inspector. For leaving a horse and venicle unattended in Victoria-street, Alfred Stokes was this morning fined by Mr. Eiddell, S.M., £2, with costs 7s j in default seven days' imprisonment. Ellen Anderson made no appearance to answer to a Charge of being found on the licensed premises of the Princess Theatre Hotel, and was fined a similar amount, with tho same alternative. Charles Enticott was convicted of disobedience of an order 'for the maintenance of his wife, and sentenced to 21 days' imprisonment, tho warrant to be suspended if the arrears, £11 ss, are paid off before the 10th November. Sidney Bell was fined 5s for failing to register the birth of a child, and was ordered also to pay court costs, 7s. Edward O'Sullivan, for insobriety, was fined 10s, and costs 7s, in default, ordered to undergo 48 hours' imprisonment. Yesterday afternoon Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald, a candidate for the Suburbs seat, interviewed the Hon. W. HallJones, Minister of Railways, with reference to the late train service between Wellington and Johnsonville. He pointed out that there was now a considerable population along the railway line between those two places, and he urged that the Government should arrange to continue the running of the late train (9.30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, . and 11.30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays) without requiring a guarantee from the .residents. This morning Mr. Fitzgerald received the following reply from Mr. Hall- Jones : "In reference to your interview with me regarding the running of a tTain from Wellington to Johnsonville, I have thought the matter over, but as the Manawatu line still belongs to and is worked by the company, we have no right to interfere in tho matter, and under the circumstances mentioned by you 1 think the wisest course would be for, the guarantors to renew the guarantee for the period for which the line remains in the hands of the company." The Government has appointed Captain F. T. Moore, Surgeon-Captain J. H. G. Robinson, and M. F. Beihune, to be trustees of the Johnsonville drillshed reserve.

• During fho September quarter th«r quantity of gold entered for export was 135,6260z, valued at £536,260, as compared with 155,2110z, valued at £621,-* 107, for the September quarter of 1907. It was reported at the meeting of the City Council last evening that the an* nual maintenance fee for fire brigade alarms of the city had been reduced by the Po9fc and Telegraph Department from £2 per mile to £1. ' At the meeting of the City Council , yesterday, Councillor Fisher asked fop information respecting' the cutting down of trees in the Botanical Gardens. The Mayor replied that some cutting had been done (but very slight) to make a line for the Kelburne drainage. .The annual general meeting of tha Wellington Stock Exchange was held in, the Chamber of Commerce yesterday. The annual report and balance-sheet as read were adopted. The election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows: — Chairman, Mr. L. H. B. Wik son ; vice-chairman, Mr. Wm. C. t Stephens ; • committee, Mfcssrs. S. C, Leary, E. Bucholz, J. M. Hume; audi* tor, Mr. H. Clifford Godden. v At the monthly meeting of the Convalescent Home Trustees, Mrs. Newman presided, and there were present Mesdames Brandon, Urady, Moorhouse, Barrpn (treasurer), and Misses Coates and G. Morrah (secretary). The matron reported that seven patients had been admitted to the Home during ' the month and ten discharged. Gifts were acknowledged from Mesdames Barron, Rotherham, Snaddon, and Wilson. Mr. Justice Cooper yesterday after* noon reserved his decision in the caseStafford and Treadwell, solicitors, Wol. ington, and the old Hutt Park Racecourse Board v. the new corporate body, • the Hutt Park Committee. This was * matter relating to certain costs which, the board had incurred. His Honour also reserved 1 judgment in the case. George Johnson (appellant) v. M'Leod, Weir, and Hopkirk (respondents), a matter concerning a house at Kilbirnie and the claims of certain lien-holders. Bonfires blkzed on the Town Belt and in a few private gardens last night in celebration of the sbh November. The firework displays were of an individualistic sort — here and there a ' rocket, and' crackers all over the place banged, hissed, and spluttered around the fires. At Wonderland a good old-fashioned guy was destroyed in the » presence of a large crowd of sightseers. There was no set firework display, but the guy was stuffed full of explosives, and there was great prodigality of crackers and squibs about the grounds. "Possibly," writes "Anxious Householder," the Reserves Committee enjoyed the spectacle of the bonfires on the Town Belt last night, for the youngi sters did consume a quantity of rubbish.. But how much damage did the young people do as well? How many of the new shrubs, about which the committee boasts, were scorched or trampled down? In some cases the individuals set flames going close to the houses just on the Town Belt boundary, and made the inhabitants wish a long journey to the dishonourers of Guy Fawkes and all their works and pomps." Industries are to invade The Terrace, which has hitherto been sacred to priTate residence. Its proximity to the heart of the city, however, makes land in the locality of great value. Now Mr. Wm. Wiggins proposes to have erected a large four-story brick building on the Terrace for the housing of his growing saddlery business. The front will be in stucco and the site measures 94- feet by 40 feet. There will be offices on the ground floor, and a saddle-room on the first floor. The upper 'floors will be used for stora-ge and manufacturing purposes. The architects are Messrs. ' Crichton and M'Kay. A remand to Wednesday was granted this morning by Mr. Riddell, S.M., in the case of James Reid, charged with assaulting and robbing Thomas Martin of a gun-metal watch and rolled gold chain, a handkerchief, a pocket knife, a pound note, and a penny. The same course was adopted in the case of Robert Musgrove Blackwell, who pleaded not guilty to stealing £2, the properly o£ Crozier Graham. James M'Ginley pleaded guilty to disorderly behaviour, in the Theatre Royal, and was fined £2, with the alternative of seven days' imprisonment. Two first offenders for insobriety were fined 10s, and two ss, with the alternative of twenty-four hours in gaol. Mr. George George, director of technical education, Auckland, who arrived by the Corinthic from England, is a firm believer in day-light saving. He was much impressed with the proposal when it was discussed in England, and 1 . saw at once the advantage of it. All it meant was putting the clock *on a couple of hours in the* summer. Thia would give a greater poition of daylight for recreative or working purposes. When it was really only three o'clock the clock would show five. In England, with its long twilights, this would be a great boon to cricketers and others ; but it would be much more advantageous to New Zealanders, whose daylight in summer is, not so long as in the northern lands. Mr. George intends to bring the matter under the notice of the Government of the Dominion. The sub.,, ject is not, of course, a new one here. "I regret I cannot, see my way clear to extend limit* any further than has bee>n done, as the. danger is too great unk-ss the ship is properly equipped." Thih is the answer of the Minister for Marine (Hon. J. A. Millar) to the Deep Sea Angling Club's request for permission to take the tug Duco outside the Heads for fishing excursions. Before the Duco could go on a fishing excursion outsid© she would be required by law ,to be "found" as a- coaster, and it was to get over thia difficulty that an appeal was made to the Minister. Mr. Millar added in his letter that similar applications had been made in Auck-i land, and had been declined, unless the ship made provision for necessary lifesaving appliances and otherwise complies with tht> regalations, as had been done in the case of Aiiokland vessels. If the owners of the Duco liked co tnaks the necessary provision there would b« no objection. Litigation regarding the sale of the Waitotara Hotel was settled before Mr. Justice Cooper to-day. The question involved was whether Macdonald, Wilson and Co., Wellington, or Ross and Greenfield, Masterton, were entitled to the whole commission on the sale of the pioperty, which at the time belonged to G. D. M'Kenzie. Two appeals against the decision of Dr. M 'Arthur, S.M., arose_ out of the matter. They came on for hearing last week, but were adjourned at the suggestion of his Honour to_ enable the parties to arrive at a possible settlement. To-day Mr. Myers, for M'Kenzie, intimated that the two firms of commission agents had acippted his Honour's suggestion of dividing the, commission. The case was thereupon struck out. Mr. Bolton, ab the hearing, appeared for Maodonald, Wilson and Co., and Mr. Gray for Rosa and Greenfield.