LOCAL AMD GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 148, 22 December 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AMD GENERAL

At the Stock Exchange to-day, sales of Union Steam at £1 16s 6d and Talisman at £2 2s f)d were reported. In the investment section Wellington Gas ±55 10s paid were enquired for at the higher rate of £11 Us, without sellersbeing induced to declare. Buyers of Manawatu Rails offered the ' improved price of £2 13s, but there were no sellers below £2 14s 6d. Waihi quotations were virtually unchanged at £8 16s buyer, £8 18s seller. The .Exchange has received notification that a cable has been sent to the London office of tho Talisman, reading as follows :—: — "Number 11 level, south, progress 20 feet; number 12 level, south, progress 31 feet.' The regular through daily service on the North Island Main Trunk Railway will commence iv February. The train vwll leave Wellington about 11.30 a.m., and Auckland about 3.30 p.m. The undermentioned hours will be observed at the Wellington Telegraph office on Friday and Saturday next, Christmas Day and Boxing Day :— Christmas Day, 9.30 to 10 a.m. and 5 to 5.30 p.m. Boxing Day, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The telephone exchange will be open continuously, and there will be the midnight cable service as usual. Special attention is drawn to the alteration in the closing hour on Boxing Day, 10 p.m. instead of midnight, as has been customary. The postal authorities advise that the Maheno, which left Sydney on Saturday for Wellington, has on board an Australian mail which is due here early tomorrow. The Sefton, which left San Francisco on the 18th December, 1908, for Auckland with American mails, ib due hero about the 13th January, 1909. Aboard the R.M.S. Tainui, due at Wellington next week from London, are 455 passengers for various parts of tho Dominion. Of there 38 are travelling first saloon, 80 second, and 337 in the third-class. There arc 146 booked to Wellington, 71 for Auckland, 82 for Lyttelton, 48 for Dunedin, 38 for Napier, 16 each for Gisborne and Timaru, 11 for Picton, 7 for Westport, 5 for Bluff, 4 for New Plymouth, 2 each for Wanganui and Greymouth, and 1 for Oamaru. The establishment of Kirkcaldie and Stains, Ltd., will be open all day tomorrow, and Father Christmas will visit Toyland at 3 p.m. All children aro invited. — Advt, J

At a public meeting at Napier last night it was decided to hold musical and elocutionary contests annually in that town. The Pope has informed Bishop Grimes that all Roman Catholics have been dis- j pensed from the obligation of abstinence on New Year's Day, which this year falls on a Friday (advises a Press Association message from Christchurch). The Marlborough Press states that the traffic just now between Wellington and Picton, and vice versa, appears to be very heavy, and that it is a pity the Union Company have no larger boat than the Penguin available for the comfort and convenience of passengers. With the near approach of Christmas, the Press adds, it is only due to the public that a daily boat should be pressed into service between Picton and the Empire City." -Another exemplification from the Wanaganai Herald^ of the length of the Law's metaphorical arm. Detective Quirke arrested Robert Parkes, a bookmaker, at Woodville, on Thursday, in connection with a charge of illegal betting on the New Plymouth racecourse on 26th December, 1906. Parkes was fined on that occasion in sums totalling £34 ss, which had remained unpaid for nearly two years. Shortly after the arrest Parkes's friends paid the amount of the fines, and he was released. The quarterly meeting of the Hibernian Society, St. Patrick's branch, took place last evening, Bro. J. W. Callaghan, the president, occupying the chair. The nominations for officers for the ensuing half-year were received, and a strong committee was formed to celebrate next St. Patrick's Day in an appropriate manner. The visiting members from Christchurch (Bro. G. J. Sellars, P.D.P.j, Greymouth (Bro. Burke), Dunedin (Bro. Clancy), Newtown (Bro. J. L. Murphy) were also present, and addressed tho meeting. The night's takings amounted to £65. At the breaking up of the Feilding Convent School, Father O'Meara, who presented the prizes, made eulogistic reference to the valuable services rendered by the Sisters who had worked under great disadvantage in the old building. Through the generosity of the late Hon. Walter Johnston's family, the handsome new school just erected would be available after the holidays. The rev. father stated that it was the wish of Mrs. Johnston that the school, which was erected at a cost of £3000 to the memory of her late husband, should be occupied as soon as furnished, as she would not return from Europe till March. Emulating the exploits of some intrepid hero of a tale of adventure, two little boys, rged respectively 9 and 10, took a cadet rifle, ammunition, two magnets, and a chevron from the Mount Cook School and went on the hills of Brooklyn to shoot. In pursuit of big game they took pot shots at dogs, ducks, and other domestic animals. When a stray bullet whizzed through a back door of it house it became clear that there was danger to man as well as to beast, and the juvenile hunters were brought down from the wilds to Lamb-ton-quay. Dr. M'Arthur, S.M., gave them some sound advice this morning about restraining -their ardour for the quarry, and left the rest to their parents. R. Arnst, professional champion scull ci* of the world, reached Wellington last night, frcm Wanganui, en route to his home at Tai Tapu, Canterbury. His future movements are uncertain, but he i has no intention of going to Australia for at least a little time to come. He has an idea of giving exhibitions of rowing in the various cities in New Zealand. Nothing has been settled yet as to the match wi,,h Barry, for the championship of the world, to be rowed on the Thames Arnst is willing to go, but he wants good terms. Arnst laughs at the suggestion that he meditates an entry into the pugilistic prizering, and declares that he has no serious thought of the matter. The postal authorities have decided on a new system that will operate as a further check on forgery on Government Savings Bank accounts. At present a depositor is required to hand his book (with signature, written on the front page) to a clerk before he can obtain a withdrawal slip. It has now been decided to keep the record r.[ signatures on the card system. While a depositor's name will be written in his book it will not necessarily be his signature, and if the book should be lost or stolen the rightful owner would not run the risk of his signature being copied. On Ist January next the card system will operate at several offices — Christchurch, Palmerston North, Wanganui, Napier, Gisborne, and Nelson— but it is not likely that it will be applied to Wellington until the new post office is erected. Edward Carney and John Ralley, two labouring men, who said they had come down to town from Martinborough for a holiday, were charged before Dr. M'Arthur, S.M.,this morning with being idle and disorderly persons, in having insufficient lawful means of support. From , the statement of Station-Sergt. Darby, it appeared that the pair had been discovered camping out in the Kilbirnie reserve at night. They had spent all their money, and had not paid for their board and lodging at the place where they had been staying. Yesterday they got a free ticket from the Railway Maintenance Department to go to Cross Creek, but had not gone. The department refused to have anything more to do with them. Both men bore bad characters. His Worship sentenced them each to fourteen days' imprisonment with hard labour. At a meeting of the Wellington Land Board yesterday, the commissioner (Mr. James Mackenzie) announced that ten per cent, rebate would now be allowed on all holdings that were entitled to receive it for prompt payment on rents. Tho commissioner seated that this practice was followed in the other districts of which he had charge (Taranaki and Wellington), and although the settlers in the Wellington distiict \yere doing well there seemed no reason why they should not bo placed on the same footing as "those in other districts. The tvatler was, however, one for arrangement between the commissioner and the Receiver of Inland Revenue, according to the Act, and he (Mr. Mackenzie) had seen the receiver on the matter, and he had concurred. Wellington seti tiers have hitherto received 5 per cent, lebate Speaking to an Auckland Star reporter oi the progress which hns been i made m the King Country and all along the Main Trunk line, Mr. Jennings, M.P., said the change which is being wrought is simply amazing. Everyv.heie the land is being subdivided and converted into splendid grazing country. At Ohura the gra # ss lands ara wonderfully fine, and one property formerly owned by Mr. W. Williams, is now stated to bo carrying 4^ sheep to the acre. This, •ho says, will come as a \ surprise to many, but it is indicative of the splendid season which has been experienced. The stock are .looking ex- I ccllent, and everywhere the conditions are -U their' best. Right through the Ring Country dairy factories arc springing up everywhere. A large cheese fac- j tory has been installed at Rangataua, and a big dairy factory at Kawhi.i. The reading of the King Country at last seems to bo Hearing some satisfactory "conclusion, and everywhere during his recent comprehensive tour of the huge Taumarunui electorate he found the settlors in great heatt.

TII3 Native Land Commission is busily engaged preparing its final >;eports, which will be presented to hia Excellency the Governor before the end of the year. The Government has decided to extend the suburban railway rates to Jbhnsonville from the 3rd of January, and to issue workers 2s weekly tickets from Johnsonville to Wellington on and after the same date. During the Christmas vacation tha session's, of the Magistrate's Court will begin at 9 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. as usual. Krom to-morrow to the 2nd January Justices of the Peace will sit on the Bench. On Christmas Day the court will not sit. The Sumner Borough Council has decided to support the Petone Borough's efforts to have the law amended so as to make unoccupied land that has been acquired by the Government for workmen's homes subject to the same local rating as private property. Applications are being invited by the Council of Defence from officers of the Now Zealand Defence Forces, who are desirous of proceeding to England to undergo a twelve months' course of military instruction, as a preparation for a subsequent appointment -to tha New Zealand Instructional Staff. A military court of enquiry, consisting of Captain Turner, Captain Ross, and Lieutenant and Adjutant P. iJrandon, has been set up to enquire into the circumstances under which » hnrse belonging to Trooper Woods was lulled recently .at the Hutt Park, during the progress -of the Heretaun{ a Mounted Rifles sports. There were three applicants at the District Lands Office to-day for the sections on renewable lease in the ; Hawtrey Settlement, JohriEonvillo. Those who took up sections were : T. Lynch, Section 2, Block 111., 7#7 # acres 3 roods 20 perches, capital value £420 ; J. Connor, Section 21, Block 111., 2 roods 75 perches, capital value, £150 ; W. Walker, Section 1, Block 11., 3 roods 5 porches, capita) value, £80. At a meeting of the Land Board yesterday, the Under-Seeretary for Land's wrote concerning a portion of the derelict land adjoining the Pitt Settlement, Low-iv Hutt, being brought under section 79 of the Land for Settlement Act, 1908. The board lesolved that, as the land lef erred to was practically of tha same class ami quality as that m tho Pitfc Settlement, it was desirable thai it should be dealt with under the Lands for Settlement Act. Various matters ol routine were dealt with. There were four applicants for three workers' homes at Petone to-day. Tho ballot was held at the District Land Office, and resulted as follows : — Section. 9, Iden Gobee ; Section 11, W. L. Smith ; Section 13, M. E. J. Gartner. The sec tions have each 40 feet frontage to Patrick-street, and contain an area of 14.7 perches. The rents are at the rate of £2 14s 6d per month for a lease of 50 years, and include amounts paj'able for fire insurance and local rates, but there are other modes of acquiring th» freehold open to lessees. Messrs. Harconrt and Co. offered three properties for sale, by public auction, yesterday afternoon, but bidding wan slack. A business site in Mansfieldstreet, Newtown, 48fl 9in by 90ft, waa withdrawn at £17 10s per foot. The equity of redemption in the residue of; a lease of a building site in Revansstreet, with premises thereon known as the Star Foundry — also the equity of redemption of engineering plant— was knocked down to Mr. Atkinson, £>s agent, at £1000. A house and land at Karori was put up, but no bid was elicited. / The fire 'brigade turned out at 5.13 last evening to suppress an outbreak ia the Empire Buildings (owned by Mr. Martin Kennedy), Adelaide-road. The portion of the building damaged was occupied by C. Harris and Co., Ltd., cabinet makers. The first floor suffered considerably, and the rest of the building was damaged_Jjy fire and water. Thero was a policy of £200 on the building in the United Office, and the contents wore insured for £1200 in the Atlas office and £300 in the Australian Alliance office. The New Zealand Express Co., 89 ! Customhouse-quay, pack, store, and remove furniture at specially low rates. Only careful, competent men employed. Goods sent to any part of the world. Tel. 1333.— Advt. Wanganui residents are doubtless rogretting tho defeat of thoir champion, and many people in other centres the loss of their cash Over the samp event. Inhobi* tants of the Wellington district can easily obtain compensation for their misfortune* by visiting the store of C. Smith, Ltd., Cuba-«treet, wherp they will find a special lino of ladies' kid g-lovra in pastel beavor and brown shades, at 2s lid per pair.-« Advt.