LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 102, 1 May 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

At the second meeting of the Exchange yesterday sales were reported of Grand Junction at £1 14s 3d, and Sharlands, both issues, at £1 Is. At today's call, Wellington Gas, new issue, were the medium of business at a premium of £1 3s. In the mining section, the transfers were : Talismans, £2 7s 6d: Grand Junction £1 Ms 6d and £1 14s 3d; and Watchman, 8d and 9d. Quotations : National Bank, £5 7s (la), £5 8s {s); New Zealand, £8 19 (b), £9 Is 6d (s) ; Trust aud Agency, lls 3d (b), lls 9d (s) j Trust and Loan, £7 2s (s) ; Deposit and Mortgage, 8s 6d (1>), 8s 9d (s), cum div. ; Wellington Gas, £1 2s 6d (b), premium jiew issue ; South British, £2 8s 6d (s) ; Gear Meat, £10 (b), £2 lls (b); Wellington Meat, £3 Is 6d (s) ; Union Steam, £1 15s 6d (s) ; Westport-Stockton, 8s 9d (s) ; Kauri Timber, 14s 9d (b), 15s (s) ; New Zealand Drug, £2 6s 9d (s) ; New Zealand Portland Cement, £2 0s 6d (b) ; Sharland, ord. and pref., £1 0s 6d (b), cum div. ; Big River, £2 19s (b) ; Consol Gold, 14s (b), 14s 6d (s); Tairua Broken Hills, Is 7d (b), Is 9d (si; Talisman, £2 7s 6d (b), £2 7s 9d (s) ; Gran,d Junction, £1 14s (b), £1 14s 3d (s); Waihi, £9 Is (b), £9 2s 6d (s) ; Waitangi, 4s 3d (b), 4s 4d (s) ; Watch man, 7d (b), 9d (s) ; Keep-it-Dark, £1 7s 6d (s). For reference and elucidation, ; the Labour Department is now issuing, in book form, two succinei) digests of decisions and inteajpisetetionis by the courte relating to tbe Woiijers' Compensation Act antl the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. The former . volume is a summary of workers' compensation cases for the years 1901 tD 1907, inclusive. It is the compilation of Mr. P. Levi, M.A, The other volume, dealing with the whole of tb& cases taken before the Court of Arbitration, has been prepared by Mr. D. M. Findlay. As most of the volumes of awards are now out of print, the digest should prove extremely useful. The Labour Department also publish volume IX. of "Awards, Recommendations, and Agreements," under the Arbitration Act. With its 900 pages, it coyers the whole of the year 1908. A warning was given by Mr. Riddell, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court to-day to Ernest Sergeant and Frank M'Avoy, two hoys over sixteen years of age, who came bef ore him on a charge of having stolen a horse-collar, valued at 16s, the property of Charles Bethell. Sergeant Darby stated that the accused came across the collar under informant's house. Sergeant carried it home, and subsequently the pair disposed of it for half-a-crown to a second-hand dealer. His Worship told the lads that if they had been juvenile offenders he would have ordered the simple remedy of a birching. He impressed upon them the fact that if_they persisted in evil ways they would make many more appearances in court. An opportunity would be given them to reform, but they could not look for another chance. They would be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. The horse-collar is to be returned to the owner, and Sergeant was ordered to' repay the half-crown. Yesterday evening, at 5.20 o'clockj a fire broke out on the first floor in Howden's Buildings, Victoria-street, in rooms occupied by Messrs. M'Donald and Co., manufacturers' agents. The fire apparently began on one of several wooden benches, the bench and its contents — some muslin goods — being damaged. Stock on the same floor was damaged by heat, smoke, and water. A billiard-room underneath, occupied by Mr. John Reid, was also slightly damaged. Two of the tables were damaged with water. The contents in the room were insured for £515 in the Royal Exchange office. Messrs.M'Donald and Co.'s stock was covered by a policy of £5775 in the Royal Exchange. The brigade also received a call to an outbreak in an eleven-roomed house in Kensington-street at 7.44 p.m. The origin of the fire, which started in a bedroom occupied by a man named Mitchell, who was absent at the time, cannot be accounted for. The brigade confined the blaze to the bedroom, though the rest of the house was damaged by smoke. The building, which is owned by Mr. Robert Martin, and occupied by Mrs. Elizabeth Onyon, is insured in tho London and Lancashire for £1000, and the furniture in the South British for £360.

The Sunday train to Otaki having been discontinued, the connecting trams will not run. Other alterations in the running of Sunday traffic are advertised by the Town Clerk. While the training-ship Amokura was at Russell she was visited by his Excel' lency the Governor, who, says the Auckland Herald, expressed his pleasure afc the capital manner in which the boys went through' their drill. At the end of the Auckland Liberal and Labour 'Federation's meeting on Wednesday, the chairman observed : "I will rlose the meeting, and suggest thatws shall go into committee, with the object of asking a few of our friends to address us, with a view ,to instilling a little more enthusiasm into us than we have displayed in the past." Mr. R. Boeufve, French Consul in, New Zealand, has informed Mr, Carroll,' secretary of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, that the city of Nbumea, New Caledonia, is proposing to instal gas and electric light for street-lighting and other purposes. It is desired that New Zealand should haye opportunities of tendering equally with other countries. Margaret Patteson, for insobriety, was convicted and fined £1, in default forty-, eight hours' imprisonment, at the S.M. Court to-day. Wm. Moiyison, for in-, decency at the Queen's Statue yesterday., was sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment, with hard labour.- A young man— Henry John Scott— charged witg theft, at Lyttelton, of a rug, a felt hat, a shirt, and three collars, valued at 30s, the property of James A. Preston, wai remanded until Monday. The complete results of the motorcycle trial to Waikanae and back have been published. The distance was 84 miles, and there was considerable hiHclimbing to be done, besides varieties of roads to test the machines. .The official csults are as follow : — Private owners : J. C. Bidwill, 2-h.p. Mountaineer, 1; R. N. Barton, I^-h.p. Motosoeoche, 2; J. Jamieson, 3£-h.p, Triumph, 3. Open, to all classes : L. A. Edwards, 2-h.p. Mountaineer, 1; N. S. Hyslop, 3i-h.p. Triumph, 2; A. Beken, 3£-h.p. Triumph, 3. Winner of hifl climb : J. C. Brenin, 2-h.p. Mountaineer. Dr. Gibb has received an annual contribution of £150. from an anonymous giver for the Church Extension Fund. The donor has written to.Dr. Gibb, stating that "ever since reading your recent appeal in the Outlook regarding the Home Mission needs of the North. Island, I have been considering the matter of a response. I think the recent development in foreign mission activity should be balanced by a similar movement on the Home Mission side, if progress is to be foursquare." The writer adds that he proposes to donate to the funds £150, concluding "Although I do not promise it as a yearly subscription* it is my intention so to continue it." Mr. F. T. Moore writes complaining that there is apparently a railway regulation "which forbids stewards of din-ing-cars allowing passengers to carry a cup of tea or coffee from the dining-cap to a fellow passenger on another part of the train. One day last week," he continues, *an invalid lady, who was unable to walk through the train to the dining-car on the Main Trunk line, asked me to bring her a cup of coffee, but I was refused permission by the stewards, who were too busy to convey the refreshment themselves for upwards of an hour after it was wanted." The omcial reply is to the effect that the waiters are required in the dining-car from 11.45 a.m. until 2.30 pan. They cannot leave the dining-car while people require attendance there, and the utensils are all required in the dining-car when the meal is being served. "Although Industries Week is hardly yet in full swing," stated Thursday's Lyttelton Times, "there are at present over seventy firms in the central part of the city making exhibitions of New Zea-land-made goods. When it is remembered that one of these firms has twenty windows, another seventeen, and several five or six, it is apparent that the display is, on the whole a very creditable one. The trades represented in the displays are varied and numerous, the exhibits including soft goods, leather goods, brushware, tweeds, flannels, clothing of all descriptions, stationery, bicycles, boots, furniture, tinware, patent medicines, umbrellas, kitchen ranges, paint, biscuits, tinned meat, tanned fruit and confectionery. The good effects of the Industrial Association's prize essay competition are to be seen in the parties of school children that are visiting the various shops and factories, and energetically taking notes of everything they see." Mr. Cecil W. Palmer, secretary of the Wellington Navy League, wrote today to Admiral Sir R. Poore asking whether one of the larger ships of the Australian Squadron is likely to he at this port during July or August, or the latter part of June. The local branch of the Navy League proposes to hold its annual meeting at some time during the months mentioned, and it is desired to fix the date so as to secure, if practicable, the presence of representatives of H.M. senior service at the function. Mr. Palmer added : — "If possible, we should also like to have one or two items' of a naval character, which, together with patriotic songs by a massed chorus of juvenile members of the league, might make up a short programme to follow the business part of the gathering. I may say that the boys and girls of some newly organised school branches of the league are eagerly enquiring as to when they may have an opportunity of visiting one of H.M. ships." '"I got a splendid insight into the condition of the municipal roll while I was acting as poll clerk," said a ratepayer to a Post reporter yesterday. "There are between 30,000 and 31,000 names on the roll," he added, "and I would almost bet all I own that the real number is not much over 16,000." And he gave some typical instances. There was a relation of his who had been dead for years. He was still on the roll, and in two places. The relative's widow had been dead for more than a year, but, according to the roll, she was still ' entitled to vote. There was another case, of a young man, not yet twenty years of age, whose name has appeared on the roll for the past four years. Also he came across several instances in which a man's name appeared on the list twice running, sucff a 5 —19736, William Snooks, scissorsgrinder, Burnell-ayenue ; 19737, William Snooks, scissors-grinder, Burnell-avpnue. The roll, he declared, was a conglomeration of absurdities, and he wanted to know this : The Trades and Labour Council set itself the task of getting 10 per cent of the people on the roll to sign a petition asking for a poll on tho question of the Saturday half-holidr.y: It was, he remarked, almost a hopeless task, seeing that about 20 per cent, of the people on tbe roll are dead and 10 or 15 per cent, are duplicated. Finally, he gave his own case. He had been living beyond the city boundaries for ! seven or , eight years, but every year his name and that of his wife appeared on j the roll. Before this election he convinced the authorities that he and hia wife had no right there, and they kindly struck the names out. Children's velveteen pinafore frocko, in green, navy, and brown, with cream nun's veiling yokes and sleeves, at 13s 6d to 23s 6d. Kirkcaldio and Stains, Ltd. ! — Aftvf ' i

The Hocken wing attached to the Dunedin Museum will be opened in October. A Council of Conciliation on the slaughtermen's dispute will be held shortly in New Plymouth. The sitting will be presided over by Mr. T. Harlo Giles, Conciliation Commissioner, of Auckland. A return of the Customs dues collected at Wellington during the month of April shows a total revenue of £54,053 9s sd, of which £1262 15s 6d was beer duty. The figures for the corresponding month of last year were £55,517 14s lOd and £1248 18s lOd respectively. A young Seadown farmer, -who was cast "in £200 damages for breach of promise of marriage, offered £100 in settlement, but his offer was refused. He has therefore filed a petition in bankruptcy. His assets are now in the hands of the bailiff, and, says the Christchurcli Press, ifc is not expected that they will realise £200. The District Healtii Officer (Dr. Frengley) reports that the following cases of infectious diseases have been reported for the week ending to-day :—: — In the city : scarlet fever, I,• tuberculosis, 2; diphtheria} 2. Onslow Borough : Scarlet fever, 1. Petone Borough : Scarlet fever, 1.; tuberculosis, 1. Hutt County : Diphtheria, 1. t Tho proposed night-signalling at the lighthouses, as suggested by the local branch of the Navy League, is, we understand, receiving favourable considerable consideration by the Marine Department. The various harbour boards m New Zealand are being asked by the League to co-operate in the movement, and the Wellington Harbour Board has already fallen in with the suggestion. Satisfactory arrangements have now been made for the accommodation of natives who wish to attend sittings of the Native Land Court at Wanganui, and in future regular sittings wilPbe hpld there, as was formerly the case. The matter was yesterday brought under the notice of Chief Judge Palmer, who stated that the people of Wanganui would assist in keeping the natives' camping ground clean. A man on the Moana suddenly discovered as the vessel was leaving for Sydney that he had made a serious mistake. The steamer was slowly drawing away from the wharf when one or two friends called out that he was on the wrong boat. A line was thrown to him from the wharf, and he was drawn ashore, much perturbed His baggage was heaved after him. He thought he was on board the Maori, bound for Lyttelton. A witness, a horse-trainer, giving evidence in the Palmerston North Court the other day, stated that he had seven horses in training. Each brought him in £2 per week, or a total of £56 for a month. It cost him £54 for the upkeep of the horses, leaving a profit of 40s for the month- He told the court that at the lowest it costs 19s per week to feed a racehorse. Apropos, the Manawatu Daily Times observes that horse-training is not a veiy lucrative occupation. ' The old-established firm of Baker Bros., land and estate agents, dissolved partnership by mutual consent at the end of the financial .year just passed. Mr. Horace Baker, who has been over a quarter of a century in the business, has withdrawn from the firm, and, having been joined by his two sons, has started business at 191, Lambton quay, as Horace Baker, Ltd. The old firm will be carried on by Mr. C. A. Baker assisted by his son, Mr. Norris Baker. Less than half of the number on the roll recorded their votes in the municipal election at Auckland on Wednesday last. The Star considers that the election turned out, on the whole, satisfactory. It is " glad to see that no particular section of the council can be described as representing any special political, social, or industrial party. The efforts of the Citizens' League and the Labour party appear to have had very little effect upon the results of the contest; and we congratulate the city that it is governed for the ensuing year by a body of men who fairly represent the public experience and business ability of Auckland, and who are not committed to any special pledge or bound to obey the mandate of any special organisation." The monthly meeting of the District Lodge, No. 5, 1.0. G.T., was held in the Rechabite Hall, Manners-street. Bro. W. Smith, D.C.T., presided. There was a good attendance of delegates andmembers. Two candidates were given their degree. Bro. P. Atkinson was elected District Secretary and Bro. Dryden District Guard. The following motion was carried : — "That this District Lodge tenders its hearty congratulations to Bros. Thomson (G.C.), Petherick (G. Secretary), Rigarlsford G. Treasurer), and Townsend (G.E.S.), on their 'election to those positions in the Grand Lodge. The session was held recently at Auckland. A visit was paid to the lodge by Bros. Morrison and Patterson, Dunedin, who conveyed greetings, which were received and reciprocated. The Aerial League of the British Empire — a branch of which, we were informed yesterday, has been formed in Sydney — is- described as a non-politi-cal organisation, formed to secure and maintain for the British Empire the same supremacy in the air as it has enjoyed on the sea. It has been formed for the purpose of fighting against the spirit of lethargy evinced by the people of the Empire towards the grave danger of permitting other nations to steal ahead of them in the conquest of the air. In illustrating the seriousness of the problem, it points to the activity in the direction of aeronautics displayed by other great European Powers. Germany's national subscription to advance the cause of aviation has reached nearly half a million pounds : Trance has accumulated over £50,000, while Russia, Austria, Italy, and the United States of America are awake to the significance of the movement, and have inaugurated public subscriptions, made Government grants, and awarded national prizes in connection with it. All England appears to have done is to establish "one antiquated factory at Farnborough, parsimoniously worked on £13,750 per annum." To sum up the subjects, aims, and desires of the league, its existence is to see that Great Britain is not caught napping when aerial navigation reaches such a stage as to revolutionise methods of modern warfare. A. W. Martin, Sole Controller of Dr. J. A. Shermans method of - curing rupture will be at the Hotel Cecil, Wellington, from the 3rd of May to the I3th. — Advt. The New Zealand Express Company, 89, Custom House-quay, -pack, store, and forward goods to any part of the world. Safe, sure, and economical. Telephone 1063. — Advt. Ono of the most important questions before the men. of Now Zealand at the present moment is the endeavour to stimulate interest in military training. The chief difficulties in the way of any scheme of compulsory training is tho false impression that it means tho formation of a laigo standing: army, but we are told that suoh will not be the case. However, ■whether you approve of military training or not, you will require warm comfortable pyjamas for the coming cold winter nights. This week C. Smith, Ltd., are making special display of men's pyjamas — in striped flannelette, 4a 6d and 5s 63; a special line in striped wincey, guaranteed wear, from 6s 6d to 8s 6d ; also a good line in Ceylon flannel, guaranteed fast colours and all wool, smart designs, 9e 6d to 12s 6d.— Advt.