LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 110, 11 May 1910, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The mails, which left Wellington on the Ist April, per the s.s. Ulimaroa, and connected at Sydney with the Naples mails, per the R.M.S. Orsova, arrived in London on the morning o: the Bth inst. About fifty applications have beeii made to the Mini&ter administering the Race Meetings Act (Hon. D. BuddoT, for permission to hold race meetings, and only two have been declined. The ground of refusal was that the clubs had not, allegedly, carried out a race meeting satisfactorily pTior to the passing of the Act. Authorities have been forwarded by the Public Works Department to the Hutt County Council (they were submitted at yesterday's meeting of the council), to expend moneys voted by Parliament for the following road works:--Waikanae to Upper Hutt, Pahautanui to Upper Hutt and Orongorongo, Plimmerton to Pukerua, and to Pahautanui. A tender was accepted for the WaikanaeUpper Hutt-road. How Brooklyn has progressed within the past few years is indicated by the great increase in its valuation?. Replying to a question by the secretary of the Municipal Electors' Association (Mr. R. C. O'Connor) the Town Clerk states that the valuations at Ist April, 1904 and 1909, side by side, were as follow : — Capital value, £165,026— £387,936 ; unimproved value, £81,822— £148,179; annual value, £9899 — £23,266. Late yesterday afternoon the witnesses who had been missing in the Supreme Court eailer in the day, when their niunes were called, turned up in answer to the call of the court orderly. As reported in The Post yesterday, the Judge had ordered that their expenses should be withheld, but his Honour said that, seeing the occasion (Proclamation Day) was a sort of official one, he would not j insist on his previous direction being [carried out.

■ In the Supreme Court yesterday, Charles Johnson, alias Sweeney, for •whom Mr. O'Leary appeared, pleaded guilty to a charge of horse-stealing. The Chief Justice said the prisoner was a young man, and he would be given a chance to reform. He was sentenced to five months' imprisonment, sentence to run concurrently with one prisoner who is at present serving for another offence A '.largely-attended meeting of expupils of the Clyde-quay School was held last evening to make arrangements for the presentation which is to be made to Mr. D. Robertson (chairman of the school committee) and the headmaster (Mr. W. T. Grundy), on the coming of age of the school. Both the gentlemen mentioned have been connected with the school since it started. The presentation will be made at a Bocial to be held early next month. Two persons were jointly arraigned on a certain charge before the Supreme Court to-day, and counsel defending them asked that he should have the right to challenge twelve jurymen whose names might be called. According to rule counsel is entitled to challenge six jurymen only, but as twelve challenges could be made where two counsel appeared for accused on a joint charge, the presiding judge allowed twelve challenges in the. case under notice. The Upper Hutt School Committeerecently passed a resolution drawing the attention of the Minister of Railways to the unsatisfactory train arrangements for children attending the Upper Hutt School from Silverstream and Mungaroa. Mt. T. M. Wilford, M.P., brought the resolution under the notice of the Mm* ] ister of Railways yesterday, nnd said the desire was that arrangements- should j be made which would enable the children j to reach their homes in the winter in reasonable time. The Minister promised to look into the matter. Adjustment of accounts as between ! the Hutt County Council and the Upper Hutt Town Board was a maiter of discussion at yesterday's meeting of the Hutt County Council. In reply to a letter from the latter body offering £100 by way of settlement, a communication was received from the Town Board intimating that it could not accept the offer, and that it intended to proceed to an adjustment under the Town Boards Act. One councillor suggested that as there was a movement at Upper Hutt to come back into the county, the matter should be allowed to stand over. Finally it was decided that the council should wait upon the board at its next meeting — on 25th May next. Surprise was occasioned on the wharf last evening when the Mararoa, which had left for Lyttetlon at 8 o'clock, was observed to put back. By Morse code she signalled to the look-out men at the tower that medical assistance was required. Dr. Henry was summoned, and when the vessel reached the wharf it was learnt that a steward named Frederick Ruthberg, aged 42, was suffering from hemorrhage in the region of the stomach. Dr. Henry ordered the man's removal to the hospital, and the Mararoa resumed her journey at 9.55 p.m. Dr. Watt, a passenger, had rendered first-aid to Rutnberg before the steamer came up to the wharf. The patient is progressing satisfactorily at the hospital. "Nelson System," in a letter to The Post, referring to reports of recent .householders' meetings in New Zealand for the election of Bchool committees, gives a list of districts favouring Bibleteaching on the Nelson plan. The schools mentioned are Kaiapoi, Woolston, Onehunga, Papanui, Mayfield, SpringKton, Kimberley, Hampstead, West Christchurch, Rangiora, Ashburton, Addington, Fendalton, New Plymouth, Tai Tapu, New Brighton, Parnell, Gxafton, Eden, Newton, Remuera, Devonport, Mount Albert, Masterton. Tihe writer states that "Biblereading in State schools is now in vogue all over Hawkes Bay, Marlborough, Nelson, Oamaru, InvercaTgill, Mornington, and Wanganui, with (success." In throwing- on- tne screen at his lecture last night a portrait of Edward Halley, the great astronomer, Mr. Hudson gave a brief outline of his brilliani career. He wished, he said, that the personalities of our great leaders in scientific and philosophic thought were made more of in the education of our young people. Business education was important; business men were necessary ; but it was the thinkers and discoverers who left tne permanent marks on the history of the world and shaped the thoughts of generations following. There would be great men in the years to come as in the past, and the thought should be a familiar one that from among the boys of any circle of our own day there might arise another Darwin, or Halley, or Newton. The dissatisfaction which has existed amongst the members of the mechanical staff at the Government Printing Office owing to their being kept at work yesterday and on Monday whilst the other employees of the office were given two days off, arose, it seems, owing to a misunderstanding. The Hon. J. A. I Millar, Minister m charge of the Printing Office, states that a number of thehands were kept on for the purpose of preparing mourning stationery for the Government offices. It had been arranged that they should be paid extTa or receive time off. When the men received instructions to come back to work they were under the impression that their extra services would not be recognised. The misunderstanding, added the j Minister, had now been removed. Mr. Hudson made interesting reference in nis lecture last night to Mars and the "canals" first seen by Schiaparelli and studied for many years by Professor Lowell. Observations through the great French telescope, we were now told, had convinced the observers that the canals were illusory. The lecturer did not think that the Tesultb of Lowell's years of careful work weie co easily to be set abide. It must be remembered that the astronomer had the advantage of one of the finest telescopes in the world, and the greater advantage of an elevated site and the best atmospheric conditions, besides having specialised on Mars, availed himself of tht nearest approaches of the planet, and made the subject a life study. He thought that Lowell might turn out in the end to be right after all. Makara County Council, as tenants, and the Hutt County Council, which owns the meeting cnamber and offices in Lambton-quay, are not agreed as» to the rent which the former body should pay foi its use of the building on council days. As mentioned in The Post yestet ■ day, a deputation (consisting of Mr. Hislop, clerk to the deputationising body) from the Makara Council waited on the meeting of the Hutt Council yesterday, with the suggestion that £26 per annum was a fair rent from the Makara point of view. The deputation pointed out that £50 per annum — the charge made by the Hutt Council — meant something like £1 per day of three hours (10 ■o'clock till 1), and 9s per day of five .hours (10 o'clock till 3). After the deputation withdrew the matter was discussed, and it was decided that the landlord council should adhere to its previous terms. Special purchase colonial blankets; 240 pairs for single beds now 16s 6d, 150 pairs for double beds now 27s 6d. Extraordinary value. Kirkcaldie and Stains, Ltd.— Advt. By rail and sea we are now checking baggage. To avoid trouble, save money, employ us. Delivery promptly after arrival of steamer, train. New Zealand Express Company. — Advtj,

The Hawkes Bay Herald reports that! a youth named John Peterson, who was committed to Wellington for sontenco for breaking into a store at Ashley Clinton, made his escape from the lock-up at Waipawa. Frederick Bergensen, who was confined with Petereen, gave the alarm. Petersen hid until the search for him was abandoned, when he set out for home and Makaretu, where he was captured by Constable Fernleigh and brought back to Waipawa. Statements have been published to the effect that the Newcastle strike leaders now in gaol, in Sydney, are in ill-health. The Minister for Justice, Mr. Garland, had enquiries made into the matter. He says (reports the Telegraph) that the doctor's report shows that Bowling, Lewis, Gray, and Burns are m very good health, and that Brennan, who was suftenng from chronic dyspepsia, so far from being injuriously affecked by pri-son-life and fare, is very much better, and has gained 111b in weight. The Victorian Minister ■ for Mines states that as soon as Parliament gives the necessary authority he will be able to sell coal to the public at 14s per ton, delivered at the railway depots in the suburbs. "I have gone into the matter very closeiy," he said on Saturday, "and 1 can make a profit and deliver the coal at Ms per ton ; but I cannpt do this unless Parliament gives me the necessary authority." The Minister's idea is to establish depots for coal from the State mine at the various railway stations in the metropolitan area, from which it can bo obtained by the public. Retail tobacconists to the number of sixty met together in the Chamber of Commerce last night to consider various matters of interest to the trade. Mr J- B. Speed was voted to the chair. Several important 'questions were discussed, and it was practically decided to form an association under 'the Unclassified Societies Act. A general committee and an executive committee were appointed, and these will in a few days bring down a report to a general meetmg, concerning rules and regulations, with the object of putting the association on a proper basis. The meeting was most enthusiastic, and the hope was expressed that the result of the movement would be beneficial alike to the trader and the consumer. A deputation, introduced by Mr. R. W. Smith, M.P., waited on the Minister of Railways (Hon. J. A. Millar) yesterday with a request that the Main Twink express should stop at Hunterviße. Mr. MeldTum said that Hunterville was , a recognised stock centre of importance. He Banded the Minister a petition containing 1000 signatures. Messrs. Smith, M.P., and Hockly also spoke, in support of the suggested change. The Minister, in reply, said he regretted he could not accede to the request of the deputation. The department w<as endeavouring to aurange the running of the Main Trunk express trains on a basis of 40-mfle stops, or as near that as possible. Hunterville was only 17 miles from Morton Junction. When the railway Toad-bed had settled down properly, and higher speeds were attainable, it might be possible to reconsider the matter — cay, about November next.