Page 6 Advertisements Column 4

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 22, 26 July 1910, Page 6

The Council of the Chamber of Commerce met yesterday afternoon, the president, Mr. H. C. Tewsley, occupying the chair. Four new members wer<> elected. A communication was received from the Bradford Chamber of Commerce acknowledging, on behalf of its ' delegates who visited the congress of ■ the British Chambers of Commerce of the world at Sydney some months ago, the court-esy and attention shown their delegates during their stay in Wellington, while touring the Dominion. At a meeting of local auctioneers held at -Dalgety and Co.'s offices yesterday (Hon. T. K. Macdouald in the chair), it was decided to hold a conference' in Wellington on 4lh August of representatives of the profession from all the princiDal centres in New ■ Zealand. Tiifl principal business will be consideration of existing legislation in so far as it affects auctioneers, and the drafting of various amendments which are considered necessaiy, the same to be submitted to tho Minister for Internal Affairs. The' auctioneers have a number of grievances for which they seek redress, and hope that au amending Bill to the Auctioueers Act will be passed by Parliament this session. Probably the most brilliant plumaged birds in the world are to bo found in the tropical forests of Malay and Brazil, but so far the museums in Wellington do not contain many spacimens of their avifauna. The Mayor (Mr. T. M. Wilford) has, however, received an offer of 180 birds, principally from these countries, already stuffed and classified with their proper names. They are a fine collection, well suited for a museum. The price set upon them is £56, but the Mayor' does not think council has any money to spare for that purpose at the present time. In order, however, that the city may not lose the chance of acquiring so valuable an addition to the museum, he proposes to head a public subscription for the purchase of the birds, and trusts that suf - cient donations may be received to achieve that object. Further particulars of the fire which destroyed the Otaki railway station and post office on Sunday show that little was saved from the refreshment room, but energetic workers, under Mr. Larkin, the stationmaster, removed practical- j ly everything from the railway office, including window sashes, doors, and advertisement placards. The telegraphic instruments, valued at £200, were also removed intact. There were no fire appliances and the offorts of the workers were restricted to buckets of water, but these wore useless, as the building being of wood, burned rapidly, leaving only the ironwork of the veTandah. The I special train from Wellington toot a number of workmen, and in a short time temporary offices were in use, for the | carrying on of the railway and postal business. The fire is presumed to havestarted in the post office, where a dying fire was left on, Saturday evening. The refreshment room stock was valued at £200, but only carried an insurance of £75. Detective Lewis is enquiring into the cause of the outbreak. What the Auckland papers describe as a myterious affair, is at present engaging the attention of the local police. | It appears that a married lady tooK pasi sage a week ago for England, leaving j her house and furniture (inclusive of a piano) in the hands of an agent for letI ting purposes. Three days later, ac- | cording to a neighbour, in the stillness of • the night" there was noise in the build- ; ing as of someone moving furniture, and shortly afterwards a f cart was seen to j leavo the scene laden with something I other than human freight. Subsequently | the horse and cart were found abanI doned along Richmond-street. In the J vehiqje was a piano, and the men associated in the incident had decamped for some reason not apparent. The cart and horse, it transpired, had been hired from a local carrier. Beyond the piano nothing had been disturbed in the house. The circumstances indicate, says the Star, that the incident is npt an ordinary case of burglary, but sufficient information > has not so far been gathered by the police to show the actual rea- | son for the removal or seizure of the instrument in the dead of night, and under such strange cireumstanceß. It is not known whether the husband of the lady who owns the household effects also left for England. Preniises on Jervois-quay, formerly occupied by Messrs. D. Benjamin and Co., have beea sold through Messrs. I Harcourt and Co. to M'Eldowney Bros. Messrs. Benjamin sold out their stock of general merchandiso in New Zealand to a Melbourne firm. The premises were then put up for auction, but, failing to reach the reserve, were passed in. They consist of two three-storied buildings of offices and stores, with ft three-storied annaxe, standing on two sections held on perpetual lease from the City Corporation, and adjoining thi premises of the Wellington Woollen j Company. The price paid is a satis factory one, and Messrs. M'Eldowney Bros, will enter into immediate possession. On l<nday last Mr. Alex. M'Eldowney. left Wellington for London to make the necessary purchases, and to forward samples reaay for the iirm to commence business as warehousemen and wholesale merchants on the Ist Jauuaiy, 1911. Mr. Alex. M'Eldowney was for twenty-two years in the who'esale departments of Messrs Sargood, Son, and Ewen. Mr. Jacob M'Eldowney, another of the partners, was for nine years with Messrs. Macky, Logan, ibteen, and Caidwell's "v\ elhngton house, and previous to that was sixteen years in tho retail trade in Wellington. Mr. i John M'Eldowney, for many years in business in Marton and Rangitikei, is at present in London. " He will probably j«it th 6 firm as another partner. The Victorian .State Premier strongly favours the abolition of wigs and gowns, j mace and swords, and all other adorn- ! ments in connection with Parliament Whait is to happen to- the Serjeant-at-Arms in the Federal Parliament when they have taken away the Mace that he carries in front of the Speaker and then deposits it, si lowlj and reverent manner upon the table of the House? (asks the Sydney Daily Telegraph). And not content with abolishing the Mace certain incoaoclastsburn to lay their sacrilegious hands upon the rosettes of the Serjexint-at-Arms, and to tear off his lace rufltes and to denude him of his shoe buckles. The Mace is the emblem of Parliamentary authority, and presumably would j he employed by the Sevjeanl-at-Arms in the last rerort to knock down any insubordinate member who disobeyed the Tilling of tho Chair. His rosettes and ruffles and shoe buckles are picturesque ! survivals from a more aesthetic age than I the present. However, when the Caucus has done with the officials of the House they will have very few feathers left to fly with, according to present indicntions. | And as their small-swords aro lo be removed along with the Mace the occupants of the galleries may expect to see some future holder of the office of Serjeant-at-Anns driven to unusual methods in his | effort to eject a burly disturber of the J debate. The Serjeant-at-Arms in ju-jitsu costume, chasing a rscalcitrant member round the table and endeavouring to drop j him with a well-aimed volume of Han- j sard, may be one of the distressing sights i that the future holds in store for visitors. To-morow, Wednesday, at 9 a.m. sharp, Tvirkcaldie's Regular Half-yearly Sale will begin. Preparations have been made for a big sale. Kirkcaldie and "''•.ains, Ltd. — Advtr.