LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 83, 5 October 1910, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

m From 2.30 yesterday afternoon till 10.i5 this morning, with intervals for supper and breakfast, members of the House of Representatives were more or less tied, in a more or less somnolent state, to the assembly room. The cause of this long sitting was a "stonewalling" of the Land Settlement Finance Bill by the Opposition. The Hon. D. Buddo gave notice to introduce the Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Bill. The Defence Act Amendment Bill, as reported elsewhere, was put through its final stages. When progress was reported this morning it was agreed to have a. rest till 7.30 p.m. No committees of the House sat to-day. Accordingly the opening of the Hine enquiry has been deferred. . The mails which left Auckland on the 31st August per the Moura and connected at Suva with the Vancouver mail per the R.M.S. Marama, arrived in London on the afternoon of the 3rd inst. Dr. Pollen (Port Health Officer) had a very heavy morning of it to-day with oversea arrivals. First there was the Melbourne from." Newcastle, coal laden; next the Corinthic with abouj, 700 passengers on board, and finally the Ulimaroa from Sydney, also with a full complement of passengers from the Commonwealth. The ships' companies also have to bo inspected as well as the passengers —a fairly big day's work for one medical man. A deputation of Christchurch members interviewed Sir Joseph Ward at midnight to urge that the Government should give over to the City of Christchurch the site on which the old Provincial Council buildings stand for a site for a town hall. Sir Joseph said that before the Government could agree to do what was requested, very grave consideration would be required. In Christchurch not so long ago the Government was called upon to pay £37,000 for two sites for public buildings. In Wellington and Auckland sites had also to be purchased. Instead of being able to give up land the Government was in the /position of requiring more for public purposes in the cities. He doubted very much indeed whether the Government could give up the .site referred to. \ The tendency was for the Government to hold on to all lands in the cities. He promised, however, to bring the matter before Cabinet. The question of obtaining the service 6 of Boy Scouts to assist in reporting cases of cruelty x to animals was discussed at a meeting of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals last evening. It was considered that as the boys explore outlying parts of the city, it would be a great help to the society if they would report to their officer any case of cruelty they may observe, he, in turn, informing the society's inspector. It was suggested that medals might be presented to the boys making themselves most useful. A communication ie to be sent to the scouts' headquarters on the mattei. Arrangements for the Labour Day Picnic at Wonderland, Miramar, are already well advanced. The final report of the committee, will be mad© to the Trades and Labour Council for • approval. It is understood that money and trophies to the value of £66 haves already been allotted to the various events on the proposed programme. Married women's races, tug-of-war, and a baby show will be strong features on the card. The entries for the* different events are numerous already, and a good day's sport seems to be assured. A special service of cars will be Tun from town, to the grounds. "New Zealand is a great country, with great possibilities,"' said Dr. Chappie, M.P., at a meeting last night at which he presided. All that was wanted now was cheap freight and cheap cables, and better provision for the handling of our products at Home. He had watched, he said, the careful preparation of products here, and had been grieved to see the carelessc manner in which they were handled in the depots in London. Dr. Chappie also mentioned the Government of the Dominion, stating that New Zealand had some of the best laws —some of the most democratic; but his advice was "Administer more —legislate leas." The manner in which horses are fed. in Wellington was the subject f6r some discussion at a meeting of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals last evening. Mr. Seed (inspector) emphasised the need for better food, as that now being given to some animals, he declared, was dusty chaff —"nothing short of rubbish." The neglect of a number of drivers in properly feeding their horses was disgraceful, and he instanced many cases where, if it had not been for his placing the nosebags under the unfortunate animals' noses, they would have had to go hungry. It was also mentioned that to leave the bit in a horse's mouth during feeding time was a cruel and lazy\ practice on the part of the driver. The attitude of the V.M.C.A. Conlerence in regard to boxing is that it can tolerate it—but that is all. Generally speaking, delegates seemed to be of the opinion that boxing should be permitted, but not taught, on the premises, for the reason that they did not wish to turn out the finished article in the shape of a "bruiser." This, it was contended, was often the ultimate- outcome of a boxing course. In the words of one speaker : "While we don't object to our lads learning the art of self-defence, we do not desire to make Johnsons and Jeffries of them." By all means, urged one delegate, see that the lads did not box in public ot before an audience; if they wantedto box, let them learn in pnvata. Other delegates acquiesced in this view. i The anniversary conversazione of the Kent-terrace Presbyterian Church was held in the schoolroom last/evening. Addresses were given by the Revs. Kennedy Elliott, R. E. Davies, M.A., and Mr. J. S. Barton. Miss Chrissie Picot and Miss Clater recited, and a quartette, was contributed by Messrs. Williamson, Goudie, Dunnett, and Porteous. Other items were: Songs by Miss M'Donald, Mrs. Kennedy, and Messrs Porteous and Brown. Part songs were also given by members of the choir. A pianoforte duet was contributed by Miss Picot and Mr. Eadie, and a vocal duet by Messrs. Eadie and Williamson. Recently a dentist examined the teeth of the children attending the Temuka School, and in reporting to the committee on the subject, he said that the figures would show an absolutely deplorable state of affairs. Out of the 314 mouths examined, there were no fewer than 1969 decayed teeth, and of these only 348 gave reasonable promise of being saved by -filling. He came across only two boys of 14 years of age with perfect teeth, and two girls o£ 11 years and one boy of 14 years with perfect upper sets of natural teeth which had never had any dental attention. Knowledge regarding oral hygiene was practically unknown in the school.

It is understood by the Otago Daily Times that the old-established firm of G. and T. Young, watchmakers and jewellers, has been floated into a private company as from Ist October. Argument, in the dispute regarding the disposition of the rents from the old Auckland Supreme Court site, which has been before the Court of Appeal for the past two days, concluded yesterday. The court reserved its decision. Dr. William H. Hoskins, of Masterton, has cabled Home for £500 worth of radium. This will be the third supply which the doctor has received. During the past twelve months he has treated nine or ten patients, from various parts of the Dominion, for external cancer, and in each case he claims to have effected complete cures. The Greymouth correspondent of the Lyttelton Times states that tho sawmilling industry is showing signs of a revival. Most of the mills now have considerable orders for cutting on hand. For some time past the mills in tho Greymouth district have been working only half-time, but the indications are that now they will be able to resume running at full time. The use of bad language, according to some members of the Wellington Swimming Club who ventilated their views at the annual meeting last night, is very prevalent at Te Ato Basis'. The speaker who broached the matter considered that the club should make some endeavour to put a stop to this practice oi any other unseemly behaviour which may come under its notice. These re* marks were generally endorsed. The first three of eight new tramcars being constructed by Messrs. Cousins and Cousins for the Auckland Electric Tramways Company, have been completed. The remaining five cars will be delivered in the course of a. few weeka. The company is building another car at Ponsonby depot, and has decided to further increase its rolling stock by the addition of five more cars of a similar design to those now being constructed. These will bring the total number of cars employed by the company to 106. Tricks of food adulteration seem to bo growing fewer, remarks the Daily Mail of 25th August, as judged by the report of the Government chemist, who examines everything from beer to butter, felt hats to matches, and artificial flowers to the entries in family Bibles. In the last-named cases he tests the ink to see whether it is a fraudulent entry to secure an old-age pension. But his work seems to prove a decrease in adulteration of butter, milk tea, and other articles of food and drink. Adulteration of tea is practically non-existent, but dandelion and burdock root are sometimes submitted for chicory. Some margarine from Holland contained solid paraffin. Just over 5£ per cent, of the beer samples taken from publicans were diluted with water. The average roll number for September at the Brooklyn School was 589, and the average attendance 539. The average attendance for the quarter endea September was 544. The addition .of two new rooms in brick has now been completed by the Education Board, and these will be available for use on 16th October. The committee has arranged to hold a euchre party and social evening on Tuesday next as a formal opening of the new rooms. The rifle range in the school grounds has also been completed, and is to be formally opened on 22nd October, when a match will be fired between the committee and the teachers of the school. Considerable improvement has been made in the school grounds, and a large area has been levelled for the use of the girls as a playground. These facts are conveyed in the report of the School Committee's monthly meeting.' The development of the phosphate industry -at the island of Makatea, 120 miles north of Tahiti, is of interest to New Zealand, as being the nearest deposit of high grade phosphate rock to the Dominion. The Compagnie Francaise dcs Phosphates d» l'Oceanie, the head office of which is at Paris, Has arranged with the native owners of the lands, and is now making preparations for shipping on. a large , scale. Mooring buoys have been laid down, and tramways put in place, and electric lighting and condensing plants are being erected, as well a* numerous buildings, some 300 Polynesian labourers be» sides a number of Europeans and Japanese being employed on th« island. It is believed that the quantity of phosphate rock available for shipment is several millions of tons, much of which, it is expected, will prove to contain as high a percentage of phosphate of lime as Ocean Island phosphate rock, cargoes of which are occasionally imported into the Dominion. The increasing demand for superphosphates as a fertiliser renders any new source of supply of phosphate rock of importance to our farming as well as to cur manufacturing interests. London papers give an insight into the remarkable preparations made by a gang of burglars, in Birmingham, to plunder a jeweller's shop. Two men rented an adjoining shop, and their task was to bore through a wall to reach a safe. After cutting a gap in the wall, they attacked the safe with an oxyhydrogen blow-pipe of the latest type. They had with them two large cylinders of oxygen and some lengths of indiarubber tubing. With acetylene lights and the blow-pipe they burnt a hole through two inches of steel. Behind this thick steel covering was a packing of asbestos and then another half-inch of solid steel. Apparently the asbestos puzzled them or they were disturbed, for at this point their operations ceased, -the men left behind them the gas cylinders, the blowpipe, a quantity of burglars' tools— hammers, axes, skeleton keys, jemmies, and braces. Screens were fixed round the gas apparatus to prevent the full glare of the light being ' seen by anyone passing the building. They had also installed an electrical signalling apparatus by which a man stationed at the top of the building could signal on the approach of danger to the operators at the safe. They placed linen across the lower half of the front windows, and all the doors were tightly bound with rope to prevent anyone entering. Across the top of the main staircase were placed ropes a foot from the floor to trip anyone who might enter. The thieves left behind them two cartloads of debris. The only things missing are a diamond ring valued at £7, a few shillings in silver, and a quantity of postage stamps. The amount spent by the burglars on their apparatus must have been several times that of the value of the proceeds of the robbery. Never travel without checking your baggage through us. It costs no more; saves all trouble. We collect, check, doliver immediately at other end. The N.Z. Express Co., Ltd.— Advt- / The Harbour Board is to be congratulated on. having arrived at a solution of the dock problom, for the present, at any rato, though tho question will doubtless have to bo faced again at no very distant date. Another problem which concerns many Wellington ladies is: "Where can the best value be obtained when gloves are required ?" C. Smith, Ltd., can promptly solve this. They are now showinß a special purchase of kid gloves, tajis and browns, at 2s 6d per pair, and tans, white, brown, beaver, at 2s lid. Those are grand value, and should be seen at once in the glove department at C. Smith's, Ltd., Cuba-etreet. — Advt. Mr. W. L. Robertson will hold an unreserved sale of witches, chemists' sundries, c.p. ware, etc., in the firm's auction rooms, Mannere-street,, to-morrog (Thursday) , at 2 £.m*