LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 153, 28 June 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

For to-morrow are set down the first matches in the second round of the Rugby senior championship, and enthusiasts are looking forward to the games with keen interest. Followers of hockey an d those who wish to see a keenlyfought contest should be well catered for in the meeting of the local and the Canterbury representatives in a struggle for possession of the Challenge Shield, which Wellington has been carefully guarding since 1909. Full ropox*ts of the6e and other fixtures will appear in The Post's Sports Edition in the eyening. 'A feature of the issue will be an article which constitutes a .detailed record of the Rugby game in New Zealand. It contains figures which deal with all the matches in which New Zealand representative teams have taken part, and gives in detail the scores, and the way in which they were compiled. From 1882 to the present day every match played by outside representative fifteens against New Zealand teams ie included. The subject matter of the article, which ia a very valuable one, was obtained from the private records which have been kept for many" years by Mr. I. Hyams, of Wellington. The present pinch in the coal supply is being severely felt both at Petone and Lower Hutt, and the mei - chant6 have just managed to fulfil their ordeifi. One dealer at Lower Hutt, who has a large business, stated that last week his supply dwindled down to 3cwt, the lowest in his experience. An improvement is not looked for before the next two or three weeks. Kirkcaldie and Stains, Ltd., aio offering a special lob of over 300 ladicb' handbags, an puma, tapir, moroci 0, seal, suede, and velvet at< 25 per cent, under i landed co*t.~- Advt,

Yesterday, the Now Zealand Alliance Convention decided to instruct the executive to formulate and prosecute v sehemo for the institution af a lectureship in memory of the 'late Mr. T. E. Taylor, and. also to make arrangements for the issue of a "life" of the deceased gentleman. The actual cost, of running the Karori tramway service, according to the Tramway Board of Management, exceeds the charge per car mile levied by the Cily. The recommendation was made to the Council last evening that the charge be raised from Is to Is 3d per car mile, to lake effect from 4th July. This was adopted. Millar and Giorgi, clothiers, of Palmerston North, appealed to the Court of Arbitration to-day against their conviction by Mr. A. D. Thomson, S.M., for having sold to a customer a ready-made euifc, and of having sent the trousers to a tailor for alterations. Mr. T. S. Weston appealed for appellants, and Mr. H. H. Ostler for the Labour Department. The question resolved itself into whether there had been a fitting on. The "Court reserved its decision. Patrick M'Annally, thirty years of age, a single man, whose mother resides m Prouae-street, died at the hospital at 1.30 a.m. yesterday, having been admitted the previous afternoon. The actual cause of death ifi.not known, and Dr. Hardwicke Smith, Medical Superintendent at the Hospital, would not give a certificate. A post-mortem ' examination has been made, and Dr. M'Arthur. Coroner, has ordered an inqutsL. Shortly after 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon a residence of twelve rooms in Lipman-street, owned by Mm Mary Ann Tattle, and occupied by Mre. Julia A. Gini, was found to be on fire. The brigade was summoned, and succeeded in extinguishing the flames after considerable damage had been done to one of the walls. The house is insured in the Phasnix office for £600, while the contents are covered by the same office for £100, arid by the United Company for £270. . The sum of £95, the proceeds of the recent complimentary concert, were handed to Misn Rosina Buckmann last evening by Mr. W. R. Bock (treasurer of the Concert Committee) and Mr. H. .Plimmer (secretary). This amount, when supplemented by a few returns for tickets yet to come in, represents the n«t ■financial result of the concert.' Miss Buckman-n expressed her deep sense of gratitude to all who had so kindly assisted to make the concert the great euccess it was. Wellington had always treated her exceedingly well. If she did not succeed in the Old World it would not be for want of trying. Miss Buckmann left to-day for New Plymouth. She takes her departure for England, by the Otway. Happy Cook Islanders ! According to the Gazette, they are to obtain a substantial reduction in the price of their tobacco. All black twist the invoice value of which at time of importation is lfl 3d per pound is to carry a duty of 1» per pound instead of 3e 6d per pound, as formerly. But if this tobacco is sent to ISew Zealand it luis to pay an additional 2s 6d per pound. So there will be no j advauta^e to smokers in this country drawing on the Cook Islands. The retail price of almost all tobaccos in New Zealand is 6d per oz, equal to 8s per pound, and the duty i« 3s 6d per pound except in the case of South African tobacco, which is admitted at 2s 6d per pound, but is retailed at the same rate as other tobaccos — the advantage of the | la prefeientialduty not reaching the consumer. The award of the Court of Arbitration in the Merchant Service Guild dispute (relating to masters and officers) was filed with the Clerk of Awards today. The award is based on the recommendations of the Council of Conciliation. In an attached memorattdunij Mr. Justice Sim said :— "The parties in this case agreed on a settlement of the dispute, and the terms agreed on were embodied in the recommendation of the Council of Conciliation. The union, after making this agreement through its duly authorised agent, attempted to repudiate it, and asked the Court to alter the terms of the agreement, so as to make the hours of work eight per day, instead of fifty-six per week. That, of course, the union cannot be allowed to do, as the award embodies the recommendation of the Council, with some additions afterwards agreed on by the parties. Huddart, Parker, and Co., Proprietary, Ltd.,. has been retained as a party to the award, but it seemß clear that the company will not be bound by the award, so far as it relates to round voyages which begin and end in Australian ports. The question whether as to any other voyage* in New Zealand waters the company will be bound can be left to be determined when the caee arises.' 1 All the medicines, medicaments, bandages, and instruments required to be carried in future by New Zealand home trade steamers are set out in this week's Gazette. The list appears to be a large one, but the articles will not tako up so much space as their names imply. The pharmaceutical names look formidable. Tinctura " benzoini composita.," for example, is just plain Friar's balsm, and " oleum ricni " is simply castor oil. With the medicine chest will be a book of authorised instructions. It is not clear whether the medicines will, as in the United States marine, be numbered to correspond with the particular complaint—say, No. 14 for acute indigestion. Apropos: On the Pacific Coast recently a shipmaster on turning up his book for a certain remedy found No. 11 wa« the medicine ,that filled his diagnosis. "No. 11" was missing, however, so he mixed "Nos. 6 and 6 in equal proportions. The patient died. Th« New Zealand medicine chest must be stocked as prescribed in the Gazette for all vessels of 30 Wrts register and upwards, but those making voyages of less than twenty-four hours' duration from port to port may carry instead the St. John Ambulance hamper or its equivalent. Mr. Carl Klette, secretary to the Austro-Hungary Consulate at Rio de Janeiro, and formerly in Auckland, maintains his interest in the introduction of chamois to New Zealand. Writng to [ the Tourist Department, ,Mir. Motite : ea-ys that . in order that the chamois i should be well established in the I Southern Alps, it will be necessary to infuse new blood into the small herd, and " for that purpose I would strongly advocate the importation of two or thrcu bucks and as many hinds, which should give the chamois a fair chance of becoming firmly acclimatised and well established. Think of the new attraction New Zealand will be able to offer in years to come to visiting sportsmen, when tho number of tlis chamois will hay« Increased, and of the novel,, fascinating, and very exciting sport that Now Zealanders and English tourists will be able to enjoy and indulge in — a sport which at present cannot be had in any other of the British Dominions, except in tho almost inaccessible heights of the Himalayas, A-here, however, it i& connected with great difficulties for the chamois hunters to get to. t It will be, therefore, necessary to acquire new stock. This should be done a« soon as possible. I a-m afraid that the herd will otherwise deteriorato thwmgh in-breeding, and finally die out altogether on account of non-resistance." A request from the Kilbirnie Ratepayers' Association for th« establishment of a branch library at Kilbirnie has been referred by the Libraries Committee to the Chief Librarian for report.

Authority was granted tho City Engineer by tho City Council laat evening to purchase an up-to-date coroent testing machine at an estimated cost of £vJO. In the Wellington Plaaterors' duspute the Court of Arbitration has giv«> its a-ward. A week's work ehall consist of 46 houre and competent journeyinoiti plasterers shall be paid at the r*Us of Is 7£d per hour. In an accompanying ' memorandum, Mr. Justice Sim says- : — "This award embodies the recommendation of the Council of Conciliation. I'tm employers asked for some modifications, but the only alteration is that a futile provision with regard to a dispute com. mittce hae been struck out." An offer to purchase the corporation property at Adelaide-road, bo long unremunerative, was recently before the Finance Committee of +he City Council, and tho committee last nignJ recommended the council to decline it. Tho Mayor stated that tho offer was Ices than one-half the City Valuer thought it was'^vortb. Mr, F. T. Evans, headmaster of the Linwood North School, giving evidence before the Education Commission ab Christchurch, stated that the Tcach'uV Institute recommended : (1) That cardboard money coins be supplied for Standards 11. and 111.; (2) Tin* weights and moH&ures bo supplied for Standard IV.; (3) That inodol cubes, prism, cylinder, etc., be supplied for Standard VI 5 (4) That lantern slides on course A geography and ou natural phenomena f>» supplied so that schools so disposed may visualise those subjects. Some alterations in tram stopping placos were recommended by tho Tramways Committee, on behalf of the Tramway Board, last evening. These recommendations were : — That the stopping place in Molesworth-strGot, near Tina-kori-road, be moved to opposite Fita. herbert-torraoo ; that two stopping places in Lambton^quay, between Greystreet and Moleswortn-fitreet. bo done away with, and the one at Whitmorcstreet be removed to near ' Ballancestreet; that the stopping place opposite Woodward-street be shifted to near Johnston -street. The recommendations were adopted. A deputation of Wadestown ratepayers interviewed the Finance Committee of the City Council on Wednesday afternoon to point out that the effect of the 4 l-3d in the rate proposed for th© tramways in_ their district \tould be practically doubling their rate. It was pointed out by Mr. Carwell Cooko that the credit balance from their district's general revenue was £928, yet they were immediately taxed for loss oh the tramway. In other words, they had to pay a_ deficit on the- one hand, and let the city take the credit from the general revenue. This would place a very serious burden on the dit-tvlct. Th© Mayor (Mr. D. M'Laren) said the line had caused a loss of £200 to the city, which had been charged to the general system. He promised, however, that tUo representations would bo considered. Instructions have been received by tho Finance Committee of the Lower Hutt Borough Council to review tho whole question regarding tho financial assistance given to ratepayers by the, council, for the purpose 01 connecting with the drainage system. One matter that will come up for consideration is whether the council should grant a loan on account 1 of work completed before tho application for an advance is made. The Town Clerk warned the council at last meeting to be careful in this connection. He reminded councillors that tho sum placed on the estimates for assisting ratepayers was only £3(50, and already £155 of that had been loaned out. Councillor Clen> don thought it would be a good idea, if ratepayers were asked to meet the coun- , cil half-way^, in each case. The average cost of the installations is about £20. t A few days ago a witness before the, Cost of Living Commission at Auckland stated that his firm had been unable to secure goods manufactured by a certain firm because the name of his (witness) firm was nob in a list supplied to the latter firm. The matter was again under the notice of the Commission yesterday, when Mr. Thoma* Bell, manager of the Union Soap, Oil, and Candle Company, was examined, and replied to the allegations made. Ho said there had never been any discrimination to customers. The larger portion of oommon soapa were open to anybody. The retailers could buy half a ton of soap and pay in six months with 10 per cent, and 2i per cent. There was an agreement that prices should not go below a certain mark. The Wholesale Aeaociation got certain discounts that a retail man did not. A rather unlooked-for development took place at the deliberations of the Cost of Living Commission at Auckland yesterday, when the cross-examination of Mt. G. C. Garlick, furniture, warehouseman, was taking place, owing to witness objecting to answer questions that were being submitted to him. Mr. Fnirbairn asked if when goods were sold on time payments there wore bail* ments, and the seller never parted with his property until the last payment was made. Mr. Garlick : "1 am not prepared' to answer that question. It has nothing to do with tho cost of living. I have been advised not to answer that gives* bion." The Commission went into committee to consider the matter. Later, Mr. A. J. Entiican attended before th© Commission and said ho had appeared in answer to a summons, but he must decline to give evidence. His reason was that he was a member of the Federated Merchants of. New Zealand, and at the instigation of a member of the Commit- ' sion a case waa pending at ths Court in which he was defendant. The Chairman : "Very well. We accept your explanation." , At the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., W0- ' liam F. Bowden, drover, of Wellington, proceeded against Mitchell Bros, and Alfred Mitchell, farmers, of Pormia, for agistment of stock and damage caused to them in regaaxi to the return of the animals. Judgment went for plaintiff on the first claim for £12 10s, with costs, the other claims, being' dismissed with costs. Mr. H. Machell was for plaintiff' and Mr. D. G. Jackson for defendants. Yeo Li Quong (Mr. P. W. Jackson) sued Yee Koo (Mr. A. L. Headman) for £23 9«, balance alleged to be due on the sale of a laundry at Christchurch in 190 G. Plain tift was non-suited, with costs. Dr. M'Arthur, S.M., heard tho last-men-tioned ca.se. A poll of Upper Hutt ratepayers \va« taken on Wednesday on a proposal to raise £600 for the purpo.se of purchasing land and water rights for the district.The proposal was earned by 82 votes to 25. One informal vote was fast. The number of ratepayers on th« roll was. about 400. Travellers by train or boat can ax'oid all ' discomfort by chocking their bapgage through the New Zealand Expr«a Company. Teln. 92. 241.0, 1533, 3C58. — Advt. Lot us »ay * word in explanation of thi« seeiMUftly reukless sacrifice in tho prices j of the Boaeon's slocke TWs is the ono ami only sale tliat C. Smith, Ltd., hold during the winter season, and wo hay* the reputation that givoß force to this sale by o»W fixed policy that it ia bottei lo reduca prices ami noil season's utookis tliau c*rvy them through stocktaking. 1( you avo anxioUH to economise, and lo get the biuK'fit of these Wv .prices, come rtov& Saturday morning, 2Sth Juno, at 9 o'olooJc, lo C. Smith'c, Lid., gvenfc annual winter scale. Son fnll-pago advertisement in Friday s Pobt. It out of town, wvU« «i. oihhi for pvico-list to C. Smith, Ltd., Cuba, si., \Volhns?tron.~Advfc.

When the Governor began his Speech in the Legislative Council's room yesterday he hadi an audience agog with curiosity. Before he had ended the huge harangue the assembly was obviously bored. The "oldest inhabitant" of Parliament Buildings does not remember a longer oration to start the -wheels of the Legislature. There wer« over four thousand words to be precisely pronounced, for Lord Islington does not slur the King's English, and the delivery consumed more than half an hour. At 3 o'clock, when the Vice-Regal voice had been -mellowly exercised for about twenty-five minutes, there were hopes that the end was near. When His Excellency turned over still another large page, the weary audience shuddered, and a sigh* was ahnoßt audible. The ordeal was specially trying for the "gentlemen of the House of Representatives," who had to stand while the "honourable gentlemen of the Legislative Council" were privileged to sit on comfortable furniture, which invited slumber — irresistibly in two or three cases. The Sergeant-at-Arms was perhaps the principal sufferer, as it was his duty to stand rigidly erect, with the Mace on his right shoulder. And the Governor read on, and on, and on till some sections of the assembly seemed to despair of an end. The most pleasant memory of the afternoon to some onlookers was the courtly grace of Canterbury's "Grand Old Man," Sir Charles Bowen, Speaker of the Council, -when lie handed a houquet to Lady Islington, before the flowers of the Government's oratory were distributed by the Governor. On Monday, evening next a complimenisrr social is to be tendered to Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P., by the Lower Hutt elector*. Kejret was expressed by th© Reserves Committee in ite report to the City Council last evening that there were no grounds available for use by the Northern Union Rugby League this season. The league is to be notified to th» effect. ' From th© Wellington Hospital Board this week a deputation waited on the Finance Committee of the City Council, suggesting an exchange of properties owned by the board and the council. Th© deputation was informed that enquiries would be mad© as to the respective value* of the land and further negotiation* undertaken. When the eleven Petone youths were fined last week for failing to give compulsory service under the Defence Act, there was a suggestion that they -would act a* martyrs for their cause, and choose the alternative of twenty-four hours' imprisonment to the payment of th© fine. The time given in which to find th© money concluded on Wednesday last, and enquiries show that practically all tb© fines have been paid. One or two amaQ sums are still outstanding, but all those convicted have paid something off the amount. A case was heard by Mr. W. G. Ridd©ll, S.M., recentiv, in -which Path© Freres, suppliers of Cinematograph, entertainment accessories^ sued the Pahnerston North Picture Enterprise Company for £19 10» for the hire of films, and £2 16s Bd, cost of postage thereon. Mr. Sladden appeared for th© plaintiffs, and Mr. M«ek for the defence. The sum of £2 16s 8d had been paid into Court. The claim, £19 10s, was for one week's supply of pictures, the plaintiffs holding that th© contract wa* terminable only by a forfcnigkt'e notice. Two members of the defendant company denied that any such arrangement was entered into, and in-th* opinion of the Magistrate correspondence and evidence supported this. Their statement was that th© terms were ■weekly in advance. Yesterday judgment was given fox- plaintiffs for the stun paid into Court, ami iot defendants on th© larger claim. ■ Costs were allowed defendants, £3 17s 6d. In the annual report of the Kelbnrne Boy Scouts, it is stated that the various troops are progressing satisfactorily, thirty-one in the juniors and twelve in the seniors being the totaL Great enthusiasm prevails, as is shown by the fact that ten of the troops have received first-class badges, two second-class, and five badges as King's Scouts, while fortysix took honours. In the juniors, eight took first-class badges, six second-class badges, seventeen qualified as tenderfeet, and sixteen received honours. The troop has joined the >Boyal Life-saving Society. Last November, after several competitions, the Scouts we«e awarded the Crawford Cap for general efficiency, -while the first team won the Dresden Shield at the New Zealand competitions. About £30 profit is expected to be made out of the recent publication of a souvenir edition of the "Kelburne Scout." This amount is being set aside for a dubroom. The Scoutmasters are Messrs. Eric Lawson (seniors) and R. M. Grant (juniors). The .uncompleted condition of the storm-irater colvert at Island Bay, which the Island Bay residents hol3 is largely the cause of floods in their district, was ibe.. subject of a deputation, from Island Bay to tie City Council hist evening. Mr, G. S. Chishohn, on hehalf ef the, deputation, read a resolution passed at a meeting m Island Bay residents the previous evening protesting at the Eon-completion of the culvert j at the inadequacy of the annual appropriation for the woik, and contending that contributions for the work should come from the rates of Berhampore, Vogeltown, and Brooklyn, as -well as from Island Bay, as this© localities received signal benefit from the drain. He read correspondence received from th© City Council in 1907 pjomisinij to eompleie the culvert in three years. Mr. 'H. G. Hill gave instances of the extent of th© floods at Ishmd Bay. The Mayor said th« council would take the matter into consideration. It had really done a good deal at Island Bay. It was cttrite possible the deputation pushing their request had overstated the grievance. It would be making false promises to say the work would be completed this year; but as much as possible, with the finances available, would be don©. So far a sum of £4000 had been spent on the work. The council referred th© matter to the Finance Committee. Mr. C. S. Nixon, Collector of Customs, pi-oceeded yesterday against a Sydney resident few " unshipping " goods from the Wxmmera. on the arrival of the boat from Sydney without paying duty. The defendant was represented by Mr. F. G. Bolton. The "goods" consisted of a parcel of three pairs of boots, valued at £4. The Collector of Customs said the defendant, when approached by the Custom* officer near .tie entrance to the wharf, had stated that he had a parcel which had been entrusted to him at Sydney to giv© to a lidy. The defendant, in hie evidence, said that the parcel had been given to him just prior to the sailing of the boat. The Wellington lady to whom he vas to deliver it was "unknown to him. He had come ashore, engaged a carrier, and was waiting on the wharf a little later for the carrier to come for his luggage (which would then have to go through th© Customs in the usual way), and for the lady to come and claim th« package, when he was accosted, as already stated, by the Customs officer. He had made no atteiapt to leave the wharf, and also did not know th© package contained dutiable goods. B© had aot concealed the package. His Worship dismissed the ca«e -orit<notii calling on Mr. Bolton to reply ior the defence, stating that on the evidence he was not prepared to convict. So caste w-ero allowed defendant.