LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Evening Star, Issue 12873, 24 July 1906, Page 1

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce propose to distribute: twenty-four guineas in prizes among the e%h\t local State schools to pupils passing Uk> highest in commercial arithmetic, original English composition, and handwriting.. Referring to the importation of margarine, the. Chief Dairy Commissioner (Mr Kinsella) says that there need be no anxiety that anything will be permitted that is likely to injure the dairy industry of the colony. "This commodity," he says, "has been imported for years from Amerina, but is chiefly used by biscuit manufacturers, who find it more suitable for their purposes, owing to its uniformity, than various brands of cheaper graded butter. The Agricultural Department is taking every precaution to see that all margarine imported is branded as such and complies fully with the Margarine Act- of 1895. Under the same Act it is* not legal for any person to manufacture margarine in the colony without special permissioii from the Minister." Walter E. Maxwell, extradited from Western Australia, appeared: at Auckland yesterday to answer several charges connected with his bankruptcy. The Crown Prosecutor obtained a week's remand, stating that many charges were pending against Maxwell.

A freehold property in Queen street, Auckland, with a frontage of 33ft and a depth of 198fb, with a substantial brick buSding used as a warehouse, was sold yesterday for £15,000 to Mr J. J. Craig. This amount represents £455 per foot. The South Canterbury railway employees, at a largely-attended meeting at Tiiuaru. unanimously decided to give effect to the general manager's circular regarding the Seddon memorial fond.

A native is reported to be suffering from leprosy at one of the pahs ou the WaaTcu'cmoana road. His face has rotted away. Oue of the most interesting personalities of the fast-diminishing band of &>uth Austral ian pioneers was Air William Hodges, who died at the Adelaide Hospital on tho 6th Lust., at the age of eighty-four years. The deceased, who arrived in the brig Rapid with Colonel Light in 1.836, was the last survivor of the gallant and sturdy colonists who arrived by that vessel, and was well versed in the history of the province from its foundation. In the course of an interesting interview three or four years ago, Mr Hodges said: " We sailed from London on tho Ist Afay, 1836, in the Rapid, tho Commissioners' surveying vessel, to fix the site of the chief city in South Australia and the best port in the vicinity. I was fourteen years and eight months old when I left home, and I. whs articled to serve •under Colonel Light for three years. My indentures were drawn up in the Commissioners' Oflice, Adelpki terrace, Ivondon. Wo came direct to South. Australia, not calling at any ports, and arrived at Antechamber Bay, Kangaroo Island, on tho 20th August of tho same year/' A sensational statement regarding rabbits sold as* food was made at the Pastures Board Convention by* runholder of Wagga, New South Wales. He declared that there were at present being sold for human consumption rabbits that lad died from poisoning, hydatids, scab, tuberculosis, and canoev. An interviewer subsequently asked Dr Norxis. chairman of tlie Victorian Board of Public Health, whether he knew or had heard of such a tiling being done in Victoria. He replied that at times alarming statements about the nature of rabbits sold for human consumption had reached him, but that no conclusive evidence in support of tliese allegations had Ijeeu forthcoming. Some of the statements might, bo taken to have been made with the idea of swaying opinion in regard to the rabbitdestruction question. Mr Irvine's entrance into Federal politics (says tho ' Australasian') is to be welcomed. A man must feel be has a vocation for public life, and must be animated by a worthy a«d unselfish ambition, who in the prime of life declines the offer of a well-paid and dignified position, which ho might nave .accepted with general acclamation. Mr Irvine is a. strong man, of broad views and well-balanced mind, whose best qualities display themselves when he has some practical work to grapple with. When he discusses general, economical, and social problems he is apt to become doctrinaire and almost other-worldly in his utterances. But when actual problems prosent themselves for solution, he applies a clear, strong mind to the task, and lias always shone as a legislator and administrator. Tho Hamilton correspondent of the *Ncw Zealand Herald' telegraphs as follows : —■ "An important discovery of rich goldbearing reef is reported from tho King Country, For a number of years many people have been of opinion that gold was to be found there, but the wildness of the country and the opposition offered by the Maoris prevented anything in the way of systematic prospecting. ■ In the present years there found the reef, and shortly instance an old miner who spent several afterwards died. He, however, had handed to a friend a rich specimen, and a chart showing the position of the reef. It is stated, however, that the chart is so erode that it is likely to be of little use in the discovery of the spot." Richard Mavis, of CbriKtchurcb, New Zealand, described as a boilermaker, was charged at the Adelaide Police Court on tho 6th inst-, under the. pro visions or the Convicts Prevention Amendments Act, 1879, with having unlawfully come to thai State. A Western Australian detective in Adelaide taxed him recently with having served a sentence for felony in West Australia within the past three years, and Davis admitted his identity and the truth of tho statement. A sentence of six inoni-ks* imprisonment was passed. The gold yield for Queensland for the month. of June last was 43,8700z, a decrease of 10,9890z as compared \sriti June of last year. 'Hie yield for six months was 251,9780«. being a decrease of 38,5W)0z compared with the correspoodSng period last year. The total in dividends for the half-year was £246., 218. a. decrease of

£83,694 compared with th© correspondiM period of 1905. Population returns for Victoria just pub. *&£, *£?•; tbat durin S 1905' there wew ■MJJ.O/ births: The natural increase by excess of births over deaths was 12.75 per--1,000. The number of deaths during the, year was 14,676, or 12.71 per LGOO. The death-rate from accidents was 574, ami the number of marriages was 8,774. Rarely m these davs is a jury catted upon to find whether a prisoner who refuses to plead stands mute of malice or mote by the visitation of God. An instance, however, occurred at the Middlesex sessions on Saturday, May 26, when a young woman who declined to plead either guilty or not, gfcftty was found by the jury to be standing mute of mafioe, and accordingly by the practice now in vogue a plea of not guilty was entered' on the record. In former davs much. more serious consequences followed a refusal to plead. In treasons and misdemeanors a person standing mute of malice was taken to have pleaded guilty; while in a case of felony the lawr was thai he should bo condemned to the "peine forte et dure"—that is, to be stretched :naked on his back and to have " iron laid upon him as much as he could bear and more," and so .to continue, fed upon bad. bread and stagnant water on alternate davs, until he either pleaded or died. This relks of barbarity, which was pot m force in 1726, was only abolished in 1772, bat ib was not until 1827 that it was enacted &at a plea of not guilty should be entered for a prisoner who stood mute df malice. A visit of BrrUsii newspaper ecKboTs to Australia is mooted, and the 'Sydney Morning Herald * publishes a statement that the Premier of Now Sooth W&ea (Mr Carruihers) has suggested that the Commonwealth and States should agree to invite the editors of a number of British journals to visit Australia at the expense of th© various Governmente on a twomorefchs' trip. Eighty editors were mentioned, but. the other State Governments have not evinced a desire to fall in with the proposal. They questioned the necessity of eighty, and it is understood the number has been reduced to twenty. The Federal Cabinet is said to be disposed to regard the_ matter favorably, but the Prime Minister has not- committed himself. On being questioned, the Premier stated that he was unable to furnish any definite information on the subject. The 'Press,' Christchurch, referring to Duncdin's population, thinks "its excellent tramway service has had an effect of causing the movement of population towards the suburbs, and has little doubt thai the Regis-trar-General is right, and that although there may be a good many more people doing business during the day in Dunedhi now than was tie case five years ago, the ronstantly-increaEing proportion sleep outside the City boundaries, consequently are included in the population of the suburbs We cannot help thinking, however, lira* the j reason why Dunedin' has not made greater I progress- during the last quinquenninni is to be found in the natural causes over which the inhabitants have had little or no control. It is difficult to see at present where the fresh sources of prosperity are to be tapped, and we are forced to the conclusion that Duuedm is doomed to make only very sdow progress for some time to come." The Rev. H. L. Manures addressed a united meeting of ail the classes in the City and suburbs belonging to the Young Women's Methodist Bible Class Union in Trinity Church, last evening. Miss Walton was appointed secretary of the Union. The George streub "Ladies' .Gymnastkr Club held a social in their hall. The general arrangements were in the bauds of. Mass G. WHsou, and Mr J. Drearer seated as M.C. - There was a good attendance at the Tabernacle lost evening, when.' Mr 0. E. Hamilton spoke on 'Tue Baptism of the Holy Spirit.' Mr Gannoug sang ' Make mo i clean.'