LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Evening Star, Issue 13002, 22 December 1906, Page 16

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A. W. Purvis, secretary of the Wellington Benevolent Trustees and master of the Obiro Horne, was charged on remand yesterday with theft and false prc-tcnceu in connection with the funds of the trustees The amount involved in the original information was £55, but yesterday morning six Luther information--., involving sums ol £2B, £4l, and £2O, were laid. The accused was icinandcd till the 28th inst., bail being allowed. Mrs Weiss, the holder of a New Zealand wine licence, was convicted at Wellington yesterday of selling over-proof wine. She was lined £l2, and her license was forfeited.

As it sometimes happens that the telegraph wires on tho day pret-oding Christmas Day become considerably congested in tho afternoon, owing to the heavy traffic incidental to the season, the Telegraph Department requests the public, as far as ptswhle. to picsent their season greetings telegrams in tho forenoon of Monday, so rs to etsure prompt transmission and early delivery.

Moi'rs A. and J. M'Farlanc, J. Mendelsohn, and J. and R. Scott, whose business premises aro situated in. I’rinces siren, have shown their enterprise by arranging for their verandah to Ire illuminated by electric lamps for tho Christmas and Now Year’s ho idays. There will ho ton Cromp. ton oncheed arc lamps, suspended 6ftapart, f'iving an aggregate of 10,000 candie-power. The installation and lamps have been installed by Messrs A. and T. Burt, Ltd., and the current will be supplied from the Corporation tram circuit. Tho Karori (Wellington) ratepayers approved by poll of the raising of a loan of £17.000 to complete the present tramway line to the cemetery, but negatived the proposal to raise £32,000 for extensions. vnm ,u the oldest pioneers of the West Coast died last night in tho person of Mr John Bourke Roche, a prominent Greymouth citizen and the oldest Mason on the Coast.

The tender of Scott and Son, of Christchurch, for £8,650, has been accepted for the completion of St. Mary’s Church (chancel, vestry, etc.), Timaru. The driver of the Auckland City Council’s motor fire engine was fined £3. with costs, by the stipendiary magistrate for

negligent driving. The evidence was that fire defondant, while testing the motor, ran into a man, who was seriously injured. The prosecution admitted that the speed •vos not excessive, bat the magistrate held -hat, in driving along the tram track, instead of keeping as near as practicable to -he left-hand side, the defendant was guilty of negligence. A special meeting of the Athencenm Com. mittce was held last evening to receive a deputation appointed by the City Council to lay before the Committee proposals for the amalgamation of the Athenaeum with tho Free Public Library. The deputation consisted of the Mayor (Mr G. Lawrence), Cl- Scott, and the town clerk (Mr R. VV. Richard;.), with whom were associated the Hon. \V. M. Bolt. Messrs A. R. Barclay, 1.H.R., .1. F. Arnold. M.H.R., and M. Cohen (representing the Free Public Library Association). After various members of the deputation had submitted proposals for the transference of the Athenmum property to the City, the Committee agreed to take the matter into consideration with a view to a future conference.

Mr Joseph Devlin, M.P.. addressed a crowded Dieting on Irish Home Rule at the Wellington Town Hall last night. The Hon. 1. W. Hislop, Mayor of Wellington, presided. Resolutions in rapport of the movement were carried by acclamation. At the close of the meeting Sir Joseph Ward ; made a, speech, in winch ho expressed ap- I predation of the splendid work being done j by Mr Devlin. The following candidates have passed the I Dental Board examination : —■ 10. p. [ M'Ordie. A. H. Hobv, C. Hoby. T. Bovd, I J. C. Dutfus, C. C. Walton, H. Walker,'C. S. Donovan (Wellington), L. Patton (Christa church), A. E. O’Meara (Pahiatua), W. j Welch (Masterton).

The Hon. Mr Millar told a deputation I in Auckland that he believed that the Masters and Apprentices Act, 1868, rendering apprenticeship invalid after the ago of nineteen years, was still operative. He could not interfere with the awards of the Arbitration Court, but if the works showed that interpretations wero constantly being given against them, contrary to the spirit of the Act, ho would consider an amendment that would render misinterpretation impossible. j Replying to another deputation from the chemists, be. said ho believer! that herbalists wore included with chemists under the Shops and Offices Act, and if sttch people kept open establishments during the chemists’ lialf-holiday lie would instruct the inspectors to take proper proceedings. The Milton ‘ Mirror ’ reports a strike which occurred at Fleming's flax-mill at Fairfax on Tuesday. It would seem that a demand by the men for increased wages and a slight change in the conditions was not met, and all hands went out. Subsequently overtures were made on. both sides, and Mr Fleming agreeing to stand by the result of a conference shortly to bo held, five out of fourteen men returned to work. Other hands were put in to fill the vacancies.

The treasurer of the Free Kindergarten .Association acknowledges receipt of the following subscriptions:—Mr Jas. Allen, £3 3s; Mrs R. Gilles (Auckland), £2 2s ; Mr A. Ahlfeld, Wright, Stephenson, and Go., D.1.C., Mr A. Black, G. and T. Young, £1 Is each; Professor Benham, IDs 6d; Miss Millar, 10s ; J.T.C., Mr Jas. Jeffrev, Mr D. A. M'Nicoll, Mr J. W. Smith, Mr

M Duthie, Mr W. Davidson, Mr Angus Marshall, Mr O. J. Hodge, Mr R. G. Whetter, Mr M. R. Bennett, Mr A. Stewart, Mrs Naphtali, and Mr Jas. Brown, 5s each; Miss Haig, Mr J. MTntock, and Mr John W. Robertson, 3s each; J.W., Mr Hardy, Miss Stevens, Mr D. Stewart, H.M., Air Alex. Coggans, Air B. H. Stables, Miss J. Turnbull, Mr E. H. Lomas, Air J. Al'Pheo, Air P. Stewart, 2s 6d/ each; C.E.C., L.F.C., Mr E. J. Gunn, Mr A. M'Lean, Aliss B. Luscombe, Aliss L. Sullivan, Mr A. M. Andrew, Mr A. Taylor, Air Q. M. Farnie, and Mrs Farrant, 2s each. Preparations are being made for school children from this district visiting the Exhibition ,in charge of their teachers, and it is probable that a number of schools will take advantage of the special inducements offered. At the break-up of the Anderson Bay School on Thursday evening Mr Lawless, chairman of the School Committee, stated that he had been making inquiries while in Christchurch about the accommodation provided by the Government for school children at the Exhibition. He considered it was entirely satisfactory. The one thing neceisary was that the children should be ably supervised and looked after by tho teachers accompanying them. Speaking (or his Committee, he said that body could not accept any responsibility, but the head-master had expressed bis willingness to take charge of the children, and it is probable a contingent from tho Bay School, combined with pupils, probably, from Musselburgh, St. Clair, or other schools, to make up tho required number—between 250 and 500—will proceed lo the Exhibition at an early date. The minimum cc«t for each child will bo about 12s 6d. and the trip trill extend over four days, two of which will be spent entirely at tir- , Exhibition. It is understood that parents who may b« visiting the Exhibition at tho

eame time as their children will not be permitted to interfere in their manag-ment, the teachers in charge having undisputed control.