NEWS FROM NEAR AMD FAR.

Evening Star, Issue 12060, 2 March 1907, Page 5

NEWS FROM NEAR AMD FAR.

Last evening, at the-St. Kilda Borongh Council's rooms, a concert was given by tie St. Kilda Ere Brigade. Mr Burk (mayor) said the concert was for the purpose of defraying expenses of the Fire Brigade's trip to Cbxistcfauieh, at the competitions, about a fortnight hence. If there was any body of men observing the people's gratitude, ifc wus the fireman. They were a purely volunteer brigade, and they were placed at heavy expenditure through tlto year, which was borne by themselves. In a case of this kind they depended upon the people. An occaaJocßl trip was the only reward they reoewed. Be was sure the men would acquit themselves with credit. A musical programme was contributed to by Miss L. Murphy, Mr L. Pollard, Mrs Paterson, Mr Downing, Mrs Alkui, Mr D. V. M'Kenzie, Mr Hani, Msss B. Low, Mr Robinson, Miss R. Burk, Mr Laidlaw, and Mr Hanna. Mrs Wfliam Collie acted as accompanist. The pianoforte solo by Miss Low and the singing of Mrs Allan were worthy of special nemark. The brigade desire to particnktrly thank Mrs William CoiLie for arranging the excellent musical programme, with the help of Mr Allan. Captain M'Kenzie also 'helped considerably to the success of the concert, which will bring in. a profit of £lB. A meeting of women who employ domestic .workers is to be held in Wellington next week, with the object of forming a union of employers. The secretary of the Domestic Workers' Union has received a letter from a resident of the city who employs several servanie, in the course of which she says that the'domestic workers employed by her hove Sar years bad all the privileges that ase now bedng demanded, but they do not all leave the house at the same time, snkb-their hours of relaxation are arranged among themselves. Private houses, sho. points xjnt, are not like shops- ©r-factorics, which can be shut up at will _ ~ .

The Caversham Baptist Young Men's Club held their sixth annual meeting in tlieir new rooms last night, and abont twenty members w=ere present. The- chair was occupied by the Rev. C. BoyalL The Committee, in their report, roado complimentary reference to the waccaas which had attended the club the previous year, nsrtwTtbstandirtg difficulties -under which, they had labored. Tho crab's thanks were dne to the Rev. D. Dutton and Mr H. H. Driver for addresses, and bo successful had these open evenings been that their repetition was recommended. The club bad well maintained tlieir reputation in debate, having been victorious against -the Cascusbam, Presbyterian, and Dundas Street Clubs, these being the only contests of the'season. —The report was adopted-after a short discussion.—The balance-sheet showed* that the club's finances were in a very stable condition, the balance, though email, being cm the credit side. Adopted.—The following officers were elected :—President, Rev. G. Boyall; vice-presidents—Messrs F. C. Shaddock, H. Clark, and P. E. WinglleM; secretary. Mr H. Outram; treasurer, Mr J. Reid ;" General Committee—Messrs A. M*Hutchon, A. L. Scott, S. Smith, R. Jones, and. H. Clad.—SteMgjeninjr-of'^the

■ '< efatb wjyfixcJ' fun ■ ApijFs;Jt jieins stood that on intecveniiig FnS&y evemngA' the roomnwoirid be -open for mcmbers^araS VJritCTW. < i "•Our Own" at WeEngtoa -wxpeß—b. the matter of "the Seddon memorial th»( complete defeat tea. Tharaday of tho •*-» tempt io soore-a. TWclßngtog soeoe» -gasj emphasised yesterday by the repeiitiuu of tbo statement of the Acting Premier that , the whole of the Mount -Cook site as re-j quired for public purposes, and that it is. therefore impoeerible for th©<J«wernmeHfc«to: think of piirchasing faod at- enormous cost' . to take the place of any that mißfat % ba' refmennshed from the Mount Cook site.. It means in effect that the Geverxauent cannot buy-a sit© -at high-cost for the- local memorial. The Attorney-General, on _hu side, favors a monument or a siafcne. The" 1 upshot is that the determination of the Government is brought into clearer pTcnri-nence-than ever to allow each locality to decide for itself the form the memorial'isto take.

Sam-millers in almost, every part of the West Coast are complaining "regarding the absence of bottoms to convey timber (states an exchange). It is reported that there ale between a million and a million and a-half feet waiting shipment at the _ different* mills, and that owing- to -the skids being'; fully stored some mflls wiE have to sus-j pend operations temporarily. It appears* that tho reason why no steamer has beeoM on the timber berth since last Tnursdayrj is one over which tho Union Company* have no control.

When the goods train from Nightcaps oat Thursday was nearing Thombury (states! the 'Southland News') it was discovered that the lading of a truck containing flax: fibre had, by some means or other, become ignited. An attempt was made to subdaa toe outbreak at tho Aparima bridge, but without success, and the train was speedily pulled into Thornbury Junction, wheiw increased help was to be 'found. The con-.' tents of the railway engine tanks weref turned on to the conflagration, and a bucket< brigade was ako in action, but this 'jarely sufficed to allow of the dangerous cargo* being discharged at the track side. Heroit was totally destroyed, it being found; impossible to stamp out the flames, The truck was badly damaged, while an adjoining waggon, cofEaining tallow, narrowly, escaped a like fate, after strenuous exertions had been expended. The tow destroyed was valued at over £6O, while the damage to rolling stock would bring tho loss to over £IOO.

. Addressing the Maoris at Wbakatane,, Mr Wi Eere, M.L.C., urged the Urewera, tribe not to part with their land, says a contemporary. He said to them : " You are the best off tribe in New Zealand. You have thousands of acnes of land, without any encumbrance thereon, and if you will take my advice yon will hold on to it, or it will all go by degrees." He exhorted them not to take notive of Rua, the prophet. "If I thought that Hua could drive the pakehas into the sea I should soon be with him," concluded Wi Pere, " but he can't." n " Warnimj-to vagrants!" in heavy black type makes a startling line on a placard whiclfa reporter noticed on a shelf in the Tourist Office, Wellington. The notice, however, has no application to tourists. It comes from America, and is merely another example of "the way they havein the States." "Warning to vagrants !" the announcement runs : "Any person, or persons found loitering around any street, alley, or Northern Pacific right-of-way, or any public place within the city of Dickenson, who cannot give a good account of themselves, or show visible means of support, will be put to work on the streets with ball and chain. —P. B. Corbet, Chief of Police. —By order of Dan Manning, Mayor." An Otaki resident some time ago received a package through the post from Paris, and in opening same a small seed dropped from the parcel. The gentleman in question, says the ' Mail,' was curious to know what kind of plant the seed sprang from, and thought possibly it might represent some very rare and beautiful Parisian plant. He planted it with care and in due time it threw up shoots and grew steadily. The man was delighted, and transplanted the little plant to a prominent position in the flower border. He told numerous friends that they might expect to see a very beautiful and rare flower. The plant may now be seen in all its beauty—it turned out to be a caulillower!

Auckland shopkeepers say that shoplifting has been promoted from a fine art to a science, and reckon that probably not 1 . per cent, of the offenders meet with even an accusation. Of course, there are exceptions. Recently, a bright-eyed girl in a big drapery shop saw a lady, who moves on the very roof of society, annex a sixpenny cake of soap and drop it into her parasol. The young assistant fixed on her the bright accusing eye, and the shop-lifter: fled, panic-stricken, leaving 6s 9d change-) on the counter. In another Queen i street shop an assistant, who was making j out a bill for 2s 6d for a customer whoj had tendered him a five-pound note, saw' the purchaser stuff a three-and-sixpenny chiffon scarf up her jacket sleeve. He said agreeably, but firmly : " Buttons, Is; gloves, Is 6d. And .about that scarf you've got up your sleove? Suppose we say £4 7s 6d. and avoid further trouble? That makes it just right. Thank you !" Then the lady, who is also on the roof of society, fled, screaming hysterically and calling out " Fire !" A mysterious incident occurred in the Auckland Domain last Saturday evening, when a horse belonging to Mr J. J. Craig, which, with others, was grazing in the Domain, was stabbed with a bayonet, from' the effects of which it died the following morning. It is supposed that the bayonet was taken from one of the Infantry Battalion tents on Saturday evening and thrown at the horse. The battalion w.-u on parade on Saturday evening, and it hj thought that the stabbing took place during that period. As soon as the stabbhis was discovered Colonel Reed order <1 every tent to be examined, but could :;■■! ascertain that any bayonet similar to ti:.;:. found in the.hor.se was missing. Mr J. .1. Craig has made a demand for £sl odd, the value of the horse, upon Colonel Reed, as the officer commanding. An inquiry is being held into the whole matter.

The Kaiser has taken heroic action to call attention to the habit, still in considerable vogue in Germany, of tucking the serviette under the chin at formal -dinners. It is a common sight in German restaurants. One night recently a newlymade " Excellency' 'was a guest at the Kaiser's table, and hid his expansive shirt front beneath the sheltering folds of a huge serviette. Everybody trembled as to what would happen when the Kaiser, who happened to be reading a despatch, discovered the offence. Suddenly looking up, His Majesty turned to the innocent guest, saying laughingly : "Tell me. my dear Excellency, do you want to lie shaved just now ?" Salvoes of laurrhter greeted this Imperial bon-mot,' ami his Excellency promptly bared his shirt front.

At the Sooth Dunedrn Town Hall last evening Mr W. J. spoke to a large audience. The subject was ' The distinction between John's baptism and Christ's baptism.' The speaker dealt with some present-day -teachings concerning this ordinance. Mr M'Chire tried'; especially to show that baptism should': follow conversion, but should not be preached as essential to solvation. The address was interestingly and forcibly de-' livered, as was -also the short Gospel talk' by Mr John Blair. There will be another meeting on Sunday evening after church.' time, when ' The baptism of the spirit and the baptism of fire.'

Few brides woukr"has» the coura<re to go to the altar in the identical wedding toSet worn by a greit-greaJ-grandmother. but all the direct descendants of Mrs Maxfha Custis, -who married George Wash-

ingtcavhswHfcessed themaebcesin-ber-rat ber wonderful bridal oostnmo. It consists of a thick brocade, with branches of vivid roses trailing on a once white groundnow yellow with age —and brge-leav<nl vines twisted between the roses. 'iuo white poke bonnet is trimmed with, ro&es, and the bride carries the fan, the gloves, and the haodkerohief -worn by Mrs Georgt. Washington. The last to appear in the V dress was of George- » town.

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