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LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

CITY DRAINAGE. The late drainage engineer, Mr Mestayer. has drawn the attention or the City Council to the immense improvement which has been manifest in the hea.Ln or the citizens of Wellington since the drainage works had been brougat mto operation; and the sanitary inspector, Mr Doyle, urges the necessity, in the interests of the public health, of compoliin or owners of houses within the city to i have connections with the sewers made , ns scon as possible. The fact that the connection of the majority of the houses ' with the drainage in the city has had ■ such a beneficial result may be fairly regarded as a reason why the City Counci* i should adopt the sanitary inspector s re- ' port and hurry up those who are snowing ' ueMicrence in carrying out the uoik. ■,Otherwise the health of the community : e'SiyTe contaminated when least expec- . ted, because of the inaction of its hast Sic Sea citizens. The City Connoiliors complain occasionally about the conduct of the householders who refmn from having connections made between their premises and the sewers, and tarn loudly of the necessity for prosecutions, hut it is noticeable that no prosecutions are ever instituted. Meamvhne u. niMitearts continue to wander cifovun t., through the streets in the city m the ean.s hours of the morning. THE PROHIBITIONISTS AND THE X PREMIER. Tn »enlv to a deputation of prolubi- ' tionists that waited on him at Auckland . fiS-WSU» h* Tustice Department had advised i » that the proposed-hotel was to ,jc e |^ c^ c - on land held by Europeans. Tho vernment would not be a party to f ’ ference with the administration of tlit • • f - anf Such ft tiling V.ould he S, and asked him to mtw.eve. The.* would be no interference with the pone*, on Hie part of the Government to object +o or Q,mnort an application. In trans-M-E-SSSi imical to its interests. THE FINANCIAL 1 proposals.

When so much attention iS being drawn to methods of church finance. ■ special interest will be felt in the scheme which the Wesleyan Church is at pi sent setting on foot in this colony. .1centur” commemoration idea originated with Mr R. D. Perks, the ivCtive partnei in the London firm of solicitor -ot which the Right Hon H. H. Fowlei J a member He suggested some months ago that the Church in England should set itse*f tie t.i.U of raising by the end of 1900 a sum of one million guineas as a mud ioi aggressive religious and plnlaiirtuopic ymrk in the new century. the magnitude of the sum appahed many people, but Air Perks carried his point, and the success of the effort is practically assured; indeed, discussion is now go mg on as to the mode in which the fiitn quarter of a million should be spent. The million guineas are being i laisccl entirely by direct giving, and tne sum represents a guinea for every member of the Wesleyan Oiurcli in tne Luffed Kingdom. Nearly everybody is giving something, but many are giving larger ! sums, to make up for those who can only give their mite. The money is to be spent in new home and foreign missions and other enterprises, one of which is the increasing of orphanages, so that no Methodist child may have to go to the' workhouse. The lead of the church in England is being followed by the Methodist people all over the world. The Methodist Episcopal Church in America lias set out to raise twenty million dollars. Here in New Zealand the . Wesleyan Church hopes to get together £60,000 during the next eighteen months. The larger part oF'this will bo directed to the payment of trust debts, wb>!e the balance will bo devoted to country, city and foreign missions, the nucleus of an orphanage fund, and other purposes. Enthusiastic meetings have been held in Auckland and other places during the past month, and the Wesleyan Churches of Wellington have announced that they, too, will make a start next week. THE PREMIER’S MOVEMENTS. The Right Hon R. J. Seddon, as the result of a. final discussion with the King natives, has promised to introduce legislation to make provision for landless Maoris, on the same lines as have been adopted in the South Island. At Te Awamutu, on Tuesday, the Premier had an enthusiastic reception—the whole population turning out to greet him. In the ’ evening he addressed a large audience, dealing with the principal political questions now before the country, and at the close he received a vote of thanks and confidence. A banquet followed the public meeting, and the Premier was presented with an address from the settlers , the Town Board and the Liberal League.

The Premier thereafter proceeded to Auckland, where he last night gave a public address to a large and enthusiastic gathering. The Press Association message which gives these particulars adds that the Premier is to leave Auckland to-day for Wellington via Taranaki, or, his way to Dunedin to attend the agricultural show. THE VACANT JUDGESHIP. Nothing has yet been done by the Cabinet towards filling the vacancy in the Judiciary caused by the retirement of the Chief Justice. Sir James Prenderga.-t ; and probably nothing will be done until all the members of the Ministry are m Wellington, about a week hence. Rumour has been busy with the names of several gentlemen as the probable choice for the Chief Justiceship. One correspondent has positively alleged that the Cabinet favours offering the appointment to Sir Robert Stout; but whatever ground there may have been for nus rumour, it is now discredited by well-informed people. Some journalistic prophets have “tipped” Mr Justice Williams, Mr Justice Conolly, Mr H. D. Bell and Mr Tiieo. Cooper; but the best reply to all these speculations is the fact that Ministers have not yet met in consultation on the subject. WHAT AMERICANS READ. An intelligent visitor to New iork saw- that three-fourths of the men i:i largo cities read scarcely anything but newspapers. Women, read proportionately more books than the sterner sex. One leading bookseller said : —“The magazines are driving out the books, and the nevr.v paners are driving out moSJ.izines.__ This, however, the "British Weekly points out. is hardly true, for it is admitted that flic past holiday season witnessed enormous safes of boons, exceeding all previous records. Among the great novelists Thackeray leads, his sales exceeding those cf any‘other. During the past two years George Eliot has gained dcC'ded'ly Dickens has lost very perceptibly, and Charles Ilea do and Bulwer are seldom called for. Mr D. Ryan, chief clerk of the Hudda r t-Pa rker* proprietary’s 1 oca 1 office. _le f t for Sydney by the Waikare on 4 riday nio-ht on a short holiday trip. = Wha.fc is understood to be tne largest number of sheep delivered to a freezing establishment in one mob y. as delivered at the Islington Works, Christchurch, one day last week, totalling 6756. . . Mr R. G. Dagger has been appointed canvasser and collector to tlio New Zealand Times" Company. f . The finance committee ot the 1L mi Harbour Board, in reporting that the ascertained amount unaccounted for by the late secretary was £915 15s Id, remarked : —“How the Government Auditor has been hoodwinked for seven years, the period over which ilia '.rrepiiluritiwS <?jvcond.o(l. "vvfto <i incited? foi surprise, and involved, in the committee's opinion, responsibility on tiro part or the Government.” The loss v.ould be reduced by £SOO under a fidelity bond, and the committee recommended that the Government should he ashed to pay the difference —£415 Iks 1_d — together with the cost of the inspector. Tho report was adopted, and :t was resolved to make a claim on the Standard Insurance Company for £SOO. Cyclists are entirely with Councillor Hard in the plea which lie made at last week’s meeting of the City Council for better streets. ~ So Jar as pleasureriding is concerned, bicycles are now as-a rule relegated to winter quarters. The road to Petone is in a hopeless condition, especially betwem the city and Ngnhauranga, and that from Point Jerningham to Kiibirnie, with its succession of pools and manholes, entails too great a strain on a rider’s powers of navigation to make an excursion in that direction at all enjoyable. Neither of these roads is constructed on the system which Macadam enforced, but perhaos the old reason of “lack of funds” has application to them.

With reference to the statement made by -Mr Ward at the recent meeting of the Dairy Regulation Committee to the effect that two cows from Nelson had been slaughtered by order of one of the Government veterinary surgeons, and were found free from disease, we are informed by Air Gilruth. Chief Government Veterinarian. that the statement is entirely untrue. No such thing has happened. The facts are that the veterinary surgeon who visited Nelson district, after examining about five hundred cows, ordered three to be slaughtered, one cn the 20th and two on the 31st of May. All three were diseased : but this small proportion of diseased animals is a compliment to the health of Nelson dsirs’ herds.

A meeting of the Victoria College Students’ Society was held in the social hall of the Girls’ High School on Saturday night to inaugurate the Debating Society. Mr J. Prendeville, president, was in the chair. The secretary read the report of the committee appointed to draw up rules and to make arrangements for the opening debate. Tho following are the officers elected for the present session :—President, Professor McKenzie; vice-president and chairman. Professor Maclaurin; secretary, Mr A. W. Blair; treasurer, Miss Ross ; committee, Misses Tasker and Hitchcock and Messrs Thomson and Fitzherhert. At the conclusion of the business meeting a debate was held. Mr S. W. Fitzherhert proposed, “ That any system of control in the drink trade is inimical to the highest development of civilisation.” Mr A. W. Biair supported and Mr Thomson opposed. An interesting discussion followed, the motion being ultimately negatived.

One of the most remarkable incidents in connection with the Factory Act has occurred at Christchurch. A contractor who has a shed erected under which the stonemasons employed by him work has received notice that it i- a factory under the Act. Hares appear to lie particularly numerous in Hawke's Bay. Tho “Herald ’ reports that one day last week three sportsmen secured sixty-seven near Waipawa in two days. The death is announced at Dunedin of Mr H. T. Harrison, the cend mtor of the Pollard Opera Company's orchestra. Mr Harrison took ill while the Pollard's Opera Company was performing in Dunedin last month, and was removed to the hospital for treatment, his place before the footlights being taken by Mr Bunz, leader of the orchestra. By Mr Harrison’s oeiith Mr Tom Pollard loses the services of a hardworking and conscientious musician, who was well known throughout the colonies, and whose musical compositions, such as the opera “Prince Lulbo." have earned for him a worthy reputation. The deceased gentleman. who in private life was Air 11. T. Towle, wielded the baton at many performances cf Messrs Williamson and Musgrovc's Royal Comic Opera Company, both in Australia, ftt’d New Zealand. Tie vos at one tune a. favourite ten.'r siege i. Loth on tlio operatic and concert platform. Air AY. F. Parsons, whose talented wife and daughter? are temporarily residing in London, will proceed Home by the Himu-i-uka on Thursday next to join them. Miss Nellie Parsers and Miss Piuvbe Parsons are pursuing their studies at the Guildhall School of Music and at the Royal Academy of Music, uhere both young ladies are making satisfactory progress. Alias Phj.be Parsons was specially engaged to sing the principal soprano part at n concert given recently at Fuibeek. in Lincolnshire, when she inane a decided hit; and received most gratifying encomiums from both the local press and public. After evening service at fet. Paul’s ProCathedral yesterday, the choir said adieu tn Air Parsons, one of its oldest members. The vicar, toe Rev T. H. Sprout, was spoke-man. Air Parsons, who lias always been active in musical circles in Wellington, first joined tne choir of St. Paul's in 1855. the year in which lie arrived here in the ship Royal Stuart, Recently the Mayor of Biac-kburn formally opened the new electric tramways in the borough. The Corporation has purchased the whole of the tramwars workingin Blackburn, but so far only four miles have been electrically equipped. Air Caldwell, for many years a leading man in Messrs Sutton and Sens’ seed firm at Reading, committed suicide by blowing out his brains. He ’married his second wife, who had been Lis housekeeper cor three years, only the previous morning. The powerful cruiser rokiwa lias arrived at the Novo from the works of Sir W. G. Armslvorg and Co., of Xewcaslle-on-Tyne, who have built her for the Japanese Government. There is considerable sickness in the Woodvillo district, one death from diphtheria having boon recorded. The local State school has been closed for a fortnight. Mr W. Gillespie, has taken into his land, estate, insurance and general agency business at Mas ter: on Air Fred. P. Welch, well known throughout the Wellington and Waive,rapa districts. The firm intends making a speciality of land agency business, and as Air Welch is a practical farmer and personally inspects all properties submitted for sale, tlio firm will be in a position to give clients reliable information about all properties in their hands. Two members of the Dunedin City Count:.l have had their names struck off the burgess roll through failure to pay arrears of rates. Consequently, they arc no longer eligible to sit, and an election to fill the vacancies will have to be held. Air Justice Edwards lias declined to give costs against Air Kenny. S.M.. for refusing to state a case for appeal in the case of xMeWilliam v. Me William, an application for maintenance. His Honor said that however wrong uie Magistrate's impression was, no doubt be thought he was acting within his powers. Some indignation has been engendered amongst the settlers in the Porirua Riding at the proposal of the Hurt County Council to deprive the riding of a member. and a meeting to discuss the matter is to be held at Johnsonville on Monday evening next. As showing that Hon Mr Best’s official report to the Victorian press of the condition in which lie found the Levin State Farm did not agree with certain reports given locally, it is worthy of mention that two heads of families have written to the Labour Department indicating that so taken were they by Mr Best’s description of the farm that they would like to obtain land in the vicinity. One of thorn offered to work on the farm until a suitable selection could be found for him. :w- Whitsuntide ordinations for the diocese of Manchester, Mr W. A. R. Fitchett. 8.A.. Cambridge, son of Dean Fitebotf, was ordained to the diaconato bv the Bishop of Alancliester. and he has been appointed to a curacy at Bury, Lancashire. The wind-up sale of the Austral Cycle Company took place on Saturday, when Messrs Macdonald. Wilson and Co. disposed cf the balance of that company s bicycles. There was a very large attendance of buyers, and the auctioneer, Mr A. L. Wilson, disposed of the lot. Wolverhampton Humber? brought from £l4 to £ls 10s, Swifts from £l2 10s to £l4, Dunions £l2 to £l3 10s, Ariel? £lO to £ll 10s. Forty bicycles _ were disposed of under good competition.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZMAIL18990608.2.109

Bibliographic details

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1423, 8 June 1899, Page 40

Word Count
2,587

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS. New Zealand Mail, Issue 1423, 8 June 1899, Page 40

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS. New Zealand Mail, Issue 1423, 8 June 1899, Page 40