LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New Zealand Mail, 21 February 1901, Page 35

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The survey of the- Langdale estate has been completed, and the survey party has proceeded to explore the Tararua Range to find a stock track.

It is proposed to irrigate the Opaki district from the Ruamalianga. river, and to furnish a high-pressure water supply for Lansclowne from the same source.

The invalided and time-expired members of the contingents who returned Tuesday in the Rimutaka speak in the highest terms of praise of the treatment which they received aboard that vessel. Their return passage to the colony they describe as a picnic.

The half-yearly meeting of the Marist Brothers’ Old Boys’ Association was held at St. Patrick’s Hall, Boulcott street, on the 19th. The Rev Father O’Shea (president) occupied the chair, and there was a large attendance of members. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. The president announced that prizes given for original essays by members of the Association had been awarded to Messrs Fitzgibbon, C." Gamble and H. McKeowen. There was considerable discussion on a notice of motion to change the name of the Association to the Mavis t Brothers’ Schools Old Boys’ and Catholic Young Men's Association. An amendment that the name remain as at present, and that Rule 17 be altered to read ‘■"Catholic young men who have uot been pupils of the Marist Brothers’ schools shall be eligible for office/' was agreed to. The election of officers resulted as follows:—Patron, His urace Archbishop Redwood; president, Rev Father O’Shea; vice-presidents, Revs Fathers Lewis, Holley, Maloney, Ainsworth and Goggan Hon J. G. Ward, Drs Grace and Mackin, Messrs Martin Kennedy, J. Kays, R. J. Collins, O. xucArdle, J. J. Devine, J. P. Kelly, T. G. Maearthy, and W. Missen; hon secretary, Mr H. McKeowen; assistant-sec-retary, Mr P. McGovern; treasurer, Mi* F. McDonald; committee, Messrs E. J. Fitzgibbon, A. S. Henderson, H. C. Allen, L. Reichel, B. Guise, C. Gamble, E. Gibbs and E. J. Leighton; librarian, Mr J. Lawlor, junior; auditors, Messrs B. Weybourne and E. J. Gamble; editor of “Journal” and chairman of Literary Society, Mr J. Kays. A vote of thank's was accorded the retiring officers, and niso to the chairman.

The Abattoirs Committee of the Masterton Borough Council has recommended that a loan of £'4ooo should be procured from the Government for the erection of abattoirs. The Hon C- H. Mills has found it necessary to resign his seat on the Marlborough Land Board owing to pressure of Ministerial work. At the last meeting of the Board it was decided to express regret at- the loss of Mr Mills’s services, and at the same time to congratulate him on his appointment to the Cabinet-

The Agricultural Department has received the following cable message from the Agent - General, dated February 18th: —Butter, 106 s; market firm. There are heavy supplies of butter on hand. Cheese, 52s ; market steady. The hemp market is firm —Good fair Wellington, £23; fair current Manila, £32 10.° There is a disposition to sell distant. Cocksfoot, unchanged. The New Zealand Shipping Company’s pew steamer, the Rimutaka, a very fine vessel of 7764 tons burden, with twin screws and modelled on the very latest lines, arrived from London last Tuesday, and anchored in the stream. After landing her passengers and mails, she will proceed to Avickland, probably at noon to-day. Citizens will shortly have an opj)ortunity of inspecting the Rimutaka, as she will return direct from Auckland to discharge cargo for this port. The police -are on the tracks of the material ghosts who have been disturbing timorous citizens during the past week or so by appearing hi divers places in white raiment. A resident of Johnsonville and one of the city are each to he charged on summons with seeking to affright citizens by impersonating ghosts. The Police Offenders Act allows a maximum sentence of six months’ imprisonment to be inflicted for the offence.

A question of some economic importance was lightly touched upon and then shelved for future consideration at the meeting of the Benevolent Trustees on the 19th. In connection with a case dealt with it was pointed out that the State Y/as taking advantage of an able-bodied, well-educated prisoner’s labour and leaving his wife and children in a oondition of destitution. The State, in short, was utilising the man’s labour -wliile the burden of his family’s support was cast upon the ratepayers. Dr McArthur, S.M., on the 19th delivered his reserved judgment in the ease of C. Tandy v. G. Umfreville and F. J. McDonald. His "Worship said he had come to the conclusion that a largo number of the repairs had been done as extras. The quality of some of the work proved that it had not been done in as cheap a way as it possibly could, and that fact was presumptive evidence that the plaintiff had not contrasted to do the whole of the work for £4O, as was alleged by defendants. His Worship expressed regret that the defendants had not been able to produce receipts—the production’ cf these mighthave materially altered his views. Judgment would be for the plaintiff for the •sum of £l6 18s 6d, with £2 12s costs. An old Irish soldier called at the Harris street office of the Benevolent Institution the other day. The object of his visit was to ob'taiu admission to the Ohiro Home, despite the fact that he did not belong to the Wellington district. Stumping into the office, he calmly surveyed the inmates—the cherirmaii (Rev J. K. Elliott) and the secretary. ‘‘This here’s the Benevolent Office, ain’t it?” he asked. Being satisfied on that point, he turned to the chairman and observed, “You’re a parson, ain’t you? Well! it’s a red-hot shop I’ve come to, anyway. Here’s my pension certificate. , Now, I want to go into your home.’ It was pointed out to him that that was impossible, and his fare was offered him to the place where he had been living for a number of years. The authorities in that town, he was told, were responsible for Ins maintenance. Nothing would suit the obstinate old fellow but that he should be heard before a full sitting of the Board. On the 19th he was again told that to grant his request was against all precedent, and the offer of his fare home repeated. He left the room in high dudgeon. A fully-attended meeting of the Ratepayers’ Association was held at the Alliance Rooms on the 19th, the president, Mr H. Hurrell, in the chair. The association considered that the Corporation should in all drainage cases make the connection right up to the boundary of the'property, and charge the owners with the cost. Lt was decided that the abolition or continuance of the ward system should be discussed at a special meeting to be held on the 26th inst., and also the question of election of candidates to the Council to take place in April next. The following motion was carried: “That this association hopes that the fullest consideration will be given by the City Council to Mr John Dutlne’s scheme for widening Willis street by having the foot walk under the first floor of the shops, thus putting the occupiers of the shops to comparatively small inconvenience, and greatly reducing the cost of the proposed improvement.” The conduct of the engineer’s department of the Corporation was adversely criticised, and a committee was appointed to report upon the subject at a future meeting. The question of widening Willis street, Adelaide road and Fraser’s lane was also unfavourably discussed, its final consideration being deferred.