LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1732, 10 May 1905, Page 18

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

The largest tank engine of its kind built south of the equator is now being •onstructed at the Petone Railway Workshops. It is a double compound engine of Mallet articulated type, and will be used on the section of railway between Featherston and the Ramutaka incline. It is hoped to have the engine running in about two months’ time. The salaries paid to Supreme Court Judges is referred to in the annual report of the Wellington Law Society as follows: —The inadequate salaries paid to the Supreme Court Judges in New Zealand has been the subject of representation to the Government on several occasions of late years, not bv the Wellington Law Society alone, but by the law societies throughout the colony. [Members are no doubt aware that ihe Government has taken the matter up by increasing the salaries, hut it is thought not to an extent commensurate with the importance of the position and duties to be performed. Some reminiscences of the New Zealand railway service in the early colonial days were recounted at the railway function at Petone on Saturday night. Mi* Peter kin mentioned that when he went on the West Coast he was instructed to make the railway pay'. At Westport the expenditure at that time was £I2OO a month and the receipts £SO. He made up his mind to make that railway pay, and in order to do so he bought 160 acres of land about seven miles out, and h© put in a big strawberry bed. When he hadn’t sufficient money at the end of the period to pay working expenses he used to hoist a flag, and all the inhabitants knew what that meant. They used to flock down to the railway, and he took them out and gave them strawberries and cream. (Laughter.) A correspondent, “ Reformation,” wrote recently to the “Times” about " the abominable eyesore that exists by the Mount Cook Polio© Station, opposite the Mount Cook Infants’ School—tile utterly useless and nauseous institution called c the pound for stray cattle.’ ” Interviewed on the subject of this “ pound ” a Corporation official yesterday said that if horses and cattle were allowed to stray there must he some place to take them to, and as the city now includes certain grazing areas it is essential to' have some such place if only for the protection, of the property of private individuals. The balance-sheet for the city for the year ending March 31st last year shows that there was a loss of £25 8s 6d over the maintenance of the pound, chiefly througn fodder supplied to' unclaimed animals (many of which were not marketable), and those that had to be destroyed. This loss did not include the poundxeeper’s salary, which is £2O per annum.

A notable triumph of tea over religion is recorded in English newspapers just to hand. The Dean of Norwich, in. the course of a Lenten booklet issued to tile cathedral congregation, deplored the small attendance at evensong, which he attributed to the fact that the hour of service—s o’clock —clashes with the institution known as afternoon tea. “May I be frank and unreserved?” he says. “There are thousands of persons in England to whom afternoon tea is the most welcome, social, and conversational meal of the day. People often from a distance ‘drop in.’ The informality of the institution is one of its strongest points of fascination. The visit is unexpected, and the host is pleasantly surprised by the guest. The joys, the sorrows, the difficulties, the delights, the duties of one and another become the subject of sympathetic and friendly interchange. And time is freely given to each and to all. I lay no claim to infallibility, but I will here hazard the conviction that no cathedral service can compete successfully with the innocent assemblies at these pleasant week-day afternoons.” He, therefore, announced that during Lent Norwich churchgoers would have their evensong at 5.30. New Zealand is being visited by Mr E. Horsnaill, a talented English artist. He came to New Zealand a few months ago to recuperato and has improved greatly. Two very fine paintings of Mr Horsnaill’s that have attracted much attention may be seen at McGregor Wright’s, Lambton quay. Both depict Mount E'arnslaw from the head waters of Lake Wakatipu, a little beyond the Glenorohy wharf—one in the rarified atmosphere of a summer’s day, and the other (the same scene) subdued by the shades of evening. The artist has caught the brilliant green of the ewanip grass and the dark shades of tho reeds, and the foreground is dotted with grazing sheep. In admirable perspective is the bold snow-capped mountain. In the evening scene wonderful use is mado of every shade of purple. Tho bright pale green of tho grass has become r. dull olive tint, and tho sheep have clustered together for the night. Tho rays of the sol ting sun have caught tho highest peak, bathing its tagged outline in light. Tim sunlight picture lias been purchased by I,lm Tourist Department. Mr Horsnaill intends revisiting the colony in Urn near future. Ho is at present paying a visit to Rotorua prior to Lis departure.

Cabinet has extended the date by which the Land Commission is to report to Parliament from May Ist to June Ist.

At the Lyttelton Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Alexander Murray, master of the steamer Qygnet, was fined £5 and costs for failing to keep the lifebelts on the steamer in good order. The Government has appointed a Commission consisting of the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), Mr W. H. Quick, barrister, of Wellington, Mr H. S. Wardell, S.M., of Wellington, and a member of the Maori race, to inquire into matters concerning ill© Porirua, Papawai and Waikato education trouts.

The first meeting of the 1905 session of the Wellington Philosophical Society was held under the presidency of Mr Martin Chapman in the Museum Buildings on Wednesday. Papers were read by Mi P. W. Robertson, F.C.S., on “The Quantitative Estimation of the VegetoAlkaloids,” and Mr H. M. Christie on three different subjects. Professor Kirk made some remarks on different biological laboratories he had visited in various parts of the world, the bestequipped of which, he stated, were in Cambridge. Charles Bell, whose parents reside at 5. Sussex square, met with a serious accident in Kent terrace at 7.20 o’clock on the 3rd inst. Wishing to* cross from Cambridge to Kent terrace, lie walked over that part of the avenue from which the trees have been lately removed opposite St. Patrick’s College, jumped the wire fence, and was crossing the track, when he was knocked down by car No. 31, which was proceeding towards the city. The motorman did not see the unfortunate man until the instant before the car struck him, but he pulled the car up promptly. The young fellow was taken into an adjacent house, and attended to by Dr Young, who discovered that his right thigh had been broken by the impact. Bell was conscious, and said he had not noticed the approach of the car when he jumped the fence. After the limb had been placed in splints he was removed to' the hospital in an ambulance. Bishop Welldon, formerly Bishop of Calcutta and Metropolitan of India, who has recently been on a visit to the West Indies, seized the opportunity whilst in Trinidad in February last of paying a visit to Cai’acas. By a peculiar chance a circus company which had been giving performances in Trinidad travelled to the capital by the same steamer, and among the troupe was a celebrity in his way, “Diavolo,” as he rather sinisterly styles himself, from the fact that he claims to have been the first to “loop the loop”—a daring feat that causes a sensation wherever it is witnessed. On the arrival of the steamer at La Guayra his Lordship and several other passengers travelled to Caracas by the ordinary train, but the circus company waited for a “special” to convey them i to their destination. When the Bishop arrived at the railway terminus in Caracas, a large and eager concourse of people was found to have assembled, much to the surprise of his Lordship and his fellow passengers, but their astonishment was increased when as his Lordship left the railway carriage it was discovered that he was being greeted with enthusiastic cries of “Viva el Diavolo.” The ex-Metropolitan sought refuge from the embarrassing demonstration, but despite his protests he was carried up the street on the shoulders of the “unwashed!” The populace, it appears, expecting the arrival of the acrobatic gentleman who loops the loop, - mistook the important personage attired in the orthodox knickers and apron for “El Diavolo,” and greeted him accordingly. The manifesto of the State Schools’ Defence League concerning the Bible-in-schools Text Book says: —The Junior New Testament Lessons are taken almost exclusively from the Gospel of St. Mark, and lesson after lesson appears in which the subject matter is miracle, and miracle not merely as an incident but as the pith and substance of the whole lesson. All hut five of the miracles recorded by the second evangelist are thus included, and of these five one takes its place among the intermediate lessons, and those of the Gadarene swine and the barren fig - tree' can alone have been sacrificed to a possible regard for the difficulties of children, parents, and teachers. More than three dozen of the lessons in the whole book are occupied solely with miracle, and as samples we may mention that the feeding of the five thousand and the stilling of the tempest are to be found among the junior lessons, whilst the senior course includes the turning of water into wine and the raising of Lazarus. Some of the miraculous circumstances attending the birth of Jesus are fully recorded, hut not the Virgin birth itself —an omission which has brought upon those responsible the charge of “ Unitarian bias/’ but is quite clearly to be justified by the unsuitableness of the subject matter for children on physiological grounds alone. On the other hand, the narratives of the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the ascension are set. out in full in three different versions, the Gospels of Mark, Luke, and John being drawn upon for the junior, intermediate, and senior lessons respectively.

A child named Edgar Sagan, five years of age, whose parents reside at Kilbimie, was taken to - the hospital last week with one of hie legs broken. The Oity Council of Sydney nas adopted a by-law against the queue system at theatre doors, on the ground that it causes a block on the sidewalk.

Bell, who is only eighteen years of age, was employed on a station in the Wairarapa, and was to have returned to the country this morning. He was paying a short visit to his parents. Fifty-three applications have been received for the position of lady assistant at the Public Library. The City Council has referred these to the Libraries Committee, asking that the list be reduced to six names. Government has revoked the restrictions existing against the alienation of section (3, Harbour district, Wellington province, containing about twentyfive acres, which hitherto has been inalienable by sale or mortgage, or by lease, for more than twenty-one years. Similar restrictions have been removed from subdivision No. 1 of section 42, Hutt, containing ten acres two roods. At the ratepayers’ meeting at Worscr Bay last night, Mr Barber, to' prove the value of a motor service, undertook on leaving Hearn’s Kiosk to ride to Wellington in his motor-car and meet the passengers from the ferry steamer on their arrival at the wharf. He readied the city in quick time, heating the steamer by fully ten minutes, and received the congratulations of those who doubted whether lie could accomplish his self-set task.

At Sydney on the 17th ult. Mr C. Powers (Commonwealth Crown Solicitor) made an application, on behalf of the Victorian Collector of Customs, for an affidavit with regard to specified documents and for an order requiring the manager of the Bank of New South Wales in Melbourne to l produce books. The application was in connection with the action against James R. Allen, fish importing agent, for duty on shipments from New Zealand to Melbourne. Mr Justice O’Connor was satisfied that there was evidence of the existence of certain documents, which he enumerated, and made an order in reference to these. An application for inspection was also granted. An order for discovery was made in a case against James William Langford, fishmonger, of Melbourne.

The two new Harbour Beard sheds erected on reclaimed ground between Customhouse quay and the harbour are now on the point, of completion, and will he handed over to the Board this week. These sheds are somewhat of a new departure in Harbour Board architecture, being solidly constructed of brick. Each shed, extends 175 ft along the Quay, and has a depth of 34ft. Both are roofed with Marseilles tile®. There are large doors at each end of the sheds, in addition to which there are four 12ft by 15ft sliding-doors on both side® of each building, opening on to the wharf and Quay. The huge cross rafters and beams are all cn Oregon pine, and are substantially braced with iron holts. The height > the walls is only 21ft, but the ridging of the lantern light is 40ft from the floor. The sheds were built by Messrs Hunter and McDonald, from the designs of the Board’s engineer (Mr Vv . liarn at the contract price of £BSOO.

An increasingly mischievous habit o>f taking bicycles belonging to other people, riding them away, and leaving them where they may, in most instances, be found again’"by the owners or the police, is noticeable in WefLngton and throughout the colony. A person discovered in the act of taking away a bicycle unlawfully would stand a very good chance of being convicted of theft, but a person taking a machine away and leaving it where it may bo recovered by the owner can hardly be charged with eft. Some years ago in New South Wales there was similar trouble with persons who did not steal horses, but who unlawfully used them, and an act was passed providing a fine up to £SO, or imprisonment for six months, for Hie discouragement of offenders. Similar provision added to the Police Offences Act of this colony would probably put a stop to a bad practice, which is becoming very common.

Some remarks made in Sydney by Colonel Burns (of Burns, Pliilp and Co.) emphasise the importance of shipping to the welfare of Australia. “My company,” he said, apropos of the San Francisco mail steamers, “ have been agents for a period of about four years, and during that time we have disbursed a great part of a quarter of a million in this city of Sydney. Shipping brings trade to the port, and I think you will agree that if there is any country in the world where we should encourage shipping it is Australia. The whole of tho produce of Australia must he seaborne to other parts of the world, ana what benefit® shipping must benefit the whole of Australia. Unfortunately, we have not had the same encouargement from Australia as from New Zealand. Legislation here ha® made all shipowners a little nervous and a little anxious, because not only have we had a good many enactments which are derogatory to shipping, but we see, or fancy we see, more in store for us.”

Mrs L. E. Bracher, of Hamilton, who is well known in Wellington, has been elected a member of the Society of Arts, Adelphi, London. This society, which was founded in 1754, “for ini© encouragement of Art®, Manufactures, and Commerce,” has for patron the King, the Prince of Wales is the president, and on the Council, among others, are the Dukes of Connaught and A her corn, Lord Rothschild, Lord Curzon, and Lord Kelvin. There are ten members of the society in New Zealand.

At the last, meeting of the Lyttelton Harbour Board a heated discussion took place on the subject of the disposal of ciredging spoil. The engineer reported, in connection with a visit of inspection paid by a number of members of the Board to the various bays in the harbour, that the examination made could only determine whether the localities were injured as picnic grounds. Personally, he had seen no evidence of injury. and his observations had merely confirmed what he had previously stated in his reports on the subject. Strong objection was taken to the report by Messrs Webb and Laurenson, M.H.R., the latter stating that if officers of the Board were to criticise the Board’s proposals, the Board would be stultified. He declined to be a nonentity on the Board, and would rather resign. The chairman stated that he took full responsibility for the report, which was prepared under iiis instructions for the purpose of acquainting new members with the position of affairs. A motion that reierenee to the matter iu the report should be deleted was rejected. The discussion was resumed on a motion proposed at the last meeting that the dredging spoil should be deposited outside the North Head, and after a lengthy debate the motion was rejected by nine votes to four.

At the conclusion of the speech, delivered at Christchurch by the leader of the Opposition on Tuesday night questions were invited, and among those put in written form to Mr Massey was one from a Mr Api in, written on the reverse side of a telegraph form. The chairman of the meeting, instead of reading out the question, gave forth the contents of the telegram which turned out to be from the Premier teiling the recipient to “give Mr Massey a turn.” This incident lias led to a great deal of rejoicing among Mr Sodden’s opponents, being regarded as the unwitting exposure of the Premier’s incitement of an adherent to create a disturbance. The fact is that the telegram in question was an official reply sen- by Mr Seddon to Mr ApJin—a gentleman with a grievance concerning ciio police—in reply to one intimating that unless the Ministry granted certain “relief” he would place the whole of the correspondence he had had with th© Government before Mr Massey and seek his assistance. It was in response to this peremptory message that the Premier telegraphed “Yes, certainly—give Mr Massey a turn”—meaning, nat Mr Aplin should give Mr Massey a turn at consideration of the matters he had been in communication with

m.stews about. The anxiety that has been exhibited to twist the meaning of the telegram into encouragemecit to disturb a meeting shows how frequently partisan bias will lead to jumping at unwarranted conclusions.

In a speech at the Adelaide Town Hall on the 26th ult., the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth (Mr G. PI. Lteid.) paid an eloquent tribute to New Zealand. He was speaking of the population of the various States and is aus reported by the “Register”:— In spate of the glorious discoveries of mineral wealth in ten years, the development of Australia, through immigration has represented—-not progress, not that Australia is attractive to men of enterprise, but that she is not considered to be attractive, and that the currents of enterprise have passed away to other lands. This will account for all the stagnation in trade, (near, hear.) We will talk about New Zealand. It has many natural advantages over us. (Uproar.) I only state rile obvious facts which, any man who has studied the resources of New Zealand knows. If you had the same rainfall that they have in New Zealand your country would be one of the grandest on the globe. They have not cii© curse of overgrown capitals living on the settlers of the interior. Their largest city has only 50,000 souls. They also have a splendid Democrat, Mr Richard Seddon, who is one of Australasia’s greatest men. In New Zealand during the period between

m -1002 the excess of births over deaths was 428,000, and the excess of arrivals over departures 300,000, to i© 14,000 of Victoria and South Australia respectively. I use these figures, not to disparage either of these States, but to indicate what seem to me to be the four great needs of Australia—increased attractiveness for the men and money of the Mother Country; increased development of the great primary industries of Australia, which keep th© men in the country, and do not drive them into the cities; and the restoration of tire public confidence. Our friends who are great political philosopher® and profound students of politics, according their opportunities and natural intelligence, must admit that there are some departments of human knowledge o? which, they are not entirely masters, and one of these is the financial sphere.