LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3726, 28 April 1899, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is understood that a large number of co-oporative labourers will this season be placed on the road between Auckland and Stratford. G The Harbour Board has received five tenders for a concrete wall and breastwork staging at Waterloo • quay. The lowest of these is to be accepted if found to be in order.

It is understood that the Opposition have granted “pairs” for the session for the Minister of Lands and the Hon J . G. Ward, who will be absent in the Old Country.

The prizes won by members of the Star Boating Club during the rowing season will be presented at a smoke concert to he held in the olnbhon.se! this evening.

The Harbour Board yesterday granted its Legislation Committee power to deal with disputes arising out of negotiations in connection- with the Grainger street block in the event of emergencies arising.

Replying to a question at the Harbour Board meeting yesterday, the Secretary stated that tenders for the Glasgow Wharf would be called in a fortnight’s time, and he hoped to be able to present them to the Board within two months. At an adjourned meeting of creditors yesterday in the estate of R. McDonald, a resolution was'carried authorising the Official Assignee to take £IOO for the Mangaroa property, and to sell the Waterloo avenue property to the best advantage. ‘ •. At . the Police Court yesterday morning, .William. Burton, for drunkenness, was fined ss, with an alternative of twenty-four hours’ imprisonment, and on a charge of assault, was remanded to the sth May, bail being allowed. A pre-viously-convicted female inebriate was fined TOs, Or forty-eight hours; imprisqriment, and ordered to pay costs of medical treatment, 17s Gd—in default, seven days’ imprisonment.

The annual general meeting of ‘ the Hutt Golf Club was held in Mr Treadwell’s office, Panama street, yesterday | afternoon. Officers for the ensuing year i were elected as follows: —Captain, . Mr Howden ; lion, treasurer, Mr Pryde; lion. ! secretary, Mr W. A. Fitzherbert; com- ! mittee, Dr Ross and Messrs Treadwell land/Jack. The following new members j were elected:—Messrs Pearce, Brodei rick, Mason and Dr Perry. | The report of Dr Makgill, the honoirary pathologist, read at last meeting of | the Auckland-Hospital Board, is (says ithe “Herald”) calculated to create disquieting' suspicions regarding the water supply; “Bacteriological examination of I the- city Water supply has been made ion three occasions; and- arguing from, ’the results -obtained, I should strongly recommend the introduction of an effiiciqnt, system of filtration for all .the : wafer used for drinking and culinary i purposes .by the patients and hospital istaff/’ It, is expected , that ,the City iCouncil' will ■ make a. searching inquiry iinto the-subject. .. , j In St. Peter’s Schoolroom last night iMr 0. J. Cooper-gave a very interestling lecture on “Wellington’s Defences land Volunteers” to the members of St. iPeter's Club. Mr Cooper illustrated his |remarks with charts and sketches, and, (through the kindness of Major Messenger,, of ’the Defence,Department, he was j enabled to make use of projectiles and (fuses. ’ Mr Cooper emphasised the necessity for colonial defence, and touched on (the comparative advantages and disadvantages of armies and. of volunteers. ! The lecturer then, described .the defences |of Wellington, explaining- how the -forts, (mines, cavalry and . infantry would , bp- ■ operate in an action. Mr Cooper was awarded a vote of thanks.

The cold snap and rain which set in ; yesterday prevented the sailors from going to the residence of Mr and Mrs F. de J: Clere, but provision was made by the host and hostess for the sailors to spend an enjoyable evening in a hall kindly lent by-the Dresden Co. -All the sailors in port had been invited by Mr i James Moore (Missions to Seamen), and ithe hall was filled. A most charming ’programme of music was provided by : MrS F. de J. Clere, the Misses Baber, Denshire, Lingard, Pringle and Clere, and Messrs Hunter-Brown, W./ ■ Brown, F. Brown, Pringle, Wicks, Gilimor.e, and Thompson. A splendid lime- | light lantern exhibition; was given by ’Mr-Barltrop. The performers handed’ j round refreshments, led by Mrs Clere. The weekly meeting of the Wesleyan ■ Literary and Debating Society was held (in the Taranaki street classroom last evening. Mr B. L. Burgess was in the (chair. The Rev W. C. Oliver, the preisident, delivered an inaugural address ton the subject of “What to read and I how to, read it.” The address was ,lisJtened' to with marked attention,, and at its close a hearty vote of thanks was ■accorded to Mr Oliver. A vote, taken ;to decide on the title of the. society’s journal, resulted in the name _ “Atea” ’(daylight) being adopted. During the (evening recitations Were given by Misses iM; Harvey and M. McLean._ Next .Thursday evening Mr E., P. Rishworth (will deliver a lecture on “Thomas Carlyle.” ; . ' Some time ago the selectors in. the 'Coonoor Special Settlement and adja- ■ ecut blocks applied to the Land Board to (have their leases reduced in price. An (arrangement, was made under which the (leases were surrendered and a fresh valuation made. In every instance a reduc(tion was made in the rental. The original selectors were bound to apply for a (fresh lease, but, except in two cases, the 1 Commissioner informed the Board yesterday, none of the selectors had carried out their bargain in that respect; Hie (Board accordingly decided:that if theisei lectors fail to re-select .theijJrolands oto once, the Board will, at its next meeting, enforce the agreement, and call upon them to give up possession of the land, reduce the value of the improvements, and re-offer the sections from time to time. ■ /

At the Mount Cook police station yesterday, before Mr W. Hildreth, J.P., Fanny Cook and Martha Carton were sent to gaol for seven clays for drunkenness.

The Wellington Rifle Battalion has decided to join with the Heretaunga Mounted Rifles in the project of holding a military tournament at the Hutt Park Racecourse on November 9th.

Mr Payne, for many years guard on the Wairarapa line, who was recently presented with a purse of thirty sovereigns at Masterton, has received the compensation originally intended by the department—£lso, equal to a year's pay. Among other attractions at the “All Nations” Bazaar in the Drill 'Shed next Tuesday will ha skirt-dancing by Miss Beere’s pupils, dances by Miss Mabel Bannister, and gymnastic displays by the ladies and gentlemen of the Wellington Physical Training School.

The Commissioner of Crown Lands reported to the board yesterday that the whole of the sections in the Wellington Fruitgrowers’ block at AVaikanae, which had been surrendered and revalued, bad been applied for by the original settlers. The applications were granted. A return of immigration to and emigration from the colony, compiled by the Registrar-General, for the month of March, shows that the arrivals numbered 1522, of whom 988 were males and 534 females. The departures during the month were 2207—1307 males and 900 females. The arrivals during March last year wore 1527, and the departures 2407. A handsome increase is shown in the amount of deposits in the Post Office Savings Bank during January, February and March, amounting to no less than £70,788 7s. The figures for last year’s corresponding quarter were £841,442 5s lOd, and for the period just passed £912,230 12s lOd. The excess of deposits over withdrawals was £24,805 13s 6d.

The time for receiving applicationss under the Municipal Franchise Extension Act for enrolment on the burgess roll has expired. The rolls are now being made up by the Town Clerk, and will be completed to-morrow. The lists will then be open for inspection itp to May 15th, by which date all protests or applications must be made. A sitting of the council to determine claims and objections will be held between the 26th and 31st May.

A meeting of the Trades Council was held last night, Mr R. McKenzie (president) in the chair. Mr Trenwith, ML.A., was present, and delivered an address, dealing mainly witlj what he considered should be the aims and objects of the Labour, party in New Zealand. At the conclusion of an eloquent address Mr Trenwith was accorded a hearty vote of thanks, and asked to convey the council’s fraternal greetings to the Melbourne Trades Council.

The revenue collected during the quarter ending March 31 by the Postal Department shows a considerable excess over the amount collected during the first quarter of 1898. In the latter period it amounted to £13,388 12s 8d; last quarter it was £20,671 9s 4d, an increase of £7282 16s Bd. The telegraph revenue was similarly buoyant, the figures for the 1898 quarter being £30,558,and for last quarter £33,114 9s 4d, an increase of £2556 3s. The total revenue from bot hbranches of the department during the quarter was £119,925 5s 9d, or £18,242 in excess of the period jus tpassed. . A settler named 1T.,.p. .Brown applied to the Land Board to transfer section 15, block 12, Apiti, to Mr Guy. The applicant said he had to get rid of the section because he was leaving for England, and Mr Guy proposed to place a sawmill on the section and cut the timber. The Commissioner intimated that objection was taken to the application because Guy had recently been allowed to transfer a section on grounds that would apply to the present section if he got it. The board wished to encourage the sawmilling industry, but at the same time desired the transferee should be a residential occupier. The matter was left in the hands of the Commissioner.

Reports from the Crown Lands Rangers (Messrs Lundius and Kavanagh) on several farm homestead blocks were submitted to the Land Board yesterday. On Clifton No. 1 block, on 17 sections there are 10 people residing; Clifton No. 2, 5 sections, two are residing. A summary respecting some of the Puketoi blocks showed that 45 lessees had complied with the residential conditions, and 25 were not residing.. The board resolved to call upon the defaulters for an explanation, with a view to dealing with the different cases in a reasonable way. It was considered that on the whole, seeing that the .time for residence in many instances, has only just arrived, the reports were very satisfactory. A resolution was brought before the Land Board by Mr Meld, M.H.R., yesterday, intending to affirm the principle that the Board should be empowered to exercise a reasonable amount of control in the matter of fixing the periods of the year in which bush-falling and burning might be done, and that a similar discretion should be exercised in the matter of the season for sowing and the variety of grass seed to be sown by selectors of Crown lands. Mr A.'W. Hogg, M.H.R., expressed the opinion that such a change would require special legislation. He thought also that something should be done to prevent selectors being almost ruined by litigious neighbours, as had been the case in thePahiatua and adjoining districts in regard to bush fires. At the suggestion of the Commissioner, consideration of the matter was held over.

Referring playfully to the assertion of Mrs Williamson, of the Women’s National Council (“ a greater education authority than myself”), that “our educational system is just like a great sausagemachine—the teacher puts learning in at one end, and the educated child comes out at the other”—Mr Blair said, at the opening of the new wing to the Technical School on Wednesday night, that it was impossible to turn out children of one pattern; teachers differed everywhere, and the school books differed in various districts. Besides, it was impossible to destroy the individuality of children. Mrs Williamson’s remark was one of those parrot-cries which, oft-repeated, came to be believed, to the detriment of our education system. “ I say this, although she is a greater authority than myself,” added Mr Blair, amidst laughter. It will be remembered that Mrs Williamson made precisely the same remark at the last, sitting of the National Council in Wellington, which seems to emphasise to an extent Mr Blair’s contention. At the Land Board yesterday a settler named P. Norman, of Kumeroa, attended and stated that he could not re-sclect a section containing 380 acres at Makuri, which he had surrendered with a view to revaluaton. It appeared that the land was revalued and the price reduced to 17s 6d per acre, the lease in perpetuity rent being a little over 7d per acre. It .was weighted with £llß for improvements. The selector had entered into a written agreement with the board to take up the land again, but he now alleged he could not. do so unless he could get the :land for cash or with the right of purchase. The Commissioner replied that the board having accepted a surrender in terms of the Act, could not allow its resumption on the original tenure, namely, lease in perpetuity. . Mr Norman said he could not take it up in that.-way,.be-cause if he borrowed money he would have to pay 8 or 10 per cent, interest. The applicant was informed that the board could not infringe the law, but it would see if .'any mode of relief could be devised.

Postal notes to the of 105,028, representing * P05£34,865 £34,865 0s 6d, were issued by the m tal bepartment during Jamiai} Vommisary and March, the amount of comniis sion earned being £7OO.

On the recommendation of the Nath e Land Court the Native Minister has approved of the removal of restrictions imposed by the Land Transfer Certificates on the alienation of section 2a, subdivision 15s, Poulin’s Native Gully Reserve. The Supreme Court has an engagement to-day in the matter of an affidavit. Should time permit the Auckland case ol the Commissioner of Taxes and the Kauri Timber Company, a case removed, may come before the Court ol Appeal. A party of local amateurs intend producing “Conn, the Shaugraun,” early in June in aid of the funis of St. Alary’s Convent. A strong cast has been arranged, and special scenery is being painted by a well-known local artist. About twenty members of the police force, including probationers, underwent an examination in ambulance work at the Mount Cook police station last night. The examination was conducted by Dr Martin, and Air J. B. Gould, of the St. John Ambulance Association, acted as supervisor.

During the March quarter 109,001 telegrams were despatched from Auckland 109,882 from Wellington, 72,396 from Christchurch, and 86,700 from Dunedin. During the same period 63,581 Government massages were transmitted from the various stations in the colony.