LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 3956, 23 January 1900, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tim Slate schools in (ho Wellington Education Board's district will resume work to-day after the midsummer vacation. A polo match is to be played to-day nl Miramar between teams representing Wellington and Hawke’s I lay. Play begins at <1 o’clock. The various branches of the Railway Department are very much scattered at present, anil Cabinet- decided yesterday that tenders should he invited for the erection of a building at Thorndon to provide sufficient accommodation for the whole of the department. Cabinet decided yesterday that Westingliouse brakes should he procured for the rolling-stock on the North Island lines. This is a welcome indication of the energy with which the new Minister of Railways, the Hon J. Cl. Ward, will look after the affairs of the Railway Department. The Government wishes it to be known with reference to the charter of the steamer Undaunted, that consignors are expected to make their own arrangements for handling goods on arrival at the Cape. At present the Government has no agents in youth Atriea, the design merely being to assist shippers by obtaining a vessel to carry thejr produce. It is stated that Mr A. R. Guinness, M.H.R. for Grey, will undertake next session the duty of introducing a Bill providing for a’ course of military drill for all male pupils in the public schools Of the colony, instruction which will be compulsory, and in the future appointment of teachers a necessary qualified-' tion must be competency to instruct scholars in military drill. Much interest is being taken in the pigeon-shooting match which is to take place on the J Potone show grounds today under the auspices of the Wellington Provincial Gun Club. Entries have been received from all parts of the colony for the rich prize of Clot) offered by the club in connection with the contest, and some good shooting should bo witnessed. Trains will leave for the show ground platform at 9.15 a.in., 10.25 a.in., 12.5 p.m., 1.15 and 2.30 p.m. The match will be commenced at !) a.in.

Mr Wallace Brownlow’s singing of “The Absent-minded Beggar” at the Opera House last night drew from the audience the sum of £6 18s 7d. The singer, who was in fine voice, was encored time after time. Some verses having special application to the New Zealand contingents were received with hearty rounds of applause. During the nine nights that Mr Wallace Brownlow has been singing the song he has been pelted with £o,C 18s 7Jd, which will be handed over tij-cla.v to the Patriotic Panel.

The other evening, when two old residents of Wellington were conversing together at an hotel not a hundred miles from Coker’s Hotel, Christchurch, observes the “Press,” they discovered that they had rowed a race together on Wellington harbour nearly a quarter of a century ago. A few minutes later* another gentleman walked in. who proved to he one of their opponents in the same race. Needless to say, this extraordinary coincidence was fittingly celebrated, and a long and interesting talk on the good old times ensued.

Mr W. It. Jlasolden, S.M., presided at tho Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning, when six inebriates "Were convicted mid discharged. The Bench remarked that it was quite an exceptional tiling to deal with such charges without inflicting a fine, hut the exceptional circumstances —the departure of the second contingent for South Africa and its accompanying excitement - under which the offences wero committed had been taken into consideration. (leorge Burrows was lined 10s for disorderly conduct, or the usual alternative. James Brown was fined 10s for assaulting Walter Wyatt on Sunday night at the corner of Harbour and Willis streets. ,

t Cabinet has sancrioneil the completion of the late Mr Kirk’s scientific researcli;os into New Zealand flora. Mr Cheeso- ; man, of Auckland, will continue the work, which is expected to occupy about j two years and a half. I 'Dm St. Patrick’s College scholarships, (open to all hoys attending the Catholic schools in New Zealand, have boon won by Richard Madden, of Timarn, am! Duncan McMurrieh, of Wellington. Madden, who headed tho list, is a son of Constable Madden, formerly in charge of Clyde quay Public School, and McMurrieh is the son of the Union Company’s superintending engineer in Wellington. Tho scholarships are worth about £4O per annum, and are tenable for two years. The idea of lodging a petition to upset the recent licensing poll in Clutha has been abandoned. The “ Gore Standard ’’ understands those in charge of the petition had obtained some forty odd signatures in the neighbourhood of Pukeran, where the only licensed house in the Clntlia electorate exists, and on canvassing for additional signatures in Tap.’iimi from (hose interested in the liquor trade were met with a distinct refusal. Tho grounds of the objections to sign the petition were that in tho event of it being sustained, it would debar a vote being taken to restore licenses at the next licensing poll. When the petition was handed over to the solicitor, it was found that the prescribed time to lodge it had expired.

Notwithstanding the unpropitious weather prevailing, large numbers availed themselves of the special holiday train arrangements on the Government line yesterday. Four hundred passengers were tooked to the Wairarapa, 650 to tho Upper Mutt, HOG to the Lower llntt and Retone, and 3000 1 to the races, making a total of 5100. The excursions arranged by the management of the, Wellington and Manawatn Railway Company. Limited, considering the threatening appearance of the weather, were well patronised. The early morning through train took about 600 pas. sengers, and about 700 journeyed to I’liminertou and Paikakariki. Three picnic parties made Crofton their rendezvous, their numbers all told being about COO. Other trains carried between 400 and 500 passengers to intermediate stations. The total passenger traffic for the day on the Manawatn line was 2300.