LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4264, 25 January 1901, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

In another column the proprietors of the “New Zealand Times” announce that, along with the issue of Saturday. 20tli hist, (to-morrow) they will present readers with a special pictorial Supplement, containing portraits of the late Quean Victoria, his Royal and Imperial Highness Edward VII., the. Queen Consort and tho Prince and Princess of Wales (hitherto known. as the Duke ami Duchess of York). This will form a permanent souvenir of the momentous change that has marked the commencement. of the twentieth century, and will he an interesting historical collection of portraits. With Saturday’s “Times” will also be presented the usual eight-page supplement, which, in addition to a large variety of literary matter, will contain illustrations of the recent Commonwealth celebrations in Sydney, No extra charge is to be made for this special number with double supplement, a large demand for which is anticipated; and, as no second edition can he published, on account of the enormous labour involved in preparation, it is necessary that those desirous of securing copies should give their orders to-day to their newsagent or runner.

The hearing of tho drivers’ dispute was yesterday morning adjourned by the Conciliation Board until 10.30 cn Monday morning.

The City Council was to have held a. meeting last night, but tho Mayor decided that an adjournment should be made till the following Thursday. It is not generally known that the Post Office authorities have by instruction of Hon J. G. Ward abolished, tho line known as “double deficient postage.”

The statutory meeting of the representatives of local bodies to decide upon the day for the weekly half-holiday was yesterday adjourned until the following Tuesday.

At the Mount Cook Police Station yesterday, before Mr R. Ayres, J.P., James Jameson, an old offender, was fined ss, or twenty-four hours’ imprisonment, for drunkenness, and Mary Valadoro, for the same offence, was fined 10s or seven days. A clerk in the Government service, who was examined in the Magistrate's Court, a while back, deposed that he was only a temporary clerk. It was subsequently established that his temporary employment- had lasted twelve years continuously!

At the Magistrate’s Court yesterday afternoon Win. McLeod pleaded guilty to a charge that he did falsely swear before a Justice of the Peace that lie had lost a seaman’s discharge, his object being to ship on the Janet Nicoll as a seaman. He was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment.

While Mr V. J. Brogan was tolling the bell in the Post Office tower on Wednesday announcing the death of her Majesty tne Queen, a pure black pigeon flew into the dome and allowed itself to be captured and made a pet of. When liberated the bird flew straight away and was not again seen. A small boy named Edward 1 Bourko, who was charged in conjunction with two other lads a week or so since with having broken into a butcher’s shop and the Baptist Church in Vivian street—and then remanded so that the police might report as to his character—was brought before the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The police reported favourably on the case, and Dr McArthur, S.M., convicted accused and then discharged him. Charles McKeegan, in remand, was convicted and discharged for having stolen forty-eight nieces of music and a hand organ, of a total value of £2, from Bartolo Russo. The prosecutor did not press for a heavy punishment, and the lad's employer appeared and gave him an excellent character. Lizzie Gregg was mulcted in the sum of £1 for drunkness, in default of payment to be imprisoned for seven days. One first offender was fined 7s for a like offence, and another was convicted and discharged. Robert Scott was sent to prison for one month for having used obscene language in. a public place. Considered as a troopship the Cornwall is perhaps the finest vessel which has yet been chartered to carry our men to South Africa. Roomy and well appointed quarters, excellently lighted throughout with electric light, and with every convenience for victualling the men’ there need bo little fear that the Sixth Contingent will have any substantial complaints to make of their treatment on board by Captain Barter,j H.N.H., and his officers. The galley, oh ft by 25ft, is most completely furnished, containing eleven large ovens and two large up-to-date boners. The galley was furnished in Sydney at a cost of over £3OO. Six cooks, two bakers and a butcher will be engaged, and Hie troopers will have a liberal supply of fresh meat en voyage. Over 100 tons of frozen meat will be taken from Wellington, the Cornwall being fitted j with insulated compartments for the: carriage of frozen produce. The saloon ] of tho ship is a very handsome compart-; ment, the walnut panellings of the room being carved by hand in finely executed; designs. Unfortunately it is hardly roomy enough,,to'accpmmodato all the officers of the contingent, but special provision is being made for a number of the officers near the saloon.

The firrt term at Wellington Codec will commence on Thursday next.

The ceremony of laying tlio foundation Mono of the Post Office at Feilding will take place on Monday next. Tho men in camp at Newtown Park will he paraded- this morning outside the Queen’s Wharf to meet the returning troopers by the Orient. The vess*l is tn come alongside the wharf at 10 o’clock. Thdre will be no demonstration.

Air Newton King, the well-known auctioneer and land agent, of Now Plymouth, forwards us a copy of No. 1 of his “Taranaki and West Coa-.t Property Guido and Stock and Produce lieport.” This Is a well-printed sheet of sixteen pages, containing a large amount of information regarding properties lor sale. There is also a calendar of Air King’s stock sales for 1901. ,

A servant girl named Johnson had an unpleasant experience with a snake one day last week at Bombala, N.S.W. The girl was walking along the verandah when suddenly something dropped on her hdad, curling round her neck. She thought it was a strap, and was unconcerned for a moment, when to her horror she discovered it was an enormous tiger snake. The girl’s screams brought the mistress of the house, who, with groat coolness, managed to get the snake to the ground, and at once killed it. The girl, though greatly frightened, was not injured in any way. At tho meeting of the Wanganui Education Board on Alonday it was decided that tho Feilding School Committee be informed that the Board contemplates establishing a District High School at Feilding, and bo asked to inquire what attendance may be expected. It was resolved to adopt Iho syllabus recommended by the inspector, and it was decided that arithmetic and English ho free subjects, and that no pupil be allowed to take less than three subjects exclusive of arithmetic and English. The fee was fixed at £1 per quarter for three or more subjects.

The inquest on the body of Bernard O’Reilly, who died from the effects of the railway acciddnt on Jervois quay on Tuesday evening, was commenced at the Hospital yesterday before Mr James Ashcroft, Coroner. The evidence of deceased’s son and the medical witnesses was taken, showing that deceased was under the influence of liquor at the time of the accident. At this stage the inquest waa adjourned to Monday afternoon, when it will be resumed at Mount Cook Police Station. The son, who is a member of the Sixth Contingent, was requested by his father not to go to South Africa, and will probably resign.

During the hearing'of the industrial dispute in the iron trade at Dunedin, Mr J. Sparrow said mechanical engineering did not pay in Dunedin. Nearly all tho engineering firms 'that were, in existence there in 1888 had gone bankrupt, and although there was so much work doing now the trade, uui not pay. He himself had not made £3OO out of seven dredges which he had built. It was also mentioned hy other employers present that a good deal of work was going out cf the colony, that dredges for New Zealand were being made in America, and that a .syndicate was being .formed in Wellington for the purpose of getting dredges made in Germany. Titles were not conferred very freely during last year. The figures, according to the new Debrett, are;—Five new peers, 9 new baronets, 96 new knights, and 155 new companions. Tho record numbers are;—Seventeen new peers in 1892, 18 new baronets in 1837, 218 new knights in 1897, and 254 new companions in the same year. Owing, however, to the fact that more than 60 peers and more than 30 baronets have been at the war, the obituary list is a long one. Tho deaths include 28 peers, 42 baronets, 59 knights, and 63 companions —a total of 192—the highest total since statistics have been taken.

Our Carterton correspondent writing yesterday says : —The Wairarapa Bacon Factory was opened to-day by Air J. T.M. Hornsby, M.H.R., in the presence of a large number of visitors from all parts of the South Wairarapa. The works comprise thrda freezing chambers, one smoking chamber, and the requisite machinery. The chambers are already filled with slaughtered pigs.—-A largei amount of produce is to be shipped this week from Carterton. Fqrty-three trucks ol sheep leave here consigned to Mr W. C. Buchanan to thei Meat Export Company, and 2000 sheep will her sent to Wellington preparatory to shipment for Southern buyers. Nineteen tons of liav have been forwarded by the Stock Inspector, and a large quantity of cheese from the Taratahi Dairy Company. Tho London “Daily Chronicle’’ thus refers to the result of cur first attempts at territorial acquirement;—Sir George O’Brien seems to have transgressed the limits of polite diplomacy in telling the Fiji Islanders under his charge that what New Zealand wants in annexing the Fiji Islands is to grab the lands belonging to the natives. In rebutting this charge, with very natural heat, Mr Seddon, the Premier of New Zealand, is happily able to point to the precedent of the Maoris, who are undoubtedly well treated and ore in an increasingly prosperous condition. Sir George O’Brien committed himself to the categorical statement that many cf the! natives of New Zealand “have neland at all,’’ whereas Mr Seddon is able to point out that forty thousand Maoris own over five million acres of land. This allows 125 acres a head, which is certainly a very fair average! of property. We do not altogether hold with the policy of a colony like New Zealand going about annexing any islands it finds lying about the Pacific, and the Governor of the islands threatened has doubtless very natural ground for complaint; but even so, it would be wise for him to conform more strictly to diplomatic methods in making his protest.

Only undefended cases were taken in the .summary division of the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Dr McArthur, S.xU., presiding. Plaintiffs recovered the amounts claimed in all the following oases:—Cook and Gray v. Fred. W\ Luck, £/ 7s, costs £1 3s 6d; Heniy Parkpr_ v. Wm. Heginbotham, 6s Bd. costs 7s; Commercial Agency y. Gk Beore, £9 Os 6d, costs £1 3s Gd; same v. F. D. Felling, £l2 Os 6d, costs £1 10s 6d; W. 0. H. Tonking v. P. Barnes, £■') s, costs 10s; Geo. Piimock v. Cottell and Le Grove, £4 18s, costs 10s; P. McArdle v. R. Martin, £1 Os 6d, costs ssj Diederich and Son v. A. H. Baggerley, £3, costs ss; A. S. Paterson and Co. v. Neil McPhee, £4O 7s, costs £2 14s. In the case of Robert Martin v. J. Brooks, F, Nelson and J. Staples and Co., claim £33 ss, Mr Cooper, for plaintiff, asked that a nonsuit bo entered as against Staples and Co. Judgment had previously been obtained against the other parties. This was agreed to. Judgment summonses— John Kilduff v. Charles Wilson; defendant was ordered to pay £2 13s 3d within fourteen days, in default seven days’ imprisonment. Warnock and Adkiu v. R. J. S. Hickson ; defendant was ordered to pay £8 2s 4d at the rate of £2 1 per month, first payment to be made on : Mare-L Ist.