LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4302, 11 March 1901, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mr A. 11. Fullford announces himsei as a candidate for re-election to the Mel. rose Borough 'Council.

Supreme Court .jurors summoned to attend to-day in (lie case of Doyle v. the New /calami Candle Company will not he re(|iiircd until to-morrow at 10.30 a.m.

Sisters Miriam and Winnie, missiouers from the Young Women’s Christian Association, Victoria, aro advertised to commence a week’s services in the Baptist Schoolroom this evening. For the Opaki races holiday excursion tickets will ho issued at VVoodville, Grey town, Te Aro ami intermediate stations on the 14th and loth lust., available for return until tin; IGtli. At its monthly meeting to-morrow evening the Builders’ ami Contractors’ Association will‘consider the recent rise in the price of timber, and will take whatever action is considered necessary in consequence.

Tiio Wellington College Old Boys’ Association lias decided to place in the college a record of those “old boys’’ who June seen, service in South, Africa, and requests the assistance of the public to make the list complete. Yesterday was a quiet day at the camp ab Newtown Bark. A church parade was held in the morning, at which Captain .Smith officiated. A very large crowd of people visited the camp in the afternoon, and the troopers were liberated on furlough. The Onslow Borough Council, has an overdraft of £O4O. A sum of £l5O is to come in in rates shortly, but, on the other hand, about £l'Uo will be required to meet interest at the end of April, and, including other revenue, there will ho only about £IOO to spend on roads, etc., for the next two months. A sister ship to the Cornwall has hce.u chartered to take the Seventh Contingent to South Africa, and it is expected that the troops will lie got away before the end of this month if other counsels do not prevail in the meantime to mini, niise the fighting, lb is probable that Lieutenant-Colonel Porter will be given charge of the Seventh Contingent. The handicaps for the St. Patrick’s Day celebration sports, to be held at the Basin Reserve on Saturday next, appear in our advertising columns. The valuable silver cup presented by Mr George Payne is to' bo given to the winner of most points In the open events from 100 yards up to a mile. Acceptances close on Wednesday next at 9 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Hall, Boulcott street.

Most of the purchasers of allotments in the Korokoro Villago Settlement at Pfctone have now built dwellings for themselves. The majority of the houses) are on a modest scale, ns many ,of them will be lean-tos when the proprietors are able to erect the main portions of their residences. Already, however, some very excellent villas have been completed. 'Che lino weather yesterday led a largo number of Fctoue residents to visit tin- settlement, from which a splendid view of I lie whole r.il the harbour is obtainable.

Tim liabilities in the bankrupt estate of Nets Rasmussen, baker, Newtown, amount to £574 14s lid, and the assets, £57 toy, made up of stock in trade £27 los, and book debts estimated to realise .£3O. The, deficiency in the estate is

£516 19s lid. The principal creditors, none of whom are secured, are:—J. and T. Meek, £314 11s lOd; Nicol and Scott (Waimate), £7B; Moir and Co. (Christchurch), £62 14s ; llollitt and Co., (Christchurch), £4O; Mrs Kidney, £25 13s; Ireland and Co. (Oamaru), £3O 13s; Baldwin and Co., £lO. The first meeting of creditors w-ill be held on Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Our Carterton correspondent writes : —The Majmr has received a, telegram from the Colonial Secretary stating that the Borough Council has power to reduce the number of Councillors, and to deal with the representation of the borough as members think lit. —Mr Deller has received the following subscriptions towards the erection of the Queen’s statue iu Wellington:—W. C. Buchanan, £26 ss; W. Booth, £2l; G. W. Boiler, £1 Is; W. Moore, £l.—The annual representative cricket match between the State schools of Wairarapa and Wellington takes place next Saturday.

The occasional vagaries of the telephone system are familiar to subscribers, (‘specially when a Wellington gale crosses tho wires. During a recant blow, a well-known doctor residing in the city was not a little surprised, ou answering a ring, to ho asked, “Can you cut me nlf a nice log of mutton?” ‘ A playful impulse led him to respond nonchalantly, “Oh, I think I can manage to cut off a. log lor you.” There was a distinct haughtiness in tho housewife’s tones when film exclaimed, “What do you moan? Who is that .speaking?" She evidently thought tradesmen were becoming more independent than ever. ‘‘Well,’’ came the reply, “I am a .surgeon, not a butcher.’’

A writer in the Melbourne “Herald’' narrates how harshly the servants hi good families in the Victorian capital are treated. This “ man-servant’’ says lie has been working for years past in the best families in St. Hilda, Toorak and Hawthorn. His hours are from 5.30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and his wages are five shillings a week. Hundreds of men and women live thus in this great, “bright happy Australian Commonwealth.” Ho has to attend to the stables, the grooming, the milking, the fowls, and the gar. den; and men servants are never allowed even half a holiday, public or otherwise, and the master or mistress will reply on preferring such a request, “If you are not content there are hundreds willing to take your place for bed and keep.” Even Sunday labour is enforced in the best families.. !

Tho divorce suits Robertson v. Robertson, Collier v. Collier, and Grouhard v. Grouhard have been fixed for hearing on the 11th inst. The hearing of the Supreme Court action Doyle v. New Zealand Candle Company, for which a special jury is summoned, has been adjourned from today till i>rnorrow. The decrease in. the cost of the Ohiro Homo, Mr Allan (Jrr declared to the

Premier on Saturday, was due, firstly

to the old ago pension scheme, and, secondly, to the prosperity of the colony. -Mr Izard having subdivided a block of land near the Kln.mdallali Railway ■Station, has written to the Onslow Borough Council asking that body to take over certain metalled roads which he lias formed through the property. The Councillors are to meet on Saturday afternoon next to inspect those roads. “ There’s plenty of vigour left in the old man yet!” exclaimed .Mr Seddon, breezily, as ho acknowledged the hearty vote of thanks from a deputation of workers on Saturday afternoon. And, indeed, Mr Seddon seemed in his host. form, and has seldom looked better than ho did on Saturday.

Numerous petty thefts of timber from buildings undergoing construction in Nairn .street and its vicinity ar" reported; and it is suggested hy residents there that that part of the city and the district about Mitehelltown have now grown to such proportions that a police station is required there, independently of the one at Mount Cook.

The Defence Storekeeper (.Mr J. O’Sullivan) and his staff have had an exceedingly busy time in the equipping of the various contingents sent to South Africa and the party of troopers who represented New Zealand at the inauguration of the Australian Common-

wealth. The Defence Stores at the present time, in view of the departure of the Seventh Contingent, look very much like a well-stocked warehouse, from the piles of clothing, bats and boots seen ou every baud. A consignment of 1500 pairs of boots arrived the other flay from Christchurch, sent by Mr M. O’Brien, who was tlie successful tenderer. This is only a portion of the stock of boots to bo supplied.

At Saturday morning’s sitting of the Stipendiary Magistrate’s Court, before Dr McArthur, S.M., seven first offenders for drunkenness were convicted ami discharged. John Conroy, who had the previous day been convicted of drunkenness, again appeared, and was sentenced to fourteen days’ imprisonment. Conroy, a prohibited person, was also fined £3 for being found on licensed premises. James McAnulty, for drunkenness, was fined £l, and ordered to pay 17s 6d medical expenses, in default seven days’ imprisonment. G. T. Ross, charged with obtaining £3O from Colemail’ Phillips by means of false pretences, was remanded to appear at Greytown on the 15 th inst.

The Onslow Borough Conned met on Saturday night. Tim Mayor (Mr J. Holmes) presided, and Councillors R. Hannah, Nash, Neely, Trout, Apliu, I 1 laws and Cavauagh wore also present. Permission was given to Mr Aplin to form about two chains of roaiLthe continuation of Abbot road, Crofton. Messrs Twins and Brown, writing with regard to the road running through the Khandallali Had property, offered to make

over to tile Council that portion of the hall property taken for the road, ami a small piece of land on the east side of the road, on condition that the Council would fence the road, gates leading into the hall property, and transfer to them a, certain piece of land. The offer was accepted, the Council agreeing to give the use of the land applied for, as it could not legally transfer it. The question of the roadmen’s wages' was considered in committee,*when it was decided that the road foreman should be paid 10s a day, and that one man at Kaiwarra should receive B,s per day—these to be permanent hands—while the other man should be paid Is an hour.

About twenty members of the Milk Suppliers’ Uniou attended the meeting held at the Oddfellows’ Hall, Bower Hutt,' ou Saturday evening. Mr T. P. Allen (president), who occupied the chair, informed members that since the last meeting had been held the union had been registered as the Wellington District Milk. Suppliers’ Industrial Union of Employers, under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act. The rules, which had

been printed, were placed before members, and were adopted. In order to comply with the Act under which the union was registered, the secretary was authorised to get a seal made. Messrs James Judd and James Kyle were appointed trustees of the union. It was decided that members of the union supply to the secretary within a week tho names of their retailers, who shall each ho supplied with a copy of the rules In order to further tho objects of the uniou it was agreed to convene meetings of fanners, in, tlio Upper Hutt, Karori and Mnkara districts, on dates to be advertised. Committees wore appointed as follows to attend the meetings:—Upper Hutt—Messrs Ward, Gordon, J. Judd; K.arori and Mnkara, Messrs Sharp, Knight, Kilminster, Ward, Kyle and D. Judd. The president secretary will attend both meetings. The committees are to report to a future meeting before any steps are taken in tho direction of raising the price of milk. A deputation from the trades unions of Wellington interviewed the Right Hon the Premier an Saturday in regard

to the establishment of a market garden at the Hutt for the inmates of tho Benevolent Home,.the price of coal and the need for certain, amendments of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Mr Seddon’s replies in reference to the first two questions are published elsewhere. With .reference to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act,''Mr Allan Orr complained that under the existing conditions not sufficient time was allowed after a case had been finished to get the parties to come in; but Mr Seddon said that Ihe Act provided for reasonable time after an quiry before the matter could be referred to tho Court of -Arbitration. Mr Orr asked if the law could not ho amended so that it should be within the power of a small minority of employers, where the majority and the unions were agreed, to move the whole machinery of the Act against the- majority. The mier replied that that would be a most dangerous doctr’iie to lay down. If 100 employers made no sign whilst twenty others stopd out and fought, it was quite possible that the hundred were merely lying low' and watching the others do rhe fighting. Mr Seddon promised that an amendment would ho introduced in another section, which at

present, requires a majority of members to be present at the meetings of labour unions, at which ■ important votes are decided upon. It was pointed out that in the case of seamen, firemen and shearers it was impossible for many members to he present at meetings. After a meeting, Mr Sedclou pointed out, the ordinary procedure of sending out the ballot papers to all the members worth! still be followed. The Premier further gave it as his opinion that if a majority present at a. meeting decided a question, and it went for confirmation by ballot by a majority of the union, the 1 proceeding would be quite valid, althougli the majority at the meeting did not represent the majority of the mem--1 bars.

The Hiitt County Council will close the main road from Ngahauranga to Johnsonville on Wednesday for repairs to a, bridge. Charles Lillywhite, alias Blatch, the man accused of having committed the Colchester murder, left in custody cl Sergeant Frost for England via Australia on Saturday in. the Mokoia. At the annual meeting of the Philosophical Society to-morrow evening, after the election of office-bearers and

other business, the following papers wil be road:—‘'Survey, Practical and Pro else,” by the Hon G. F. Richardson; “ A Now Starfish,” by Mr H. Favquhar son; “ Recent Seismograms of Distani Earthquakes,” by Air G. Hogbcn, M.A Sir James Hector will contribute note; on additions to the Museum.

The Premier, interviewed by Rev G. Bond on Saturday, promised to consult with tho Minister of Education with a view to assisting tho Wanganui High School in accordance with law. Mr Sod-

don expressed the opinion that all high ; schools should, if possible, -be affiliated to colleges so as te. assist the pupils ingoing through their educational course and prevent them being handicapped for the Civil Service examinations.

In accordance with a recent scheme decided on by the Wellington .education Board, involving the transfer of a number of teachers. Miss McKenzie, head teacher cf tho Mitehelltown School, will, subject, to the approval of the local committee, be appointed to the Hastwell school, made vacant by the transfer of Air AV. Dempsey to Eketahuna. The Alitchelltown School, in accordance with tne recommendation cf the inspector, wjll be placed in charge of a master. The tender of Air Johnston, late Brown and Johnston, lias been accepted for the improvements to AlcNab’s Gardens. These alterations and additions will cost t2OOO. Mr W. C. Chatfield is the architect. Twenty extra rooms are to bo built, and Alessrs Orr and Loddffi - , the proprietors, have re-named the place ‘‘Bellevue Gardens.” They advertise in another column that the gardens are now open to receive visitors and boarders, and that dinners and picnic parties may be arranged for. ,

The Premier was interviewed on Saturday by Mr G. Shirtcliffe (of A. S. Paterson and Co.), who presented a petition from a large number of producers and business men in the South Island, urging that the Government should subsidise a line of direct steamers between Now Zealand and 1 South Africa. Mr Sedden said the Government had received several tenders from firms whiling to enter into a contract to run a regular service to South Africa, but had not yet com© to a decision on the matter. Ministers were awaiting replies from the New Zealand snipping Company, the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company and the Tyser Company as to definitely fixing rates of freight to South Africa during a stated period. At the usual Sunday evening service held by the - Wellington association of Spiritualists in the New Century Hail yesterday, a lecture on “Psychology from the Academic Standpoint” was delivered by Professor McKenzie. The eougregation completely filled the building. Speaking frfim the academic point of view, Professor McKenzie, in the course of a. very interesting lecture, expressed! the belief that psychology would ulti-j mately be claimed as a science, no said lie thought it might be useful if the j schools took up certain branches of tbs subject, as instruction in them might ■ have a very good effect upon the young. ; A discussion followed the lecture, and some questions were answered. Professor McKenzie was accorded a vote of thanks. ’Hie service was presided over by Mr W. McLean.