LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4309, 19 March 1901, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

'A meeting of citizens to arrange- a send-off to the Seventh Conlinaont will ho held at the City Council Chambers on Thursday afternoon. On inquiry at the hospital last night, it was stated that those members of the Kutuer family who /wore - victims ofthe! recent case of accidental poisoning are all progressing; favourably. As shown by the proceeding-- in (he Court of Appeal yesterday, in regard fo the Porirua School trust Mr W. 11. Field, M.H.R. for Otaki, is continuing the agitation on behalf of members of the Ngatirankawa, Ngatitoa and Ngatiawa tribes, who are opposed Ip the trustees’ Wairarapa scheme. By a fire which took place on Thursday evening Lust, a woUlshcd : on the property of Messrs C. and E. it. Hams, of Ilautotara. near ■ Martinbnrcugh, was destroyed. Circumstances point to the fact that the fire was -Uxo work of an incendiary, and the police arc investigating the matter. The she'd was insured for £350 in the office cf the Noi-th British and Mercantile Insurance Company. We have received from the author, Mr T. L. Buick, formerly M H.R. for Wairau district, a copy of his history of the early days of Marlborough provinoe, just published. “Old Marlborough” is a handsome volume, finely printed and illustrated. An extended notice of the work -will appear in our Supplement of Saturday next. It is announced in another column that the delivery of the book to Wellington subscribers will be commenced to-day, ' A considerable amount of interest is being taken in the question of the «ito for the now Lower Hutt bridge. If a change were made, as has been proposed, a more direct roadline would be obtained. Those residents who wish to have the- preisenti site retained will shortly lay their views before the Government. A promise was some time ago given by the Premier that no final decision as to site would bo come to until full inquiries bad been made. Mrs Colonel Estill, who" is at present on a visit to Wellington, gave an address to women in the Salvation. Army Barracks, Vivian street, last night. Her subject was, “The Power of Women’s Influence,” arid the audience, which was a very numerous one, was impressed to a marked degree. To-morrow evening Mrs Estill will conduct a service at the Paulina Home, Cuba street, for the inmates, and on Thursday night she will bo at the Newtown barracks. On Friday morning she will leave for Masterton, and she will join Colonel Estill further north.

A telegram was sent by the Premier to Mr C. Lewis,. informing him that Mr Holme- would arrive in Chr'sr|«church shortly to ensure that ar- ! rajigements are made for the reception of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, that he would, confer with local members of the House on the subject; and that Mr Seddon hoped that Mr Lewis would afford him every assistance in his power. Mr Le vis replied immediately, and. oi course, before ‘tho Premier's statements regarding the question of '■ Who’s to .pay” cattic up for ’'discussion, to the effect that he was delighted to hear of, Mr Helmet's visit lo Chri-dchureh. and ' would do everything ho could to tv-sist him in his enterprise, but in order that their relations might be free from any misunderstanding he would be glad to know from, the Premier whether the Government would defray the expense of any arrangements that Air Holmes might make., ,or .whether .-it was simply ■■ hie function to advise the local bodies. Tho Premier's reply to the latter point has not yet been received by Mr Lewie.

lib; Excellency the Governor ba» selected a- camping-ground between Rotorua and Wli.iliaivwarowa- for (he natives who arc to visit. Rotorua to welcome the, Duke a in! IJnclicss of Cornwall.

'llie i-cvciuli, gviine. in the malcli In - i ween Mr Ma mil (chess ehampion ofNeW Xealaie!) am! .Mr Baines (an ex-cliani-pion) >•. ij 1 be placed 10-ni"hl, at 7..‘50, in I lie -social hall at (he Working Men’s Clnli, Each player has Won. three game The winner of Ihe fu\-,t seven name:; is *o be .umicr of Iho match.

; 1 he Crown Catel.i Cuinmis-loner .. Me:-si i (ioii.leiiul b am! Merchant, who are in I In; Hawke’:; Bay district im.pocti i ; ; properties and repoitin;' thereon lo ilm Government, with a, view to ac<ill j;■ ii r bael i/r set I lemonl, returmal on Sri unlay afternoon from inspecting -'.fount Vernon e-.l.itc (writes the Vv'aipav.a o jiTesysinlenh of the Napier “i icr.-M.’’; Cm Tlnirsdiiy they visited .MemislVird run, And on Friday The Ceovv. Uis understood that they will, bthere leaving, visit, and report on Mungatarula. and Tauminu runs. Tin; following h> the cast of ''‘loianlhe,'’ to he performed by tho Wellington Amateur Operatic Society :—Phyllis, Miss Sheen ; l.olauthe, M'sm ICreli ; Queen, Miss If. Magimiity: Celia, Miss Good; la !ia. Miss Two) dll; Fieta, -Miss Gurney; i.ord Cha.nc.'tlor, -Ur T. -M. Willi. n,l ; End -Moimlarui’at, Mr Halley; Lord’ Tolloler, .Mr hi. J. Hi!!; Private Willis, Mr R. Loot; Slrei-bon, Mr Ballanie. 'the rehearsals are proceeding •.er.v satisfactorily, and tho performance. judgi'ig from present indications, .should, bo highly .successful. A number of Wellington citizcnsi have Lauded together for tho purpose of Forming a. .■Municipal Association, having for its ohg-ets the. securing of progress in inunic-.pa! a (fairs, tho returning of suitable men Lo seats in the City Council, llie promotion of public interest in civic affairs, the prevention of the political . clmnent creeping into local affairs, and the strengthening of (he progressive element. in the City Council. A commitleo of ton liars been appointed to go into . details ami draw up a pi'ogrammo. Adult . residents of good character are to bo admitted into tin l association on pay .< meet of a fco of one shilling. I

Wii'-'m Hi" case between John McPlu-o, j i.p; ■ *11 :111 , and VViight, Slrplumon and Co., r.'sjMiii came before the Court of Appeal yest-oriJay, Mr Husking, counsel t:ir 'lio rc'-poudcnts, moved for an order 1 1 1 i: the appellant was stopped aud precluded From proceeding with the appeal. One ground of this preliminary motion was that Hut appellant, without the aonsent of the respondents, sold and disposed of tho oats in question in the appeal, and thereby accepted the judgment now sought to be appealed against There were also other grounds. Mr W. C. MacGregor, for the appellant, opposed the motion. After hearing ar. gninent on the motion, iho Court adjourned till this morning.

me vital statistics for the month of January show that tins births ■ in the four chief centres were • —Auckland, 137; \Vi'lHn;;ion, HO; Christchurch, 110; Dunedin. 13-1. The deaths at tin, same centres (ineiu rive of suburbs) and the rate, per 1000 of population were as follows : —Auckland, ol (1.01 per 1000); Wellington, 56 (I. I I per 1000); Christ, church, '>l (J.!2 per 1000); Dunedin, <ll (0.00 pea- 1000). Inclusion of the suburbs (ends to lower the rate, the figures; for the ' centres being:—Auckland, 1.01 per 1000; Wellington, 1.11 per 1.000; Christchurch, 1.12 per 1000; Dunedin, 0.86 per 1000. For January, 1900, the rates wore:—Auckland, 1.26 per 1000; Wellington, 1.11 per 1000; Christchurch, 1.12 per 1000; Dunedin, 0.86 per 1000.

Tlit! employees of tho Union SLearn Ship Company held their annual picnic at Rohnant yesterday. The party, including the friends of the employees, to tho number of six hundred, went out ■in a special train. A long programme of sports afforded considerable amusement, and a, number of valuable prizes, including several haudsofne, pieces of silverware, wore awarded tho successful competitors. A baby show terminated the day’s enjoyment, and the judging, by Messrs Hislop and Mack, created a good deal of fun. Mrs AlcMurrock’s baby was awarded the prize. A start was made for town shortly after six o’clock. Tho arrangements for tho picnic, which was remarkably successful, reflected credit on the orgajji,sing coni, mitlcc.

Mr McArthur, S.M., presided at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. An old offender named Mary Valadoro was lined CIO, or three mouths’ imprisonment, for deliberately breaking two windows at Ifall’s Turkish Moths, in Manners .street on Sunday night. A man named Michael Hayes, changed with drunkenness, was remanded to the 25th inst., on tho ground that ho was unfit to Re at largo. For assaulting John Bennie, Robert .Keeley was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment, and ordered to pay the costs of the prosecution, 7s. George Allen was sentenced to _ two months’ imprisonment for obtaining money from Alr Richard Bnlkloy by false pretences. For disobeying an order of tho Court to, pay 2s 6d pet week towards the maintenance of his father, a man named Patrick Dooley was ordered to pay the arrears due, 17s 6d, and fined 10s, or forty-eight 'hours’ imprisonment. At a sitting of the,Wesleyan Methodist Conference at Molboiwno on March sth, Mr J. Wobb submitted a motion condemnatory of humorous and comic recitations and songs at Wesleyan entertainments being carried on to an unseemly and extreme degree. Ho thought all enter-

(uinuionts hold under the auspices of the Wesleyan body “should bo at all times carried on in harmony with the thoughtful treatment, decorous, behaviour, becoming mirth, and cheerful, but sober, spirit which, as Christians, should mark our entertainments, and which wo believe -are most conducive to our intellectual, moral and spiritual profit, and to a sound popularity.’’ The motion was coldly received. By way of illustrating tho kind of thing bo objected to, Mr ' Webb proceeded to describe a pidee named "Courtship under difficulties,” and his efforts in this direction wore received with unrestrained laughter. Ho asked if this sort of thing was allowed how could people be kept from.the theatre? The motion, teas negatived. Tho scarcity of labour in tho country districts is becoming a cause of embarrassment amongst farmer’s generally, who are beginning to realise in earnest tho sacrifice which the colony has made in sending bo many of her young men to South Africa. Mr A. Glass, organising

secretary of tho New Zealand Fanners’ Union, writing from Stratford, states that a. great deal of dissatisfaction at present exists between tho farmers and labourers, as men cannot bo obtained to do tho milking. Many of tho farmers have had to sell their cows in the middle of tho season rather than put up with tho humbug they have to put up with. Oats aro lying rotting for tho reason that while it is-fine labour cannot bo obtained; then it rains and tho crop is practically spoilt.' Another grievance of the farmers is that the valuations on unimproved values are too high. In fact, all along the line there i s endless dissatisfaction, and there is no doubt that the matter will be. fought out well this time, as -the- settler* ; iu the Taranaki districtsphaye-deterniiued to see it through.

At the annual general meeting of the Hti-tt Ladies’ Golf Club, the following officers wore elected for tho ensuing vear : Contain, Mrs Cliinie ; secretary, Miss Foster; committee, Airs Treadwell, Mi-s Haste ami Miss I. Kitzbcrbert. ft was decided to open the (inks on the second Saturday in April.

Now that the Premier lias stated Ids intention of starting a State coal-mine (says tho ‘‘Westport News”), tho residents of Seddonville. are confidently looking formrd to tho Cardiff getting a start. The Government owns the mine, and all. tho necessary machinery is there, so that a. couple of months would see the. Cave Area opened up ana’ coal going away.

The City Council intends to deal with its proposal:; for leans loi tramways, street-paving and the Town Hall at the one- public meeting, and at the one time of polling. The■ .statutory public meeting win' be held on or about the 9th prox., and tho polling will take place ten days later, just before the municipal elections. Separate voting papers will bo issued for the three loan proposals. .Mr Sutherland, lately employed by the New South Wales Agricultural Department to lecture on tobacco culture, upon which .subject ho is an expert, has (says the Auckland ‘‘Star”) been employedl by the Now Zealand Government to travel through the North Island -of this colony with a view of reporting upon its suitability in climate and soil for tho systematic cultivation of tobacco. Mr Sutherland is to start upon Ids tour of' investigation at once.