LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4384, 15 June 1901, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Thp iesno ol the " New Zealand Times” of Wednesday next, Jmh mst. j„ addii ion to '• milaimng lull and connected account of the Royal tear and the demonstrations and illnminarions ,n iiononr of (lie landing in W eliinw on. will have other special .features which v.di make the number vainaidc as a souvenir of a, great national event. h'l'i rlmr particulars of this special issue will he published on Mondav next.

I’ia.v in llm cont inuous handicap tourney was resumed at the Wellington Chess Club lasi nigh I, when -Ur Morton boat Mr Janion amt Mr .Sunni beat Mr Simmons.

At ti conference of Oddfellows of tire Manchester Unity, to bo held in Wellineion Oil tile 21th ijj.st,, the question of V i ililisliinr, a.ir amuial movable commiltel' for the colony will be considered. The lender of Mr James Nicholson, at (he nm of slightly over £BOO, has boon ace.--.iled for the erection of a power station at tiro Botanical Gardens for tire Kell.time and Karori Tramway Company.

The postal authorities have been advised i. Iml. thc Sonomu’s mails, widen lefi. Am klaud on Kith -May, nine days late, arrived in London on the afternoon of the Bith Inst., three days late and twelve dnvs after duo date.

Mr W, Moore, Hawker street, writes; 1 beg to contradict a statement made by Councillor Devine at Thursday night’s meeting of the City Council, that I was in Hie habit of banking my lire lit night. Such a thing I have never done in my life.

The following holidays will be observed next week by me banks in Wellington :—Tuesday,‘whole day; Wednesday and Friday, from noon. The legal holidays will he the whole of Tuesday, half a day on Wednesdav, and the whole day on Friday.

Owing to the stress of traffic on the railways in connection with the Royal visit, the Government mail train was late hist evening. An extra engine had to be put on to bring the train up to the .Summit, and this, together with the other circumstances attending the movement of an exceptionally heavy train, was responsible for the delay. The train in. question brought lot) first-class anu 400 ■•oeond-class passengers to town, tae supplementary train bringing 120 passengers. \

The Minister of Lands ha.s revolved applications from agricultural and pastoral societies and farmers’ associations in all iwirts of the South Island for the services of the stud horses which have been purchased in England by iho Government. Similar organisations in the North Island have made like requests. Mr Duncan is not at present able tq give definite replies to these communications, which, by the way, be considers go to show that the new departure taken by the Government is likely to bo appreciated.

Our Christchurch correspondent wires that 'during the hearing of the painters’ dispute before the Conciliation Board yesterday, the union representative stated that Is 3d per hour was paid in "Wellington, and there was no reason why Christchurch employees should not obtain the same. The employers, however, held that 9s per day in Christchurch was equivalent to 10s p->r day in Wellington, the climate in the latter city being wors 0 for painters than in Christchurch. Competition in trade in Christchurch was too keen to allow any increase in wages.

A correspondent writes:—l notice that tho police and Fire Brigade have quite enough to do at the present lime to remain at their respective posts until further orders. Allow me to suggest to tho Worshipful Mayor to call a meeting at tho Council Chambers at no-'ii on Saturday to arrange for a body of men willing to undertake’ the work of watchmen. f, for one, would ho willing to take night duty, or day either, to protect tho city from being wiped out by fire during the time these arches and illuminations aro about; but not *■ for Eve.”

Tho anniversary of the opening of Mr P. I!. Dix’s Gaiety Company in Wellington was celebrated last night in a hold ting manner at the Theatre Royal, whore a large gathering assom. bled on the stage after the evening performance to do honour to the occasion. After a flashlight photograph had boon taken by Air Brown, of Willis street, tho company sat down to supper. During tho evening a number of toasts wore honoured, and three separate presentations wore mad© to Mr Dix, who suitably responded. Mr Chiudo Whaito. the popular manager, was aha.' presented with a handsome testimonial.

Private Matthews, who was reported to have died of enteric at Capetown, was a member of the Fourth Contingent, and was formerly a resident of the Lower Hutt. Ho was a well-known horseman, who rode in many races in this district. With regard to the other man reported killed, there were two Youngs in the Fourth Contingent, but one of these, A. J. Young, of Kareri, is not likely to bo the man«-inentionccl in the cable message. In the first plane, A. J. Young is a corporal, not a private. Moreover, in a recent letter received by Mr M. R p .'ss from Captain Pringle, written at Wlutport, it is stated that A. J. Young was about to leave with the transport, so that it is improbable that ho would have returned to Worcester.

With reference to the wholesale destruction ef beautiful native trees how going on for the purpose of decorating onr cities, it may b ( . mentioned that the Wellington Scenery Preservation Society s'.-m e fwo or three years ago passed a resolution deploring such destruction. and calling upon the public to assist it as far as possible in preserving the native bush in places accessible to the people. Further than this, of course, the society cannot go, as private owners of bush • have a perfect right to do with it as they think fit. The nikau and other foliage now brought to Wellington has all been cut from privately-owned lands ; and, in one ease—that of the Grey street decora-tions—-the cutting has taken place in bush which the "owner has doomed to burning-off next season. It is perfectly clear that the Scenery Preservation Society is powerless to prevent even wanton destruction of choice specimens of native flora. If areas are to bo preserved ia accessible localities for

the delcctovioa of the public and visitors to this country, the only effective course is for the Government to reserve the land, and scvorly punish all vandalism.