LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4396, 29 June 1901, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The New Zealand Counties’ Conference has been fixed to take place at Wellington on 16th proximo. The Teachers’ Salaries Commission will to-day probably conclude the examination of witnesses, and is likely to adjourn for a week to enable the evidence to bo printed. Tho postal authorities are advised that the mails sent by the s.s. Ventura, which loft Auckland on 25th Alay, arrived at London on the morning of Juno 26th; four days late. A fine aviary of British and Australian cage birds will be a feature -at the poultry show to be opened next week. Some of the birds have been imported from England and Australia at considerable cost. At the meeting of the Teachers’ Salaries Commission this morning, tho In-spector-General will present his proposed colonial scale of staffs and salaries (the first and second alternative schemes). The tender of Air R. W. Bond, of Waitara, has been accepted for the erection of butter freezing works at Patca. The price is £1846. Tho works rvll bo ready to receive produce on Ist September, and will be wholly finished by Ist October. At tho request of tho Doputy-Post-master-General of Tasmania, made through the Secretary of the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department, the captains of H.Ai.S. St. George and Juno, the Ophir’s consorts, have consented to look out for and ijespatch wireless telegraph messages when approaching the River Derwent. “Tho First Commonwealth Ministry and the A.AI.P. Society” is the title of a leaflet which we have received. Its “raison d’etre” is found in the fact that every member of the Alinistry is also a member of the Australian Mutual Provident Society; and in it are included letters from various members of the Cabinet, expressing their good opinion of the Society. Sir Joseph Ward has, it is understood, written to Air T. Ronayne, Gene, ral Manager of the New Zealand Railways, congratulating him on the success which has attended the operations of tho Railway Department during the Royal visit and expressing his gratefulness to the officers, rank and file, for tho splendid efforts they had successfully put forth to keep up the reputation of the New Zealand Railways on that occasion. Alessrs Zohrab and Co. report the sale of the following properties : —Air E. O’Meara’s interest in the lease and furniture of the Empire Hotel, Feilding, to Mrs M. Butler, late of Wellington. Air G. Bennett’s interest in the lease and furniture of the Raumai Hotel, near Ashhurst, to Messrs Black and Barford, late of Christchurch. Air R. J. Stansell’s interest in the lease and furniture of the Albion Hotel, Shannon, to Airs James Curran, late of Sydney. Mr E. Sullivan’s interest in the lease and furniture of Aliddleton’s Hotel, Opunake, to Air E. O’Meara, late of Feilding. It wag generally understood some two or three months ago that some improvement would be made in tho city milk supply by the City Council issuing licenses to dairy keepers and persons who sell milk, and at the same time have a periodical inspection made of such licensed premises. Nothing has yet been done in the matter. In the meantime the unsatisfactory condition of affairs so often complained of in these columns still exists. Milk is sold from all sorts and conditions of places without tne slightest regard for cleanliness. As the result of all this is that the poorer classes of the community are frequently forced to draw their supplies from disgraceful sources, the urgency of the once contemplated reform remains immediate. A story of international courtesy is told in connection with the _ visit of the Russian cruiser Gromohoi to Sydney. It appears that Captain Jessen, of the Gromoboei, and his wife came to Australia by one of the Orient boats, on which also _ were two British officers and some, bluejackets for H.AI.S. Dart. Shortly after their arrival at Sydney one of the British sailors died of pneumonia. On the day of the funeral there was a picnic down _ the coast in connection with the visit of the Gromohoi, But Captain and Mrs Jessen apologised for their absence, and attended the funeral of the bluejacket. A body of Russian sailors fired a volley over the grave, a compliment which was also paid by tiho German warship Cormoran/ Tho annual dediication festival of St. Peter’s Church will be observed to-mor-row. The Bishop will celebrate at 8 a.m., and dedicate the now and costly altar vessels, which, have been presented to the parish by Miss Read, in memory of her mother. .At 11 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. Dean Hovell, Of Napier, will preach At 3 p.m. a aervi«e for men only will be hold, at whitih many parishioners have signified theih- intention of being present. An address on Christian evidence will he given by tho Rev T. H. Sprott, ALA., of iSt. Paul’s Cathedral, and the offertory will bo given to the building fund of S!fc. Peter’s Club. The services tnronghonti the day will bo of a bright and heart,<r character, in keening with the associations of this festival, and at the conclncrion of evensong a solemn To Denm will be sung. Owing to the fact! that some members of the Hutt Alilk Suppliers’ Union have failed to secure the advanced wholesale rate of 8d per gallon! of milk, the union has decided to take vfnited action in the matter. It was resoilved at a meeting held the other evening that if the Wellington retailers refused to pay the advanced price the unipn would establish a co-operative milk ptinplv business in tho city and deal directly with consumers. The Hutt tanners state that with increased land vAlnes, the enhanced value of stock (partly due to the fact of the present herds being selected animals). the cost of winder feeding, and the extra time and eixpense demanded bv having to produce the milk on more up-to-dato methods, the* price which has been received for milk fin the past will not pay for the cost (of producing it. Hence their action. I

Last night Sir Joseph Ward Aceived a very gratifying telegram from the Horticultural Conference (of 100 delegates) at present sitting at Dunedin, con gratulating him upon “the honours con ferred upon you by our King,” and hoping that he would live many years to on.joy them. Daring the whole of the three weeks that Maoris were congregated at Rotorua and passing to and fro, there was not a single case calling for the intervention of the police. It is questionable whether SCOO whites on a holiday >tou!d have preserved similar good order 1 - M Jgsrs M. IT. 'Browne and E. C. Isaaci, inspectors under the Alauual and Technical Instruction Act, loft for the south yesterday by the steamer Tarawera. Air Browne will be absent for about a month, and Air Isaac for about ten days. Meetings of teachers similar to thnt recently addressed by Mr Isaac at Wtano-anui have been arranged to take place at Invercargill and Dunedin. At the annual meeting of the Newtown Bowling Club last evening, a handsome gold medal, suitably engraved, wits presented to Air A. Morris, who wits one of the founders of the club, and has held the office of secretary and treasurer, on his leaving Newtown to takei up his residence in the city. Air Morris's resignation as a member of the club .was accepted with regret, and he was elected a life member. Air John Duthie, in a graceful .speech at tho annual mooting of Wellington Bowling Club last night, acknowledged the assistance which had been received by the club from the press. The newspapers, die said, had rendered great service,and had kept bowling prominently before the public, and he thought members ought, at such a meeting, to acknowledge this assistance- by a hearty vote of thanks to the press. The vote urns carried with acclamation.