LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4438, 19 August 1901, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The parishioners of Te Aro have decided to hold their annual “social” on tho asth inst.

Tho Conciliation Board will take evi* denoe in th G dispute in tho furniture trade this morning at half-paat tea o’clock.

The Conciliation Board has filod its recommendation in the dispute brought before it recently by tho painters and paperhangers.

Tho Government has a gang of rab« biters poisoning over the area of land at Silverstream reserved aa a rifle range. Rabbits are very numerous in the die. mot just now.

The Mastertom drainage works aro practioallv completed. One or two contemplated extensions have been dolaved in consequence of financial arrangements not being complete. The funeral of the late Mr William Lowes, which took place at Masterton, wag one of the largest over seen in the district. Mourners were present from -niatu«, Wellington, end all parts of the Wairarapa. The hearse was preceded by members of the Masonic Lodge and a band. The funeral o£ the late Mrs Thomson, wife of Mr THomson, stevedore to th® Shaw, Savill and Albion Company, took place yesterday afternoon, and was very largely attended. Mrs Thomson’s father—Captain Scotland—is duo in pert next Thursday, his vessel, the lvu« mara, having sailed from Hobart for Wellington on Saturday. A case of shop-breaking occurred in tho city during Saturday night. While Constable D. Ryan was returning homo after night duty yesterday morning, he noticed the shop window of a fancy goods emporium at the corner of Taranaki and Jessie streets, occupied by Mr Hatch, had been smashed. After rousing the inmates, an examination revealed that eleven watches and a number of small articles had been removed. No clue as to the thief or thieves has been found vet.

The death on Thursday,at Wellington Hospital of Mr H. Clnpcott, at the early age of thirty-seven, will come as a shock many residents of Petone. Mr Cla,p■ort lived with his parents in Petone for many years, and served his indentures ia the engineering branch of Petone workshops. He subsequently joined the Wcl-lington-Manawatu railway service, where he remained up till the period of illness which culminated in his death. The de. ceased is survived by a wife and two children.

A fire broke cut at Petone shortly after eleven o’clock last night in a shop and dwelling occupied by Mr Odium, a confectioner. The premises were completely destroyed; also a small office adjoining, which had been occupied by Mr Short. Tho cause of the fire is unexplained, as Mr Odium and his family were absent from home. Too Petone and Gear Fire Brigades did good work in preventing a spread of tho flames, the only other damaqo dons being the scorching. of the old jest office and the shop of Mr Battersby. painter and paperhanger.

A considerable amount of very justw liable indignation has been expressed at the disgraceful crush allowed to take place at the gates of Athletic Park on the .. conclusion of Saturday's football match. -The gates are very narrow, and tho crowd was’ allowed to surge through on to the street with danger* ous violence. Ladies and children were jostled about in a most unseemly way, and as a number of drags, carts and cabs had been allowed to draw up on the roadway people were for a time in imminent peril of meeting with serious accident. On the next occasion that there is so large an attendance at the Park some means -should certainly be devised for preventing a repetition of such a seen®..

A somewhat unusual form of enter* tainraent in the shape of a public dobate between tho Wesleyan Literary and Debating Society and tho Victoria College Debating Society was beld in the Girls’ High School on Saturday evening, the former society taking the affirmative side of “Is England’s power in danger of declining?” and the latter supported the negative side of the question. In opening for the Wesleyan Society, Mr Black gave a p-eneral survey of the probable causes of weakness. Messrs Collins and Stevenson, delivered telling speeches deal* ing with the literary, social, political, religious and educational aspects. Foe the Collecro Society, Mr Eicbmond gave a good general sketch of England’s increasing power, and was ably assisted by Messrs Graham, ©e la Mere and Fitzherbert. Mr Eichmond then summed up the chief arguments on his side of the question, and Mr Black gave a summary of his chief points. Sir Eobert Stout, who occupied the chair and acted a» judge, stated at the conclusion that owing to Mr Helliwell, one of the Was* leyan Society’s speakers, beimj absent with a severe attack of influenza, he could not give a decision as to which side had offered the best arguments, hut he congratulated the various speakers on. their efforts, especially mentioning the two leaders, Messrs Eichmond and Black. On the motion of Professor Easter field, seconded by the Eev. W. O. Oliver, a hearty vote' of thanks was given Sir Robert Stout for his assistance.