LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4489, 17 October 1901, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The annual meeting of the Wellington Volunteer Itifle,, Association will b© held to-morrow evening. The vacancy on the Wellington .Land Board is to bo filled shortly, so the Minister of Lands yesterday informed Mr Field, M.H.R^ According to latest information from Australia, the Italian warship Puglia is not coming to this colony. The vessel is at present at Sydney, and proceeds thence to Brisbane and China. The “Oamaru Mail” states that ic was reported in Waimato on Saturday on reliable authority that the Government have purchased from Messrs McGovern and Hardio their Midfield farm of 300 acres,, about one mile distant from >*ai» mate post office. It is the intention of the Land Commissioners to cut the land up into blocks, suitable for workmen’s homes. The price is stated to be £l3 10s per aoro> and delivery of the, land has to bo given on the Ist of April next. The gale of yesterday did some dam. age in the city. _ A big plate-glass window, in the business premises of Messrs Wbitcombo and Tombs, was blown in,and quite a number of minor casualties to shop and house appurtenances, are reported. The spectacle cf portly and elderly citizens pursuing hats at unwontodly rapid gait was to be seen at all times of the day, while showers of fine road metal blew around, im spite of a plenteous sprinkling by the Cor* poration wateiacarts during the afternoon. The orchards in the -vicinity of Wellington have been quite denuded of blossom by the gale.

Tho “G. F. Richardson” who was sued for debt by the “Now Zealand Times” Company the other day wa s not Mr G. F. Richardson, the well-known surveyor. Tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce is to hold a meeting on Friday next at 3.30 p.m. to discuss the Commonwealth tariff, with a view to passing resolu lions to strengthen the hands of tho Premier in regard to the matter. The Rev Air Eldridgo, who has been in charge of Knox Presbyterian Church, Lower Hutt, for the past eighteen months, and is about to take up his residue© in Queensland, was last night given a, send, off by his parishioners and friends. A tea meeting and oonccrt was given in honour of tho rev gentle,, man, who was presented with two purses of sovereigns. Tho Hutt Valley Labourers’ Union met last night, and appointed the fol. lowing officers for tho ensuing season: President, Mr H. Morten; vice-presi-dent, Air J. Cavanagh ; secretary, Mr L. Gwilliam ; treasurer, Mr S- De Rosa; trustees, Alcssrs W. H. Legbrook and G. Fawcett. Other officers will be ap.. pointed at a future meeting of the union. A mooting of residents of Crofton and Khandali.jh wag held in the Khandallah Hall last evening, and was largely attended. It was unanimously resolved that it would be detrimental to tho district if tho city abattoirs were built on “Banks’s site.” A committee was form, cd, and instructed to draw up a petition on tho subject, and wait on the Minister of Agriculture. The committee consists of Messrs Ferguson, O’Donaheo, Apjin, Smith, Vickers, Martin and Ivory. “Thank jyou, Mr Cooper, you have greatly ass isted tho Court by your argument,” wan the graceful compliment paid by his Honor Mr Justice Williams, sitting as President of the Court of Ap.. peal, to Air Harold Cooper, junior coun„ sel for the appellant, in the case of Riddiford v. Warren, at the conclusion of tho counsel’s addres s yesterday. Air Cooper received the congratulations of his senior counsel (Air Bell) and of his opponent (Dr Findlay) at tho rising of tho Court.

Waiter William Jabez Hall, formerly a post office official at Motueka, was arrested by Constable Tatton at the Hutt last night, charged with the theft of four sums of Government moneys. The first alleged defalcation occurred on May 28th, and amounted to £23; the second was of £27, on June 26th; the third was of £4O, on August 3rd. and the fourth took; place on the 2nd of last month, and wag an amount of £5. Hall will be charged with the four offences at the Magistrate’s' Court this morning. Amongst the imany classes in live stock for which' valuable prizes are offered at the Manawatu and West Coast Agricultural and) Pastoral Association Show on November 13th, 14th and 15th, the following will bo of interest to horse .ownerg;:—For saddle horses, £43 in prize-money is offered, including prizes for best lady’s 'hack, to be ridden by a lady. Harness horses have five classes for pairs and four classes for single entries, and the prize, money is £35. The draughts are allotted £lO4, and in. elude classes for drawing half a ton and one ton in an express and spring dray respectively. Of the six pony classes, one is for the best polo pony, to be ridden by a member of a recognised polo club. In the Supreme Cburt yesterday, Mr Justice Edwards answered questions put in the friendly suit between Johnston and Co., plaintiffs, and the Public Hail Company and Reuben Baker. The ao tion was brought to recover from the defendants or either of them the sum of £304 10s, the cost pf repairs effected to the hotel during the lease of the promises from the company. Mr H. F. Johnston appeared for the plaintiffs, Mr Myers for tho company, and Mr lEoung for Baker. At the hearing his Honor dismissed the company from .the proceedings. Ho now held that Baker was not liable under tho covenant to repair, but was liable under the contract to keep tho license on foot. Leave was given to mention the matter again. A very excellent display of poster pictures, from the brush of Mr Herbert Fitzherbert, are at present being displayed in the windows of McGregor Wright and Co., Lambton. quay, and are attracting a quite unusual amount of critical attention. The largest pio ture is of fanciful design, depicting a young man being forced, *uilfi unwilling* ly, into a maiden’s leading, strings by a group of laughing Cupidg. It is extremely well, drawn, and bears the distinctive ball-mark of originality. The other pictures Exhibited are chiefly of a sporting character, and depdet, with, piquant humour, tho little weaknesses and peculiarities of the golfer, the punter, and the billiardist. Mr FitzHerbert has a distinct bent for this class of work, and, properly placed, big pictures should obtain a more than local celebrity. The two Wellington Rowing Clubs have issued, a circular letter to, all in. terested in the holding of the next: championship regatta, asking for support at the general meeting of the New , Zealand Amateur Rowing Association of the application of the Wellington. Row., ing Association to have the next regah. ta allotted to Wellington. Tho circular sots forth the fact that though championship regattas have been held, at every important centre in the colony one has never been held in Wellington, while the local clubs have been ropre. seated at every championship meeting held. The many claims of Wellington as the site of .tho next annual aquatic festival are set forth, and the fact is Stated that _ as the Wellington Rowing Association represents gome six hundred oarsmen, the beneficial results would be deep' and abiding. An application for bail in the Sydney' Water Police Court on behalf of Thomas Caradoio Kerry and Eric John Hussey Freke, charged with casting away the yacht Ariadne on the New Zealand coast, was refused, Commissioner Tunbridge having wired strongly opposing bail- Mr Trevor Jones, for the applicants, explained that when the vessel was wrecked Mr Kerry, who was in SytL ney, set out in all haste for the scene, travelling night and day to get there. Upon his arrival the very persons who were instrumental in making the present charge, and who were showing a malevolence of an unexampled character, set to work. An inquiry wag held, and voluminous evidence having been taken, the owner was exonerated. Mr Kerry then remained in New Zealand for a considerable time—during which any of those persons Who instigated the present proceedings might have taken action—but they neglected to do anything until he arrived back in Sydney. It was unlikely that Mr Kerry would attempt to go away when.he had a claim for £20,000 against the underwriters. Mr Wiltshire said that as the New Zealand police stated that they had discovered import, ant evidence, and as the accused were only arrested under a provisional warrant, he doubted whether an application. for bail could be entertained at all at this stage. The proper time to make the application would be when the original warrants arrived. Ho accordingly 'would kftTe to. jrefyse tljo application. .

In tho Court of Appeal, the case with reference to tho Tahora Block has been adjourned till next week for the production of tho summons, c a veat ana de. creo in question. A return procured by the Premier relating the principal items of New Zealand produce and manufacture sent to Australia shows tho revenue collected thereon under tho old tariff and what would bo collected on tho same under tho Federal tariff. Tho Now South Wales item under the former tariff was £lO3, under the new £105,254; Victoria, formerly £82,820. under the Federal rate £68,346; Queensland. £9BIO, Federal rate £12,394; South Australia, £5104 and' £9103; Western Australia, £10,752 and £19,813; and Tasmania, £2019 and £2910. The total under the old stylo wha £110,614; under tho Federal tariff, £277,832. The sensational baby-farming case of Airs Dyor was mentioned by his Excellency the Governor at the Society for the Protection of Women and Children on Tuesday evening as an instance of the difficult nature of the work of such a society. His Excel|oncy was on the committee of the British Society at tho time the case cropped up. When it was first reported to them the secretary of tho society was sent down to Redding, bub he reported that Airs Dyer was a most religious woman, and given to good works; also that the information was a gross libel. Again the case came up from another source, and again tho secretary was sent to investigate, hut with the same result as before. Fortu. nately, however, the society had inform., ed the police on receipt of tho second information. As a result of tho police investigations sixty-soven children were found to, have been murdered by this woman. She was hanged. An interesting case was heard at the Alagistrate’s Court yesterday morning. An extortionate cat-driver had demanded 6s for driving Mr R. AI. Tolhurst and a friend from the Alanawatu station to the city one evening. ■, ith tho object of checking the over-charge evil, Air Tolhurst placed the matter in the hands of the City Council’s Inspector. One of tho presiding Justices romarkcu that the question was a very serious one. Ho was pleased to know Air Tolhurst had given an opportunity for tho matter to bo ventilated. In fining the cabman, tho Bench made a recommendation to the authorities that something ought to be done *to inform the public what the legal cab fares in Wellington were. It is to be hoped that something will speedily be done in this direction. What the correct cab fares are in Wellington is a mystery, and the public is systematically over-charged on every possible occasion. Three, four and live shillings for a drive occupying as many minutes is a common demand. ■