LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4637, 16 April 1902, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Nominations for tho Mayoralty of tower Hutt close at noon on Wednesday next. . Mr J. Valentine announces that he is unable to stand for the Mayoralty of Onslow Borough. The quarterly meeting of the Trustees of the Wellington Benevolent Institution will be held at the Ohiro Home on Tuesday afternoon of next week.. The usual Melrose gem was forthcoming at tho Borough Council last night. Apropos of a discussion, a councillor remarked—“ Your Worship, I think it’s playing very low-water to act in this manner.” The Dresden Piano Company, at tho instance of the Mayor, who was acting for the More Men Fund Committee, placed two fine pianos on board the Drayton Grange, one for tho officers and the other for tho men of the contingent. One of the last acts of tho Premier before going on board tho Drayton Grange was to hand over to Mr Jolliffe the sum of £2 as a contribution to tho Civil Service fund on behalf of Mrs Talbot and her family. At the monthly meeting of the Petone Borough Council there were present the Mayor (Mr,,PI,. Mothes), Councillors Castle, Wilson, Dodder, Price, Alexander. Priest and McEwan. Accounts amounting to £BB7 9s 5d were passed for payment. Tho Petone and Wellington Football Clubs were granted .permission to use tho recreation ground, and tho Wellington Trotting Club to use the ground on May 14th and 16th. It was resolved to make a further attempt to induce the Minister of Railways to cause mail trains to stop at Petone, and to memorialise the Governor, requesting him to review the finding of tho Hutt Road Commission. The solicitors to the borough reported the completion of tho transfer from Mr T. G, Macarthy of a piece of land in Jackson street required for street widening, for which tho Council paid £SB compensation. After discussion, it was resolved to have prepared a return of all breaches of the building by-laws during the last three years. The Council then went into committee on the water supply question. _ It was decided to 'visit tho_ Koro Kero stream, and to meet again on Thursday to further consider tho matter.

The following paragraph from “M.A.P.” has now a pathetic interest by reason of the death of the principal figure Nothing could have neon more characteristic of Lord Kimberley than a little scone that took place recently. Ho had lain for hours without a motion—without a sign of life—mute, unconscious, dead to all things. Suddenly somebody whispered in his ear that Lord Rosebery was below and wished to see him. To the surprise of everybody bis eyes opened at once; Lord Rosebery was summoned to the bedside; Lord Kimberley not only recognised him, but _ entered into an animated conversation with him for three minutes, during which ho was just as interested about everything in the political world as if ho were in full health and strength. Then Lord Rosebery went away; and at once Lord Kimberley relapsed into that condition of mute and deaf unconsciousness from which he had emerged just for those three minutes. It was a strange instance of the ruling passion strong in death. Lord Kimberley never had full justice done to him by the world, oven by the world of politics in which ho played so large a part. It is unfortunately the case that, unless a man have the gift of eloquent speech, he rarely if ever does touch the imagination of people in political life, and Lord Kimberley had not in the least the gift of eloquent speech. Ho could always make a straightforward, lucid, vigorous speech; hut it never rose above the commonplace in language, or even in idea. _ It (was character that was his strong point..

It is not likely that any more teachers for South Africa will ho selected before tho cud of the week. A meeting of tho Roseneath Ratepayers’ and Householders’ Association will bo hold at tho schoolroom this evening.

The steamer Admiral, which has been purchased by tho Miramar Ferry Company, arrived from Auckland last evening. The vessel left Auckland on Saturday evening, and averaged about eight knots on tho run down.

Civil servants were notified on Monday morning that the Premier would say good-byo to them at tho General rost°Offico at four o’clock. In consequence of tho extraordinary press of work which ho attended to before his departure, Mr Scddon was uuablo to keep tho appointment. Nominations for tho office of Mayor of Melrose Borough Council close to-day. Messrs G. Frost (tho present Mayor), R. Kccno and A. H. Fullford aro definitely announced as candidates, ana there aro mysterious rumours about a fourth aspirant to bo revealed at tho eleventh hour. Nominations will close at noon.

There was an interesting scono in the Central Drillshod yesterday afternoon, when natives selected for tho Coronation Contingent were drawn up, prior to embarking on tho Southern steamer. Several old chiefs spoke encouragingly to tho young men who were going away, and fragments of dances were gone through in a spirited manner. One chief "who was present as a spectator gave tho contingent men a message for tho King. Ho asked them to inform his Majesty°that tho Maoris were still very much displeased at not being allowed to go to South Africa and “finish tho war.”

The extension of gas mains to South Kilbirnio is to bo begun by tho Wellington Gas Company in two or three weeks. The company has notified tho Melrose Borough Council, in response to that body’s request that the company would remove gas-lamps from. Mitchelltown to another placo, that it would bo happy to do so if tho Council would recompense tho company for the expenditure by it of £IBO in tho installation. In tho course of a discussion on lighting matters, great dissatisfaction was expressed by councillors with the manner in which tho Island Bay lamps were being lit up.

Tho leaflet published by the Agricultural Department shows that tho exports of dairy produce and meat for the month of March were as follows, the figures for tho corresponding month of tho previous year being given within parentheses:—Butter, 26,025 cwt, valued at £118,117 (£119,227); cheese, 10,778 cwt, valued at £22,360 (£42,239); frozen beef, 18,289 cwt, valued at £20,996 (£32,337); mutton, 109,679 cwt, valued at £114,579 (£139,074); lamb,, 102.301 cwt, valued at £142,932 (£105,302). For the year ended March 31st, as compared with tho previous year, tho values of tho exports named were as follows:—Butter, £1,008,267 (£790,160): cheese, £190.772 (£248,883); beef, £230.043 (£346,232); mutton, £988,691 (£1,076,573); lamb, £830,668 (£654,696). Tho Government has acquired under tho Lands for Settlements Act the property known as Windsor Park, which is situated in the neighbourhood of Oamaru, and has an area of about 3800 acres. Tho land is now being surveyed, and it is hoped that it will be in the market towards tho end of May, or the beginning of June, in order to give selectors an opportunity of putting in a crop this year. It is excellent wheatgrowing land, having a suitable climate, and it ought to provide a good many homesteads for capable agriculturists. A branch line of railway intersects the land, and tho Windsor Junction station, situated on the property, is about 13 miles from Oamaru. The price at which the property has been obtained is such that it can he disposed of in subdivisiqns at a very reasonable rent, considering the locality and the quality of the land. Every effort is being made to expedite tho subdivision and mapping of the settlement.

A telegram from Adelaide, published in the Sydney papers recently, stated that the Commissioner of Police had received reports of a sad case of deaths from thirst in the Far North. On December 18th, 1901, a drover named Henry Herbert Hopkins left Loudan, near the Queensland and South Australian border, on a journey to Rankine river. He was accompanied by his son. Nothing more was heard of the men until about a month ago, when another drover named Radford reported to the manager of Alexandra station that he had seen the bodies of two men who had evidently perished from thirst. The Queensland Commissioner of Police offered to allow two of his men who were stationed at Camooweal to cooperate with the South Australian trooper, who resides in the same locality, in searching for the bodies. A week after Colonel Madley received a telegram from Brisbane to the effect that the troopers had returned to Camooweal, and reported that they had found the bodies of Hopkins and his son about eighteen miles from Austral Downs. Four dead horses were discovered in the vicinity of the bodies, and as one of them had its throat cut, it was apparent that the unfortunate men had endeavoured to keep themselves alive by drinking the animal’s blood. The men had been dead nearly throe months. The bodies were found about six miles from the nearest water. There was a deputation of one before the Melrose Borough Council last night, which explained that it was there “to say a few words in reference to the pig." Tho deputation wont on to say that the proposed by-law of the borough against the keeping of pigs was likely to be injurious to tho district. “The pig,” tho deputation blandly proceeded, “was tho first assisted emigrant we ever had in New Zealand; it was introduced by Captain Cook for the benefit of the natives, and to prevent either himself or any of his crew from being made ‘long-pig’ of.” The deputation of one next objected to tho term “pig-swill” being used in the by-law. A far better term would be “kitchen waste.” Then the deputation gave the Council some information about the usefulness of the pi" as a grubber of gbrse, and also -of tho hungry void which ho fills in the eternal economy of tho inhabitants of Bristol, England, with resulting increase of rent-paying capacity to lush pigraisers. After touching on other similar items, tho deputation mentioned that bananas were greatly appreciated by bees in search of honey, besides being a fine fattening food for “the gintleman that paid the rint.” A weaiy councillor here objected to the great length at which the deputation was stating its views; but the deputation disarmed objection by saying that it would proceed to clause 2. A dissertation on tho advantage that would have accrued to the deputation’s sons had the Council some years ago acceded to a request that tho deputation he allowed to start a pig-farm at Island Bay was interrupted hv a remark from the Mayor that the Council was not to sit until midnight to hear the deputation’s lecture out. After a few more more or less apropos remarks, tho deputation was metaphorically “warned off the course” by the Mayor in the middle,

An adventurous Australian recently descended tho crater of the Waimangu geyser. He had just regained the lip of tho cavity when the geyser shot a huge column of water, mud and atones high into tho air. The Australian admitted that ho had had a narrow escape, “but,” ho added, “it was worth it.”

Yesterday an order was made by the Chief Justice for tho removal into the Supremo Court of the Palmerston North case of Thomas Young v. Catherine Butler, a claim for £SO, arising out of disagreement over negotiations between the parties for the purchase of an hotel. The main ground of the transfer of jurisdiction is that there are tufficult questions of law likely to arise in. tho case. A loan collection of black and white pictures by Messrs D. H. Souter, Frank Mahony and George W. Lambert has been received from Sydney by Mr A. D. Riley, director of tho Wellington Technical School. Tho feature of the collection aro some large allegorical drawings by Mr Souter, whose characteristic work in tho “ Bulletin ” is well known. In those drawings the line-work and some of the effects are strikingly lino, though the artist seems to find a difficulty in pourtraying tho varying expressions of the female face. A woman made the extraordinary statement to the Benevolent Trustees yesterday that a warrant for the arrest of her husband for having disobeyed an order of tho Magistrate’s Court had been out for three weeks past, during tho whole of which time the husband had been walking about tho town. Tho Trustees thought there was some misunderstanding about the facts concerning tho date of issue of tho warrant, but decided to grant tho woman relief in tho form of one week’s rations pending further developments of the judicial process.

Tho “ New Zealand Mail ” is this week an admirable number. Besides containing all the news of the week — Home, foreign and colonial—it comprises much that is of special interest to all classes. In its pages devoted to fiction is to bo found tho continuation of “Sir Astley’s Wife,” Miss Florence Warden’s intensely interesting serial, together with a number of splendidlywritten stories by eminent authors. The “ Mail ” devotes considerable space to “The Ways of W’omen,” and in her budget of Wellington t:*fa!o talk, “ Erie” discourses upon every social event of local importance. Sporting is also one of tho “ Mail’s ” features, and no sportsman will consider his knowledge of current events complete without perusing “Advance’s” notions. In its dairying and farming pages the “Mail” offers a variety of matter replete with information to country settlers. From a perusal of the table of its contents, as appearing in another column of this issue, it will be seen that the “ New Zealand Mail ” exhibits all the features of an interesting and diversified weekly newspaper.

A young woman and her aged mother came to Wellington from Christchurch on Monday with a very unusual object. This was the matter of disposing of the mother, whose mental balance is hardly in equipoise. There are two sons of tho mother resident in this city, but when the daughter called at their residence at the hour of 11 a.m. they were not to be found. The daughter next sought to place her mother with a religious body, but failing in that endeavour she took her to tho ofijee of the secretary of tho Benevolent Trustees, and rushed out without leaving name or address, but intimating that she had to catch tho return boat to Christchurch. She had an impression that the Trustees had to keep the mother, willy-nilly. The Trustees rang up tho police, and they removed the old lady from the Trustees’ building, and started a search that resulted in the daughter being discovered waiting for the boat to return to Christchurch. She was made to again take charge of her mother, whose age is over eighty years. It is now the daughter’s intention to seek her brothers at a more likely hour than that at which she first sought them. Three prisoners who had entered pleas of guilty were sentenced yesterday morning by the Chief Justice. James Madigan, who had stolen jewellery at Palmerston North recently, aad nothing to say when formally questioned. He had been previously convicted —of false pretences—so his Honor was prohibited from applying the First Offenders’ Probation Act to his case. His Honor remarked that ho would not pass a severe sentence on accused. He was only a young man, it was a long time since his previous conviction, and it was to be hoped that the present experience would be a lesson to him. He would bo sentenced to four calendar months’ imprisonment with hard labour. George Henry Smith and Frederick Herbert Howard, who had broken and entered premises at Napier, were next placed in the dock. Mr Herdman made a plea for leniency on behalf of Howard, whom he represented as a young fellow led away by evil companions. Howard had never been before the Court previously. His Honor did not feel able to apply the Act to these offenders. They had each been guilty of two separate offences, and they seemed to be entering very gaily on a career of crime. They would bo each sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour on each charge, sentences to be concurrent.

Judgment was delivered yesterday by his Honor the Chief Justice in the appeal case of; Thomas James O’Connor against the conviction entered against him by the "Wellington Stipendiary Magistrate of having habitually consorted with reputed thieves and a prostitute. The case was a special . one concerning the interpretation of the last amendments of Parliament to the Police Offences Act. The appeal was allowed by his Honor, on the ground that when the Legislature in the Act spoke of “habitually" consorting it meant to imply that consorting alone—i.e., to ho a companion of—was not to be held as sufficient ground for conviction under the particular section of the Act concerned in the matter of the conviction appealed against. Companionship must have been so constant as to have created habit. His Honor said there had been ample evidence adduced to warrant the Magistrate in convicting O’Connor of haying consorted with thieves; the main question raised by tho case was whether the Magistrate had power, on the evidence, to convict him of “habitually” consorting. It was his Honor’s opinion that O’Connor had not committed a statutory offence. As to the suggestion of Mr Gully that the case should he referred back to the Magistrate for the latter to deal with under another section of the Act, his Honor intimated that he considered the case to he a matter of form, not of substance ; and he doubted if it could be amended. To refer it hack to the Magistrate would bo inviting him to make a new procedure. The appeal must be allowed without costs. On the application of Mr Jellicoe, counsel for appellant, his Honor struck out the rule

Mr J. G. W r . Aitken was yesterday nominated for the Wellington Mayoralty by Messrs John Duthic and \v illiam Allan.

The number of visitors to the It aimangu geyser continues so lar{|e chat it has been urged that au accommodation house should bo erected near tho phenomenon. The case of Tamaki v. Baker was called on in the Supremo Court yesterday morning, but on tho application of counsel, the case was adjourned until to-morrow morning.

Tho contract to deliver 45,000 tons of Westport coal to the British naval authorities on tho China station has been secured by Messrs W. Scott Fell and Co., of Sydney, whose representative (Mr Lane) is at present in New Zealand.

It was reported to the Benevolent Trustees yesterday that there were at present 57 inmates it; cite Ohiro Homo —4O males and 17 females. An order for admittance to the Home was granted to an old man, and in several cases of distress relief of rations was granted.

Sir Joseph Ward and tho Hons W. C. Walker, W. Hall-Jones and James Carroll will go to Christchurch to he present at tho departure of tho South Island Battalion of the Tenth Contingent and the Coronation Contingents. The men aro to march through the streets of Christchurch on Saturday, and leave in tho evening by train for Lyttelton. “Second-class” writes :—Tho country, I believe, has health officers and sanitary inspectors. Why do those not occasionally travel second-class in, tho smoking carrages of our railways? Tho carriages are always overcrowded in the mail trains, the ventilation is abominable, the filth from expectoration and emptying of foul pipes and refuse is abominable. Why do they not report these grave dangers to health, and so get bettor surroundings for those who pay most of tho railway revenue? Wo have received from Mr W. Ferguson, secretary to the Wellington Harbour Board, a copy of tho printed statement of accounts and annual reports of the Board for tho year ended 31st December, 1901. The statement and reports are very full and explicit, occupying some sixty pages of foolscap folio. Accompanying tho volume is a sheet printed in four colours, showing the berthage plan of tho port, with the flags that indicate the different berths. This is in effect a plan of the whole harbour, showing the different wharves and landing steps and the depth of water at each placo at low-tide. The whole has been neatly printed at tho “New Zealand Times” office.

A correspondent (“Parent”) writes to point out that in view of the notoriously low place taken by the Wellington Girls’ High School in the junior scholarship list each year the Board of Governors should make some statement to show what considerations guide them in making appointments to the teaching staff of the school. The point our correspondent desires to make is that for the recent vacancy there were sixteen applicants from whom it would have been possible to have chosen an M/A. with teaching experience, yet the governors selected a 8.A., about whose experience nothing has been made known. If the lower degree is to be regarded as a qualification for appointment in Wellington, the writer thinks that graduates and students should be definitely informed that such is the case.

Ho Island Bay tramways, Mr James Reid writes as follows: —Mr F. Loudon is evidently still suffering from the “heckling” he got at the Island Bay meeting, and also from the want of knowing what he was talking about, as he was told by a gentleman at the meeting. Wo are past the point of accepting the assurance of the worthy Mayor of .Wellington even, which, he says, wo should have accepted without question, although ho in the next breath says; “It is certain the ratepayers of Wellington will never make a'line at their own cost to accommodate Island Bay.” We have dealt with the matter in equity, and have not got satisfaction, and no favourable assurance could be consistent with the studiously and ingeniously contrived course already taken by the City Council. Moreover, I am advised wo have been “had,” and I, with others, intend to sift the matter as far as the law will allow us. Meantime, it would be best to suspend the Greater Wellington scheme until the tram question is settled.

The .North Island representatives of the Native Contingent for the Coronation left for Christchurch by the steamer Moura yesterday evening, in charge of Captain Taranaki. Following is a list of the men:—Tatana (NgatitoaNgatihuia), Wellington-Manawatu; Tutura, Wairoa; Kohere, Hick’s Bay; Ngatai, Waiapu; Weihana, Bay of Plenty; Tane, Ngapuhi; Hikairo, Te Arawa; Hongi, Ngapuhi; Oteue, Ngati Whatua; Ututaonga, Rarawa; Heuheu, Taupo; Keepa, Rangitikei- Aomarama, Taranaki; ’Aperahama Wiari, Rotorua; Tauri, Wanganui; Wikitahi, Kaipara; Tamao (Maniapoto), Taranaki; Tahuri (Ngatihuia), Wellington - Manawatu; Hakiwai, Oma.hu, Hawke’s Bay; Ha-' witi, Ngapuhi; Takarangi, Wanganui; and Tirua, Waikato. Puke te Rangi (Ngapuhi), Wanganui, has gone as an emergency man. Most of the above men are of high rank. Hongi is a grandson of the great fighting chief of that name, •who made a visit to England. A native of extremely aristocratic genealogy is Kawiti. Heuheu and Tatana also come of notable families. The Native Minister intends to have a list drawn up-which will show the lineage of the various members of the contingent.

Tho committee for the citizens’ testimonial to Inspector Ponder met yesterday afternoon, Mr George Fisher, M.H.R., being in tho chair in the unavoidable absence of tho Mayor. On the motion of Mr C. W. Brodie, it was resolved that the subscription lists be kept open until the end of the month, and that the secretary be instructed to confer with the Justices’ Committee with a view of having both presentations made the same day. The Mayor was appointed treasurer. Over £9O has been received, and further sums have been promised. All intending subscribers, both of town and country, are requested to forward their subscriptions either to the Town Clerk or the secretary, Mr F. Shaw, without delay. Mr W. C. Buchanan, the well-known pastoralist, has addressed tho following letter to Mr H. Beauchamp, the treasurer of the fund:—“l most cordially join with the movement to present Inspector Pender with a testimonial on his retirement from the public service, and have already sent you my subscription through Mr Aitken. I knew Inspector Pender many years ago, when he was in charge of the Christchurch district, and it is not at all too much to say that it would he difficult to find a man in the public service who, for so many years, has so faithfully and worthily performed his

Mr A. H. Cooper writes to say that he did not sign the workers’ address to the Premier as secretary of the Trades and Labour Council. He adds that he disapproves of the statements contained in the address ; but the fact remains that ho did sign it, though not in his official capacity. An embarrassing case was considered by the Benevolent Trustees yesterday—■ the case of an old-age pensioner who had been admitted to tho Ohiro Home at tho request of an up-country district. The old man was conditionally admitted to the Home, but there his conduct was such that the other inmates’ sense of decency prevented them from waiting upon him or being in his company. On the recommendation of medical men tho man was sent to the Hospital, from which institution he was eventually discharged. The doctors considered it inadvisable that he should be readmitted to the Home, and thereupon the Trustees paid his passage back to Pahiatua. The authorities at that place repudiated responsibility for tho man’s maintenance. They paid his passage hack to Wellington, and at the same time instructed him to go to Dr MacGregor, of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Department, and ask him to decide as to which body was responsible for his up-keep. Tho man never made that application, but continued to hang about the city, “doing odd jobs” and living on his pension. The question of the liability has now become more complicated because of tho man’s residence in the city for some months. On the other hand, there is the fact that he was received in Wellington at the request of the country district. In the course of the Trustees’ discussion on tho case, it was mentioned that for the man’s pension, ho could be boarded and lodged in the Workmen’s Hotel of the Salvation Army. It was suggested by tho Trustees to tho man that he should go into the hotel, but he mentioned that ho had a chance of being admitted to the- Home for the Aged Needy. The Trustees decided to grant him rent money and rations in the meantime. ' , On the second of next month Messrs Abraham a,nd Williams, Ltd., will sell twenty-nine blood fillies and geldings for the Hon J. D. Ormond, and fifty thoroughbreds, including twenty-four Carlyon ponies and four thoroughbred yearlings on account of Mr G. P. Donnelly. The latter are being sold in conjunction with the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Compay, Ltd. At this important sale a number of other thoroughbreds will be offered, as well as some first-class hacks and harness horses. The annual meeting of the Submarine Mining Corps will be held this evening Messrs Macdonald, Wilson and Co. insert the advertisement giving full details of the sale of dairy stock, horses, farming implements, etc., to be held by them at the farm of Mr J. J. Curtis, Otaki, on Tuesday next, at 1 o’clock. They also insert full details of the sale of dairy stock, farm implements, traps, horses, etc. to be held at Muugaroa, Upper Hutt, on Wednesday next, 21!rd inst. The s.s. Duchess will make her usual trips to Day’s Bay this morning and afternoon, returning from the Bay at 4.15 p.m. and 6 p.m. The s.s. Countess will tun to Seatoun and Karaka Bay, returning from Seatoun at 4.45 p.m. The full timetable appears in this issue. . The Nelson Harbour Board calls for tenders for the construction of a dredge.

All accounts connected with the luncheon to the Tenth Regiment must be rendered to the secretary without delay.