LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 4872, 26 January 1903, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A mass mooting of carpenters is ‘to bo held in the Kechabite’s Hall at 8 o’clock to-morrow evening.

Tho public schools in tho city of Wellington will ro-open this morning, tho Christmartido vacation having expired.

Tho Greymoutli Borough Council recently called for tenders for tho erection of a Town Hall. Tho tenders ranged from £9097 to £10,040. Tho Council declined to accept any of them. Tho adjourned hearing of tho petition to have the recent local option poll at Newt own declared void on account of certain alleged irregularities will open before Dr McArthur, S.M., tomorrow morning. A good programme has been arranged for the garden fete to be held in tho Wellington College grounds on the lira February. Particulars are given by advertisement of competitions in connection with the feto. / In tho schoolroom of Wesley Church. Taranaki street, on a reception is to ho given to Mr A. JO. White, the newly-appointed secretary of tho Young Inch's Christian Association. The Mayor w-1 preside. In Marlborough tins year tho rate of wagss for workers Has’been fixed at 8s per day (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.), with an exception for Saturday, on which day hours will a.m. to C p.m., with a wage of 7s. It is proposed to do something to provide a water supply and a drainage system at Fcikliug. A poll of ratepayers is to be taken on a proposal to borrow £-118,500, to he expended 'as follow s : Water, £27,204; sewerage, £13,236 ; rul-face drainage, £6OOO. Post-election rejoicings are not yc-t over. Mr Jennings, M. li.lt, for Egmont, is being tendered a banquet by iiis supporters in the King Country' portion of tho district. This Will take plaoa at Ongaruhc on 7th February next, and will bo followed by a largo gathering at periaka. Tho abolition of the horse has not abolished tho penalty for leaving vehicles unattended, for at Christchurch last Friday it motor-car driver (Who said ho had travelled ail over Europe withcut mftdratico by ' .the law’s ofiioersf was fined £2 and costs for having loft his car unattended in a street of tho city. The camp of tho D Battery at Scatoun was opened two Weeks ago in a severe storm, aftd .yesterday it - was struck in hoary rain. Between theso Uncomfortable events, however, there had been excellent weather, and soma useful, instructive and up-to-date biggur> drill was gone through by tho batter?-

Tho Public Health Department report,-; eighteen fresh wises of scarlet fever m Wellington for tiio week ending the 24th lust. Tho Cromwell “Argus” reports that a party of four Chinamen working above the Cromwell coalpit last week washed up £IOOO worth of gold. At a, meeting of ratepayers at Eltharn on Friday night to consider proposals for borrowing £15,000 for rater supply and drainage works, it- was decoded that the proposals be held in abeyance jintil furl her information is supplied to the ratepayers.

Mr J. it. Blair, who is at present on a visit to South Africa, is described by a Johannesburg paper as “ox-Mayor of Welling!on, Aristraiia” and as “chairDiiUi i:f tins Mew Zealand Kiluauum Board and, credited with having despatched tlie first -V-w Zealand CViUngent to South Africa! The fullle Diver correspondent of the “Jjytlelton 'J’inies” stales that the cocksfoot crop is fast ripening, and that, the seed will be. light. There are a large number of bands wailing to start worn; in fact, mere arc many more than v.u bo wanted, and the high prices c.-.peel-ed. will not bo forthcoming.

The citizens of Hokitika 3ia,e icBolvcd to form a Harbour League to take steps to improve the local s-Up-ping facilities. His anticipated that the construction of the rai.way to Loss will develop a large Uinoor trade and it is felt that every chert should be made to cater for that trade.

The Lima Day Tennis dubs court was opened on Saturday altcriicon by Air David Robertson, president lit Lie -club. There was a largo number or ! people present, and Uio f.icinl-'.s „ow ...ffiaiicd for playmg tennis wwi add to Urn at tractions of tno bay ns a ..lacu of residence or recreation. mm first game played on Saturday was between .Mbs Van Str.veren and Hum and .Miss M. Robertson and G. Jalmfcon, the two first-named winning. About 5.30 on Friday afternoon, James Aih"rt Phillips, three yeins anil eight mold l:s old. son ef Jr P fdgrover, lliddiford street, lull _ on ins father's express, lied struck h'y temp-e, on tho ground. About 5.’.30 on Saturday morning, Urn child was omul to ho in convulsions, and died haw an hour afterwards, and b- Xsre !T arrival of a doctor Mr Edwin ArucM, o.t . (Ac-.tng-Corcucr). held an iiU|Uiry concerning tho child’s death on baturuay :ule.lloon. The evidence showed did d(ceased, with seven or eight children rotlo in tho express from the .ronb nl tho shop to tho back. On tho way tho horse was stopped, and when it was nprrcil on again, decenmti lest h's balance, and foil to tho ground. A ycrdicc C f accidental death was returned. _ A feature of tho Rifle Associations mooting on Annivcrsmy Day wans the shooting by men ot tho Me.ung.o.i Guards. Tho company was rmreseuces by fourteen men, tho largest nMUiooi o. entries from any ono corps, in tliam Watch was won by Private uaven, tho Wellington Match by Private Wacaskill and tho Vice-President's Watch by Private AamotU. Tho companyss No. I team also won tho Tea-ins Mateo. ennyiuu with it tho’’)silver challenge cup, tins being tho second funo it lias been won by tho company. Tho .No-. 2 team, composed of junior shots, was well up iii tho third place, running tho Highjjanders’ ten.m close for second place. Private Hay, one of tho youngest shots in tho corps, was'second in tho Championship Match, scoring 122 points, against tho winners’ 133. Tin company's representatives altogether won £22, over a third of tho total prize •money. It is a thing to bo regretted —considering tho market now existing—that attempts to develop a trade in apples with England have so far been unsueoelssful. Present advices arc that there is a great dearth of apples in tho United Kingdom, chiefly on account of tho failItrc of tho Canadian ami United States crops. It is a pity,, therefore, that .N*cnv Zealand is not in a position to put a quantity of this fruit on tho English market. Last year a shipment of fifteen hundred oases of apples was sent to London by the Waikato, and the Government Biologist at the .same time took pains to encourage orchard ists to oxtoad their operations in this direction. Tho 'shipment under notice, with which wore fifty cases of pears, was made by tho Styx Orchard Company, - of Canterbury. Unfortunately, it was not successful. The ship was not fitted up in tho latest maimer, and owing to impor- ; foot .management tho temperature got below’ what was necessary for the proper preservation of tho fruit. As a result a quantity of tho apples were frozen and ; usdceb. None of tho cases arrived in good .condition, and tho prices obtained for what was saleable wefe not sufficient. to encourage further shipments. The Pupamii a few years ago took Homo a shipment in tho best condition. The question of netting in lakes and rivets is likely to prove a burning one as far us acclimatisation societies arc concerned. Feeling on tho subject is already strong, and soiuo persons have gone so fat as to say that to legalise tho netting and sale of trout would ruin the. trout fisheries of tho colony. Experts .wo not so certain of this result. Mr L. F. Ayson says, on tho contrary, that, so long as netting is restricted and controlled, it may do no permanent harm to who fisheries. At tho Acclimatisation Societies’ Conference, Air C. E. Gillies, an Auckland delegate, gave some interesting facts in corroboration of what lias already been said in regard to tho flsl ling of Lake Rotorua. Ho stated that! some time ago brown trout hscaifto Eitrcnioly numerous in tho lake, and li-n agitation was raised in favour of al,lowing netting. As a result, it was allowed for two years, and one season alone poundage at a penny a pound was ’received on eight tons of trout exported from Rotorua county. Besides this quantity, tho whole of Rotorua was supplied. Tho Angling Club in Rot prua was very strong on tho subject (>f getting the licenses removed, arid fi pally it was decided not to issue any mor b licenses. Tho wisdom of tho stop has now been shown, for trolling is going tin in tho lake every night for a return o F six or seven fish, weighing from four to ten pounds. Fish are also being taken with tho fly. Brown trout do not iteom to be able to cope with tho rain,Hows, as tho fish in tho lako now are all rainbows. Tin's has boon a certain less to tho Auckland p?o----plo, bilt still they consider it a wise move to get both the export and tho salo of trout prohibited. Air O. _A. Fltzroy (Hawke fs Bay) said his society had had a somowhat similar experience with Lako Taupio. There netting licenses were issued 'because the people could not got fresh lineat, except for three months in the Hoar, but bo had heard from all sources, that netting the lake simply meant depleting the rivei-s. Every good-size 3 fish that was taken meant that the re was ono less to go up tho small streams and spawn. Air A. F. Lowe stated, with regard to Rotorua, that all tho fish caught in tho nets seemed to bo females. Tho males did not apffoar to get caught.

Tho annual meeting of the ‘Wellington Building and Investment Company , >f Wellington is la bo held at the Cham- ; v.t of Commerce on the 3rd prox. inspector EilL.on yesterday received tl to following mes-age by telegraph from (j. v police at Dunedin ; —“A man named Alt s Abews, passenger from Wellington t/i Dunedin by the s.s. Warrmioo, toon ill - ;n arrival here to-day (.Sunday), and

removed to tho ho.-piud, where he n■ remains in a precarious state. Can von furnish any particuiira about h.ini' ltd in unconscious.” The friends or refill iv vi of the man referred to Simula cornu tunicate with the police at once. 'llu i Fort Nicholson Vacht Club started tw o races cn Saturday, lu the race for th f Mills Cnji, for first-class boats, Mr A. ii. Turnbull’:. lonmgi and - Ul ' George tvm's Aaitangi were the omy starter: V The Waitangi cleaved the starling'-lino livo .seconds ahead of the lorangi. Owing to the wind dying away to a d'-ad calm, the beats were unable t 9- finish tiie race, and it will he re-sailed an .Saturday. The Levin Cup Handicap . for second-class yachts, was sailed. T. ii’ Siren and Muhina were the only ontr k s received. Tho Muhina cleared tl: In stnrting-l'no twenty-two seconds ah tS'.d cf the Siren, both starting from nr. mteh. The Siren finished at 0.20 p.m. ; cud the Muhin i at 6.23.58 p.m., tliefm truer thus winning. In llmdelr.sr; yacht- liio Kamka was tkr only boat cnterml. K ‘.r If. L. Nathan acted as starter, timekeeper and judge. Nolwitlisl: lading the evident desire of the imper. al Government to deter tlio colonial Gov. irnments from doing anyI hinw; -tan hi >;ly novel, the Lew Zealau'/Govcrnm tut lias been keeping itself tiiercuigiily al teeas-t of latest development:! with r. igard to wireless teiegraphy. Full inquiries lutvu been made as to n New . Zealand installation. It is intoreding t ■> icarn that lhc_ connectiou (jf i!m Chatham Islands with the I’iew Zealand tei V: graph tyslcin has been considered. Th is- matter was^ recently brought under S. T Joseph Ward’s notice by Sir IV. 3. Ste ward, and after full inquiries, tlm Alia titer Juts sent tlio following reply:—l have the honour to refer t” your loltei 1 of December 11, asking what hud bee ei done in the matter of providing comn innication by wireles:; telegraphy botwei tu’Kcw Zealand and Cinilham Islands, and, in reply, to inform vou that, f. tem tho information availbblo by tin > department, there wenlil anpoar to b t no system suitable for use between tl « two places, which are four hundred a. 3-d fifiy miles apart, tho Marconi system., for practical working over long disti mccs, being yet in the experimental stage. Tho Marconi Company makes it a • condition that its own engineers and fitters shall instal the system. Inquire its have been made rf a German firm on several matters relative to wireless tel Pspaphy, n -nd tho connecting of Chatiuun Islands by a system of its own wkli specially mentioned. It is feared.' however, that oven were tho cenno'it-ion practicable, the initial expense r.f tlio installation, and that of employing’ skilled experts at. orbh side to maintain tho high-grade apparatus in. efficient older, would bo so greet that tho expend iituro would not bo justified in tho mean time. l-’nrthmla-rs will bo fc mid in our advertising columns of tl. *» coach service to and trout Titahi Bay . J.Q and after Ist February. Tho Canterbury Farme rs’ Co-operatiyo As.sociation will sell iit Tattcrsall’s, Tinniru, on Saturday nest., muter instructions from Air A. if. Re Levis, bis properly known as “Waiou ska,” situated near Studliolmo Junction. The property comprises 201 acres, with house and outbuildings. Particulars are advertised. John Broadwood and So us. Ltd., who are represented in Now Z ealand by the Dresden Pia.no Company, are sending pianos to tho schools of tho Transvaal to tlio order of tho British Go vernment. On our first page Air t loodali, auctioneer, of Master-ton, advert uses a bakery business, also a bootmakc it's business, in his town for sale on easy terms. The Potone Borough Comic al directs attention to its by-law referri. ag to tho removal and re-erection of buildings. It is intended to strictly enforce the bylaw, copies of which may 1 m obtained at the Council Chambers. Pt tone. Aiessrs Latham and Co. adv ertise sheep and dairy farms for sale. Messrs Mark Green and Co. are offering tho latest ideas in genth mien’s garments. Air P. S. Pinlayson. district : manager of tho American ’Cox’respondeniio School, Willis street, has an announcement in our advertising columns. AVilliams and Kettle, Ltd., advertise their stock sales for next mouth. An advertiser wishes to sell’ a hotel, and sell or let a butchering bu fciuess. On AVcdnosday morning lies trs Sidey, Mcceh and Co. will sell on behalf of Mr G. Bowkar, who is leaving the- district, tho whole of tho contents of Alontero House, Otaki. also a waggonette and sundries. The house contains seventeen rooms and is well furnished. Novelties in art needlework, fancy goods etc,, aro now being slfeown at Pringle’s, Lambton quay. Dr A'un Slyko may be consulteii at No. 103, AVillis street. •

Abraham and AAGfliams, Ltd., Trill hold a special unreserved sale of heirses at Palmerston North next Saturday. Tbo Melrose Borough Council h.is fixed tho dog tax for this year at five si til lings, and appointed Air It. Greeks, of Happy Valley, as collector. .Tho Conned! also notifies that after the 12th pros. 10 per cent, will bo added to unpaid rates.

On Friday next, at Tablelands, Alartinborough, tho Loan and AlerCautilo Company, in conjunction with If. 11. AVood and Sons. Ltd., will hold an important sale of sheep, cattle and horses. A drag is to leave Featherston on arrival of tho train leaving AVelUngton. at; 4.45 a.m.

A hotel in the Nelson district is advertised to let. Afr B. R. Harris, Levin, has for sale a dairy farm of 180 acres with furnished six-roomed bouse, etc. An advertisement appears elsewhere with reference to Pearson’s "Pepto-chj'or.” which is said to bo an absolute cure for indigestion’. Tho Hntt County Council notifies defaulters that 10 per cent, will bo added to unpaid rates next month.