LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 5474, 31 December 1904, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho " New Zealand Times ” will bo published as usual on Monday. With two nights yet to run (says a Press Association telegram) tho Westport [exhibition is understood to have earned sufficient money to cover all expenses. Tho works now in course of erection near Picton for the Wellington and Marlborough Cement, Li mo and Coal Company will bo open for public inspection on Now Year’s Day (next Monday). Tho Mararoa is to run an excursion to Picton on that day. A special mooting of tho Hutt County Council is to bo hold on January 10th to decide what day shall bo tho statutory closing day under tho Simps and Offices Act. Persons interested aro asked to communicate with tho Council or to attend tho meeting, so as to assist tho Council in its desire to select tho most suitable day. At tho annual conference in Dunedin of delegates of tho Federated Catholic Young Men’s Societies, it was resolved that the executive, whicii moots in Wellington, should consist of seven bers instead of four. Messrs t.. JFitzgibbon (president), E. J. Loydon (vice-president), J. P. McGowan (hon. treasurer), and H. MoKeowon (hon. secretary) wore re-elected, and Messrs J. Coyle, A. H. Oasoy, and F. McDonald wore also appointed members on tho recommendation of the Wellington Catholic Club. Last evening, at Kaitoko, a man named J. D. Cooper, a resident of Canterbury, had one of his legs cut oif below tho knee by a train. He was a passenger from Wellington, on his way to Mas-tertou. and when the train that ho was on stopped at Kaitoko he descended from his carriage to cross the line that was clear for the down train for the city. Almost as ho put his foot on tho other lino tho south express struck him, and his leg was cut off in a flash. Ho was brought to Wellington and taken to tho hospital, and as wo went to press was I'ecovcring from tho necessary operation. With favourable weather on Monday next, the Scottish picnic at Belmont ought to bo both enjoyable and successful. A suitable paddock on Mr Speedy’s farm, at tho railway station, has been secured. All Scots aro invited. Races and other amusements are being provided for the young folks—donations towards the cost having been received as follows: —Mr John Dubhio, M.H.R., £2 2s; his Worship tho Mayor of Wellington, £1 Is; Mr John Hutcheson, 10s. There is no charge for admission ; each person is expected to look after his own commisariat arrangements—hot water alone being provided on the grounds. Delegates representing the Operative Bootmakers' Unions throughout tho colony have been in conference in Wellington this week discussing matters affecting the boot trade. It is expected that their deliberations will conclude to-day. The delegates were entertained last night at a smoke concert at Godber’s Rooms, Cuba street, by the Wellington union, the president of which (Mr A. H. Cooper) occupied the chair. The toast of tho evening, the health of the delegates, was proposed by the chairman, and responded to by Messrs W. Harding (Auckland), W. Woods (Taranaki), 'W. Darlow (Christchurch), S. Brown (Dunedin), and J. Cox (Invergargill). Other toasts were honoured, and songs ■were given by various members of the company. A block of marble weighing 121- tons, the biggest ever imported into Australia, arrived at Melbourne on December 19th by the German steamer Gnoisenau. Tho marble, which came from the famous quarries of Carrara, was brought out for tho statue which Mr O. Douglas Richardson has designed to symbolise the discovery of gold in 1851, and which will eventually stand in Howard place, Bendigo. The statue, whan completed, will be the largest work in marble in Australia. Measuring about 10ft high, it will stand on a pedestal of Harcourt granite, in height 15ft 6in. This is the first time that any attempt has been made in Victoria to out a big work of statuary from the marble, and the event marks an epoch in the art history of the State.

Comparatively few Dunedin residents (says the “Otago Daily Times”) have seen the mass of bloom displayed by the lupins on the Tomahawk road during the last three or four weeks. The great display begins a few hundred yards north-east of Tahuna Park, and stretches on either side of the road for a couple of hundred feet, forming a complete avenue of lemon-coloured bloom, running for nearly half a mile. The perfume is delightful, and the effect of the beautiful lemon-coloured stretch of bloom on either side is much more grateful to the eye than the bright yellow glory of a broom or gorse field. The trees planted in Chisholm Park are making steady growth, and will, in course of time, completely transform this at one time arid stretch of sand, and thus complete the good work so effectively begun by the lupins. The success of this experiment demonstrates the possibility of successfully planting the whole range of sand dunes fronting the ocean, and thus inducing the formation of fresh hills on the beach in favourable localities.

An extraordinary story comes from the country. It appears that late on Christmas Eve, according to information given to the polio©, a young man discovered a man getting through the .window of tho room in which the wife of his employer slept. The employee slipped back into the wharo in which ho slept, and loaded his revolver. Stealing back, he challenged the intruder, who thereupon fired at him and put a bullet through his shirt and the flesh of his arm. After that tho stranger decamped. The police were informed, and were given to understand by th© employee that tho man who had tried to get into tho window was a local man. Two detectives went to tho scene, and as a result of their investigations discovered that the man alleged to have made an attempt to enter the window on Christmas Eve had been in another district that night. This was beyond a doubt. Then they investigated closer, and found that tho shirt of tho employee had been singed where th© bullet had pierced. Now, the employee had said that tho man who had filed at him had been nine yards away—ho had gone so far as to point out the exact distance, the exact spots in the incident. Filled with suspicion of a hoax, tho detectives went back to tho employee and extracted a confession from him that he had fired the revolver at himself, with tho intention of putting a bullet through his shirt sleeve, but had clumsily put it through the flesh of his arm; and that there had been no attempt by a stranger to enter any window on the premises. The object of all this performance! is not quite clear,

Sanctuary Sir George Grey, A. 0.5., is to moot in the Foresters’ Hall next Wednesday. Tho next meeting of Court Robin Hood, A.0.F., is to take place on Thursday. Trams on the Kclburne lino will run to-morrow between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. The tea kiosk, which has been erected opposite the power-house, will bo open for public inspection from 2 to b. 30 p.m. A donation of £3 3s has been made by Messrs Ballinger Bros., of Waring Taylor street, to tho Fire Brigade’s Recreation Fund, in recognition of the work done by tho firemen on Wednesday night. In connection with the fire in St. George’s Hall, tho regalia of the Foresters’ lodges was not destroyed by fire, as at first believed. Tho Chief Inspector of Machinery (Mr Robt. Duncan), who, with his technical and clerical staff, has occupied offices on the first floor in Queen’s Chambers for tho past nine years, will, with the whole of the staff, remove into offices in the new Customhouse when it is completed. Tho department will occupy the whole of the southern half of the first floor. For the past ten days Detectives Broborg and Casscls have been in the Martinborough district gathering information. in connection with tho To Awaits murder case. On Wednesday Inspector Ellison, Mr Myers, and a surveyor, wont up and inspected the bush camp and tho place where Collinson was shot. Tho five returned to the city yesterday. Calendars for 1905 aro to hand from tho North British and Mercantile Insurance Company, per Messrs Murray, Roberts, and Co., Wellington agents; from tho New Zealand Shipping Company ; and from Air M. J. Hodgins, of tho Central Hotel, Lower Hutt. The latter is a very creditable local production, having lino photo-engravings for each month of tho year, and postal and telegraphic information. John McKenzie, alias James William Ellis, was brought before Justices of the Peace at the Police Court yesterday, and formally remanded again until January 6th. An old offender named Martha Tainui pleaded guilty to the theft of two gold rings, one petticoat, and one pair of gloves, the property of Annie Levy. She was sentenced to six months imprisonment with hard labour. In the past sixteen years accused has been convicted on forty different occasions.

.Another meeting of ratepayers was lie Id at Karori last night to keep alive fcho subject of better communication with tho city. No business was done, however, as it was stated that the report from. Dunedin on the Lombard Guerin system, which was being awaited by tho Borough Council, would not be available till the sth prox., and the Council could do nothing before considering that report. Some persons expressed their disapproval of the discoutesy shown by Councillors in not attending the meeting, only onei being present. Thera was a general growl about the apathy of the majority of Councillors in regard to schemes for better communication with tho city. It was suggested by one gentleman that the Borough Council be urged to try and make arrangements with tho City Council for a system, but the chairman (Mr C. Stubbs) considered this course was impracticable ns long as the present Mayor held office. One speaker considered that Councillors were too lazy to take up the matter, and he thought the ratepayers should force their hand. People were suffering in health and pocket by the present system, and the sooner a better mode of transit was installed the better it would be for everybody. There would be an election of Councillors in about three months’ time, and the ratepayers should elect new Councillors to take the place of those who were too sleepy to go ahead. Another meeting will be held after the Council has considered the report from Dunedin. Some trouble is being caused at Home concerning the loss of a new steamer named Juverna. She was making a one-day trip from Gonrock to Kingstown, and was never heard of agaun. Her owner, Mr Hugh Flinn, of Liverpool, has published the following statement :—“At tho time that the Juvema’s boats were picked up off the Calf of Man, a lifebuoy belonging to H.M.S. Snapper was picked up in the same vicinity. The night on which the Juvema was making her passage from Gonrock to Kingstown was a very dark one, and some of his Majesty’s ships were cruising in the Irish Sea without lights. The harbourmaster at Port St. Mary, Isle of Man, reported to the Admiralty that this lifebuoy had been picked up, and asking for a reply, in order to see where the Snapper was at the time tho Juverna was lost; but no reply has been received to the inquiry. It now appears that the Snapper has gone into Sheemess dockyard for repairs, and reports having been in collision at Dundee, but no previous report has been made that this ship had been in collision at Dundee.” Mr Flinn is of the opinion that tho Snapper has been in collision with the Jurvema in the Irish Channel, and sank her. The Juverna was a new steamship, built at Liverpool, and engined at Glasgow, and after her official trials she left tho Clyde on August 14th with a cargo of coal for Kingstown (Dublin), under the command of Captain McKinley, and manned by a crew of eight men all told. Two lifeboats were picked up off tho Calf of Man, but nothing that will throw light upon the fate of the vessel has transpired since that time. Next Monday, when the New Year’s Day holiday will be celebrated, the steamers Duchess, Duco, Countess, and Queen of the South will keep up a constant service to and from Day’s Bay. Pull particulars appear in another column. An advertisement appears in another part of this issue setting, ont the boundaries of several school districts under the Wellington Education Board. Abraham and Williams, Ltd., advertise present entries for 'Thursday’s stock sale at Palmerston North. Messrs W. H. Turnbull and Co.'s fresh list of city and suburban properties for private sale will bo found on the eighth page of this paper. It includes some attractive seaside residences. A wood and coal business at Feilding is advetrised for sale or lease. The time for receiving tenders for the supply of papers and stationery for the Government Printing and Stationery Department has been extended to January ISth. An assistant master is wanted by February Ist at Christ's College, Christchurch. Mr J. G. Wilkes has purchased the butchery business at the corner of Vivian, and Tory streets, formerly known as the Happy Valley Meat Company’s. The Public Works Department will receive tenders till January 25th for the erection of a dairy, office, boiler-house, and farm buildings at the Levin Industrial School. Messrs Thompson and Brown Hunter street, have a number of residential proparties for sale. A special display of toys, picture books, etc., will lie made at the D.I.C. to-day. The premises will be open till 9.30 p.m.’ The Loan and Mercantile Agency Company will sell stock at Palmerston North next Thursday,

Several grocery firms notify that their premises will be closed next Monday and Tuesday. John Duthie and Co.. Ltd.. M illis street, importers of all descriptions of hardware, have a new advertisement in another column. Messrs Sidev, Meech and Co. advertise particulars of unredeemed pledges to be Bold at their rooms to-dav on account ot Mr J. Metz. The sale will commence at 11.30 a.m. Messrs Macdonald, Wilson and Co. insert a lengthy advertisement with reference to the sale of the Eiwhe Estate, Islam! Bay. to be held at their Exchange Land Mart, on January 25th next. The sections comprise seventy-one, and range in area from about an eighth of an acne to over eleven acres, and have frontages to the Parade, Derwent street, Freelmg street, Rhine street, Rhone street, Severn street, and Adelaide road. They aro described as situate on the flat and rising ground adjoining tho old racecourse, close to tho route of the new electrical tramways, and command extensive and beautiful views. The terms of sale are 10 per cent, deposit, with balance on mortgage at 5 per cent, interest. The auctioneers urge intending buyers to avail themselves of the opportunity during the holidays of inspecting these allotments which they will find marked with flags bearing the number of each section. Lithographic plana, which have been prepared, can be had on application. A sale of special importance to business firms and others is that announced to be held on January 12th, by order of the joint owners, to etbse the ownership .and wind up accounts in a deceased estate, when the firm will sell the corner business building section having a frontage of 32ft sin to Courtenay place, and 85ft sin to 'Taranaki street. Pull details appear in the auction column, A small farm property situate at Featherston, containing thirty acres, all flat, rich alluvial soil, ring-fenced, with four-roomed house, stable, six-bail cowshed, etc., is to be submitted to auction on January 12th, also on the same date under instructions from the owner, who is leaving the district, a number of residences and building sections at Petone, situate Petone avenue, Buick street, Aurora street, Esplanade, Oriental street; also sections at Mafton Junction Township. Pull details appear in the auction column. Messrs Harcourt and Co 1 , announce that at their rooms, on January 12th, they will submit a valuable piece of land comprising 400 acres 3 roods and 24 perches, being section 438, on the plan of > Hutt district, and situate on block XV., Akatarawa survey d.striot, at Kaitoke. Their list of properties, leasehold and freehold, also appears in fhis issue, and contains a large number of good investments.