LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5604, 2 June 1905, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tlio Wellington Benevolent Institution lias received five tons oi coal from tile Westport Coal Company for distribution to the deserving poor. Tlio valuable collection of curios winch Mr K. W. Pethorick lias presented to tlio city will ho housed in ilic lecture room 'at the Newtown Public Library.

Searching investigation is to tornado by the police as to the theft of oil and wick from the light at Jackson’s Head. The strongest efforts arc to bo made to bring the unscrupulous offenders to justice.

The Customs revenue and beer duty collected in Wellington during last month amounted to £10.312 7s 2d and '£B37 7s 6d respectively. The figures for the corresponding period of last year were .£-47,671 3s 5d and £797 16s lOd. “ Speaking of sign-boards,” observed the Mayor of Christchurch recently, “ reminds me of a sign which was erected in Colombo road. Sydenham, over thirty years ago. It was evidently the work of an amateur, was entirely innocent of punctuation marks, and rend as follows; —‘ A Fish Tooth Extractor and Well Borer.’ " The “ Nelson Colonist ” reports a statement made by somo Italian fishermen that while fishing off Clay Point, on tile east aide of the French • Pass, they saw a body floating in the water. The body was evidently that of a, woman, as the hair was long. It was so much decomposed that the men would not take it into the boat, where they had a load of fish. The Farmers’ Union Provincial Conference at Wanganui was followed yesterday morning by a picnic up the river in one of Messrs Hatrick and Co.’s steamers, the visitors being the guests of tlio Wanganui branch of the union. Before dispersing, tlio visiting delegates handed to the local branch a testimonial expressing appreciation of the hospitable treatment extended to all connected with tho conference.

Tho annual national conference of tho I Farmers’ Union will ho held in Wellington in July, commencing on the 11th. Tho conference of agricultural and pastoral associations, which has been dropped for a few years, will he revived this year. The conference will be held here next month, opening probably on tho 18th, to.suit a number of gentlemen who will he delegates to the farmers’ conference as well. Mr John Campbell, Government Architect, returned yesterday from a brief visit to Christchnrclj. Whilst there he submitted to tho Building Committee of tho New Zealand International Exhibition a sketch groundplan indicating the situation of the various sections of exhibits in their geographical relation to one another. Tho draft plan was approved. The actual plans for the Exhibition building to bo erected at Hagley Park, Christchurch, will ho decided upon hy competition for a prize. Tho plan chosen will require to have the approval of tho Government. Tho Customs duties .collected at New Zealand ports during the quarter ended March 31st last amounted to £697,187 (including £15,138 under the preferential tariff), bringing the total for the financial year up to £2,627,337. Wellington was the largest contributor for the quarter, with £176,900, closely followed hy Auckland with £173,820. In the totals for tho year, however, Auckland leads with an aggregate of £663,673, against Wellington’s £606.370. Excise duties collected iu tho colony during tho March quarter amounted to £25,921, making £100,866 for the financial year. In Wellington the figures are £2731 for the quarter and £10,840 for tho year.

Tlio plans for a non* post office at New Plymouth are in the hands of the architectural branch of the Public Works Department. The new building is to bo erected <m space in front of the present building in Devon street, and will contain post and telegraph offices and telephone exchange, the present building being retained for other departmental offices. The new post office will bo constructed of rod pressed bricks, with Oamaru stone facings, will ho two stories high, and will ho embellished with a four-dial clock tower, the dome-of which will bo 70ft from the ground level. A flag-pole ■will extend another-20ft into the air. A feature that will lend impressiveness to tho building is a handsome portico, to he thrown across the footpath before tho main entrance. Tenders for the erection of tho building will be called for in about a fortnight's time. It will be welcome news to residents of the Lower Hutt to learn that the plans for, the new post office have been completed by tho Government Architect’s department, and now only await the sanction of Cabinet before tenders are called for erection. The new post office will bo erected on the corner of the Hutt road and Bloomfield road. It will bo a two-story brick building with a ligbt-colourod, rough-cast exterior, faced with; red cement, and surmounted by a Marseilles tiled roof. The corner of tho building will bo continued up above the roof in the form of a cupola,, which will be surmounted with a flagpole. Tho ground floor consists of a vestibule Oft square, leading to a public office 27ft by 10ft. There will also be a mail-room 24ft square, am} a postmaster’s room lift, by 12ft Gin., A recess in tho Bloomfield street frontage will .contain the private postal boxes. To enable the now building to bo gone on with, the present post office will bo shifted back some distance to an adjacent position facing Bloomfield road.

The Bishop of Carlisle, speaking in April last at Carlisle at a, meeting of the Young lien’s Christian Association, said ho wanted this association to be more broad-minded. Not a few young men had been driven away through what had been called its “goody goodiness.” Ho adored goodness, but he loathed “goodiness,” and ho was glad to seo a broadening and a "commonsenseness” of the Y.M.C.A. going on. Smoking might not bo a very lofty or noblo occupation, but there was nothing terrific about it. If young men could not smoke at tho Y.M.C.A., they would go elsewhere. He suggested that the association should be made more ure of as a training-ground for civic, municipal, and national life. Ho favoured all sorts of debates, including political, and so long as,they did not hit below the belt, there was' nothing like hitting out in earnest. As to athletics, he believed the association had got hold of the right end of the stick. Athletics could be overdone. but not when "begun with moral and religious influences. He warned them not to place too much reliance on lectures, for the lecture was the most deceptive tiling in the world, except a sermon.

Tho Australian cricketers were beaten badly. They can’t cut. Look •at the cut in, our prices— Lace curtains 3s lid. hearth-rugs os Cd. G-fcottle E.P. cruets 12s Od. Henry Fielder and Co.— Advt,

The Porirua and Other School Trusts Commission will sit at Otaki to hear evidence on Tuesday next at 2.30 p.m. Tlio eleventh annual meeting of tho No. 1 Co-operative Building Society of Wellington will bo held on the 9th insfc.

Tho mooting of ratepayers called by Hie Mayor to discuss the “ overdraft loan ” of £50.000 will bo hckl at tho Town Hall this evening, at 8 o'clock. During the month of May 139 births wove registered in Wellington, tho fame number ns recorded for April. Thera were 47 marriages, and 51 deaths during the month. .

Mr Frank Hyde, formerly of Wellington, lias not sold tho ‘‘IV inton Record ” as was stated. He is conducting the “ Otaulau Standard” in addition to tho “Record.” It was announced at Mr RoborK Parker’s lecture at Newtown last night that arrangements had been made Uy liold an annual school children's choral festival on the lines of tho festival held at the opening of tho Town Hall. Having failed in their first prophecy as to the first High Commissioner of tho colony, a section of the press has turned its telescope in another direction. A southern paper has decided that the “ straightest and surest tip” is Sir Joseph Ward. A galvanised iron building on section. 289. Kent terrace, has been approved, by tho Minister of Trades and Custom; as a. warehouse for the reception of goods under bond. Tho building is gazetted as “Young’s Chemical Rond.” The Dairy Commissioner (Mr J. A. Kinsclla) and his staff have taken uptheir quarters in the now Customhouse. Tlio poultry expert and stall have taken up the offices in the ground* ■of tho Government Buildings, vacated by tho Dairy. Commissioner. Tho issue of holiday excursion tickets from any station to any station on the Wcllington-Napier-New _ Plymouth seo tion of Government railways has been.extended to include Juno Cth. These tickets will be available for return until Monday, Juno 2Gth. Cheap day returntickets will bo issued between To Aro, Upper Hut-t, and. intermediate stations on Juno Sth.

Citizens -who for many years hav* been complaining about the “secret methods” of tho City Council will h«. pleased to hear that “secret methods” have been done away with. Last night, at its meeting, the Council resolved itself into open committee, and representatives of the press were allowed to report tho proceedings so long as the Council sat.

An explosion of gas occurred at tha new Queen’s Hotel building at Masterton yesterday morning, caused by a ivorkman looking for a leak in a gas, pipe with a candle in his hand. A largo hole was blown through the ceiling, and on the ground floor many windows were blown out, and considerable damage done to the ornamental plaster,, The workman escaped unhurt.

Attention is drawn in another column to the'.arrangements made hy the Wellington and Manawatn Kailway Company for tho conveyance of passengers to the Otaki races. No passengers will bo carried to or from Otaki by the mail trains oh Saturday or Monday, but special trains will,leave Wellington at 7 a.m. and 8.20, a.m. on, Saturday, and at 7 a.m. on Monday for the conveyance of visitors going to tho races. Referring to the proposal to use the, lecture hall of tho Newtown Public. Library as a homo for the collection of natural history specimens presented to tho city hy Mr E. W. Pethcrick, Mr G. Flux, speaking at Mr Kohert Parker’s lecture at'tho library last evening, said' that tho people of Newtown had shown such warm appreciation of tho privi lego of using the room as a public lecture hall that they were' sure to resent any interference, even for a very desir-’ able object. The Railway Department has accept, cd tenders from the folio-wing firms for printing posters, etc., for tho two years ending March 31st, 1907;—Auckland section, tho Blret-t Printing and Publishing Company; Wanganui district, II I. Jones and Son; Wellington-Napier district, Jeffery Bros.: Christchurch district, Whitcombo and Tombs; Dunedin district, Co-alls, Culling and Co.; Invercargill district, W. Craig and Co.; •Westland section, Groymouth “Evening Star” Company. There was'a large attendance at last night’s meeting of the Father Hays Reception Committee, held at- tho Trades Hall. Mr P. J. O’Regan ocoripied tho chair. An encouraging letter was received from Father - Hays,' and favourable reports of his meetings in t-ho various centres wero read hy the chairman. Preliminary arrangomenta were made for the disposal of tickets aad the reserving of seats, the experience of. tho large meetings recently hold .in, the South having suggested the latter course.

For the four-weekly period ended April 29th last the revenue earned byi the New Zealand railways (2379 miles) was £204,637 11s Id, and the expenditure £120,265 6s lOd. On the Welling., ton-Napicr-Ncw Plymouth lines tho revenue was £54,779 13s, and tho expenditure £36,540 2s 9d. The passengers carried on these lines during tho four weeks numbered 264,804. Among the main items among the goods carried are 137,893 sheep, 4053 cattle, 5330 pigs, 13,540 tons of minerals, 12,074* tons merchandise, 10,835 tons timber. 8531 tons grain, and 4106 tons firewood.

The committee of tho Navy League met yesterday, and decided oil the 30th inst. as the date of tho league’s annual general meeting and conversazione. It was intimated that his Excellency Lord, Plunket would preside. A sub-com-mittee was appointed to deal with tho matter of Trafalgar Day celebrations j and in view of October 21st falling on a Saturday, it was decided to suggest to tho school authorities that the ceremony of saluting the'flag should be observed on Friday, the 20th, at 3 p.m. The secretary said ho frequently reccivcd letters from young men anxiousto enter the navy, but. acting on ad. vice, from the naval authorities, ho was compelled to reply that there' were ho vacancies for recruits to the permaWnt, service at present. . The Rev D. O. Bates, of the Go Vermont Meteorological Observatory, sup. plies some interesting statistics for tho month of May. From 9 a.m. on May Ist to 9 a.m, yesterday '5.775m of rain fell in. Wellington, rain falling on fifteen days. Tho highest temperature reached was 04.8 Fahrenheit and the lowest 43deg, the moan being 53.2 deg. This is about the average temperature for tho past month, as the mean for May during the past forty years in Wellington is 52.8 deg. The* warmest May was in 1893, when the mean was Co.Sdeg, and the coldest in 183-1. with a mean of 50.2 deg. The highest barometer read. , ing was 39.G80 and the lowest 29.520. The prevailing winds wore from north to south, with a mean yelocity of 191 miles per day. The greatest velocity was recorded on May 10th, when the wind-gauge recorded 515 miles.

An important notico of motion has been given to the City Council by Councillor Carmichael, to the effect that imvncdiato steps bo taken to secure for Jho citiswns of Wellington the foreshore nf Oriental Bay, ami that a concrete wall bo erected seaward. The tilling m, ho suggests, should bo done with suitable material by the public. Tho Wellington Steam Ferry Company's steamers will run special excuirHions to ami from Bay's Buy on Saturday (the .’Prineo of Wales's Birthday). commencing at 10 a.in. Full particulars appear in .’mother column. The Globe Proprietary Company ad•vertiso for sale a. boardinghouse and veMaurant an Lambton quay. The D.I.C. advertises Hpceial lines for men and women at special prices, the ffstablishinont will bo closed to-iuol row. Mr c;. Smith, rnsb draper. Cuba street, ndvertietw sill: btousw for sale at groati\y reduced prices. The ;ii;iiuat sale of i.nan'J,-; ;jnu organs is now on at (lie Itrrsden Company » -•■si ab) ish men i , The [dace will be closed in-morrow. The Register and Properly Investors’ Guido for June, of Messrs llurcourt and tin. lias reached us, and. as usual, is replete with information of special value to those in search of city and suburban prope-rtiiw. dairy, and sheep farms, Inisia«!H»i». holds, etc. We notico a special feature in thismouth's issue, viz., two cohumis of choice und attractive proper.icv; opcciattv tabulated for those whose Wrap is limited for reading. A careful study of its pages will well repay for the hi mo devoted to it. David Anderson and Co. close their 'premises on Monday. Dalgety and Co, hold a sale of stool, ■at Upper Itutt on the Bth inst. G V. Prccco an.l Co., Palmerston Korth, have a model dairy farm for dale.