LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5643, 18 July 1905, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The “Union Parliament” will hold a debate this evening on hills introduced by private members.

A senseless " joke” was recently played on a young farmer residing in Southland. One night a horse was removed from his farm and placed in the mihlic hall at the adjoining township, where it remained for two days without food or water. "When discovered, tho brute was in a famishing condition. It had oaten the lower part of the broom used for sweeping out the hall. At about a quarter past 5 last evening a double-decker tramcar collided with a furniture lorry in _ Manners street, opposite York Building. The waggon was capsized against a'veran-dah-post, which snapped at the impact. Bystanders expected to see the horse seriously injured, but almost before the usual crowd had assembled it was on its feet again. The only damage done to the lorry was the breaking of the shafts. The Government has just published a very useful handbook on tree culture. It-will ho of great assistance to persons wishing to establish plantations on their property. The hook is written by the Chief Forester, Mr H. J. Matthews, under whose direction fivo million forest trees have been raised and permanently planted each year. The book contains 130 pages, including an alphabetical list, extending over twenty pages, of trees and shrubs suitable for planting in New Zealand for timber, shrub or ornament. The Premier does not look forward to a statue for his memory’s stake. At the gathering of the Liberal and Labour Federation at Newtown last night the . chairman {the Itcv B. L. Thomas) referred to the place Mr Seddon would take in history in the years to come. “That is all very well,” replied Mr Soddon, “bill I would rather bo here in the flesh. Ido not envy those who are in the marble or the bronze.” Speaking of what is known by the public of men who had done much in the past for their fellows, Mr Seddon stated that recently in one of the colony’s schools not a child in the third standard could say who' Sir George Grey was. The mileage of the North Island Main Trunk railway (Auckland and Wellington ends) now open for traffic is 335 miles 21 chains; distance over which rails aro laid, lo miles 39 chains; mileage of railway works in hand, 37 miles 20 chains; length of lino untouched, 38 miles: total, 42C miles. A considerable jiortion of the untouched section is, the Minister of Public Works says, to bo taken in hand as soon as weather conditions permit. Two steam navvies for use on this railway are expected to ha landed in the colony in the course of a month. The department has let a contract rvitli Price Pros., Thames, for the construction of two locomotives to bo employed in ballast work on tiro Main Trunk lino. The first is to be delivered in six and a half months’ time, and tho other in eight months. The debating tournament organised by the Wellington Debating Societies’ Union opened bust night with a contest between the' Catholic Young Men’s Club and tho St. Peter’s Club.' Mr J. J. Devine presided. The representatives of the Catholic Young Men’s Club, Messrs P. J. Moran, F. McDonald, and A. H. Casey, affirmed “ That the operations of commercial trusts are conducive to tho general welfare of mankind.” Taking tho motion in its general sense, they argued that the tendency of trusts was to benefit producers, consumers, and labourers, and that with proper legislative control all the evils at present existing under tho American trust system would disappear. The opposing side, Messrs G. T. Hall, H. Low, and Hunt, interpreted, the motion as affirming the beneficial operation of existing combinations. They cited figures in regard to American and other trusts, and ridiculed tho idea that such institutions were a benefit to mankind. The judge, Mr J. W. Black, awarded first place to St. Peter’s Club. Ho had found it difficult to decide on the merits of the teams, and the aggregates showed a very narrow margin—333 to 22p. I’ll© first round of the tournament will be continued on Thursday, with a contest between tho St. John’s Club and tho Single Tax League, in the former club’s room. Mr A. R. Atkinson will he the judge. He viewing the history of the Marlborough Land and Railway League, the president states that when the preliminary meeting was held on May 4th, 1897, the permanent way did not extend beyond Rivorlands, although the formation extended to tho Dashwood Saddle. Nothing had been done in the matter of railway construction for yearn. Many of the culverts were rotten, and tho lino blocked with slips. One of the first acts of the league was to protest against the department “ remov:ng rails from the partly-constructed line south of Blenheim to replace them with old and inferior rails.” The Awatere river was nnhridged. and the only property acquired for settlement son’ll of the Awatere Was the Blind river estate: £.5000 was on the Fstim ties for bridging the Awatere, and it was_pro-

uoscd at a meeting of the County Council to “ask the Government te spend he vote in erectin'’ a cart br.clge over the river on the Redwood P rod, nd in making a read thereto,” This propos'd was one of the that led to the formation of the lergiic. The president reni T s with sat sfaction that with the acquisition and settlement of FTaxbourne the local objects of the league have been aeccurrhshed : the bulk of the land between the Awaterc and tile XJro river is now State-owned, and the way Is now clear for the extension of the railway : its early completion to, Flaxbourno is assured.

Tho road between Johnsonvillo and Xgahnnranga will be closed for traffic to-morrow owing to tho renewal of » bridge. The further portion of Flaxbourno estate which has been cut np for seloo tion will bo balloted at Blenheim on August 20lb.

A section of 251 acres in the Maunga karetn district, near Turangnrero, will bo thrown open by tho Wellington Ltind Board for lease by public tender to morrow.

His Honor the Chief Justice will pas* sentence on Wednesday morning otv Cltarles Alfred and AV'Uliau; Clifford, alias Waller Uoodwin. Th<y former pleaded guilty to a charge of indecent assault at Wellington, and tluv latter to throe charges of breaking, entering, and theft at Wellington.

A meeting of the State Schools Defence JUmgu-o is to bo held in tin** Druids’ Hall next Thursday evening,, to make further arrangements for tlm. ccming campaign against the int-roduo tion of the Bible into the State schools Intending members and sympathiser* aro invited. Addresses will bo given by tho president (Hr J. K. Blair) and others.

Air AV. A. Hawkins, tho AVellingt-oK Clerk of Awards under tho Conciliation and Arbitration Acts, has bad filed with him notice of a dispmo between the AVoilinglou branch of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters’ and Joiners’ Industrial Union of Workers and tho AVeilmgton Builders’ ami Contractors' Industrial Union of Employers, am? other parties. There are 1-14 employers of labour concerned in the matter. A largely-attended meeting of the executive of tho Employers’ Association was hold last night. The president (Mr T. Ballinger) occupied the chair. Five new members of the association were elected. An application for affiliation was received from tho Electrical Contractors’ Association, and it was unanimously resolved Hint the application b« granted on the terms named. It waa agreed that tho federation he supported, in its opposition to the Factories Act Amendment. A committee was sot up to arrange for a public dinner in connection with the association.

At yesterday’s meeting of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals the following subscriptions were acknowledged:—Messrs J. S. Haudyside and 31. Chapman, £1 If* each; Hon. T. AV. Hislop, 31r Justice Cooper, IVlessrs 0. H. Dickerson, and N.Z. Express Co., each 10s Gd ; "Sundry,” 7s Gd; Mrs 31. A. Tasker. Messrs D. Tripp, J. Cotton, C. 31. Hanks, I» AV. Ludwig, AV, Hildreth, House, Black and Son, F. and AV. Fcrkins, AV. and J. Staples, and Jones and Co., each, ss; Mrs 3lcDowo.ll, 4s; Griffiths arid Jones, 8s; 3iiss Silva Rous-31artiu, Alcsdumcs H. AVilliams, McLean, Ames, F. Neill, I!ev. J. North, 31essrs Hadford, Horne, Bcddingfield, O. A r . Ellis, AV. Inglis, D. Everest, AVehloy, J. Strauohon, 31aeller, AA r . Ramsay, C. Hawk, F. Castle, AV. T. Grundy, Andrews and Manlheli, C. AVaUon, Luke, Hayes, and two friends, each 2s Od; total, £lO 13s 6d (four weeks). The now monthly magazine “The Rod Funnel," issued by the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand, has at last seen tho light—a copy of tho first number, dated “August, 11)05," having just reached us with the compliments of 31r James 31ills, managing director of- tho company. It is not toe much to say that tho magazine in point of general excellence far exceeds expco tations. It is a bulky hook for sixpence, the present number containing over ninety pages of reading matter and illustrations, with seventy pages of advertisements, the whole encased in, a blue and white cover, with tho “rod funnel” of the Union Comp:my’s fleet; as tho pictorial device in front. A conspicuous feature is that all the contents of the magazine are original; bet tor still, they are nearly all of a high order of merit. They include a brief article on “Australasian Defence,” by Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur 0. Fanshawe, K.C.8., another on “Ed..nation in Scotland and New Zealand,” by Professor Hugh 3lackonzio; stories by Ethel Turner, Roderio Quinn, Frank Morton. H. F. Wickham, Gertrude AVardon, and Owen Hall; and verses hy variouf authors. “Tho Cradle of Hie Commonwealth,” by John Barlow, F.1.A., is an interesting description of old Sydney, with some fine illustrations. “Now Zoa, land’s Submerged Tenth,” by 31arfcha AV. S. -Myers, is an illustrated article on the gumdigger, and his haunts and habits. Rev. Joseph King contribute?; an article on “Fiji in 1810,” and an

anonymous writer gives an account of “A New Zealand Photographer’s Advem ture in Japan.” The other content* are varied and entertaining. The editor, Mr A. A. Brown, 'who modestly places his own articles at the end. of the magazine, is to be congratulated upon the thoroughness with which ho lias done his work, and the high ideal lie lias evidently sot himself to attain i while tho enterprising company that owns the magazine is to be commended for turning out a literary production that is fitted to lake its place along side tlie English and Ameiican periodicals of tho same class. “The Bod Fun nel” is not, as its name might lead some to infer, a mere guide-book to New Zealand and its great maritime concern it is a real live literary magassino, with an already assured circulation of 15.000 monthly, and bids fair to realise the ambition of its conductors by attaining to a world-wide celebrity, and indicating the high-water marie of periodical literature in this country.

Air Frank Watts, of New Plymouth., lias formulated a scheme for placing people on suburban lands on lines hitherto of. The scheme ha. 4 been submitted to the Government, and Ministers have replied in most favourable terms, the Premier going so far as to say that it should be put on trial at Spotswood, a suburban block near New Plymouth acquired by the Government some time ago. The scheme, in brief, U as follows:—A man aged twenty-five years desiring te buy a house and seo tion of land valued at £4OO borrows from a fund this amount, repayable in twenty-five years. He then insures hin life for £3OO under an endowment policy maturing in twenty-five -years, and pays-a weekly, monthly, or quarterly instalment, which shall include »vinc ; ml and interest, premium on life accident or /rcknnss assurance, and in- • unn'-e on the house and furniture The ’-option of the man at the end of ho twenty-five years (if alive) is as fol i',ws: — rT 'he insurance policy, and the on-g--gemr-nt t-o purchase the house and land h-*ve matured. The house and land, free from encumbrance, are the n n’s own. and he can draw on iho insurance fund for a considerable' "m- r unt or by mutivd arrangement apply the capital to the purchase of an p.n unity. Mr Watts further r■ ia.t the scheme would in time dispc*n*w •,* th old apensions and charitable! slid for the aged. Mr Watts, accompafticd by Mr William Hedop, arrived in Wellington lust evening, in response to' an invitation from the Government elaborate his scheme, a draft of which was submitted some time ago.

Tin.i Dannevirlto Poultry Society lias received over four hundred entries for its initial show on the 2bt.h inst. The Awarua IB block will be thrown open for sett lenient about the middle of September. It is a few miles east <>( Utiku, and contains 18,000 acres. A special meeting of the New town Bowling Chib Is to bo held in the club’s pavilion this evening to consider a proposal to rescind a resolution that the clnh take no further part in pennant matches.

There is another outbreak of typhoid fervor amongst the Maoris, this I line at Pori a, in the Mangonui district, North of' Auckland. There have, already been seven deaths, and ten more natives are ill. Hr Pornare, Native Ilealih Officer, who was in the Poverty Bay district, has gone to Pena.

A deputation representing the recent dairy conference at Palmerston Norlh will wait on Sir Joseph Ward on Monday next at 11..10 a.in. to bring before him t he principal resolutions of the conference. The principal matter bo he urged 11 pen the Minister is the reduction of freights on dairy produce.

On Sunday three prisoners in the Mount Eden (Auckland) Clad smashed up their coll furniture, battered tile cell windows and gratings, shouted and heat tin.cans, and set lire to portions uf their ole thing, which they waved, shouting “lire.” The allair attracted the attention of people outside the prison, whore a crowd gathered.

Mr W. Ditt. trier's exhibition of Maori paintings anti peu-and-ink illustrations of .Maori legends, opened yesterday at McGregor Wrights gallery. There are fourteen oil-paintings and about thirty illustrations of legendary character. Among the paintings is one entitled '“The Keeper of Pahi-Kanre,” a cliicftafness dres-ed In a mat of red kaka feathers, holding the famous greenstone mere. 'File suggestive title, “Memories of a Century,” is given to an old wait tue. squatting before her carved an■ceslor. Tliis is a characteristic picture. ■Borne old lin I oned warriors of Bake Taupe are depicted on the canvas. There nro oilier paintings expressing the picinresqno cpia,lilies that are fast disappearing from the race.

Tho Match Com mitt oo of the Wellington Chess Club lias decided to close section play in tbo annual handicap tourney to-day week, so as to commence tho finals on the following Tuesday fist prox.). Tho final tourney of nine players will consist of the three highest scorers in each section. Mcssi-s Davies and Still are leading in section A, having won all their games to date. There ,viU probably ho a been fight for third place between -Messrs linrton, E. Anderson, and Sintra. In section B Messrs James (31 —IS), Tanner (31 —11), Kolling hi—2), W. E. Mason (3 —2), and Oreod (1 —2) have fewest defeats, and it is impossible to forecast which of these will bo tho throe placed men. Messrs Barnes (-11 —l),Gyles,jnnr. (5 —1), «nd Mioltlo (5 —2) are certain to qualify from section 0, ns none of the other five players cun catch np to them. To provide some entertainment for monitors not engaged in tho Petheriok Shield finals, a supplementary tourney has boon announced. .Entries are coming in rapidly, and play will bo comunouood on the sth prox.

Applications are invited for the positions of cssistant inspector of native schools and matron of the school for deaf mutes.

Thompson Brothers, ftimit-d, advertise a sale of oaten sheaf chaff for tomorrow afternoon.

Some special investments are advortised to-day by the Globe Proprietary Company.

The Loan and Mercantile Ageniv Company will sell stock at Palmerston North next Thuiaday. Present entries are adrertised.

Mr F. Loudon advertises some cheap residentia l projiertieti for sale. The Westport and Greyraouth coal and Produce Company has full stocks at its premises, Lower Cuba street. Mr Milligan, tailor, has a new advertisement in another column.

The proprietress of Clifton boardinghouse has a notice in our advertising columns.

Messrs Sidey, Mooch and Co. will sell household furniture, barber’s chair, etc., this afternoon.

Abraham and Williams, Ltd., advertise entries for their stock sale at Palmerston North next Thursday. On Saturday, the firm will sell horses, harness, etc., at Palmerston. Mr Andrew Luff advertises particulars ef properties in the Hutt district for sale. R. Hannah and Co., Ltd., draw special attention to their "Guinea” box-calf lace Soots for men. Tenders are wanted for the removal of a land slip. At their rooms to-morrow afternoon Messrs W. H.' Morrah and Co. will hold a clearing sale of pictures, paintings and nnirrors, on behalf of Mr Miller, who is giving up business. Details are advertised.

Tenders for carting tramway sleepers and for supply of water pipes and fittings aro invited by the City Council till the 27th inst. Mr J. S, Swan wants tenders for building a shop and dwelling at Newtown. Cockayne's Leviathan Temperance Hotel, Christchurch, consists of 131 rooms. ,4c advertisement appears elsewhere. A good selection of fur goods, comprising necklets muffs, capes, rugs, etc., may ha purchased privately at auction prices at Messrs W. H. Morrah and Co.’s, looms, Willis street. Messrs W. H. Morrah and Co. will hold an auction sale of oilskins at their rooms next Thursday. Messrs Bell Bros., land and stock igents, Palmerston North, advertise several farm properties for immediate vale.

Messrs Macdonald, Wilson and Co. (fill sell to-day, at 1.30 o’clock, at the premises of Mr Griffiths, No. 25a, Vivian street, the whole of his superior household furniture, contents of six rooms, some details of which appear in the advertisement.

Messrs Harcourt and Co. draw special attention to an auction sale of a fine building site in the Tains estate, Lower Hntt, to take place at their rooms, this afternoon, at 2.30. The section is No. 34, part of block 6. and has a frontage of 92ft sin to the Middle Waiwotu road by a ■depth of 454 ft, The property has been forfeited, and must bo sold to close an astate. At 1 o’clock this afternoon Messrs J. H. Bothnno and Co. will sell at their voome, Featherston street, an assortment ef 800 books, including the works of Uochsiottor, Polack, Taylor, Hursthouse, and others, on New_ Zealand, Australia illustrated. Engravings after Turner, Library of Famous Literature, Phil May in Australia, a collection of French classics, and standard novels. The catalogue, which contains 260 lots, mav bo obtained from the auctioneers.