LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 5996, 5 September 1906, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Industries and Commerce Committee -of tho House of Representatives yesterday ■ elected Mr T. _ Mackenzie chairman- The committee will give immediate attention to the reciprocity treaty with Australia. Already the chairman, has received telegrams from all parts of Now Zealand asking that tho evidence of their several interests he hoard. Tho committee will ask for a fortnight’s extension of time in which to report, so that the fullest opportunity will he given _ to- thoroughly go into tho whole question. Th© committee docs not intend to summon witnesses, but it will bo pleased to hear tho evidence of delegatee selected by various associations. It is hoped Tliat eaoh interest w-ill voice their wishes through one representative, in oi'der to avoid duplication and waste of time.

The Premier took the feeling of. the House of Representatives yesterday on tho course of procedure in regard to the hours of sitting during the financial debate —whether it would go straight on without a break to 11 p.m., or adjourn at 9.30 for supper. He suggested they should go on each evening without an interval, and not interrupt a speech if it was not finished before 11 o’clock. He asked the Hone© to come to some understanding before they commenced. Tho loader of the Opposition pointed out that this might mean that the House would tit right on from 7.30 to midnight without a break, and tho last speaker would be talking to empty to hid constituents through the medium of “Hansard.” By 64 notes to 17 the House decided not to take the 9.30 adjournment.

At a meeting of directors of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company yesterday it was decided to pay an interim dividend of 3 per cent, for tho half-year ending August 31$t. Tho dividend will be payable to-share-holders on. th© Bth Inst. The New Zealand-Afi'icau Steamship Company (Federal, Houlder, Shire line) has decided to pay coastal freights on butter consigned to West Coast of England ports as well as to London. Tins makes the freight Is 9d per box all round to either West Coast or London—equivalent to Is 6d from port of shipment.

The leader of the Opposition did not table a motion of no-confidonce in the Government's land proposals, as many of tho Government leasehold party anticipated, at the conclusion of his speech on the financial debate last night. This may be reserved for the Land Bill.

One of tho principal attractions at the , Now Zealand Exhibition will _ assuredly be the splendid art collection. From Dr L. L. Smith’s collection at Melbourne tho following valuable paintings will bo loaned the Exhibition:—“The Duke of Milan and the Papal Edict,” ‘The Banishment of Aristides,” “Nero at tho Burning of Rome,’’ “Faust and Marguerite,” “Un Ballot do Logement,” and several other treasured works.

At tho monthly meeting of tho Council of the Surveyors’ Institute yesterday it was decided to ask the Government bo introduce a Road aud Street Alignment and Roads Deviation Bill. The Hon. G. F. Richardson gave natice of his attention to move at next general meeting of tho institute “that tho scale of charges for licensed surveyors be revised, and if necessary an amendment of the by-laws bo effected to confirm it.”

In the world’s Post and Telegraph shooting match, to take place all the Polhill Gully range at 2 p.m. to-day, tho shooting will bo under the saporvision of Lieutenant-Colonel Collins, and SergeantrMajor Colclough will act as trench officer. The New South Wales and Victorian results should he received this evening, and tho English score to-morrow morning. The match is exciting considerable interest in volunteering circles. A well-known character, John Burke O’Brien, aged and generally needy, who some weeks ago applied to the Stipendiary Magistrate for a “protection order against the Wellington police force,” made his appearance before the Benevolent Trustees yesterday. Ho had just come out of the hospital, and “wanted a ticket bo Wanganui, where ho had an old friend who would give him work.” Tbs trustees decided to pay for a bed for tho old man last night, and told him to bo at tho railway station this morning, when the secretary would provide him with tho ticket for Wanganui. John left tho board room in jocular mood, thanking the trustees, and assuring them ho would before Christmas “endorse a bill” for what they were giving him. Returns received from fifty-nino of the soventy-two Borough Councils affiliated under the Municipal Association of New Zealand show,, that the total number of permanent workmen employed by them is 1439. The average length of service of these men is five years and eight months, and their average ages thirty-nine years and eleven months. There are ninety of those workmen who are over sixty years of'age. The total amount of tho present wages paid is £173,801 15s 3d, and the average is £l2O 15s 7d per man. In a return" of the officers and office staff of seventy-four affiliated Councils in September, 1905, it was shown that there were 413 officers, whoso average_ length of service was seven years. Their average age was forty-two years and five months, and their, average remuneration £l6O 7s Bd,

Fire members of the Johusonvillo Town Board are to be elected on tho 19th inst. Nominations close next Wednesday.

It was stated yesterday by the president of the Farmers’ Union that the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture had informed him that two milking-machines were being installed at tho State farm at Levin.

Several grocers were fined 20s and coats at Dunedin yesterday for failing to have the fact that they held a bottle license printed over their business promises. Those aro the first prosecutions of tiro lAid that have taken place at Dunedin.

Tho AVellington Benevolent Trustees met yesterday, tho Itov. J. Kennedy Elliott presiding. The secretary's report showed that during August £sl j 0:. 5d was paid array in rents, and 3313 rations wore issued. The figures for tho corresponding month ol tho previous year wore £G3 14s 2d, and 4173 respectively. There were, during tho past month, fifty-throe male and twenty-four female inmates at 'the Ohiro Home. Of thefts twelve men and three women were old ago pensioners.

The Wellington Woollen Manufacturing Company will hold its twenty-third annual meeting on tho 14th inst. The directors otato in their report that they are pleased to be able, under difficult circumstances, to show a margin of profit. “In tho two previous yearly reports reference was made to tho very high prices ruling for raw material, which so militates against the_ woollen industry here, and this contrition was, during the last wool season, sharply accentuated. It is therefore gratifying to tho directors that, after writing off £IOOO for dojjreciation of plant, etc., they are able to recommend to shareholders tho payment of a further dividend of 24 per cent., making, with tho interim dividend, 5 per. cent, for the year, and to carry forward £2OIB 4s ICd to next year's account.” Tho advent of spring is reflected in the appearance of the country in the Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay districts. Lambs aro plentiful in tho latter province, where the percentage is high on account of the warm season, while tho conditions have also led to favourable results throughout Wairarapa. All the siieepfarmers have now to fear —and there is not much apprehension in this respect—is a recurrence of wintry weather. The season m Hawke’s Bay is somewhat ill advance of the lower part of the island, and the pasture in that district is consequently more abundant just now. From Takapau northward the country bears a very fine appearance. Tho eubdivision of some of th© largo properties both by purchase and resale by boyeminent, and by private owners cutting up their farms—has brought about closer cultivation of the sou and tne settlement of many people where previously there were f©Wj and everywhere there are indications that tne settlors on the smaller areas aro prospering. ■ “An Imperial Wonderland” is tho title of an excellently-written article on New Zealand in the June number ef i “The World’s Work,” edited by Mr, Henry Norman. The article is from the pen of Miss Beatrice Gnmshaw, who made 1 an extended tour of the colony last year, and who, in a letter to a Wellington resident, states that she contemplates visiting the colony again about Christmas time. Miss Grimshaw has a facile pen, and tells of .tie things she sees with delightful truth and energy. We extract one paragraph, dealing with the geyser conntry:—Such a superfluity of beautiful and wonderful sights can assuredly he found nowhere else on earth. Iceland is far inferior; the famous Yellowstone Park of America has only a ; stepmother’s helping of what might be New Zealand’s “left-overs.” I have never met any traveller through the ; thermal districts who had. succeeded in ' seeing everything of interest. ‘All ’ whom I saw were as hard at work as • the very coach-horses themselves, walki ing, climbing, riving, scrambling each i hour of every day,, and often thoroughly overdoing themselves, in the plucky attempt to carry away as much as possible from this over-richly spread banquet of Nature’s wonders. I squeezed out an afternoon for Kariputu (the “Devil’s Trumpet”) and tho Valley of tho Coloured Lakes. It is known as the “Safety Valve of New Zealand,” and tho tom is peculiarly fitting. Tho whole of tho hot water country if) only ono plank from the internal regions, it almost floats upon tho scalding brow of molten : rock, liquid mineral, and vaporised water that composes the earth interior immediately below.

The Caledonian Society of Wellington has decided to give concerts on a large scale. For this purpose, a chorus and orchestra will bo inaugurated. Members and their friends wishing to join are invited to Bend in their names to Mr AlcGlashan, care Messrs Begg and Co., Willis street, or to the secretary, post office box 112. Members and their families wishing to join the dancing class will please inform Mr D. McMillan, care Boss's Private Hotel, Ingestre street, or the secretary.

The fortnightly meeting of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Single Tax League will bo held this evening in the Trades Hall. Messrs Macdonald. Wilson and Co. announce the sale, on the Bth October, under instructions from the life tenant and trustees of the settled estate of Mr Wm Nicholson, by the authority of the Supremo Court, of that very valuable and central freehold business block situated in Cuba street, immediately opposite To Aro House, between the Masonic Hotel and Herrman's block, and having a frontage of 70ft by a depth of 158 ft Bin. with the premises thereon, at present let to various tenants for some ,£BOO per annum. Full details appear. A late train is to leave the Mauawatu station next Monday night for the convenience of Johnsonville residents wishing to attend the Ministerial reception. Dalgety and Co., Ltd., will sell at Hayward’s 1 next Wednesday, on account of Mr W. Walker, who is leaving the district, cattle, horses, vehicles, implements; furniture, and other lines mentioned in onr advertising columns.

A clearing sale of dairy cattle! horses, vehicles, implements, etc., will bo held next Wednesday by Abraham and Williams, Ltd., at Mr W. H. Simcox’a homestead, Otaki. / Mr H. B. Leighton will hold a clearing sale of dairy (Stock, horses, pigs, poultry, implements, furniture, etc., next Tuesday at the farm of Mr T. Shepherd, Mungaroa. Particulars are sot out on our eighth page. Messrs L. Caselberg and Co. are wholesale agents for Kope ale and stout—non - intoxioating beverages brewed in England.

Messrs Macdonald, 1 Wilson and Co. will sell at their rooms at 1.30 o’clock to-day, by instructions from a gentleman removing to the country, a quantity of his superior household furniture, as detailed, also upright grand piano by G. Amion, Stuttgart; and' on account of other vendors, upright grand piano by Hooh and Sobn, Dresden. They will also sell a final lot of choice Bohemian glassware and twelve new Brussels and Axminster carpets. The Loan and Mercantile Company ad vortiso further entries for to-morrow's stock sale at Patmore ten.