LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2545, 24 December 1902, Page 19

LOCAL & GENERAL.

, v.-A» s "was intimated, recently ■by cable, no permits to the Transvaal or Orange River Colony will be issued for the future-exeepfc at South African ports. Persons wishing to : proceed -to these colonies 'should* therefore* 1 apptyfor permits at the port where they intend to land, and to save disappointment they are advised before sailing, for South . Africa to ascertain from the permit office j at the landing port .whether a permit will j jbe granted. The services of permit officers i 1 in New Zealand are now no 1 longer required. An application of considerable, interest to shareholders in the-old.Kaitangata, Railway and Coal Company came* before -his .Honor Mr Justice Williams, in Chambers-, j yesterday. This was an application by- the liquidators of the company for an order for the payment by Mr Walter Hiskfp, as administrator of the estate«-of the- late Hon. , W. J. M. Laraach, of the sum of £292 10s as a contribution to the payment of the debts of the company discovered after the distribution of the assets. The' claim is made in respect to 11? shares (paid up to ' £10) held by the- late Mr Larnach, and on .which the. liquidators have made a call of 362 10s per -share. From -the, -affidavit filed 'by^Mp: J.." T. Maskerras in support of the application , it appeared that when tha company went; into liquidation and the assets were .distributec^it' was supposed that there were l ;no ; ' further - claims to be ■' made against the company. „Ail^i.>thes' disraibutiou had been made,^ however, ; Mi\ Aitchcson made,j^olaim against- the company .for -royalties", J and' litigation ensued, resulting, in a ° large ' claim being established' against -the company by Mr Aiteliesbn. The "object 'of the present proceeding was to obtain from the late Mr Lama cli's estate a refund of part of the sum which had been paid to the late Mr Larnach as part of the distribution. The question argued before his Honor was the preliminary one of whether Mr Hislop's liability as administrator - could be settled by a summons in the winding-up. Mr Woodhouse appeared in support of the motion, and contended that the provisions oF sections 163 and 161 of the Companies Act of 1882 authorised the present procedure. Mr Sim, with Mr James, appeared for Mr j Hislop, and submitted that the matter could not be dealt with by a motion in the wind-ing-up, and that the proper procedure, if the liquidators had any claim against Mr Larnach's estate, was to bring a suit. His Honor took time to consider his decision. The Premier has received the following copy of a letter from the War .Office through his Excellency the Governor: — "War Office, London, 23rd September, 1902. Sir,— With reference to your letters dated 6th June •last and_l9th inst., I am, directed by the Secretary for War- to acquaint you that it has now been decided to grant the. war gratuity drawn by.. members of -the Army Noising Service and the Army. Nursing Service Reserve to" the ladies "who were sent out officially as nursing sisters from the oversea colonies, and also to thoE-e ladies who proceeded to South Africa from' the colonies at their own expense and were taken" into employment locally. I am further to inform you that steps are being taken by this department to issue the amount of the gratuity to the ladies concerned. — I am, etc, G. Fleetwood Wilsox." Through the kindness of Messrs Neill and Co., as agents for the Huddart-Parker proprietary, the new steamer Victoria was thrown open to the public at the cross wharf on the 16th at a nominal charge, in aid of the Shipwreck Relief Society, and as a, good many people were out of doors they could not fail to be attracted by the huge flarelight which was worked at the entrance to the wharves. Having gone thus far, the new ship was revealed, brilliantly lighted up. and a fair proportion of those "promenading the wharves paid to go on board. A still greater number of a more frugal mind seated themselves on the wharf, and enjoyed the music dispensed by the Garrison Band from the vessel's deck. It is estimated that about 500 visited the steamer, and those who did so not fail to admire the spio and span appearance of everything on board. The spacious saloon, the luxuri-ously-furnished social halls, and smoking room were noted with pleasure, and the officers, from Captain Waller downwards, seemed to take a pleasure in showing the visitors round. About 9 o'clock, when most of the people were taking their departure, Mr J. F. Kirby and Mr E. D. Grace (on behalf of the society) expressed their thanks i to the company for their kindness, and the Lflhifii flffioex*. Me gollx Jin. .the jtbaeaca cf

. Captain Waller, who had gone ashore) suit-. ] ably replied.' Lieutena"n]b .George • was also i thanked for the services rendered by the^ band!- - . ,'~ ' - .. ~ i . • ' « Professor Ciro Nispi-Lundi (says a Rome correspondent) has obtained leave from tho Italian authorities to., subject the bed of the Tiber to a thorough search. He has satisfied himself that the mud over-* which : this sluggish stream flows has embedded in it objects which, both for their artistic and their mere intrinsic value, will be almost priceless. Historical research has : shown that for ages the Romans cast their most priceless possessions on the bosom. of Father Tiber as offerings to the god which they believed to live beneath his waters. Beiide -these-" articles of value, the • professor expects to find an extraordinai - y variety of curios in the way of armour worn by the many, soldiers who must at one time or another have lost theii* lives in battles , that raged along the banks and on the bridges of the Tiber; and many more valuable articles which were cast into the stream by the early Christian fanatics, who regarded it as a good work to destroy the 1 symbols of heathen idolatry. Tlie professor's views on the matter are strengthened by the fact that whenever bridge-building . and bank-strengthening", operations ' have taken ' place - on the Tiber treasures of immense ■value, have been discovered. Arrangements are being made for the due celebration of" the ,144 th anniversary 'of Robert Burns on., the, 23rd, of«.next month. The , Garrison. Hall _ has been oration will be given by Mr J. C. Thomson," ■ M.H.R. for Wallace, and the Musical Committee are preparing a programme worthy of- the occasion. The inquiry into the allegations contained m the petition lodged against the result of the Mataura licensing poll was commenced at' Gore pn Wednesday before- Mr G. Cruiek- ' shank, ' ~S.M. The j greatest' interest was taken in the proceedings, the court being , crowded throughout the day. Mr Hosking i and Mr Hanlon (of Dunedin) and Mr Neave (of Gore) appeared for the petitioners, whose "object it is to upset the poll, and Mr A. S. Adams (of Dunedin) appeared as aniicus curiae, with the right to address the court", cross-examine witnesses, and call evidence. Mr Macalister, of Invcrcargill, entered the court shortly after Mr Adams's position had been decided, and acted in a similar capacity. There were 37 witnesses subpoenaed for the petitioners' case, and of thi3 number 16 were called on Wednesday. Mr Adams hinted that he desired to call rebutting evidence, which opens up a prcspect of a lengthy inquiry, and possibly an adjournment until after the holidays. We have good reason for believing that the" loss of .the ballot papers taken -at tho Broad - Bay polling" booth •on 25th November is^Jiot the result of any carelessness on the part of the deputy-returning officers for that sub-division of the Chalmers licensing district. They are both ' reliable men, with previous experience of the- work, it is generally understood that they performed their duties .with scrupulous care, and implicitly carried out the- whole of the instructions given to them in connection with the poll and the making up and dispatch of the ballot papers from Broad Bay. It appears to us that there ough* to be a careful magieterial inquiry into the circumstances under which the ballot papers so mysteriously disappeared, so that, if possible, the point at which they disappeared may be definitely ascertained. The inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the Mataura licensing poll has been adjourned until the 19th January. Further evidence will then be called in support of the case for the petitioners, who desire to show that there were informalities in the conduct of the poll, and a number of witnesses will be subpoenaed to give eviden.ee on the other side. The Rev. F. W. Isitt, secretary of the New Zealand Temperance Alliance, arrived in Dunedin from the south on Thursday. For the previous two days Mr Isitt has been an interested spectator of the preceedinge in the Mataura licensing case at Gore. A united Christian Convention is. to be held on the Ist and 2nd days of January at Queenstown, at which the Rev. James Lyall (the well-known evangelist), Miss Abrams and Manoramabai (from India), and other well-known ministers and laymen will take part. Seventeen tents, fuel, and straw will be provided for the use of young men and others coming from distances, and aa cheap fares prevail at ■ that time no doubt many Dunedin residents will attend. Mr Gfiorjte Miflkfijuac. .ol flueeustow^ is

moving spirit- in the -movement. • It- is dn^ - -tefesting, to note thait the Keswick Convent - : tioii~is held in the' Lakes district ( in the *' North of England. ; Rumours.- of impending changes in -the " Ministry are still rife in political circles. . It is said— and oh excellent authority — that one of the questions which has been dis- ' ; cussed by Cabinet during the last few day 3 J is that of transferring the portfolio of Eduj cation from the Hon. W.. C. Walker, whose i seat is in the Legislative Council, to a member of the Government in the Lower i House, a very strong desire having been , expressed in the House last session that " such a change should be made. A minor question the Government will no doubt I take into consideration is that of selecting '"whips" for the party, both "whips" of! last session being now among . the "outs: 1 ' [ Sir Carncross, it will be remembered, did not seek re-election, and Mr J. Stevens was defeated. Our Wellington correspondent states that the North Island portion of the national testimonial subscribed for Mr Seddon will be presented to him in Wellington on Monday. The amount is stated to be about £850, and it will be enclosed in a small silver casket, which has been purchased; by; the committee. - It ' is understood' that.- a . still- larger-sum in. the hands of r the trtistees' will be .presented' to Mr Seddon at. *■ later ' 'date. . ' . J ■,;.'!"•"' The bakers of'Dunediii have advanced' the, price of bread to 7id ■ per- 41b loaf." f "'" ' ' V The, Government labour agent" informs u5,.., with reference- to a, letter published in the Daily^ Times on the subject of 'the unemployed) t tljat he has not a name-on his books' at the present time which can be said ' to come within the category of the cases mentioned by the correspondent of young men who are the mainstay 'of their parents. "For .any persons of this class employment, he states, is available. A compensation claim has been filed in the Arbitration Court. The claimant is Mary- Ann Edwards, widow, of Croydoii Bush, near Gore, and the respondent, John Wither, of Sunnysid© station, , Queenstown. It is alleged that the claimant's husband, William Astley Edwards, was cutting timber at the station op the 22nd July v last, when his foot was cut with ' an axe through a vine extolling the axe, tlie injuries causing his death on the 11th August. The court ' will be asked to assess damages in accordance with the wages deceased was earning during the 12 mor-ths prior to his death. At the break-up of^the Sawyers' Bay School on Thursday it wa3 stated by Mr Flamank during, the year a Fourth Standard girl (Lily Austin) had, by an accident, neatly., tevei^ed.. her big toe. . JShc_ .was determined ...not to -be - absent " from . school, and next day was in - her usual scat. During the day the wound bled so profusely that the teacher recommended hex mother toj;ecp her at home. No£ to be . outdone, flic sot a go-cart,, lent -her by "her teachor, and. for a fortnight her ..schoolmates whored her to and from school — a distance of nearly half a mile. Needless to' say, she received an ovation when she came - forward -for a first class certificate of | attendance. • The St. Pau'i'* Cathedral Ladies' Guild have made £174 Is 6d, after paying expenses, as tho rrsults of their work 7or the year. Of this- amount £70 has already bpen given to the Debt Extinction Fund, and the guild now purpose to pay £100 to the treasurer, making a total contribution of £270 to the fund since its com- ! mencement 15 months ago. It is expected that the remaining £30 of the £300 promised will be available very soon. This lcsult must be very gratifying to the president (Mrs Greenwood), tli9 vice-presidents (Mrs Miohie and Mrs R. Martin), the treasurer (Mrs Howard Jackson), and to the members of the guild* generally. Miss G. Callender was on Monday appointed matron of the Girls' High School. Mr T. Mackenzie, M.H.R., has communicated with the Hon. W. Hall- Jones, Minister of Marine, recommending him to set tip a commission to make full investigation into the question of fishing and trawling on - the New Zealand coast. It is stated that the trawling operations at present being carried on are driving the fish^from their usual haunts, to the detriment of the Local fishermen, who are thereby deprived of their means of livelihood. On the other hand, , the owners if the trawlers claim that the . fish -they catch are altogether of a different species from those secured by line and Sciue j

which- -.until a_^ comparatively - recent date" were 'almost^uplaiowxt-^in Dun*. ' ediri have of. lateVbeen.eeen.iii, bur , streets at such frequent, intervals that their appearance has ceased; to createLso' much, interest) as formerly, 'though the arrival_of one still attracts a large amount of . attention. The ' first car 1 - to- make the journey "from v Inver- . cargill to Duriedin arrived in this* x:ity at" 10 o'clock /on Friday night, after a run of about 12 hours, which must be considered very good .time, when allowance is made for the fact, that the. road wasineonie places exceptionally bad. The motor car ie % owiied by Mr M. Hahkinson, of Invercargill, -the representative of the- Simms. Manufacturing Company, London, and that gentleman was accompanied in his venture bjf Mr Jt. Murie, I also of Invercargill. The motive power.is | gas, a supply of which for' immediate -use 1 is i contained in a 4-gallon tank', while- • there' is a reserye- 'storage^ of "'similar capacity, making sufficient to last for a run of about - 24 Jiours. The speed "of the. car, which 'is extremely easy -■ of manipulation, ,can be regulated to suit requirements} the maximum being eome,2o miles per hour: Another, feature of the machine is that-ifc-is almost - ' noiseless while in motion. Some, of., the steepest streets in this-city have, been nego- • -tiated;'''aml;the.ear.<lfd3 acquitted/itself^ on -. these \dccasions ta.the^^th.o.rougVsatisfactioii L The" 'sensation of -riding . along -the 'streetat/pf iDunedin-'(\vhich_ r haye a jreput^iionffpr roughnes?)'.is 'quite a- pleasant a .one^th*e''\easy,-mqHbn- pJE^thd' .caryatid JjbV ..freejdijnvf ro& jolting Hieing 'delightful. , | < ~ 'The^ number of patien ts^in '.&&.'^Hospital. - last Sunday, remaining from the", previous week vfsis 9,3. 'Eighteen were admitted~3ur- , ing" th,e week and 18 were discharged,- whilet there were three- deaths — viz.," Roger Kerk•ham, John Munro 1 , and William jSEoffat-^-leaving 90 in the institution at the beginning of this week, . '■■■- Mr T., Mackenzie,; M.H.R., has been in communication with the Hon. the Minieter of • Railways with' a view- to - having the Saturday to Monday excursions extended ,tp Hampden and Moeraki, as numbers of families desired this, extension. He represented l , .the matter very strongly, to the Minister, and has received the following reply-: — " Regarding the extension of . summer excursions from Palmerston to Hampdeiv T.- m have had full inquiry made into the matter with 1 a view to seeing whether I was justified in- authorising it. The difficulties ir the way, however, are - considerable. - .The engines' and men. working the Palmerston-,.' Dunedin and Palmerston-Qamnru services are stationed at Dunedirf, Palmer3ton,_ and Oamaru respectively. The Monday , raorning excursion train from Palmerston- to Dunedin ifl worked by the Palmerston engine, and men, and if the .running of the^ii-aln ;was' extended to Hampden -'it would 'mean „ jfchat "the train would require *o .leave Palmerston for. Hampden empty- at 3.15 'a.m. afr the latest on- Mqn'day morning^ ' The engine, .running^ tender „f irst, 'tho journeyf-^of, .15 *nule&>- would/ under' such' r cirj&um'staiicosi occupy an hour 'ai)d a-lialf. In" ord,er to 'reach Dunedin at '8.50 a.m. the- train would require to leave- Hampden 'at 's" a.m.'lnaddition to the services being untemunerative, it would also necessarily prolong the hours of the train staff. lam very doubtful whether, in view of the trains leaving ai such an early hour, it would be much patronised. From a return I have I find that tha present excursion between Dunedin and Palmerston is univ^munorative, and bar,ely covers the cost of the extra trains run" in connection therewith. I much regret, therefore, that I am unable to authorise the additional service* asked for. — J.G. WAB:>'" r - The children of Mr H. Wianiill, of -Law- , rence, organised a' bazaar at their 'mother's residence last week with the object o£;-pro- J viding a little Christmas treat or present for the patients.- in the-=children's ward of. the Dunedin Hoxpi&i. -'During'the past year the childre^N^e;'tMfi^vteiy»s<Bif-deny-ing manner pooleifetheir'penniesK'nna^at-the i same time, have been"^ industriously Engaged in their spare time in making useful ' and ornamental articles. They were so sue* cessful that they were able to hold th,» bazaar, and the response of an intimation to that effect .ill the Tuapeka Times by the ' parents and children . of the .district was that Mr Winmill has been able to forwardto Mr P. Miller- (chairman .of the Hospital Trustees) a cheque for £8 Is 6d for tlie benefit of the. little .folk in the children's ward. The donation, which carries with ,ib a Government subsidy of £1 4s for every, pound has been thankfully received. The City Corporation invite tenders for No. 1 bore in connection with the Lee Stream hvclnrat • tic wozka. 3!anderi close sn-the aoth inafc"" J