LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7636, 20 February 1903, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

1 A reply to Mr Lvall's address on "Eternal IPunis'hmeht •". -will be given in the Choral PrU o« §Hnday by Mr- 'Ernest Tuck. Quesfcions will foe allowed. I A . ■ Melbourne firm has secured the {Admiralty contract for supplying the China Ration with coal. Its steamers will secure supplies from Westport as they did last 'fwe./'"~itifc O. Ferrier, J. P., presided at a sit--Bhtir& of the Lyttetton Police Court this HpSorning. A first offender was convicted |7bf drunkenness and discharged with a I taaution. I ' The Health Department has reported to rj the Wellington City Council that two IL notels, one in Willis Street and the other y tovManners Street, are unfit for public ac- £; jqisinod>tion, and the* Couccl has instruct- - 1 ; ,: id its officers to give effect to the report. { I The annual picnic of the employees of l|Meßßrs M. O'Brien- and Co. 's boot factory A teok place to-d«iy. About 150 persons, with •ithe Woolston jiand, left Christchurch by *hfe 7.55 a.m. train for Lyttelton, whence Ijfchey were" conveyed by the launches Canfceybiiry and Lyttelton to Purau. f, At a meeting held last evening, the Comptittee of the Manawatu District High School decided to promote a Bill, with the U.??jf cfc «l changing the status of the school *Vo ttbj. of a high school proper. Mr * Wood, M.H.R., Mr P. Pirani, and Mr W. f Autherford were appointed to draft' the Pitt, , Afc the Ghristchureh Magnetic Obserra\oty at .9.30 a.in. to-day the Tjarometer Vtood at 30.151. The maximum temperature k thfe stttt WM 12.5, and titfe minimum thero» the graw registered 41.7. The maximum and minimum temperatures regarded dining the preceding, twwity-four fco^ars were 65.5 and 48.1 l'espectively. The kmotUit of rainfall recorded during the premoxn tvwJttty-four hours wrais 0.173 of an

At the annual meeting of the Gisborne Gas Company a. dividend at the rate of 10 per cent on the original shares was declared. The Hon J. Carroll, on being interviewed at Gisborne to-day, promised' to do all in his power to obtain a separate Land Board for the- Poverty Bay district. The Right Rev Bishop Julius will hold a confirmation at St Saviour's Church, West Lyttelton, on Sunday afternoon, and will preach there in the evening* The " Oamaru Mail" states that although the agreement of the Flour-millers Association has been renewed for a further term several members have not rejoined, including Me?sr.s Evans and Co., of Timaru, Messrs ■Milligan^arid Bond, of Oa-maru, M-esvsrs Steven and Co., of Dunedin, and Messrs Fleming and Co., of Invercargill. The Boer delegates are expected to arrive in Christchurch to-morrow. They will probably alter their previous arrangements, and, instead of visiting Lincoln, they will first inspect the Sunnyside Asylum farm. They will be accompanied by Dr Levinge, president of the C«nter(hiiry Agricultural and Pastoral Association", and by Mr Pemberton, the secretary. $ The Secretary of the Dunedin Trades and Labour Council >ha» (wires the Dunedin correspon lent of this paper) been instructed to write to the Premier congratulating him on his intehdeJ iniroductirn of legislation dealing with the Bank of KW Zealand, and expressing a hope that the Government will very .soon see its way to convert the institution- into a State Bank;* and also congratulating him on the step he intends taking towards making preference to unionists compulsory. In response to a telegram sent by Mr Graham, M.H.R., regarding the Nelson Police Scandal, the inquiry into which has been concluded, the Premier (says, the " Nelson Mail ") has replied that on the assumption that the punishment received by Constable Burrell was now sufficient for the offence, the Minister of Justice had decided to reinstate him, while- ex-Constable Durbridge, he understood, had entered into busines-s. From what appeared in the papers (official) prior to { the first deoision the Premier is still convinced that no other course than that taken was possible. He adds that his further investigation 1 proved Inspector M'Donnel to have been in error on two or three minor points, but the main issue remained intact. Cyclists are receiving a little wholesome attention at the hfetnds of the police just now, and tli's morning a batch attended the sitting of the Police Court, whan they were severally free 1 10* and c.st«. One cf the Justices leo amm?nded tjfoa police prosecutor to go a step fur>;h?r in these caseg, and to compel that terror of sharp turnings and c.owded thoroughfares, \ the." scorcher," to conform h.'s conduct to the requirements of civilisation. He stated that ha had daily {scapes of beingi run down in the streets, and his experience was,*nly that of many others. He suggested that as a corrective the police should mcc 'at upon evcllste keeping to their proper side of the i v oad. A few prosecutions in th? worst oases would serve as a spiendid antidote, and after that ib should be an easy ta'ik to keep the thoroughfares free from this source of danger. It is the opinion of Mr Pei-cy G. Smith, of Coombe Stud Farm, Brinklow, Coventry, England, who is at present visiting New Zealand, that this country should be eminently suitable for providing remounts for the Imperial Army. . Mr Smith (says the Wellington " Post ), who wafe among the visitors to the Mnsterton show, endorses the opinion that there is decided room for mv provement in the local draught horses, and the country could very well do with some horses of the Shire breed to improve the \ weight. He has already sent out, in addition to thoroughbred horses, cattle and sheep for various breeders, a Sbire colt for Mr Harding, of Mount Vernon, an animal which is considered to be probably the, bes* Shire horse yet imported here. Mr Smith is also sending out a good mare. He has visited all the studs in the Hawke's Bay district, and now goes on to Mi 1 John Stevens, Rangitikei, up the Wanganui River to Rotorua, to Taranaki, and then on to the South Island. He leaves the colony by the Rimutaka on March 18. A difference of opinion regarding ths right of the police to cress-examine an accused person in the witness-bex in order to draw out puriicu'.ars of his Antecedents arose between Mr Donnelly, solicitor, and police , Sergeant Sherhan, at ;iie Police Court this morning. Mr Donnelly protested against the. police prosecutor asking the accused if lie hnd ever been previously convicted. It .was never done in the Supreme Court, and he submitted that the game procedure should follow in the Police Court. An accused person should be allowed to give evidence in his own _ I>clin.]f without running the risk «f having his whole antecedents inquired into by line police. He road the section of the Act dealing with the subject, and asked the Bench to g.ve a ruling. Sergeant Sheehan said it was usual t> inquire into a prisoner's history in crops-examination, and he asserted that it had often been allowed in the Supreme Court. The Bench ruled that fcuch cross-examinattion was not perinissi'bie. The Boer delegates, who were at the Masterton show on Wednesday (says the Wellington "Post"), are very favourably impressed with what they have sc-' of this country, and they spoke very -highly of the stock they saw. They consider New Zealand to ba as much like their own land in many respects as any country they have visited. Whatever* possibility there may have been of the- conquered Republics entering into competition with this colony in the dairy produce markets has been made greater W the visit of the delegates to New -Zealand, for ? as a result of their investigations, they are confident that the dairy industry could be greatly developed in South Africa- That, however, must be a matter of time, for to start dairy farming on a scale large enough to permit of the export of butter and cheese, would reqiiire a very hoavy outlay in obtaining stock. However, it is the intention of the visitors to closely inquire into the methods adopted here, especially in Taranaki. The delegates have also 'been much struck with the flax growing here, and -'believe it could be easily cultivated on some of the swampy land in the new colonies. It is their intention to take back ■with them flax, and also the seed. Hanmer has recently set itself resolutely to live up to the glory of its new hall and tea-rooms, and has: fully refuted the charge of diilness which used once to be brought against the Springs' resort. During th* lasb few weeks, especially, there has-been an almost continuous round of amusement. The various accommodation-houses have been well filled, and amongst the visitors -have been a number of ladies and gentlemen who were not only willing, but also able, to provide entertainment. Among these has been Mr M. Cohen, of Dunedin, who has been indefatigable in conceiving and arranging schemes to- add to the pleasure of the community. Last week, a concert was fiven in- the; Town Hall, in aid of the chool Treat Funds, and a capital progr&mms was provided by a number of visitors, assisted by some Hanmer residents. Unfortunately, the night wa* wet, but there was, nevertheless, a large attendance, and a considerable sum was realised. The treat was held on Tuesday, at Jollies Paw, and 1 was greatly enjoy-ed, 'not only by the children, wlio revelled in large supplies of good things to eat, and in numerous games and sports, but also by a number of adults who 'attended. '■•. For these, also-, there were races and (competitions. In the evening, the concert of the previous week was repeated, and at the conclusion of the programme the school prizes for tie year were presented by Lady Mackenzie, And those won at the sports by Mrs Howell, of Timayti. The Rev E. Eliot Chambers, of Lyttelton, presided at both concerts, and each was followed by an enjojgible dance. The weather at Hanraer for thS\>a«fc fortnight has been perfect, with the exception of the one night 1 mentioned.. <