LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7801, 4 September 1903, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

• There are over 900 children on the roll of the Christcburch Normal School^ and the average attendance is over 770. - The Government is to be. asked to- take over the Helensville (Auckland) Hot Springs, now belonging to the Helensville Town Board, whose funds are too depleted to develop them. The ballot for Lot 5 of the Lyndon No. 1 settlement, which was reopened for selection on September 2, resulted in favour of Edward Rinaldi, who has a lease-in-per-petuity. A telegram from Greymouth states that snow covers the lower ranges, and is lying longer this season than has yet been known. A few warm days, with rain,- would bring heavy floods. The timber trade (says a Greymouth telegram), is very brisk, and the .demand more than the supply. Theexpoi-t last month was two million feet. Three new mills are being erected. Mr Duggan recently gave a tea to the members of the Elite Band' in the bandroom. During the practice which was held afterwards, Mr W. Dean, on behalf of the band, presented Mr Duggan with a silvermounted umbrella. The express train for the south this morning established a record) by getting away from the Christelmrch station about one minute before tine town docks struck eleven. There mmt 'hard been a disagreement between railway and town- time.It is estimated that, if the Premier's proposals in regard to the abolition of franking are put into operation, the North Canterbury Education Board will have to incur an additional expenditure of about £120 a year. Postage alone will cost about £105. The Elite Brass Band will play on l the fiydenham Rotunda oh. Sundays September 13. The band has' decided not to commence playing till 3.30 ppin., so that there will not be any interference with the Sundayschools in the vicinity of the Rotunda. The Canterbury Land Board met yesterday, and dealt with the reports of the Commissioner and the ranger, and with applications for leases and transfers. Mr T. Humphries, the Commissioner,- presided, and Messrs j. Scaly, A. C. Pringie, J. Stevenson and J. Allan were also present. At the quarterly meeting of the Invercargill Licensing Committee several renewals were further held over till. alterations required by the committee had been 'effected, the chairman stating that if tney were not effected it would be the unpleasant duty of the committee to refuse the applications. Ten o'clock closing comes into operation in Invercargill at the end of the present month. It has been decided that part of rural section 275, near Sockburn, containing 10 acres 17 roods 7 perches, shall be sub-divid-ed into five allotments and offered for selection under the village homestead lease-in-perpetuity system, at rentals of 4 per oent on the capital values of £60 per acre on the two allotments fronting the main road, and £55 per acre for the back allotments. A school-girl, aged a little over twelve, who was the informant in an indecent assault case, heard at the Magistrate's Court Jiris morning, displayed a striking familiarity with expressions relating' to sexual matters. Mr Kippenberger, in cross-exami-nation, endeavoured to -elicit the source from which she had obtained her knowledge, but the child gave n>o satisfactory reply. ..,.,. Three vacant Cathedral choristerships irill be competed for on Thursday, Septem- ! l>er 17, at 10 a.m. The selected candidates ■will have the benefit of holding scholarships at Christ's College, and receiving also a. sound - musical training. Exhibitions are granted to ex-choristers, and there are also advantages in the way of prixes, etc., for choir and college work. Boys from.' eight to eleven years of age are eligible. The Ifand Board has decided to recommend the reservation, of twenty, acres of the State Forest Reserve at Hanmer Springs for recreation purposes, as proposed by the Commissioner of Crown Lands, and to suggest to the Minister of Lands that, instead of planting one block of 603 acres on the east side of the township, it would be better to plant 300 acres there and 300 acres on the west side of the Rogerson River. The September number of "The 9.5 ' !A.M.," the monthly journal published by members of the Land Office staff in Christchurch, has been issued. It contains f ar- J ticles on " The Ethics of Holidays," " Reminiscences," " Speculations," " Episodes," ; and interesting illustrations. The reading matter, whicbis written in a bright and vivacious style, is type-written, and the publication is attractively prepared for perusal. The Riccarton Licensing Committee met at noon to-dlay ; present — Messrs A. Boyle, W. Moir, P. M. Stewart and A. B. Morgan. In the absence of the Stipendiary Magistrate, Mr Boyle , occupied' the chair. The police reports were favourable in all cases. The only business before the committee was an application for the transfer of the license of the Black Horse Hotel from William Alfred Thacker to William Dardis. The j application was granted.. Before proceeding with the evidence in a ' charge of indecent assault preferred against an elderly man at the Magistrate's Court this "morning, Sub-Inspector Dwyer asked that the Bench should request persons pre-, cent who had no interest in the proceedings to leave the Court. The president said that his experience told him that the interests of justice were facilitated in these cases by the absence of spectators, witnesses being relieved of their painful embarrassment. The Bench, however, had no power to order the Court to be cleared, but he hoped that those present would use their good sense and stay outside until the proceedings were finished. The majority of the spectators at once arose and left the Court, those remaining being either witnesses in the case or regular habitues, whose appetite for unsavoury details outweighed a-ny consideration of humanity or decency. In a charge of obscene language preferred! against a man at the Magistrate's Court this morning, Mr Donnelly argued that the words complained of were not indecent, inasmuch as they were words which were to be found in the English dictionary, and possessed! a distinct meaning or expression of their own. The words were, he contended, not obscene, but insulting. Sub-Inspec-tor Dwyer, in reply, reminded the Bench that the expressions in question, if used in the public street in the presence of ladies, would not be regarded' in the light of simple insulting expressions. He contended that there was a distinct quality of obscenity in the words. Mr Gray, J.P., said he thought it was asking too much of a Bench of amateurs to require them to solve, or to give a ruling upon abstruse points of law. He was not prepared himself, with his limited knowledge of the law, to define exactly wb.at constituted' obscene language. They were here to exercise their common-sense, and would take a common-sense view of . the matter now under argument. They fcgreed with Mr Donnelly's contention that the expressions were insulting and not obscene, and they suggested that the charge should be reduced to jpsulting language. This was done, and the 1 accused was then fined 40s and cost*

The Buildings Comimittee of the EducaI tion Board will visit the Halswell School ,on Wednesday, and inspect the buildings there. At Dunedm to-day Margaret SaundeTS was committed to tine Supreme Court for sentence on a charge of abandoning 1 her child. The destroyers are at their wicked work to-day again, hewing down the big bluegum tree close to the Provincial Council Chambers. Mr Finlayson, of Christchurchi has purchased the Lochindtorb Estate, Clutha, comprising 7000 acres of freehold! and 13,000 of leasehold. . Most of the children attending the. public schools in Christchurch are enjoying holidays just now. The schools will open again on September 14. The local branch of the Labour Department has received' word from 'headquarters that men are wanted; for riveting work and bush-felling in the North Island. Married men will be sent, if available. The annualVmeeting of the Christohurdi Amateur Rowing Club will be held in the Builcters' Association rooms, Hereford Street, at eight o'clock this evening. A special meeting will also be held for the purpose of altering certain of the club's rules. An accxised who was before the Magisterial Bench to-day expressed a wish to be allowed' to personally cross-examine witnesses. He was told that all questions must be put through the medium of his -counsel, Mr Donnelly. He insisted, however, iw crossexamining the witness in question himself, saying that Mr Donnelly could attend to the other witnesses. Mr Donnelly at once withdrew from the case, accused continuing to conduct his own case. It is generally conceded that what a cabman does not know about things in general and Police Court procedure in particular, is not of much consequence, but a member of the pro^ssiq'h, who appeared before the Bench this morning, quite upset all precon- , ceived notions on this point. He had the alternative placed before him of being dealt with summarily or of going before a jury for trial, but he could not bs made to understand the position. The officials having . exhausted themselves in the throes of an explanation, the accused decided that he did j not mind who dealt with him, so the case was proceeded with. A fine '^ of £1, and costs 13s, was imposed, which drew from the defendant, the remark : " Oh, but I haven't got any £1 135."