LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7924, 1 February 1904, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

■ —* —^ ■ • The Premier has accepted' the presidency of the Bwtisfe Navy League itt New Z^oi* land. ■ The Rev Jasper Smyth went to Quail Island yesterday to officiate as chaplain for a week to the Burnhan* boys, enc&ipaped there. • A telegram from Pahiatua says:— On Saturday night heavy showerß of rain fell in all parts of the district and cheeked the bush fir*. This morning the country ia apparently clear of fires.. The rainfall replenished the water supply tanks, but another week's dry weather would produce » ! water famine in the borough. Sergeant Siddells, a member of the New Zealand Police Force, is publishing, a- book on "The New Zealand Law of Licensed Hotelkeepers." Noticing an, advance copy of the work, the "Poverty Bay Herald ? • says it is an exceedingly creditable production, evidently $he result of a great deal of . study and research. The book will soogi be ready for delivery to subscribers. Messrs W. Prudhce, J.P., and H. Pearce, J.P., presided a"t the Police Court * this , morning, and dealt with four cases .ol drunkenness. Three first offenders^ wha did pot appear, were each fined 10s ana! costs, in default forty hows' imprisonment, andi «, fourth was fined f>s and! . costs, with the alternative of twenty t|out hours' detention. Ministers were very busy in Cabinet last - week, sittings having been held every day . except Saturday. Thursday's sitting wM particularly long, lasting until two oii Friday morning, Resuming 'in tot afternoon, Ministers sat again until seven o'clook on Friday evening.. Cabinet baa been occupied mainly with Departmental business. Nothing definite {says the " New Times ") has yet 'been settled in regard to the appointment of a& auditor for the Bank of New ' Zealand. The following are the representatives from the New Zealand Educational Institute who will meet the Inspectors in conference at Wellington on Saturday to consider the new 1 syllabus: — Mr James Jeffrey (Dunedin, President), Mr T. Hughes (Chrietaburch.,. . Treasurer), and Mr A. Erakine (Wellington,' Secretary) j South Island dsstegnffM : Messrs . W. Davidson; (MoroJugton) and J, H- Hark- , ness (Reefton); Middle J>i>.trlct: M.Msra J. MacMorrani and ' W. Foster (Wellington) j North Island: Me«»rs J, Aitken (Wangwui) and J. K. Law (Manaia), • Bush fires in the Wajrarapai district ure . blazin? merrily (says the Wellingtpß "Post"). Passengers, along the. Rinvutftk* line on Friday, night state that the burning •' trees in the surrounding country produced a remarkably pretty sight. Th,e fire seem- ■', ed to be thickest in the Kaitoke district, } where, at one stage of the journey, the heat , was so great that it was felt through the railway carriage windows. The official in . tho Railway Traac Office in Wellii^rtoa had an, anxious time. . Word wi» reoelvei in town that fires were raging in. close proximity to the railway line between the Sum. Mit and the Upper Hutt, and that th«e was , danger of the bridge and slsep«i» b«ing 'hurced. A large number of men irw» stationed at varions point* along the peotion, mi through their efforts the flamep were prevented froni igniting any of |h* woodwork of the permanent way. Some of the fdeepers, were, however badly scorched. Heavy raim fortunately fell after the fir* had been raging for some time, wold tbji '- 4 -"~ : wd the danger to property.

It ia the intention of the City Council to fcue for all unpaid rates at an early date. The Moeraki, from Melbourno and HoIjart, arrived at the Bluff at 1.45 p.m. today. The Christchurch Hospital was open to Visitors yesterday for the first time since the outbreak of small-pox. At the Christchurch Observatory 1.738 in of rain was registered during January, and rain fell on six days. During the month of January twelve births, three deaths and nine marriages ■were registered in the Ljttelton district. A public meeting will be held at St Maitthew'g Schoolrpom, St Albany, at eight o'clock this evening, for consideration of the City Council's water supply prpppsals. The flag at tho Lyttelton Fire Brigade {Station was hoisksd at half-mast tc»-day l as §, tribute of respect to the late Superintendent jiemswortl^ of the Railway Fire brigade. • A general meeting ot tse Avon Imprqveinent League will be hsld afc the City Counpil Chamber-H at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, for the purpose of electing three- representatives to the committee. All who ate interested fn the matter arejnvited to attend. At the annual meeting of the Auckland Gas Company, the report showed a profit for the year of £32,002 13s lOd. A dividend of 16 per cent on paid-up shares abfcorbeid £23,608 6s 4d ? leaving a balance of 16s 7d. Most of the schools of tho City and sub- . fcrbs opened for the first term of the New to-day. In. tile majority of cases the small-pox outbreak does not seem to fcaye affected the attendances to any extent, v though some children aro away with bad arms, due So vaccination. y ' f The Christian Endeavour Convention, •which is sitting in Wellington, to-day, pass- ( ed a resolution recommending the New Zealand Union to use every effort to secure an jHcrease of te^ per cent during the next twelve months, and the adoption of an international syllabus by the societies. ■\. A man who was called as a witness in a building oa§e at the Magistrate's Court, thig morning, said that he knew nothing whatever about the dispute in question. Mr Haselden remarked that he could not understand why the witness spent so much time in coming to Court when, he could give no information. At the ChristohurcK Magnetic Ob^ervaitpry, at 9.30 a.m. to-day, the barometer etood at 30.120, and was rising. The wind wps south-west, and cloud (0.10) 7. The •-. maximum temperature during the preeeding | twenty-four hours was 59.1, and the minimum 48.A The temperature at 9.30 a.m. i-vrasrr-Dry bulb 58.7, -wet bulb 52.5, bumidity 65 per cei|t. The maximum temperature in the sun waa 124.3, and the minimum thermometer on the grass 46.6.