LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), 20 December 1907, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A gruesome "exhibit" was shown in the South. Australian Assembly the other day. Speaking on the Gaming Bill (reports the Melbourne " Argus"), Mr Dankel said he would like to see a State lottery in Australia and a Government "tote." Mr Roberts was 'proceeding to cast doubt on the statefeaent of Brigadier Veal, of the Salvation Army, that a mob of gamblers had fcipped off the finger of a companion Jirho had joined the Salvation Army land sought to leave them (the gamblers), when the Premier dramatically jstretched out his hand, with a bottle jn it, and exclaimed, " Here is the tip tof the finger, and here " (holding up a document in the other hand) "is the fetter which accompanied it." A great 6ensation was caused by this act, but jtfr Roberts stated that the production ©f a piece of a finger was no proof it had been pinched off in the circumstances named. He refused to believe that the event happened in Australia, although the statement of the captain, was that the incident oo-icngjjj-in Sydney* . . i w.;^. ;;

At the Rangiora Magistrate's Court to-day, William M' Bride, a farmer living at Sefton was fined £5 and costs £7 13s 9d for having flogged his daughter, aged twenty, with a cart-whip ■ handle. The telegraph office will observe th© following Christmas and New Year hours:— Oil, Wednesday (Christmas » Day), 9.30 a.m. till 10 a.m., and 5 p.m to 5.30 p.m. Boxing Day and New Year's Day ; 9 a.m. till 4 p.m., and 7 p.m. till midnight. From January 1, the free delivery for telegrams received for delivery at the Christchurch Office will be extended +0 a distance of three miles for all messages lodged at any office between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. After 6 p.m. the free delivery will be for a distance of one mile and a half, but telegrams for delivery within three miles will be charged carriage at the rate of sixpence per mile or fraction. For all carriages beyond three miles, the present regulations will be adhered to. Messages for suburban offices lodged after 5 p.m. hitherto held over will be delivered within th© limits of th© extended free delivery of one mile and a half. " Pelorus Jack," who some time back became rather a bore to the average New Zealander, still charms the Americans. A few weeks ago the Boston "Herald" came out with an illustrated article headed with huge black type that ran half-way across a page, "The Fish that Has Piloted Boats Twenty Years." The sub-heading was, " Pelorus Jack Shows Discrimination in the Selection of Craft, and he is Protected by a Royal Order." The reading matter began soberly thus: " Pelorus Jack is no nature fake. William H. Bain,, of Bain Bros, Milk Street', tells the story. And William H. Bain can prove the story with photographs; documentary evidence (not written by Jack, by the way), and an Order-in-Council by the : Governor of New. Zealand. . . Ho exhibits the instincts of a policeman faithful to his beat, and he has certain prejudices and likings in. the matter of steamers that nobody can explain." By the way that William H. Bain spoke to the American pressman it seems that Pelorus Jack has a time-table of all vessels' movements, and has a watch to assist him to make dramatic appearances. It has been alleged that " Jack" dislikes the steamer Peng"uin, and gives her .a wide berth, but some of William H. Bain's pictures were secured fronj. t3ie\ Penguin.