LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10535, 9 August 1912, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the Wellington Magistrate's Court, William Scott and Henry Martindale were charged with the publication of a notification of betting on horse races. Decision was reserved.

Gisborne again headed the birth list in tho_ boroughs for June, the total being2s2. Other boroughs had the following totals:—Palmerston North 51, Invercargill 38, Timaru 36, Wangaiiul 30, Napier 23* New Plymouth 23, Blenheim 21, Masterfcon 20, Thamfis 18, Oamaru 15, Greymouth 13. The other boroughs, totals ranged from 9to 4. The deaths in Gisborn© totalled 6, half that of Invercargill, while at Napier and Palmerston North th« total was 10.

During the hearing of a case at the Magistrate's Court this morning, in winch a father was charged with having failed to send his children to school regularly, Mr Upham who appeared for the defendant, said that the children were not sent to school because the mother was afraid that they would learn bad language. The Magistrate (Mr T. A. B. Bailey, S.M.), said he could quite understand that. Many parents felt the same about eending their children to a publio school, aha . many who could not afford to send thejr children to a private school, educated them at home.

. THe half-yearly meeting of the Loyal City of Christcliurch Lodge of Oddfellows, Manchester Unity, was held on Monday last, N.G. Brother A. A. Shaw presiding. The balance-sheet showed an increase of £376 on the sicfe and funeral fund, which now amounts to £17,393, and the other funds in credit were, management. £2388, benevolent £26, and medical aid £9 10s. The report stated that there had been an average of twenty-six members on. the sick fund, the. amount paid for the half-year being £320, whilst £l4O had been paid on account of deaths £289 for medical attendance. . The membership was now 530, the averag* age being forty-one years, which age members were asked to try and reduce by introducing young candidates.

Acting under instructions from tli« Gisborne Harbour Board,. Mr "J. A. M'Donald, the engineer, has prepared plans for the development of the river harbour to its utmost capacity. ' It is proposed to extend, the harbour along th© Waikariae Creek- to the vicinity of the railway bridge, a distance of about three hundred yards. The- dredgo Maui will be used for this purpose, and the creek will be d red feed - out to a depth of twenty feet. The creek will also be considerably widened, and wharves will Be constructed along each side providing ample berthing accommodation for fair-sized steamers. A surveying basin is also provided for. A plan of the proposed work has already been submitted to the Minister for Marine for his approval, and the matter will be finally decided at the Board's next meeting. Tlie sixth annual meeting of the Waimate, Gas and Coal Company was held last night. The balance-sheet showed .a profit of over £7OO on the year, p6twithstanding that over £2OO had been spent during the year on the renewal of retorts and that two additional retorts had been put. iii- during the year, making nine in good order. capital paid up was £7500, and a dividend Was , declared of 8 per cent. The Borough Council holds an option of purchase at the end of seven years, and this will be exercisable in October, 1913. Six months notice must 'be given, making it a question for the ratepayers to decide before April nest. The price fixed under the agreement is twenty times the last dividend, making the purchase £12.000. During its sis t years' existence the company has avfer- ' aged 7 per cent, and has also paid off all the preliminary expenses and depreciation. If the Borough does not purchase next year, the option continues, but the price has to be fixed by arbitration. . '

Of special interest in Mr Fisher'a Budget speech was a sentence announcing that £1,000,000 would be required during the financial year for the trans* Australian railway. Mr Fisher did not say how he was to get it, nor was it to bo found in the Estimates. Thus official confirmation was given to the statement that the line is to be_ built out of loan money. This will be raised by the Treasury taking up Commonwealth inscribed, stock aa loan money becomes necessary. Mr Fisher has allowed £60,000 in the Estimates for. interest, on inscribed, stock. '/he stock issued to date is £700,000, and the interest is sufficient to meet a muc h larger issue. A large issue for the railway and for lands resumed in f'io capital territory may therefore be ox?; pected under the Loan Act p&ea-xl la-iyfr. session. Another confirmatory state-, ment was that £IIO,OOO would bo provided out of revenue for Federal cdpi-! tal works, showing that the Government's policy is to build the city slowly, and, as far as i>ossible, out of revenue. . . j

The production of butter m "V ;ctoi in . during the coming season is net expect-' ed to equal the output ■ f 'vast jear,, says the "Age." Aocording to thtt ; * reports, before the Department of; Agriculture, there is an abundance of herbage ana grass in the "Western district, and in Gippsland conditions/are above the average. Theee two districts will no doubt show a distinct 'ui« provement in production which will b« more than balanced by the shortage in the north and riorth-east. On ».r«i count of the prolonged dry season; north of the Dividing Range, many ' of the dairy cattle died, and of thos® remaining only partial returns are possible. The irrigable districts form, an exception to the rule, as well as thoso ia, wfiion. dairymen are providing ensilage and fodder in other forms. These' latter were unfortunately very few. The total production of Victorian butter last year reached about 33,000 tons,! whilst for the coming season the de-!• partment considers that the State will be fortunate, if 30,000 tons is reached. This quantity would leave available about 17,000 tons for export to all destinations.

The work in the Tennyson Streetr' Congregational Church reached an-| other stag© in its development on Thursday night, when a church was duly, constituted with sixty-three charter members. The Rev W. J. L. Closs, together with Messrs A. W. Beaven and W. Bull, attended representing the parent church, conducted the inauguration. service Following the first service a business meeting was held, the Rev Harold n. Perkins, formerly of Coi'fo Dorset, being unanimously elected minister and duly inducted. Messrs Andrews, Charters, Lake, M'Lennan, E. F. Owen and Sturge were appointed a diaconate. To mark the occasion and as a token of regard, the Rev W. J. L. Closs was presented with a silver-mounted morocco writing-case, suitably inscribed, in commemoration of his services in inaugurating the work at Tennyson Street, which had led-so sucessfully to the launching of the church that evening. Appreciative reference was also made to Mr G. H. Hall's services to the school and church during the period prior to the arrival of the minister. During the evening the choirrendered suitable music under tha baton of Mr Robert Congrere, My Harvey Brunt presiding at the organ. Brain and body fatigue are quickly relieved by a dose of Stearns' Wine of Cod Liver Extract. It adds tone to the system and puts you where you belong. 21 He caught a tram, a boat, a 'bus, * Some fish, a cricket ball; He caught his typist talking to. The chief clerk through the wall.. He caught both 'roo and wallaroo, Upon his annual tour; But;saved himself from catching cold. With Woods' Great Peppermint Ours. 1Q

Fine weather was reported this morning from iall parts of the dominion. The following steamers will probably bo within wireless range to-night: —lonic, Warrimoo, Maheno, Victoria, Moerabi and Hauroto. ! At Wellington to-day, tho Beekecp- ' Prs' Conference decided to recommend the Government to provide for the compulsory official grading of honey under the Produce Export Act. ' A dramatic - and musical entertainment by Miss Lucy Cowan, with additional recitals in elocution and song by Mr and Mrs J A. Rosewarne and Mr C. Bills, and piano solos by Miss Lilinn Harper, will be given to-night tn West End Hall. ! The Woolston Brass Band will play a selected programme -f music at Hackthorne Road on Sunday at 2.45 p.m. Collections will be taken to enable the Woolston Band to compete at the Dunedin contest in October next, under its new conductor, Mr A. Mullinger, L.R.A.M, . Two large whales came up the Akaroa Harbour last night as far as Wainui, ! where they remained quite close in shore all the morning, and this afternoon they proceeded further up the harbour. They could plainly be seen from Akaroa, passing Tekao, and frequently spouting. A large party has gone out in a launch to see the mammals. One is stated to be over 40ft in length." At Auckland to-day, George Frederick Campbell, storekeeper, was grants ed his discharge in bankruptcy, having paid in full his liabilities to his cre- .. ditors, dating from his bankruptcy ten years aga, when the claims proved amounted to £344 and the assets realised sufficient to pay 2s 6d in the pound. The judge said tjiat it was refreshing to find such a case. It was one in which , a man • became a bankrupt ten years ago, but never applied for his discharge, and had in the interim collected enough money to pay 208 in the pound. He had much pleasure in granting the discharge. The absence of mention of the Commonwealth Bank in the Federal estimates, other than a passing reference to the £SOOO advanced by the Treasury for preliminary expenses, was a subject of free cojnment among Parliamentarians recently, after Mr Fisher had concluded Ins speech. This silence will deprive members of the right to discuss the bank in detail. The'institution is removed from the Parliamentary oversight, and members are apparently to wholly depend for their control over its affairs upon the Auditor-General's reSrt.and tho governor's annual reports. embers are not likely to tolerate this separation of the bank from all other Government affairs and enterprises. It was expected that tho institution would figure as do the State Railway Departments on State estimates, for it occupies an analogous position, the Railway Commissioners being equally removed from ministerial control.

' A new company of Senior Cadets is to be formed in connection with the ' Ist Regiment. The company, which will set the standard for all others, will be known as the King's Cadets. To form a nucleus the four best and smartest boys 6ver sixteen years of age will be transferred from eacli company in the city to the King's Cadets. This system will be continued until the company reaches full strength, thereafter annually in June to replace ■ Cadets transferred to the Territorials. The new company will be the first to wear " the shorts" adopted by the British Army. , It is proposed to provide a recreation room for the comSi i>any, and football, cricket and hockey teams willbe formed. A special instructor will be engagedj and any King's Cadet not conforming to the hisli standard expected of the company will be sent back to his original corps. For 'everal months past no seizures of opi'im have been made by the Customs officers from Eastern trading ressels on their arrival at Melbourne, rjie fact might bo taken as an indication (says the "Age") that the repressive measures to prevent the importation of the drug into Victoria wer« effective, if it were not >for the evidence to the contrary afforded by the ruling price in Little Bourke Street. It is to he presumed that opium ha.s "risen in prioe in common with other commodities. and as the charge per ounce tin is £5 10s, a comparatively low rate, the Customß officials recognise that there must still be large quantities coming into the State. Som.» little time ago the Department expressed the belief that • a Chinese ring" existed to control the importation of the drug into the Commonwealth and its sale aa a luxury, hut from whatever service the supply is controlled it is certain that only the 'mallest quantities have for some considerable time past been seized in the pity. The belief is that the drug is Imported into Brisbane and Sydney with comparative ease, and speedily divided for transport by rail and by . inter-State steamers to other parts of the Commonwealth.