LOCAL AND GENERAL,

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 7, 3 October 1907, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL,

Wellington yachting mon and othors who make yearly holiday in the Sounds will know the locality referred to below, and sympathise accordingly. Tlkj iMai'lliorounh "Herald" Bays Unit j'ieton people are considerably exercised in mind over nn application to llio Land ISoapl for a lease of l.lio picturesque spot opposite I'icton and ),vin« to the east of Portage, known an Double Hay. To allow this wind! area of bountiful Inisb scenery to be destroyed would be an act of vandalism of the worst and most idiotic Icind, and we tiust the Board will promptly put its foot down. We join witli tho Mayor and Councillors of I'ieton in raining our voice in the loudest tono of'protest and are sure that tho matter has only to he brought under the notice of tho authorities to huvo tho Hay permanently reserved for scenic purposes

At a mooting of tlio Council of the Chamber of Commerce, hold ycst;rday afternoon, the President (Mr. .7 'G. Hnrknoss), and Mcbsi's D. J. Nathan, E. Pearco, G. ShirtclifTe, J. Dutliio, W. Allan, \V. L. Meek, V,' B. Lees and E. G. Pilcher were present. The question of holida/s was considered, in view of tlio Go 7ornment's promise to legislate on the subject, and it was resolved:—"That this Council is decidedly opposed to any increase in the number of statutory holidays, and that the Chamber is strongly of opinion that as far as practicable statutory holidays shoud be observed, on tlio nearest Mondiy to the date of the respective holiday." There was a discussion ' o:> the resolution, but no difference of opinion. It was further resolved: - "That, this Council is further of the opinion that bank holidays should hn made to coincido with the ordinary statutory holidays." . There was als3 a good deal said about the deficiency in the shed, accommodation for the storago of goods on the wharves, and the Chamber's representative on tho Harbour Board promised to bring the matter forcibily before' that body.

Tlio .Government, through the Tourist Department ,has been invited to have a representative at the Al-aska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition to be held at Seattle in 1009. Tho communication from tho Exposition authorities'states that it is estimated at the present time that the number that will pay for admission will i \- ceed 2,000,000, and may possibly reach 3,000,000. It is further estimated that 'there will be not less than 250,00,0 visitors from tho Eas;ern part of the United States, which number may possibly reach 400,010. A largo number of thoso pcopie would be looking for new location, and it was thought that New Zealai l might do well to consider the id„.-> of exhibiting its resources. This communication was from Mr. Ha-vy E. Reed, Director of Exposition, Seattlo. The matter has not ytt been considered by tho Government.

. At the annua] general meeting of the Wellington Wednesday Cricket Association, an' interesting discussion took place 011 a motion to exclude Saturday Senior players from taking part in Wednesday games. l The voting was even, and the chairman's casting vote loft things as they are. A motion by, the secretary giving the Association power to decide, if it think necessary, which club the Saturday Seniors shall play, was carried, the aim being to provide a means by which- the strength of the clubs can be to a . certain extent regulated. The Wednesday., season will probably open, weather permitting, 011 October 16, and under the altered conditions the competitions, both Senior and Junior, should prove interesting.

The bi-monthly meeting of the School Commissioners was held yesterday afternoon, there being present:—Messrs J. R. Blair (Chairman), W. H. Field, M.H.R., A. W. Hogg. M.H.R., F. Y. Lethbridgo, M.H.R.; J. Strauchon, and the Secretary. Tho following amounts wore apportioned:—Primary Schools—Wellington Education Board, £323 6s. Bd.; Wanganui Education Board, £176 13s. 4d.; total primary vote, £500. Secondary Schools —Wellington College, £79 7s. Sd.; Wellington Girls' High School, £45 Is. 2d.; Wanganui Girls' High School, £34 175.; Palmerston North High School, £40 14s. 2d; total secondary vote, £200.

The return of criminal cases brought beforo tho Magistrate's Court for the quarter ended September 30 gives the following figures, tho totals for the corresponding quarter of 1906 being given in parentheses:— Taken into custody, summoned or apprehended, ■ 1246 . malos, 150 females (1207 males, 131 females); discharged for want of prosecution or want of evidence, 127 males, 7 females (107 males, 8 females); dismissed, 44 males, 7 females (21 nialos, 2 females); committed for trial, 48 males, 1 female (31 male); summarily convicted, 952 males, 108 females (952 male, 100 female); otherwise dealt with 95 males, 27 females (96 males, 21 females). Tho rcvonue dorived from tho cases amounted to £447 os. 6d. as against £504 15s. for tho third quarter of 1906. A glanco .through the detailed list of cases shows some fairly heavy figures. For instnnco 479 males and 59 female's wero convicted for drunkenness and 40 wero convicted for being drunk and disorderly. By-law cases rail up to a total of 142 and thoft charges' totalled 117.

The bar privilege!! in connection with the Wellington Racing Club Spring Meeting, to be held at Tmitliam nn October 17 and 19, will bo Gold by public auction by Messrs. Ilarcourt and Co., at their rooms, -Ifl Lambton Quay, on Monday next. .October 7, at 2..10 p.m. Full particulars and conditions o£ sale may be obtained oil application to the auctioneers.

The Tourist Department has received a request for literature on New Zealand from a resident of the Colonnade Sail Rafael, Mexico. A parcel will go forward by the no it mail. Of the 283 bags of English and Australian mails which arrived by the Maheno from Sydney yesterday, 222 bags wero for 'Wellington. This unusually heavy mail was the result of thero being no direct boat from Sydney last week, and offers a fair excuse for the extra timo occupicd in sorting the mail yesterday noon.A very stormy' meeting of the Masterton Trust lands trustees was held last night to consider a proposal concerning which much feeling has besu shown on previous occasions. The Government has a valuable site m Queen Street, at present used for a police-station and sergeant's residence, whilst the trust own a larger site, but in a less important thoroughfare. The Government offered to exchango tlio Queen Street site for the trust sito if the trustees paid £1000, .tho estimated difference in value, the Government wishing to get the'trust sito to build a new court-house on. The original offer was for 42ft. frontago in Queen Street, but this was increased since the £1000 difforenco in value was fixed to 49ft., whilst nothing oxtra was added to tho compensation. Mr. W. H. Jackson moved it a special meeting to allow the trust voters to dccide tho question of accepting the Government's offer at a poll, but the casting vote of tho chairman (Mr. T. B. Michell) went against the motion. The debato on 'tlio matter was of a very bitter nature. A motion was carried that tho Justice Department bo informed that tlio trustees finally reject the offer as submitted. Conversing with a Dominion reporter yesterday, a member of tho Drivers' Union stated that a fresh demand would have been served on the employers early this year but for the fact that they had hoard of proposed , legislation in the direction of amending tho "Industrial Conciliation Act." It was anticipated that tho new moasuro would confer greater benefits than were possible under the prestnt Act. In this thoy had been disappointel, and the desire had sinco been expressed by members generally that, if the employers rejected the proposals of the l Union, they would prefer <;o again como under the existing Act. The Health Officer refused admission to a passenger by the Maheno from Sydney yesterday under the Undesirablo Immigration Act, as ho was suffering from mental derangement. A conference between representatives of tlio Master Carriers and th'o Drivers' Union was held in tho rooms of the Emploj'ers' Association yesterday evening. The business under consideration was a demand by the Union for an increase in wages in all grades and for better.-'conditions of. employ-" ment. It is understood that no settle mont was arrived at, and that the matter-will bo referred to tho Conciliation Board; At the annual meeting of- parishioners of St. John's Church last evening, Dr. Gibb expressed himself very well satisfied with the amount raised during tho past year for Homo Missions. It was, ho said, his intention to appeal to the. congregation for sufficient money to defray the cost of sending a missionary to 1 some foreign country and maintaining him. Addressing . his parishioners last evening, Dr. Gibb referred to the need that exists in Wellington for a receiving homo for Presbyterian arphan children. In Auckland, ho said, a considerable sum' had been raised to - provide an orphanage, which, it was intended, should bo the principal institution of the kind under the control of tlio Church in the Dominion. .Receiving homes, as. auxiliaries, would, it was liopH. be established in tho other centres, as had already been done in Dunedin. Dr. Gibb appealed to tho Oivls' Bihle Class to take up the matter. Tho need for a hostel for the young men of St. John's—studt jits or otherwise—was also pointed out by him. "If tlio people of 'Wellington only knew what the interesting subjects -are that we discuss in this hall," said Mr. E. D. Bell at the meeting of tho Philosophical Institute last night, "our members would bo about ten times as large as they are." A slight shock of earthquake was experienced at 1 Taihape at 8.40 o'clock on Tuesday night. "Tho .Maheno, which arrived from Sydney yesterday brought 13 Chinese, 11. for Wellington and two for Lyttelton. They wore all newcomers. The experience of the Minister of Labour (the Hon. J. A. Millar) so far has been that the members of the employees unions who have waited on him' in regard' to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill arc in favour of its proposals. Tho clauso regarding the substitution of Industrial Councils for tho Conciliation Boards has, ho states, met with the approval of tho workers. " Look here, you'vo killed my barman! What do you mean by it?" " Oh, that's all right, he's only an Irishman—put him down in tlio bill." This little dialogue was recounted by Father O'Lavcrty last night to illustrate how tho son of Erin was esteemed by tho soldiers sent over from England in tho good old days of Henry 11. And tho barman, who had been promptly shot by tho officer for refusing to servo moro drink, was duly "put in the bill," ■ said tlio Rev. Father. "There wero the following items iiv tho bill: —ls. Gd. for breakfast, 2s. fid. for dinner, and £5 for shooting barman." The bill was settled and receipted with "busincssliko" formality. Mrs. Ethel R. Do Costa, LL.B. (nco Miss Ethel R. Benjamin of Dunedin), after practising for somo years in that city, has oommenccd practico as a barrister and solicitor in No. 6 Nathan's Buildings, corner Grey and Featherston Streets, Wellington. Mrs. De Costa has tho distinction of being uo only lady practising ac tho. Bar in tlio Dominion. Intending clients can depond on prompt and careful attention at Mrs. Do Costa's hands.

Tlio officers attending the instruction classes had a busy day at the Alexandra .Barracks yesterday. The "reveille" sounded at 5.30 a.m., and at 6.30 the officers paraded for sworddrill, under Captain Brown. After breakfast, company ■ and squadron drills were to have been taken, but the weather was so boisterous that the parades were abandoned, and an adjournment was made to the lecturoroom, where Captain Laseelles gave some instruction in military-scales for mapping. Piactico in semaphore signalling was then carried out'. In the afternoon the officers paraded on the southern side of . the barracks and were exercised in judging tances, taking several well-knowii /■ landmarks, such as St. Mark's church / tower and Mount Victoria Signal ' Station as their objectives. Very good work in this exercise- was dona by some. The company then divided, one squad being given practice in range-finding with instruments, and the other being exercised in guard-"" mounting. In the evening, a'lecture on the relationship of the three arms in war was delivered by Captain- Lascelles. The officer for the day was Lieutenant Ashworth. . Everybody is satisfied with the. conditions of the camp, and, despite the long hours, arQ thoroughly enjoying themselves.' It is understood that permission has been granted for the use of the Basin Reserve for some-'of the parades, the ground at the Barracks being somewhat crampcd.

Those iii need of a really reliable watch at a very moderate price should read Messrs. Stewart Dawson and Co.'s advertisement in this issue.