LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 10, 7 October 1907, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A runaway horso attached to an express was responsible for, an accident to a man named James Robinson, sixty-four years of ago, residing at Ngahauranga, on Saturday evening. Robinson was standing listening to the Salvation Army in Cuba Street when the horso charged down oil him and knocked him ovor. Ho received a sovere scalp wound and an injury to tlip calf of his leg. > THo sufferer was romoved 'to tho Hospital, where ho is progressing satisfactorily.

The Salvation Army Biorama and City Bands gave a performanco at the Basin Eeservo yesterday afternoon. A collection was taken up in aid of tho Self Denial Fund. Jupp's Band played several selections at Newtown Park.

The Fire Brigade was called out at 9.33 on Saturday night to a chimney on fire at tho premises occupied by Mr. Arthur Mollor, at tho corner of Luxford Street and Adelaide Road.

The building foreman for tho Salvation Army, Mr. Fox, has arrived from Molbourne, and has commenced "operations with a gang of men pulling down tho old Paulina Homo in Cuba Street. As soon as the work has been completed a start will bo made laying the foundations for tho now Workmen's Hotel which the Army is about to ercct.

. 11l accordanco with a suggestion from Christchurch, the Wellington Firo Board lias decided to hold a conference of representatives from . various parts of the Dominion in this city to-mor-row. The conference will meet in the Town Hall at 9 a.m., and will give consideration to the Firo Brigades Act Amendment Bill, 1907, and suggest improvements for submission to the Parliamentary Statutes Itevision Committee. Delegates are expected from each of the other threo. cities, and from Palmerston North and Feilding.

The Wellington rowing season will bo opened next Saturday by his Excellency the Governor. Boats are expected to tako part in tho procession from the Star, Wellington, and Petono clubs, and cutters from the Wellington and Petono Navals.

The officers attending tho instruction classes at Alexandra Barracks had a regular field day on Saturday. After tho usual early morning parade, the company fell to work after breakfast, and proceeded to dig trenches. It was back-aching, palm-blistering work. Parapets were earthed up in front of tho trench, and the whole scheme of entrenchments prepared for tho savage onslaught of . some imaginary foe. Then camo dinner,'and a great sigh went up—a sigh of relief. After dinner furthor instruction was given in fortified defences, gabions, fascines, and hurdles being constructed for the con ; fusion of the invaders. In the evening camo a welcome ''Spell—o," and the wearied company sought couches, any- t , thing, in fact, that offered an inviting angle of rest. During the afternoon Colonel Robin, Chief-of-Staff, gave an interesting lecture on " Company Columns in Attack." Yesterday tho forenoon was occupied with exercise in somaphore signalling, and a lecturo in tho Armoury oh the inspection and care of tho rifle. In tho afternoon came a lecture on.the "Preparation of Operative O/ders." A technical scheme, on a small scale, was drawn up to meet tile supposed landing of a'hostile forco. in the evening,a lecture was delivered on "Discipline." I 1

Tho Terrace School Cadet toam .fired off thoir challengo match with the London City Schools Shotting Toam at Polhill Gully on Saturday. Tho weather conditions were not favourable for high scoring, tho aggregate score being 163 out of a possible 280. The match was undor.tho supervision of Captain Budman, of th' 3 Wellington College Cadets. The Winchester Automatic Rifles usid were lent hy the Colonial Ammunition Company, of Auckland, through their .Wellington agent. The Minister for Education, the Hon. G. Fowlds, was present during tho match) and took i a deep interest in the proceedings. Mr. Fowlds also took a hand and Successfully negotiated the target, Tho following a,re the scores registered:—Macniorran, 28; Wilson, 23; Winchcombe, 23; Thomson, 20; Jordan, 19; Allen : 18; Piprard, 16; Williamson, 16. Total, 163.

At a meeting of tho Management Committee of the Wellington District Institute of Teachers, held in tho Teachers' . Room, Education Board Building, Mercer Street, on Saturday morning, it was decided to make arrangements for a Reception to Messrs. W. T. Gfnndy| and C. Watson. The former is expected to arrivo froiii England on or about Thursday, October 10. Mr. Watson has lately resumed his duties as headmaster at To Aro School, aftor an absence of six tnonths.Tho function will probably tako placo in tiio central hall of the South Wellington School.

It is an old jest that when the London 'bus-driver gets a holiday lie spends it on tho 'bus of a fellow worker. Tho Hon. G. Fowlds laid himself open to a similar impeachment on Saturday night. He attended i gathering of Debating Socioties in fchp Town Hall, and naively explained his presence: ■' I was in tho House until 3.30 this morning, listening to a perfect Niagara of debate, and yet I am pleased to bo hero to-night," he declared, and tho audienco cheered him for a hero. Residonts of tho Terraco and vicinity, whoso daily task impels i them to travcrso tho crooked, uncertain way of Woodward Street, will bo glad to Icarn I that there will soon bo an improvemont in the formation of that rugged thoroughfare. An agreement has just boon signed between private parties concerned and tho Corporation, and tho necessary work will bo taken in hand shortly.

Tho University Tournament, which travols round tho four contros, will bo held in Dunbdin next Easter. At tho debating tourney the Victoria Collego Debating Society will bo ropresented by Messrs. H. F. O'Loary and J. Mason. The former won tlio Plunkct inodal in 1906, and tho latter successfully represented Victoria Collego at tho Auckland tourney last Easter.

The new motor-car service botween Culverden and tho Waiau Ferry—the greator part of tho journey between the railway terminus and Hamner Springs—was inaugurated on Tuesday, when tho first car covered the distance in 90 minutes—time-table time—though tho road was in a very bad condition in places. Tho trip back was accomplished in even bettor time—7s minutes —which is an enormous improvement on tho old coach service that occupied two and a half hours on the trip. The cars were built by the Albion Motor Company of Glasgow, and aro of tho highest workmanship and finish. They aro strongly built in the frame, thero being no delicate, parts visible, and tho engine is completely covered in by a steel covering beneath the car. Tho cars aro specially made for the Govern-, mailt, and aro'of tho samo pattern as those supplied to tho Indian Government a\id tho Straits Settlement Administration. The ongines are of tho two-cylinder, four-cyclo typo, developing from 16 to 20 horse-power with a speed of over twenty miles an hour.

Tho sleeping-house to bo erected on tho slopes of Mount Holdsworth for tho benefit of tourists will bo on tho same lines as that constructed at Mount Egmont, except that it will be in more convenient form. There will bo three rooms, two sleeping apartments and a dining-room with a fireplace. Tho sleeping rooms mil accommodate eighteen persons, and will bo fitted with beds and wire mattresses. The building will be placed at a spot which will he only a two-hours' walk from tho top of the mountain. Mr. C. Bannister, the Mount Holdsworth guide, informed our Wairarapa correspondent that December 20 is the best time for tourists to visit tho -.mountain. The distance from Masterton is only sixteen miles, and of this distanco ten miles may bo coached. Tourists can do the journey in three days and a half from Welilngin three days and a half from Wellington, and returning on Monday by the express.

Tho postal authorities advise that reply coupons will shortly bo obtainable at any post-offico in the Dominion. These coupons provide a moans of enabling tho sender of a letter addressed to certain places abroad to prepay a reply. Tho chargo for the coupon is 3d., and on presentation at the office of a country which adopts, tho scheme a postage stamp to the value of 2jd. may be obtained. The list of countries tho coupons may bo sent to will be published shortly. , ,

Tho New Zealand Christian Endeavour Union now consists, of elovcn provincial unions, comprising a membership of 7493. The societies of the uniou collected for missionary and other purposes last year £1266.

■It is not often that a goklon coin finds its way into a • collection box But one shining sovereign went astrav at the gathering of Debating Societies on Saturday night. It was dropped unsuspectingly, in tho box that stood at the door with expectant; open mouth, and fell with an unfamiliar jingle amongst the modest small change. There was only a small attendance, and that one coin would doubtless have brought up the rest' of tho collection—but it was not allowed to remain long.. The agitated donor fipeodily discovered his loss, and the caretaker was anxiously beseeched to produce tho key and rescue the hidden gold. This was done, and the collection box sighed in a despondent rattle, as it was restored to its resting place.

.The first billiard match in the interclub tournamnt for the Crysterhate Cut will be plavod at the Cycling Club's rooms, Willis Street this ovening. The contestants are Messrs. Grimstone( Civil Sctvicc Club) and Yandor- (Commercial Traveller's Club). The Cuctoms returns for. Saturday amounted to £1347, 10s. Id., making the weekly total £16,697 4s. 6d. The beer duty for the week was £204 4s, 6d. ■ The Wellington Navals paraded at the Forts, Mahanga Bay, on Saturday afternoon. Surgeon-Captain Shand, Lieutenants Sloman, Dennistpn, and Sommerville, and a good muster of " non-coms." and men were present. Big gun drill . was practised at Fort Gordon and Kan Point by squads under P.O.'s. M'Kay, Cowan, Bishop, and Burge. The recruits paraded under P.O. Williamson, and wero exercised in flag-signalling. Some work was also done on the 6-in. Nordenfcldt. The Company returned to town by the Janie Seddon at halfpast five. Five now members have been- elected, and one nomination for membership has been received. There are still a few vacancics in the corps. On Wednesday niglit (Labour Day), a reunion social will be held at the Navals' Boat Station on Jervons Quay. The next parado will bo held at Mt. Cook on October 16.

Wellington tradespeople report, with few exceptions (states the " Labour Journal "'for September), that trade has been good during the month. The continued wet weather has, to a great oxtcnt, affected outside workers, although full timo generally has been worked. Speaking generally, trade has been quito equal to the corresponding month of last year. The. Journal reports as follows on various trades: Engineering, dull and littlo prospect of improvement; boot factories, as busy as they can bo, 'and receiving mpro orders than they can execute; building, plastering, and woollen trades, very brisk;- tailoring, fairly brisk; dressmakers, expect a still greater improvement; tailoring, plumbing, and gas-fitting, going brisk; funlituro trades, fully employed; coachbuilding, only fair; saddlery, rather slack, Tho number of applications for employment as unskilled labourers lias increased, but all suitable applicants liavo been found employment. . Although tho highest' wages aro offering, . farm hands (milkers) aro scarce. There lias been a fair'demand for pick and shovel men, miners and bushmcn.

Mrs. Ethel R. Do Costa, LL.B; (nee Miss Ethel R. Benjamin of Dunedin), after practising tor somo years in that city, has commenced practice as a barrister and solicitor in No. 6 Nathan's Buildings, corner Grey and l''eat!iorston Streets, Wellington. Mrs. Do Costa has tho distinction of being i.,0 only lady practising at tho Bar in tno Dominion. Intending clients can depend oil, prompt and careful attention at Mrs. Do Costa's hande.

Tho low caste Hindus of Travarsooro, ono gathers from the Rev. A. Parker, must be among the poorest people iu tlio world. Their lowest coin, ho told his congregation in tho Wellington Terrace Congregational Shurch'■last evening, is about tho size of a shirt button and worth about as much. They are so poor that a man who never came to church twice on a Sunday explained that lie and his wife had only one clean waist-cloth between them, so that they could not both go to churchy at tho same time. One went in tils morning, therefore and tho other in the evening, and the samo waistcolth served for both of thorn.

Tho results of the essay competition instituted recently by the Navy League for members of the schools hranoli, on the subject, " The British Navy during the Stuart Period," are now to hand. They aro as follow:— Mount Cook Girls—First, Grace Twist. Technical School —First, — Mowatt. Terrace School —Ninety-five competitors, ten prizes allotted as follow:— Donald M'Arthur, Myra Hill, Leonard Bruce, Grahame Vial, May Stephens, Kathleen' Mooroi Leonio Longhurst, Allan Buxton, Charles Stockman, fteo. B. Dall. To Aro School (Willis Street) —First, Oscar Borer. Khandallah School—First, William Ryburn. Mitchclltown—First, Leonard' Culverwell. There aro still some school results to be sent in. A separate competition was held for Navy League members of the Wellington College. Tho following, obtained prizes:—Vl. Form—F. L. G. West. V. Form—A. B. Sievwright. Lowor Forms—T. J. S. Jones and P.,.' E. Gooder. J