LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 34, 4 November 1907, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Last week saw the remaining work of the session considerably advanced. On Tuesday last the Endowment Bill, t-lio last of the three land measures, was reported from committee, and the whole schedule was adopted without' alteration. On Wedneschy evening the Bill passed its third reading This was the most important measure dealt with, but nearly twenty small Bills wo:o advanced a stage. . In addition, certain important Dills, long promised, were introduced. The ' "Workers' Compensation Bi'l came down on Tuesday, tho Native Land Settlement Bill on Wednesday, and +'re i'lour and Potatoes Dill on Friday. Desidoß these tho Gaming and Lottorios.Bill was circulated late on Friday night. With those controversial measures before it, tie House should have a busy week ahead. Unmistakable evidences were to bo seen during last week of "fag" on the part of members. Knowing looks wore interchanged when the suggestion was made that Sir Joseph's adjournment of tho House on Thursday to attend tho Palnierston Show was very timely. Members, however, nre openly impatient to be off home, and speculation is rife as to whether a fortnight will not see thp close of tho session. Aino.ig the most controversial of the measures n"«to bo dealt with will be tho Native Land ■Settlement Bill and tho Gaining and Lotteries Bill.

Mr. 0. ShirtclifFt! has given notioo thnt lie will move nt tlio next mooting of tho Harbour Board—"That in view of tlio inadequacy of tho present wharf and shed accommodation to cope with the rnpidly-iu-creasing import trade of the port, tho provision of increased accommodation bctrcnto-1 us im urgent work, and the engineer take steps to hnvo tho widening of tho outor too of tlio Queen's AVharf and the. erection thereon of two-storied sheds, us reconimonded by him in his report of May 31, li)OO, i>lll in hand at the earliest possible date."

Tiie late Mr. Thomas Matthew M'Menamon, sheepfarmer, of Terawhiti, has left £1000 to two local institutions—£soo to tho Wellington hospital contributors, to be invested and used for the benefit of the Wellington Hospital, and £500 to the Wellington centre of the St. John Ambulance Association, tho latter sum to bo invested and " the incoino arising therefrom to be applied to the maintenance and expenses of a duly qualified and trained nurse for nursing tho sick." The latter work is carried on by tho branch of the centre known as the St. John's Nursing Guild, whoso nurses have alleviated much distress among the sick and boil-ridden poor. The cost has boon met out of voluntary contributions, and the presont bequest will be welcome. The regret is that, as far as we can learn, tho Nursing Guild is not in a position, as the hospital is, to receive Government subsidy on the bequest at the rate of 245. in tho £, which would have more than doubled the investment, and consequently tho income. The beneficiaries have been notified of the bequests by the the late Mr. M'Mcnanien's solicitors, Messrs. Brown and Dean. The estate left by deceased is valued at about £21,000. The Wellington Iron and Brass Moulders Union decided on Friday night—" That if any work is done on Saturday, November 9 (King's Birthday); the Union will claim that double time rates bo paid, as those are the rates specified in tho award.'' The contract price for Messrs. Murray, Roberts, and Co.'s new brick offices liul warehouse, to be erected on the corner nf Johnston and Feathorston Streets, by Mr. John Moffat, is £7700. Messrs. Penty an-1 Blake are the architects. Tho representatives of the New Zealand football Association at the conference if sports governing bodies which is to bu held at Christclnirch on Wednesday will he' Mr. W. Coifey and Mr. Thornton, ol Christchureh. . Scarlet fever holds pride of place in the list of infectious diseases for last week. The Health * Department has been advised of the following infectious cases: —City: Scarlet fever, 9; diphtheria, 3. Hutt County: Scarlet fever, 1; tuberculosis, 1. Tho Fire Brigade was called out at 8.10 on Saturday evening to attend a rubbish fire at the hairdressing establishment of John Korr, 83 Willis Street. The fire was extinguished by tho inniatos of the shop beforo any damage was done. A fisherman named 'John Keegan was admitted to the Hospital on Saturday night suffering from severe cuts across tho forehead and upper lip, sustained through walking in front of a tramcar at Miramar. Both wounds had to be stitched up. Tho man was also severely bruised about the body. Notice of appeal has been given by the Crown in tho case of the Police against Hutcheson, a charge of keeping a disorderly house. The information was dismissed by Mr. Riddell, S.M., wljo stated, in giving his decision, that he, had some doubt as., to whether the house was a disorderly house within the meaning of New Zealand law. As tho Official Assignee has taken over the estate of W. G. Tustin, painter, it is necessary for creditors to send in proofs of debt to him in lieu of those furnished some time ago to the trustees who formerly had charge of tho estate. About forty creditors have not yet done so, and they hare been informed by circular that claims sent in after November 15 will not be recognised. , The widow of Michael Henry, of Port Almriri, who died as the result of injuries received whilst working, at Napier, on t!'u dredge J.D.0., on October 16, is claiming £400 as compensation from the Napier Harbour Board. Henry, it will be remembered, was crushed inwardly while making a rope fast to the grab of tho dredge owing to a chain breaking, and succumbed the following clay. Tho General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand will commence its session in St. John's Church to-morrow. Over two hundred ministers and laymen are expected to attend. On. Thursday there will be| a ,[ young people's night," at which addresses will bo given by the Rov. J. C. Jamieson (travelling secretary), Rev. Dr. Gibb, Rev. John Mackenzie (of ' Christchurch), and Mr. William Gray, M.A., B.Sc.

Tho question of the rate at which motorcars tear through the public streots cries aloud for consideration.- On Saturday evening a big car. was noticed rushing along Manners Streot west at a rate that could not havo been less than twenty niiles an hour. The City/ Council by-law affecting tho speed of motor-cars says:—"He (the person in charge) shall not drive tho 1 motorcar at any speed greater than is reasonable, having regard to the traffic on tho road, or so as to endanger tho life or limb of any person or to the common danger of passengers." The matter requires the decision of a magistrate as to what is a reasonable rate of speed for motor-cars traversing city streets before a serious accident calls public attention to the matter. A truly sportsmanlike action was psrformed by tho captain of the Wellington Cricket Club in tho match against (lie I'hoonix seniors on Saturday afternoon. O."e of the Phoenix batsmen, who had been scoring strongly, hit a ball hard to leg. Tho ball cleared all the fieldsmen, but was picked up by one of tho horde 6f small hoys who swarm on the reserve, and returnod to the wicketkeepor. Tho batsman, unconscious of tho fa.ct that the smnll boy had stopped th'o ball, started on. another run, and was consequently stumped. The Wellington captain, realising tho unfairness of the position, refused to take this ndvan-. tnge of the opposing side, and allowed the batsman to ; continue his innings. Such procedure may not tally with tho rules of the came, but tho action was that of a true- sportsman, and as such was fully appreciated by the spectators. Senior cricketers labour under a gre.it disadvantage in Wellington through the crowdod state of the Basiiv Reserve on Saturday afternoons. At the best the ground would hold about four matchos fairly comfortably, but as matters stand at present the Cricket Association is compelled to play four , matches on half of the ground, tho other half being given over to boys, Who literally swarm on the eastern side. It is almost impossible to hit a ball through the crowd of youngsters, and every Satirday sees numerous runs lost through' this cause. Minor accidents frequently occur, and the authorities should take action. Whilst umpiring in a senior match on Saturday afternoon, Mr. 1). M'Kenzio received a severe blow on the face from a ball hit by somo hoys who had pitched their wickets within a few yards of the senior game Mrs. Ethel E. Do Costa, LL.I3. (neo "lira Ethel R. Benjamin of Dunndin), after practising for somo years in that city, has commenced practice as a barrister and solicitor in No. (i Nathan's Buildings,' corner Groy and Feathorston Streets, Wellington. Mrs. Do Losta has the distinction of being the only lady prastisinif at tho Bar in the Dominion. Intitndint; clients can depend on prompt and caroiF , ittou:tiuu at Mrs. Do Costa'e baude.

The Zealandia, which left Sydney for Auckland on Thursday last, has on. board a large Brindisi mail for Wellington, which will bo duo by the oxpress to-morrow evening. ■■ Wo have received from Mr. Thomas Pringle, of this city, specimens of a new series of postcards of New Zealand views, in colours, equal to the best reproductions of foreign views that we have seen. They represent New Zealand scenery at its highest. Wonderland opened its doors to the public on Saturday afternoon. Owing to a breakdown in the machinery, the chute, toboggan, and katzenjammer castle were not in action. However, the good, glad sun shone brightly, the band played, and an enjoyable afternoon was spent by those who attended. Everything will be in working order by next Wednesday, it is stated. Mr. George Scott, of Wellington, a traveller for Messrs. John Duthie and Co.', met with a rather serious accident through being thrown out of a buggy whilo trying to negotiate a slip on a road near Fcilding. Mr. Scott, who broke one, of the smaller bones of his shoulder, is likely to be incapacitated for some time. ' The footpath outside a local music -warehouse became so blocked with pcbplo on Saturday evening that tho police entered a protest against- the means that attracted tho crowd —the playing of a giant phonograph—and it is possible that formal action may be taken to decido tho point as to whether attracting crowds by phonograph playing or other means to such an extent that they block a public way is legally permissible. ■ ■ .

A' young woman named Emily Hyland. alias Lena Cogan, was arrested on Saturday by Detective Broberg, and will appear at the Magistrate's Court this morning on a charge, of having for,ged a cheque for £2 10s., drawn on the National Bank, Wellington. Warrants are also out for the arrest of the same woman on charges of having obtained goods from Messrs. Everett Bros., drapers, Nelson, by means of false pretences, and a bicycle from Mr. C. W. Boyd, Takaka, by similar means, also fqr the theft of a horse, sidesaddle, and bridle, the property of Mr. Wm. J. Addison, of Collingwood. About forty members of tho Jolinsonville Rifles accepted tho invitation of the Hutt Valley Rifles to a-smoke-concert at Lower ' Hutt on Friday night. Captain Ross presided, and Captain T. W. M'Donald, assistant adjutant-general of the Council of Dofence, was also prosent. During the evening tho team onterod by tho Hutt Valley Rifles for the physical drill competition at the Military Tournament at , Palmerston North gave ah excellent 'display./ Songs and other items filled up the rest of t'lie evening. "Now is the spring of our discontent made glorious summer by yesterday's weather," is .a pardonable paraphrase on the. Bard of Avon's lines under present circumstances. Wellington, in common with the greater part of tho country, has been suffering from weather' far removed from tho sample wo have been accustomed to. Blustering gales, squalls of , rain, and cold nights have been our irksome portion, and no conversation could be considered conventional unless opened with " Wretched weather?" But Saturday saw , a delightful change, and yesterday was summer in all its warm serenity. The smart arrest made by Detective Cassells of tho three men who were subsequently sentenced to fifteen years' imprisonment for extensive burglaries in the city recently has boon followed by the recovery of certain articles of jewellery from a boardinghouse. Two men went to tho house where the three prisoners had stayed during their liberty, and asked to be allowed to rent a room. Tho request was refused, and the men then asked permission to go up to the bathroom, which was also refused. Tho suspicions of tho occupants of the house were roused, and on a search of the bathroom being made several small articles of jewellery were discovered hidden about tho room. Tho Christmas number' of the Auckland " Weekly News " reaches a remarkably high standard of artistic illustration. Forty pages\ of pictures, cleverly descriptive of the Dominion's scenery, industries, and life, are accompanied by letterpress both, instructive and amusing. Elaborate pains have been devoted to the artistic framing of tho illustrations; which should impress anew upon New Zealandors the beauty of this country's scenery, and make very homesick exiles' by tho waters of Babylon. •■.•■■

Writing to Mr. D. Hood, a skilled golf player now residing at the Club Hotel, a fellow olub-wielder says that in tho Australian championship the Hon. Michael Scott' proved'too good for the rest of the compete tors. . "There is no getting away from itj" says the writer, " he's the best man this year south of the lino. I never'saw-an amateur, not-even at Home, play such brilliant and consistent golf as ho is doing.: Of course, he does nothing clso but play hero year in and year I won't go into details, but you will see by the.paper I am forwarding that a protest) was lodged, which was overruled,by tho K.M.G.C. Rules Committee. There will be a lot to say, about it in about seven weeks' time, as a full account has been sent to 'Golf Illustrated.'" A shooting accident occurred on the Brooklyn hills at 1.30 p.m. yesterday. From advice received by tho police it appears that three . inoii, Thomas Isaacs, barber, Willis Streot, Richard C. Stowe, 31 Arthur Street, and Joseph Wilcocks, 171 Willis Street, left town in the morning on a rabbit-shooting expedition. When tho men were walking across Fi'tchott's Farm at 1.30 in the afternoon, Isaacs, who was carrying a loaded gun, slipped and fell, causing tho gun to go off. Tho charge of shot lodged in tho insido of Isaacs' left knee, and left him in a crippled condition. Information of tho accident was conveyed to Brooklyn, and thence to the Lambton Quay pblico station. An ambulance was sent out to Brooklyn, and Constables Mullooly and Sims were also despatched to the scone of the accidont. Tho-policemen found tho injured inan and his comrades about four miles from Brooklyn, and placed the sufferer on a stretcher and- carried him into Brooklyn, wheuco he was romoved tt the hospital in tho ambulance van. On inquiry at tho Hospital last night it was stated that Isaacs was badly wounded; and was in a serious condition. i A fine election of photographic cards, Dominion Day and R.M.S. Turakina on Fire now on view at ZAICS PHOTO DEPOT, 2i Willis Street. On sale at popular prices. C 6-11 Well dressed moans becomingly dressed, not merely tho wearing of smart clothes, but garments designed to emphasise the good points of thq figure, llcnce, the premier and most essential item a fashionably attired woman needs is a perfectly cut corset, artistically .moulded to U:c "human form." C. Adams and Co., .15 Cuba Street, have n most up-to-date corset department, and a lady expert is always in attendance for the purpose of "fitting." Bosides having all the' most fashionable makes of corsets to solect from, 0. Adams and Co. ai-o ngoiits for tho Messenger Corset Manufacturers. Your measure is taken by an export, fitted and made.to your order within a week. Inspection invited. C6H

According to ndvico received by tho Tourist Department from Mr. Donno at Ebtoriin at tho oppning of the fishing season there on Friday Inst, over 100 nnglers went oiit on the lake at midnight on Thursday and fished nil night. Tho total catch amounted to over GOO rainbow trout, running in weight from 31b.,t0 1111)., the fish being all in very good'condition'for this season of the year. Those caught in Lake Tarawcra wore quito fat. . ::■■■;' • ■ •'." ''• ■'■ '•'•. ; •"'' '■■ In tho , current number ot tho ." Wellingtonian," the. official organ of the Wellington College; appears the following 'paragraph :—' " ThorbV are somo { boys 'at College who, either ffoiii lack ,of the required amount' of ready, brains,.'or else from inability to distinguish ■ themselves at athletics, arc unable to Ueavc their record in the College. These boys might, and it is probable, often would,' becomo famous, men ot whom the College would, 1)0. very proud. Now no record 'would show their preseiico onco in tho College, except ■'. in tho, register, so that a record is surely needed. To meet this difficulty a largo .board is'being erected outside tho College on which the name of any boy.holding any responsible position in the College may bo carved. His nnmc will thus bo preserved and handed down to posterity. In a small court-house in Lfermany, there is ail almost illegible name scrawled on "a wall. It is'shown with great ■'pride; and is the Bimpie' work 'Bismarck.' He was 'run in' whilo sowing his. wild oats, and idly scrawled his name. Now might not there be a second Bismarck'among us hore; a second Napoleon of ,any>:walk of life? Therefore we must all engrave our names in good Kauri, for tho veneration of future generations."