LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 41, 12 November 1907, Page 1

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

His Worship the Mayor (Hon. T. W. Hialop) was approached yesterday to see if lie had anything to say regarding the strictures passed by Mr. Ell, M.H.R., on Wellington and its- municipality. Mr. Hislop said tint he "had no time to argue with a man who talked such nonsense." When is a boy a man? That—or something similar—was a question that croppod up frequently in the Arbitration Court yesterday. It was put to various witnesses and answered as variously. One man summed up the situation neatly: "Well, some boys are men 'at eighteen and others are lads at twenty-six." ' The opening of the yaohting season whbli was set down for yesterday had to be abandoned on account of the wet weather. A number of yachtsmen foregathered at thj Port Nicholson Yacht Club's shed, where an impromptu luncheon was held with the provendor laid in for the picnic at Somes's Island. ; The annual examinations for degrees, senior and Tinline scholarships, honours in arts, law, and science, teachers' class C certificates of proficiency and admission to legal profession commenced yesterday morning at 'Victoria College. They will conclude oil Friday, November 22. The president of the Arbitration Court pointed out yesterday that,, if work was required to bo done expeditiously, an employer could engage a capable non-unionist providsd that the services of an efficient unionist could not bo obtained at the time. The inquost on the body of F. W. Barrett, journalist, who died at the hospital on Friday last,as the result of injuries sustained'in an acetylene gas explosion at Levin,, is to bo held at tho Official Assignee's .offico i.t 2.30 this afternoon. Tho evidence of Dr. liwart was taken at the hospital on Saturday. An inquest is also to be held this afternoon on the body of the man M'Gowati, found iii tho harbour on Sunday. An employer, who gave ovidence at tho Arbitration Court yesterday, when the Builders' Labourers' disputo was heard, stated that he had discontinued asking " new chums" to become members of tho Union. Amidst laughter, ho informed the Court that tho last man whom ho had induced to-join bocamo so nervous after climbing some distance up a ladder that it took four men to assist him down. The Roy. Dr. Erwin (Christohurch), referring at the mooting of the Presbyterian Gen-, oral Assembly yesterday to the hardships of home missionaries, said that he knew of one' missionary, a married man, who had to live for months in tho vestry of his ohurch. "Ho should bo glad that ho had a Vestry to live in," a minister interjected, - not very . soriously;. "Wo should not bo glad undor such oiroumstances," said Dr. Erwin. Ho referred 'also to tho case of a homo missionary on the Main Trunk Line who was liviig in a tent. Ho had soon a'photograph of tho totlt, and he would not like to live in it. < '' You might as woll attempt to have liscd government cpnducted without the newspapers as tho Cliuroh without its religious organ," observed the Rev. Dr. Gibb at tho meeting of tho Presbyterian Goneriil Assembly yesterday. Tho Rev. A. Cameron, in urging tho advantage of a small committee for administering the affairs of the Presbyterian Church journal, asked how Thk Dominion would attain prosperity if its affairs were managed by a committee' scattorod over all tho country, who had to be consulted at every.step. Among the many reports of shortages in the crops, it is pleasant to record that the presont season is a record one for rhubarb, tho fruit-cum-vegetablo that is so appetising and healthful at this time of the year. Tons arrive from the country every mornihg, ut, tho markots, and in the scale of kitchongarden products arranged for sale at 8 a.m. each day everything is subsidiary to rhubarb, notwithstanding which good prices are being realised. Peas—which are now being sold retail at per lb. instead of per peck—havo been on the market for some weeks, but aro still of, the " thin " order. Among tho new season's fruits strawberries and chorries are now foi: sale, but neither aro what might be termed "prime" yet. Tho City Council might with advantago take notice of the condition of the roadway in Oriental Bay at tho various tram stoppingplaces,' especially those at Hay and Grass Streets. In wet weather persons boarding a tram at these localities have either to make a jump of considerable width from tho rodd on to the step of the car, at the risk of personal injury, or they have to wade through water anklo deep and chance a subsequent cold from wet foot. It is in tho nature of things, of courso, that the cars aro invariably pulled up, bo that their entrance is immediately opposite these road-way lakol&ts. The residents wonder what depth of water adjoining tho tram-rails is necessary before tho City Council will move in tho matter. Tho Rev. P. B. Fraser, of the Otago country parisji of Lovell's Flat, is a strong advocate of decentralisation in tho administration of tho affairs of tho Presbytorian Church in New Zealand. It is a complaint of. Mr. Frasor that in all tlw great departments f of the Church's work tho policy is laid dovn by a "coterie" of four or five ministers in Dunodin —Cabinet Ministers he sometimes calls them —who give direction to the reports of all the principal committees, and that it is easier to disturb the foundations of tho Church itself than to secure an amendment tp a committee's report when it comes before tho Genoral Assembly. The "coterie" in Dunodin, according to .Mr. Fraser, have never been known to voto against ono another on any crucial question, but their supremacy, ho declares, is opposed to the great principle of representative government, which should obtain in tho Church as well as in tho State. Yestorday Mr. Fraser aroused hearty laughter by his sarcastic declaration that tho Cabinet Ministers should be able not only u> administor tlioir Wgo departments, but 'o co-operate with tho greatest blockheads from tho country. Mrs. Ethel E. Do Costa, LL.B. (neo ~ti;a Ethel E. Benjamin of after practia. lug for some years in that city, has commenccd practice as a barrister and solicitor in No. C Nathan's Buildings, corncr Grer and j ■ Fcathorston Streets, Wellington. Mrs. De t-ostn has the distinction of being the only lady praotißinß at tho Bar in tho Dominion. Intimdinu clionts can depend on prompt and carol® Httoa; tion at Urß. De Costa's hand*- I

A special sitting of tho Court, presided over by Mr. Justice Cooper, will be held this morning to further consider tho case of J. 11. Morrison v. tho Manawatu Railway Company —a claim for compensation for land taken at l'araparaumu for railway purposes. " There is a part of Now Zealand which is still absolutely heathen," said the Rev. R. M. Ryburn, of Wanganui, at tho meeting of tho Presbyterian General Assembly last night. Ho described how tho heathen services of tho Maoris in one district of tho North Island wore preceded by tho singing of the Psalms of David to the old Gregorian chants. Tho psalms had been learned by an earlier Christian generation, and handed down orally to thoir successors. On the last Wednesday (27th) of tho present month local bodies will be asked to appoint seven representatives for servico during tho' coming year on the Board of Hospital Trustees. ■ Tho personnel of tho Boqrd will be completed on the second Thursday in January, when contributors will bo asked to elect .two members. Tho seven members of the District Hospital Board, nine members of the Wellington and Wairarapa Charitablo Aid Board, and nine members of tho Wellington Benevolent Institution aro also to be elected during tho current month. A meeting of the Glasgow University Students' Society was held yesterday after tho afternoon sederunt of the General Assombly. Tho Rov. G. B. Monro, ox-chairman, prosidod. An apology was road from tho Rev. Dr. Nisbot (Dunodin), and it was decided to convoy to Dr. Nisbet tho sympathy of tho society in his recent severe bereavemont. Tho Hon. G. Fowlds was welcomed to tho society. Tho Rev. T. Taifc, M.A., B.D. (Christchurch), was elected President for the ensuing year. Thereafter the members spent in songs and recitations tho time intervening beforo the evening sederunt. The Wellington contingent of New Zealand's exploration party to the Auckland and Campbell Islands met with some delay last night owing to a breakdown of tho Mararoa's steering gear. Tho steamer was expected to bo ,roady to leave port at 4 o'clock this morning. Sho will thus reach Christchurch today too late for tho passengers to catch tho southward mail train. Tho Minister for Marino, however, has courteously consented to delay the departure of tho exploration steamer Hinemoa in order that the Welling-' ton' members of the party may ioin hor at tho Bluff in timo to sail on Thursday morning. Before the coming of rain which, so the last few days' cable messages inform us, has sinco gladdened Australia, there was much .talk of having a day set apart by tho Government for.prayers for rain. When tho proposal was made. Dr. Saumarez Smith, Archbishop of Sydney, was asked for bis opinion. He stated that it was not' his intention to request the' Government to set apart a day for humiliation and prayer for rain. His experience, lie said, was that oh these occasions many people instead of taking part in any set form of service organised picnic parties and the like, and so robbed tlio occasion of its real significance. Instruction had been issued to . the clergy some time back to use prayers for rain at overy seryieo until it was considered they had been answered. Our first line of defence—tho gallant AmokuriiTrrlias „beon -in ; Cook Strait easy distance of shelter during the past few : days, teaching tho young idea on board the real business of sailoring under the able instruction of Captain Hooper R.N.R., and his staff of instructors. Before leaving the calm anohorago off the Thorndbn Baths tho lads in navy blue were put through a thor-ough-course of training , in sail-work and tho preliminaries in the art of . navigation. Since she has boon at sea the lads, aftqj overcoming the troubles of mal de mer, manifested a ready aptitude in handling the little vessel under sail, and very well did tho old gunboat perform under her white wings. A fog drove the littlo vessel to shelter, and no haven was So handy or secluded as Ship Covo, made famous by tho visit of Captain Cook in 1769. While there the ship's cutter was careened on the beach and vigorously scrubbed by a detail of'the miniature crew. Picton was reached on Thursday last, and after taking in a fresh supply of water and provisions the Amokura stood, out to face tho battle and tho breeze onco more. The residents of new districts acquired by the city lose.no time ill asking for all tho conveniences that Wellington City enjoys. Tho following petition is at present in circulation for signature:—"We, tho undersigned residents, ratepayers, and citizens of the city of Wellington, residing on the western portion of Kolburno, in Upper Taitvillo, in Highbury, and: in tho portion of the Borough of Karori recently amalgamated with the city, respectfully petition your Council to extend the Aro Street tramway, whhh at -present terminates at a very unsatisfactory point, to tho end of Norway Street, at the foot of the zig-zag connecting sue! street with the main road from To Aro to Karori (known generally as the Cemetery Road). Your petitioners desiro to point out that such tramway extension will not only be a great convenience to the district referred to, which at present is not properly served by a tramway, but will also tend groatly to make the Aro Street section a better paying one than it is at present. Not only will a great number of houses be immediately served by. such extension, but building operations to a considerable extent aro being carried on in the district at present." Tho Rev. Mother Mary Aubort's scheme for the reservoir is evidently to have a good help up on Saturday afternoon of this week. Mr. Gardner, superintendent of tramways permanent way, intends taking out- 100 of his. men 1 for carrying tho material up tho hill. Mr. Russell, chief of the. overhead, is also joining with upwards of 100 of his men, and wo understand an exhibition will bo given of tho advantages of properly organised skilled labour. Therefore, these two leaders will requiro the Saturday afternoon after 2 o'clock either for their own F 'mon exclusively or oxtended to such helpers as will willingly fall into line with them. It is to be hoped fino weather will prevail, as it is expected that an army of ladies will be on tho' ground for purposes of making toa for tho men and to assist in filling and handing down tho empty bags for re-filling. Mr. Gardnor hopes that corporation employees from other Departments will be on tho ground on that aftornoon to assist. A fino selection of photographic cards, Dominion Day and It.M.S. Turakina on Fire now , on view at 7,AK'S PIIOTO DEPOT, 21 Willis Street. On sale at popular prices. CG4I Well dressed moans becomingly dressed, nfit merely the wearing of smart clothes, but garments designed to emphasise tho good points of the figure. Hence, tho premier and most essential item a fashionably attired woman needs is a perfectly cut corset, artistically moulded to tho "human form." C. Adams and Co., 35 Cuba Street, havo a most up-10-dato corset department, and a lady expert is always ill attendance for tho purpose of "fitting." Besides having all tlio most fashionablo makes of corscts to solect from, C. Adams and Co. are agents for tlio Messenger Corset Manufacturers.- Your moasnro is taken by an expert, fitted and niado to your order within a week. Inspection invited. C 641 ,

Over eighteen million trees have been planted by the Forestry Department. No precise information as to the dates when tho trees will bo fit for milling is available. Larch and oucalypti aro frequently milled at from thirty to fifty years, whilst the general run of timber trees might be fit for milling at from fifty to one hundred years, or even later. 1 Advice has been received tbat it is proposed to hold an international exhibition at Shanghai during 1909 under tho auspices of tho China Association. The exhibition will be confined to staple iiiani'factures ind machinery. Seventy acres of land have beo/i secured. It is stated that tho exhibition Ins every prospect of success, and that it rill no doubt prove beneficial to British interests in tho East. In a letter to Mr. Fisher, M.H.R., Captain Hooper, of the Amokura, says the train-ing-ship had a fairly good rim through tha Strait after leaving Wellington. "The boyß steered tho ship all tho way,".says tho writer. "They took buckets with them to the wheol, knowing thoy would have to.get over it. Not one of them caved in. It waa amusing to sco boys steering and using the buckets at tho same time." At least one building contractor and the representative of the Builders' Labourers' Union aro not " playing speaks.", " Only recently," said the omploycr in evidence at the Arbitration Court yesterday, "tho representative came on to the job and told me. that J could do this and I must not do that. He started every sentenco with the woVde, 'Thus saith tho law."' "Why didn't you give him in charge?" asked a member of the Court. " Well," replied the employer, " I reckon I did the proper thing. I told him I would lift him off the premises with a piece of leather at the end of something." Tho historical work which the Government is about to issue, containing materials collected by tho Hon. R. M'Nab during the researches which resulted in tho production of his book, "Murihuku," will be of great interest to students of New Zealand history. It will, begin with information concerning the first expedition of Captain Cook. Early days in Now South Wales, tho mutiny of the Bounty, the massacre of the Boyd, and other almost forgotten incidents ; of the old wild days figure prominently in the reprinted documonts. Missionary efforts, convict-running enterprises, and' the beginnings of trado in Now Zealand flax and timber may bo studied in this very informing volume. It should be of tho greatest ,use to some scholar who will do for other parts of Now Zealand what the Hon. R. M'Nab iisf done for tho far South.