LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 49, 21 November 1907, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Customs revenue collected at Wellington yesterday was £2,183 Bs. Bd. Reserved judgment in the case of Peers v. Menamen will bo delivered by His Honour the Chief Justice at 10.30 this morning. His Honour Mr. Justice Button will deliver reserved judgment this morning at 10 o'clock in the case Keir v. Electric Light Company. At tho Supreme Court this morning the case against William Joseph Lowe and John Cornelius Robinson, charged with assault and robbery at Feilding will be taken. A call was received by the Fire Brigade about 3 p.m. yesterday to.Talavera Terrace. Tho alarm was causcd by tho burning of some rubbish in the vicinity of a house. Westland and Buller licensing districts hold the rccord for hotel licenses. There aro no fewer than 59 in these districts. 'n Grey 'thero are 51, Christchurch 46, Auckland 58', Dunedin 39, and in Wellington 48. "Check cards are placed in all tho and these are brought in after the midnight clearing. If any card is short, the supervisor immediately finds out that a box has not been cleared." The foregoing explanation of tho system in vogue at the' Post Office for checking the rounds of the employees who clear the street letter-boxes was givon in the Magistrate's Court-yosterday. The Shipwreck Relief' Society is an institution that works quietly but effectively in the interests of those that go down to the sea in ships, and any movement in its favour deserves tho hearty support of the public. The Wellington Dramatic Society, headed by Sir. Charles Blake, has offered to give a performance of " Dr. Bill" at the Opera House in aid of the deserving Society mentioned, and it is hoped that a strong measure of support will be accorded this effort to strengthen its funds.

There is still a matter awaiting adjustment as between tho Treasury and the contractors for the Exhibition buildings (Messrs. Jaraioson Bros.) It is in connection with a claim of between £7000 and £8000 for extras mado by tho builders. The claim has, it is understood, been looked, into by the Government architect, who out it down by some hundreds of pounds, and a cheque for the balance lias been offered to Messrs. Jamieson Bros., who have refused it. The new ooncreto wharf to be erected at Clyde Quay for the Harbour Board by Mr. John M'Loan, will occupy two years in construction. The contract stipulates that the work shall bo completed by September 30, 1009. The wharf will not be provided with sheds, as it will be used chiefly for'coal and timber, and for such traffic the fewer obstructions on the wharf the more expeditiously can tho work proceed. The Tourist Department has imported a consignment of fifteen Fritz Joerg alpenstocks, for the use of climbers in Now Zealand. Nino of the implements (which are supposed to be tho bfist in the world) are being forwarded to tho Hermitage at Mount Cook, and tho remainder will be kept at tho head office in Wellington for the use of climbers who may wish to ascend Ruapehu, Ngaruhoo, or other of tho North Island peaks. The khaki-coloured slouch-hat of the postman, born of the jingoism of eight years ago, is doomed, and not bofore its time, as it never was a neat typo of head-gear for an oJlidial. The Postmaster-General has practically decided upon the adoption of tho postman's shako as worn by tho letter-carriers in the British service. • This is a well-shaped shako, somewhat akin to those worn by tho local police, made of dark blue cloth, on a stiff shape, and having the straight, glazed peak in frbnt and tho "drop" behind. Each shako will be braided with black ribbon piped with rod, and will bear tho brass lotters "F.O" in front.

About six months ago the officers of the Health Department, in tho execution of their fluty, condemned tho premises of a large firm in Wellington, six months' notice of such .ndemnation being given. Instead of taking the Department's decision as final, tho owners arc alleged to have instituted extensive ropairs, presumably with tho idea of getting an extension of timo, or a suspension altogether of tho order. The Department, however, becamo awaro of what was going on, and havo quite recently had some of the new timbor disturbed in order to show tho true state' of affairs, so that if tho law is put in motion thore may bo ovidonco to support tho condemnation of the building. Mrs. Ethel R. Do Costa, LL.B. (neo Miss Etliol R. Benjamin, of Dunedin), after practising: for eomo years in that cfty, has commenced practice as a barrister and solicitor in No G Nathan's Building 6, corner Grey and Foatheiston Streets, Wellington. Mrs. De Costa has tho distinction of being tho only lady practising at the Bar in the Dominion. Intending olionte can depend on prompt and careful attention at Mrs. De Costa's hands.

"Don't let that trouble you. Just talk in your ordinary way," was the reply given l>y His Honour Mr. Justice Cooper yesterday to an undefended prisoner who considered that ho was not well enough educated to address tile jury. The Wimmera, which arrived from Sydney yesterday, brought 319 bags of mail matter, of which 219 hags were for Wellington. Of the total number of bags, 136 were English , mails. At the meeting of ratepayers of the Miramar Borough, held at Worser Bay last night, the Mayor (Mr. C. ,J. Crawford) remarked, amid applause, that they were now within sight of the full completion of their tramway system, and in a fortnight's time, if the weather conditions j were favourable, the final portion of the lino would be ready for traffic. By direction of Mr. Justice Cooper, a case of indecent assault! was heard with closed doors yesterday. 'In reply to the Crown Prosecutor, who asked if the Court intended to order that the publication of any of, the evidence be forbidden, His Honour said ho was sure the matter could safely be left to the good sense and the good taste of the' reporters. The following tenders have been received by tho Harbour Board for the construction of tho new concrete wharf at Clyde Quay.— Accopted: John M'Lea'n and Son, £30,755 Us. Rejected: Charles P. Pulley, £30,870 13s. 4d.; Donald it' Lean and Co., £32,550; Ferro-Concrete. CoJ of Australasia, Ltd., £33,400 18s. Bd. ! The engineer's estimate was £27,800. j Last Friday) HjM.S. Pioneer left . Sydney for Lyttelton, where she is to stay for some months to eliable tho Royal Naval recruits to undergoj their annual drill. The vessel arrived at Wellington unexpectedly yesterday to land a naval recruit, who was Pioneer resumed J her voyage to Lyttelton found to bo phys|cally unfit for service. The yesterday afternoon.'. . A recent outbreak of fire among the fascines at the rear of the hospital buildings revealed the' fact that the high-pressure supply of water) which was authorised to be installed sonic time ago, had not yet been seen to. , The existing pressure .is wholly inadequate for tho purpose. The District Hospital Board, at, its meeting yesterday, decided that instructions be given to complete th< installation of the highpressure tanks.

The total acreago of education, municipal, Harbour Board, j scenic, and other reserves in New Zealand' is 7,677,654. The areas in .tho different land districts are as follow:— Auckland, 633,100 acres; Hawko's Bay, 361,118; Taranaki, 267,756; Wellington, 841,428; Nelson, 285,123; Marlborough, 166,780; Westland, ■ 149,372; Canterbury,' 1,142,895; Otago, 597,571 j Southland, 3,227,541. An attractive at the Rose Show yesterday was a striking stand of "aquilegia," grown by Mr. W. J. Prouse, of Clifton Terrace. These beautiful flowers, which are an improved form of columbine, are wonderfully varied in colour, and have very long spurs, and some of the blooms measured as much as four inches from petal to spur-tip. Mr. Prouse obtained the seed from Messrs. Baker, of Wolverhampton, England, who had a vory fine show at tho Temple Show, London, last year. His, Honour Mr. Justice Cooper made an important statement during the hearing of a criminal case yesterday. It would appear, that in the' Lower Court a' prisoner " made a statement from the dock/ and at the conclusion was interrogated and the answers taken down. His Honour, in refusing, to admit as evidence that portion of the statement which contained the replies, pointed out that, if a prisoner chose to make 1 a statement from the dock, what he or she said might be used in evidence, but neither a Magistrate nor a' Justice had any right to interrogate a prisoner, and to havo the replies taken down in writing, unless the prisoner voluntarily wont into the witness box and gave evidenfco on oath. > 1 " It's just like a nice bedroom," said a lady, who, with hundreds of others, inspected the comfortable cabins of the Union Company's new turbino steamer. Maori yesterday. Tho fittings are really palatial' in character. In some of the saloon cabins aro double beds, in others two single beds (they are not berths), and . thero are occasional four-bed cabins, but in each and every case ample room is provided, and nothjng is missing that is necessary for the comfort of There are' chests of drawers, heaters for cold weather, and electric fans for tho warm months. Tho wash-stands may bo converted into desks for private clerical work, and above each such article of cabin furnituro is a nest of little drawers and ieceptaclos, for "the hundred and one things people, and especially women, have to find room for. Instead of the old-time spare blanket for each berth is a gaily-coloured kapoc quilt, and rich carpets bespread the floors. The only thing one is likely to regret in travelling on the Maori is tho short length of timo travellers will have to enjoy ,theso luxuries of tho sea.

Mr. G. S. Muiiro, late manager of the New Zoaland Exhibition at Christchurch, arrived from tlio South by the Maori yesterday morning to transact some private business. Ho informed a Dominion reporter that all traccs of : the Exhibition will bo dleared away within ; three weeks or a month. "Thon," said Mr. Munro, "I am going to invito the Domain Board up to havo a game of bowls on- the site. They said that it would not; bo left in good order, but tho grass is coming 911 fine, and the place will be much better; than when I took it over." After; seeing,, everything clearod off the ground, Mr.. Munro intends to spend the Christmas .with,, his people on tho AVest Coast, and leave r for Australia in January, and for London; about the end of March. Ho has-just received a letter from his daughter, Miss Mabel" Muuro, who is appearing in Goo. of "Tho Merry Widow," at Daly's Theatre, London. In her letter, Miss Mimro states that tho opera has been running six months, and is likely to hold the boards^for another eighteen months. ■ ' Photographic post cards of tho'"£itnpasni<m Homo" workers, military tounir.mciiVi.it Palmerston, Dominion celebrations, TuWiliina fir?, etc., etc., on salo at ZAIC'S PHOTy 24 Willis Streot (price 4d. each).. ,|, CC4I A fashionably attired woman neoutf'tt perfectly cut corsot, artistically moulded)'to tho "human form." C. Adams and C0.,;;35 Cuba Streot, havo a most up-to-date corsefc fliSjMrtment, and a lady expert is always in jtttnndance for tho purpose of "fittinE." Aijamg and Co. are agents for tho Messenger V-oiwl Manufacturers. Your measure is taktjn bVn&n expert, fitted and made to your a week. Inspection invited. Q£j.( If you aro contemplating removing,', thing you should do is obtain a qtrolrit?. - from J. Keir, 12 Featherston Street. He |\af, ffiS many years' experience in this class of "wn-> and is ia a position to pack, store, and any description of furniture. He also V.V-v. goods through Customs, and despatches . ages and parcels to any address m the i Teloshono, No. 1180.

The outbreak of scarlet fever at Carterton has now entirely ceased. No casos havo beeh reported for a fortnight. The Heretaunga Mounted Rifles are at present iu camp at Miramar. Tents were pitched on the 16th, and will bo struck on the 23rd inst. Capt. Samuel is iti command, and his officers aro Lieutenants Brandon and Logan. Sergt.-Major Dovey is the instructing officer. A sports meoting is to be hold by the corps on Saturday afternoon. At the District Hospital Board meeting yesterday the conversation, after the routine business • had boon disposed of, took the. form of a valedictory exchange of complimonts. It was tho last mooting, and sonio members did not expect to' return to offico. As the Chairman remarked, "This Board, is degenerating into a mutual admiration society, gentleman." Members retorted by passing ,a resolution placing on record its appreciation of the unfailing courtesy of their chairman, and of his administration of the affairs of tho institution controlled by tho Board.

Replying to complimentary references, to his work while on tbo District Hospital Board: yesterday, Mr. G. Frost remarked that it was easy for critics to say that the. hospital was being administered on an expensive basis. Ho himself thought so, when first became a member of the Board, but ho had since' altered his opinion. Ho could not see how, if tho institution Were to bo efficiently organised, and accommodation be mado adequate to the growing needs of, the district, it could be run moro economically. Tho smaller boroughs were crying; out for economy, and tho rosult was that all'the thanks a man got for giving his personal timo and enorgy to tho administration of such institutions was that at the end of his term he was "bumped out." .; After the statutory meeting hold last night . to. consider the loan proposals had been declared closed, the ratepayers of Miramar prepared, to thresh out the question of the limitation .of building areas within the borough. , Several attempts had been made' to; introduce tho ' topic . while the loan proposals Mvore being discussed, but tho Mayor (Mr. C. J, Crawford) finally declined to /listen, to- them,; and his attitude had tho general support of the meeting. By tho time -tho proposals had been carried, tho hour was getting; late, and the fires of debate, had evidently burned low, for tho building areas question was discussed quite amicably, even tamely. The trend of tho .'discussion/was that there should be no reduction of the .prosent areas—quarter-acre sections. Councillor Brodio, who led for the ...quarter-acre limit, said that the reason why ho. objected /to the loan proposals was that in, a comparatively sparsely-populated district like Miramar, with roomy sections, the. burden •of a big loan would fall very heavily on the ratepayers. If tho areas wero reduced, there would bo a larger population, and an easier'distribution of rates. Rather than sco reduced areas' ho jvould oppose /the loan. . > .