LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 79, 27 December 1907, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

■ ~ * : -' " ; ( The number of bags of mails despatched.from the General Post Ofßce from December 17 to 24- (both dates inclusive) was '4486, hampers despatched 1339, bags received 4038, hampers received 1346. The police are making inquiries as to: the whereabouts of a married man named J. Pomeroy, thirty-three years of age, who has been missing from his lodgings in Binbam Street since 7 o'clock On Tuesday morning. Pomeroy loft homo on Tuesday to go to his work, coaling, on. the steamer Cornwall, and had not been heard of up to 10 p.m. yesterday. .. ■ i Mr. \V. H. Westbrooko, secretary of khi Wellington Trades and Labour Council, informs us that ho has sent a telegram to the Denniston Miners' Union assuring them 'of thj Council's financial and moral support in their struggle for. the bank-to-bank clause. A telegram received in roply states that the men aro standing firm, and intend appealing to the Supreme Court. A resident of Paekakariki, named James O'Neill, met with an accident at Eketahuna yesterday through a buggy in which he was driving* capsizing. One of the wheels of the buggy went over O'Neill's leg and broke it. The injured man arrived.by train yesterday evening, and was taken to the Hospital for, treatment. O'Neill is a married man, about twenty-four years of age. A riieoting of employers interested in the Cooks' and Waiters' Award, which has just been received from the Arbitration Court, will be [ held ai tho Employers' Association' Rooms at eight o'clock to-nigbt. Mr. Pryor, Parliamentary Secretary to the New Zealand Employers' Federation, will attend, for the purpose'of explaining the working of ' the award. ~ Mrs. Etliol K. Do Costa, LL.B. (nee Hiss Ethel R. Benjamin, of Dunedin), after practising for eomo years in that city, has commenced practice ns a barrister aud bolicitor in No 6 Nathan's Buildings, corner Groy and' Featr.cieton Streets, Wellington. 4lrs. JJe Costa has tho distinction of beinn; tho only lady practising at the Bar in the Dominion. Intending olienia can , depend on prompt and careful oC teatios at Mrs, Dβ .Ceita's hands.

John Chalker, who escaped from custody at Palmerston North on Decomber 14, while on remand on a charge of assault and robbery, was re-arrested on Lambton Quay last night by Detective Kirk, of Palmcrston North. When tho steamer Victoria was berthing at tho Queen's Wharf yesterday evening on her arrival back from Picton tlicro was tho usual rush for the shore as soon as tho vessel touched the wharf. A middle-aged man named William Renfrew, residing at No. 6 Peto.r Street, in his haste to get ashore, jumped from the side of the gangway on to one of tho mooring posts, and, missing his footing, fell headlong on to tho wharf. Dr. Henry was summoned to tho man's assistance, and found it necessary to stitch up a wound in his head. A combined conference and camp-meeting promoted by tho Now Zealand University Students' Christmas Unions will be commenced at Trenthnm to-morrow. Discussions will bo held on religious and ethical questions, and the gathering will also serve to strengthen the bouds of brotherhood between the assembled delegates, among whom all tho University colleges,will bo represented. Mr. Lyall, 8.A., secretary to the Auckland Students' Christian Union, will have the general supervision of affairs, and representative .ministors and laymen, some local, somo from other provinces, will give addresses. Sports and athletic contests will vary the more serious programme, and a large attendance of students is expected. The holiday atmosphere penetrated tho Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, and oven those charged with drunkenness trippixl into the box with an elastic step and took their sentehop with a cheerful smile. The usual year-ond excuses were put forward by tho offonder-s, and a trio of tender-hearted Justices inflicted uniformly light penalties. Two female' offenders, whoso features are familiar to tho Court-room, grasped'• tho Christmas excuse, and held it out with both hiuids. Tho first " Might: have had a drop too much as it was Christmas Evo, but it would never happen again;". and the second '■'.Had been living at Wadestown, and came into town, to see tho shop windows." The gravity of tho Court was almost shattered, towards the oloso of tho proceedings, when' one of the presiding Justices informed a prisoner,- with all the dignity attaching to his responsible position, "You are convicted and fined five hob." In the second number of the new official quarterly, the " Colonial' Office Journal," is an article on tile Pacific cable, which shows that the "via Pacific." route has not yet captured from the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company one quarter of Australia's cablo business. The writer 'says:—"New Zealand has ■ diverted to the Pacific some 78 per cent, of its traffic,' but Australia only about 21 per cent.; Queensland , gives a .wholehearted support, but in Victoria and Now South Wales tho results have been disappointing." • Later, he says:—" Looking back .upon the story, it is clear that'it was the liigh rates originally charged by the Eastorn companies that led to the Pacific cable; No great support was ever given to the' schenio •by the military experts; . ■. /The public— mostly, financial arid .commercial—which uses the cables, has gained greatly by the result. There has been a > permanent increase of communication, and a permanent' reduction of .rates'at a,comparatively, small expense." .-, Tho Melbourne, "Age" states that some ground for the statement-that the-Dominion Government of' Canada 'contemplates a .modi- , fication.-of'its , former, attitude towards the .Vancouver-Sydney mail service is supplied by a cable message'which the Melbourne representative '; of the (Janadjan authorities, Mr. D. lloss, has communicated. to, Sir William Lyne. . This message shows that the subsidy for the Vancouver service was not included in the current Canadian estimates, and that doub't exists in official, circles at Ottawa"as tp ; tho commercial'utility of the ■service under present, conditions. The' message also, however, shows that the contract with tho Union S.S. Company has, not been cancelled, arid that the subsjdy may bo included in supplementary estimates later on— though this is. indefinite.' Tho most curious fact" in the new development is that no official communication has been received by the ■Commonwealth Government on the.subject of tho dropping of tho subsidy. Wern any official action in the way of abandoning the service really in contemplatio'n tho Commonwealtn Government as one of tho parties to tho existing contract would have to bo consulted. .' ■'■ ''■.■■ ' :