LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 110, 1 February 1908, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Customs' revenue. collected at Well, ington for' the ■ month of January totalled £04,562 9s. Bd., and the beer duty £1414 3s. 9d. The figures for the corresponding month of last yqar were .£63,883 3s. lOd. and £1292 os, sd.'respectively. ' ■ v V In,the,Wellington registration district last month there' were 174 births, 61 deaths, and 77 marriages. . . , His Honour Mr. Justico Button will deliver judgment this morning 'in the case Frost v. 'Matthews, a claim for -possession of- a farm and £850 damages. At the annual examination of. police constables 28 men presented themselves. Fourteen passed, and fourteen were unsuccessful. The subjects included the. Gaming and Lotteries Act, Justico and Summary Jurisdiction, Licensing Act, and Police duties and regulations.^ Ill' the Lawrenco Court (Otago), for failing to give the necessary notice to the Machinery Department of the accident which 'Occurred at their flax mill at Evans Flat, when a workman was killed, Messrs. Ward Bros, were lined the minimum penalty of £10. ■ . I H.M.S, Powerful left Wellington yesterday for Sydney, H.M.S.'s Challenger, Pyramus, and Pogasus are expected to sail to-day for Nelson, wliero they will remain about ton days. If time permits, they will return- to Wellington, but, failing this, the' three, vessels proceed to Jlobart to join the rest of tho Squadron there. Yesterday ■ was the date on which income tax became due from all persons in the Do(minion earning or receiving over £300 a year. The account® .were sent out early in January, so that, those liable to pay have had ample warning. A period of fourteen days' grace is allowed, and after that a penalty of 10 per cent, will bo added to all unpaid; accounts.

At tlie monthly meeting of the Centra) Pharmaceutical Association it was decided to ask Professor.Kirk to appoint an evening to meet and'talk over'matters of interest to tho " pharmaceutical students," ■ The professor had suggested to tho Now Zealand Board that ho would like such an opportunity, so tho Contral Pharmaceutical Association have taken the matter up.

Last year there were 72 prosecutions for allowing cattle to wander within the city boundaries, and tho defendant was convicted in every case. Nevertheless the offence is still a very common one, and a number of cattle owners are being invited to a little gathering at the Magistrate's Court next Wednesday, when certain'' alleged breaches of tho by-law will be discussed.

Mrs. Ethel 11. Do Costa, LL.B. (nee .Miss Ethel R. Benjamin, of Dtmodin), after pr.ctisr ing for 6ome years in that city, has 1 >.omnlonccd . practice ns a barrister and solicitor in No. C Nnthnn's fiuildjnßß, eirnef Grey and Featherston Streets, Wellington. Mrs. De Costfj has the distinction of-being the only lady practising at the Bar in the Dominion, In; tending chants oon depend on prompt Mid careful attention at Mrs, De Costa's bauds,

The Customs revenue collected at Wellington yesterday amounted to £1921 3s. lOd. A meeting of creditors in tho estato of Honry Guest, of Lower Hutt, dccorator, who was adjudged bankrupt yesterday, will be held on Tuesday, February 11, at 11 a.m. Two bankruptcies were recorded in Wellington in January. One of the debtors is a oarrier and trio other a decorator. There were nono for tho corresponding month of last year. Tho only members of. the Government at present absent from Wellington are the Promior and tho Hon. J. Carroll. The former will roturn to-morrow night, and the latter is oxpected from Gisborno next week. The Civil Sorvice Rifles held" their annual muster parade last night under Captain Wray. There was a strong muster of all ranlfs. Major Macintosh, of tho Battalion Staff, was the inspecting offioer. After, tho parade a social function was held at which' presentations wero made to Captain Wray pn& Colour-Sergeant. Rudkin, both of whomrecently joined the ranks of thc/benodicts. It is 6tated that thero is woe in one of .tho Government Departments because of an ultimatum whjch has been delivored by ; the head of the Department to tho effect that tho employees are not to appear in tho office in knickerbockers, a stylo of dross which has como into favouV, firstly on the scorp of economy, ahd ( secondly because a number of tho clerks are residing at tho seaside during the summer months. Tho Minister for Lands in his journey from Napior to Opotiki and Rotorua saw only ( slight disposition on tho part of. tho Maoris to bettor ..themselves, and -improve their agricultural conditions. None of the attempts he saw at dairying or farming wero Of a high order, though there appeared to exist a.desire to do something. Ho believed that in tho country north of where he visited more successful attempts wero being made. . Tho Hon. R. Jl'Nab (Minister for Agriculture) was very disappointed ■' during his risit to tho East Coast with tho attempts at fruit-growing there; "It was difficult to get fruit on our travels," he said, -"and in tho hotels it seemed almost an unknown quantity. In the Gisbornft shops' it was very costly, \ and' infinitely better fruit ! was obtainable in Wellington; Yet this was a good fruit-growing country," . . ' The Firo Brigade.received an alarm of firo nt 9.20 p.m. yesterday. An outbreak"; bad occurred in a stablo at the'corner of Tara-i' naki Street and .Martin Square.. There was nobody in tho place'at,the time, but people wero soon on the spot who kept the fire in'check till tho.'brigade arrived, when-it ; was quiokly extinguished.. Two stalls of the stablo wore sliglitly damaged. The firs'-is supposed -to liavo been caused by tho explosion of a kerosene lamp. ,< A meeting of the Wellington College Bonrd of Governors was held yesterday morning, those present being: Sr. A. de B. Brandon (chairman), Hon. Dr. Findlay,-, Mr.' W. H. Field,' M.P., and, Mr. A. Warburton. ~ Accounts amounting to £533 18s. ' Bd, wero passed for'payment;' The following appoint-, ments .were- ponfirmed ,W. J. Martyn, M.A., and. H. T. Novell, 8.A., -to bo assistant masters at Wellington College; Miss V, L. Dall, 8.A., to be assistant mistress, at tho Girls' C011ege..,,. ': . ( > v ~ About, fifty members of the Sixth New Zealand. Contingent met at Godber's Rooms on Thursday evening. to. celobrato the ■ anniversary of tho departure of the corps. for South Africa. Captain' Jones, formerly- Adjutant of the Contingent, occupied the'chair, , and there wero also present Captain Wood and Lieutenant Beamish. A lengthy toast list was negotiated under sooiablo conditions, and moinories of the African qampaigd were pleasantly revived in the mist of the fragrant weed,. Captain Wood, and Messrs. Burns, Taylor, Hofnjan, Grey, 'and Elpatlyin pontrK' buted to tho programme. 1 Tlioro i$ at present on viow in'tho windows of Mossrs. Stewart Dawson and C 0.,; jewel-' lers, a very handsome,.and. unique' solid' silver challenge shield,: which has been presented to the Scottish and Skyo Terrier Club of New Zealand by Mr. Robert Young, tho president of the.Club". The shiold,:which is to,be competed for annually by members of tho Club, is for the best Scottish'terri riii tho show, and is to bo won three times be-' fore becoming tho property of the" winner. At the lato Wellington Show tho .shield' was won by Mr .John A/Pike, of Wellington, .with his dog Bracken Rot Roy. It will' again be competed for at the Dunedin Kennel Club's, annual show in Juno next.

"Manners Street, Wellington (says the "Chemist and Druggist of Australasia I'), has been noted lately for car accidents, 'and, fprtunately for the chemists, they have- been divided amongst them. Mr. W. Paiker received the first, which proved the most serious case j Mr. L. M'Ketlzio hod two minor cases, one being a conductor who was k'nocged off by a cart, and on November 23 Mr. T. Johnston received one. The case itscli® was not a bad one, but came at a time which interfered very much , with business,; and makes it very trying for the unfortunate chemist who receives the case., It is tirao the City . Council made provision for such aoaidonts." It is apparent "that the chemists are not looking for surgical experience.

.;There is a'narrow swing bridge over the Waihi River in the Horoeka Valley, .which spans the steep channel of the Stream at something over. a hundred feet. To ■ the stranger, the structure, which is for pedestrians only, seems to bo of a most flimsy' naturo, writes qur Wairarapa correspondent, and when one stands in the rttiddle of 'the creaking sagging apparatus, and looks down into the waters beneath,.one thinks of one's past life. The position is worse, however, when a gale is blowing.. Then the structure swings north and' soath,' east and west, like an airship in the delirium tremens, and pedestrians i have been known to bo so shaken by the rocking and swirling that they have become seasick, and have laid themselves down on the boards, not caring what be-' came of them.

Speaking to a reporter last evening on tho question of voterinary surgeons, tho Minister, for. Lands said that last year not ono student had como forward in response to tho effort to establish'a veterinary college at Dunodin, This year tho Government had had inquiries, but it was not yet decided whether they would make any further,effort. If anything was done it would bo under tho Education Board, and would involve an expenditure of, perhaps, £1500 a year, for appointment of a professor and other expenses. Thoro was no doubt, said the Minister, that if veterinary surgeons were trained in this country the Government could utilise the students ffom the college for nlany years to come. Onr own demands for skilled veterinarians would bo equal to the supply for a long time. For Shampooing, special Hair and Face Treatment, visit Mrs, 1 Rolleston, Certificated Masseuse. - Hair Physician, and E'ace Spfcinhst, Mllp'e Preparation# obtainable. 3 .Willia Street fever Cmioll's), G739

Tho question of securing an adequate water supply for Eastbourne and district will probably bo considered at to-night's mooting of tho Eastbourne Borough Council. It is undorstood that a report on the advisabbuess of secuimg tho supply from a stream in th" upper reaches of Gollan's Valley has been prepared by the Town Clerk,

Tho dosirablencss of imposing a fee on applications for succession titles to Native lands has been mentioned during the sitting of tho Native Land Court at Wellington. It is contended that the number of applications by persons not entitled to succeed would be appreciably diminished if that courso were adopted. Not infrequently applications to. succocd aro made during the lifetime of the 1 owner, who, naturally, is much annoyed in consoquence. A rather amusing instance happened during a, recent sitting. Upon learning that an application in respect ■ of his property had been made, tho owner, who' resides at Now Plymouth, lodged caveat forbidding the' Court to deal with the matter. Shortly afterwards a Native, who stated that ho had been sent by the, applicant, asked that the case be withdrawn. Judge Johnson subsequently pointed out that' it was high timo a fee was chargcd on all applications to succeed. Since a fee had been imposed in connection with applications for partitions the number of fruitless applications had, he. said, been considerably reduced.