LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 209, 28 May 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A paragraph in yesterday's issuo made it appear that there was some doubt as to a holiday being observed in Government offices in connection with the football match. This was due to misunderstanding. Dr. Findlay informed a representative of The Dominion that a holiday would be observed—tlio doubt arose through no fault of the Minister's, but through a-misunderstanding-at this office. Government offices were closed from noon yesterday on account of the football match. Nino Chinamen arrived by the Monowai last night, and will como before the Customs officials for the usupl examination to-day. The fine of £2 imposed on Leonard Clarke, a juror, on Tuesday for non-attendance has bopn remitted; His excuse was that ho inadvertently made a mistake as to the hour at which the proceedings were to commence. -. Swing ths past year, the Tjmaru Harbour Jiparji's dredge lifted a total pf 20i,456 tons of spoil, an average of 148.2 tons par dredging hour. The cpst' gf this per ton, not including depreciation and interest on capital, was 7Jd. The Maori facility for 'nick-names was in evidence ftt Mastertgn last Saturday.' After seeing Jacket's fine perfprmanpe, tho Maoris witlt ong accqrd qjiristenefl him '•'•To Tuna-" (tho eel) a§ a ppmpliment to his powers of slipping trough his (opponents. Th : o Thprijdpn fowling Club has decided to adhere to its present mode .of elcctj'ng its president aqd vice-president, who aro appgintpd' by the directors after the annual election of pffic.ers. A. proposal that the' two chief officers should be .elected by the members of the Club' was negatived. ' The price pgid by the Government fqr ,Mr. Jamps Trovor!s property in Courtenay Place to be utilised as a post office for Wellington East was £3525. The inadvertent,.use of a higher initial numeral in the first announcement of the "purchase mado in Tiie Ppminjon yesterday made the figure much higher. A Bil|, which has been before the Victorian Sjtato Cabinet fpr a few days (says an Australian paper), provides that every leading article or articles dealing with questions in thp samp- stylo as leading articles appearing in a> newspaper, shall be signed by the writer. Tho proposal is not viewed seripusly by most members qf the Cabinet. Which is the correct way to shout " Hip, hooray"? , When saluting tho English footballers prior to the kick-off at tho Athletic Park yesterday the Wellington team buncjied together and jerked out " Hip-ray 1 hip-ray, hip-ray I " sharplyiand quickly. Tho Englishmen had quite another idea of the national shout of joy. They shouted joudly, sonorously, and deliberately—" Hip, hoora-ayl EJip, hocra-a-a-ay I Hip, hoora-a-a-ay! "- It sounded like a reproach to tho local tabloid version, Tho proposal to form a bowling club at Kilbirnie, referred to in theso columns somo weeks ago, is totako definite form, a meeting to consider the same having been called for tliis_evening. Since tho suggestion ..was made several, offers, of sites, ljave been received by the-promoters, one being especially tempting. The owner is. willing to leavo the. wholo of tho purchaso/ money on mortgago at 5 per cent., and . will, in addition, lend another £150 on tho samo terms towards the formation of tho. green: • A meeting, to be held at O'Donnell's' Hall evening, should decide something definite'. . The subject, of wharfage accommodation was ono of the matters dealt with in the annual report of the Tiniaru Harbour Board. On tliis matter, the report, says:—The need of increased accommodation haying been recognised, and tho construction of a wharf at .the north mole haying been retarded, Mr. Maxwell was. requested to report on the present requirements and future developments of thp port, yhis gentleman arrived in Timaru on December 6, returned to Wellington on De- i cembor'll, and a few days later suljinittod an elaborate and comprehensive, report and plan, outlining works entailing the: expenditure, of somo £78,000. Thp reconimendatipns received careful consideratipn, and it is -the intention to proceed with tho const-ruction of a new wharf, giving some I§QQ feet increased accommodation. Referring tq.tlje frozen njgat trade, the annual report of £h<} -Timiiru Harbour, Board states: Tho total carcases gf niuttpn and lamb shipped'frpjn tho Ppmimqn, during the year was Though our shipments for 190(5 slio)ve<l a largo increase over previous years, >ve have still further increased this year by some 48,903 carcases, and we CDntinuo to hold the third highest position, being only 330 carcases short of Wellington. Spmp 12,990 livo sheep were shipped aiyay, largely consequent oil the drought; with the addition of part of this total, wo would have secured sccoflti place. Tho following 'aro the particulars of the shipments at the three leading ports for' the past . four «years Lyttelten—l9o4, 1,062,359 carcases; 1905, 1,021,043; 1906, 1,307,940; 1907, 1,250,023; decrease fpr 1907, 57,917. Wellington—l9o4, 906,765; 1905, 734,735; 1906, 831,903; 1907, 838,327; increase for 1907, 6424. Timaru— 1904, .575,94 i; 1905, 601,427 ; 19C6, 789,094; 1907, 837,997; increase for 1907, 48,903. llaro]y is a word heard in depreciation of the services of commercial agents. It has rather been the custom, to identify them with the opening up of oversea markets. Mr. J. M. Paxton, presjdent of the Australian Associated Chambers of Cpmmpree, hqwever, speaking at the Brisbane Congress, took a. somewhat contrary view.. He admitted that "Government commercial agents did some good, but," he immediately added, !> l doubt very much if any, very marked beneficial results accrue from thgir appointments. Business men of the present day," he continued, "are keen .enough to be always on the look-out for fresh. markets without the assistance of Government officials, who in at least some cases are men who were not at tho t|me of their appointments in intimatetouch with mercantile concerns, and whose recommendations, judging by somo of their reports, aro quite incapable of being given elTcct to. Further, reports and recommendations are of ton belated, and have-been anticipated by business- houses on this sido, who are in closo touch with merchants in importing countrios, so that the moment there is an opportunity for business, the cablo is sot to work, and negotiations aro concluded if prices permit." r^' tiCosta, LIj.B. (neo Miss Ethol It. Benjamin, of Dunedin), after practising lor somo years in that -city, has commenced practico as a barrister, and solicitor in No. G Nathan's Buildings, corner Grey and Featherston Streets, Wollington. Mrs. Do Costa has the distinction of being tho ouly lady practising at tho Bar in tho Dominion. . Intending clients can depend on prompt and oaroful attention at Mrs, D 9 Costa's hands,

It is the intention of the Hon. Dr. Findlay to reply at an early date to the criticisms that have been levelled at his rocent statements on labour and arbitration. Tho Rickards Vaudeville Company, which is about to make, a comprehensive tour of New Zealand,, arrived by the Sydney boat last night, and will leave for Dunedin tonight. Mr. James Moore is with them as manager. Tho compensation case, Smith and Smith, Ltd., v. AVcllington Corporation, which was originally fixed for June 4, will bp heard on Saturday next at 10 a.m. The Court mil consist of Mr. Justice Chapman and Mr. E. W. Soaton (assessor for the Corporation), and tho Hon. T. K. M'Donald, M.L.C. (assessor for the claimant). Tho teachers' class' in elementary agriculture and nature study now being held at Greytown, was visited on Tuesday by Messrs. T. R. Fleming (Inspector of Schools) and T. AV. Kirk (Government Biologist). Mr. Kirk |saye an address to those present, laying great stress on what teachers might do by instilling into tho minds of country children the valuo of improved agriculture. He also made some obssrvatipns on the necessity of securing purer pasturago for, stock. A vote of thanks'was passed "to Mr. Kirk for his interesting" address. ■ The inmates of the Mount View' Asylum take a very keen interest in the local Zoo. and wlion a walking party sets out the decision is invariably that tho objectivo shall bii the park. Never a week passes but the various birds and animals are carefully inspected, and, in fact, the inmates would go every day to observo them if allowed, to do so. Knowing this, the honorary secretary of tho Zoological Gardens Committee last night paid a visit to the asylum, and gave a lecture on zoological life, using tho admirable selection of slides recently shown in the Town Hall. The Asylum inmates showed marked appreciation and gratitude.