LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 272, 10 August 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Neither the Brindisi nor the San Francisco mail will reach Wellington to-night. The former will rirrivo to-morrow, but tho time of tho latter, which is now some six clays overdue, is uncertain. At 2.30 a.m. yesterday Sergeant Rutledge, in chargo of Mount Cook police district, raided some premises in Forester's Lane, and seized a quantity of beer. It is probable that a prosecution will follow. A small outbreak of firo amongst some bedclothes in a house in Arthur Street resulted in tho Firo Brigade being called out at 8.5 p.m. oii Saturday night. The firo is stated to have been caused through a boarder smoking in bed. Practically 110 damaga was done. Tho Wellington Telegraph Offico notifies that tho Fairlie office was burned down at 3.30 a.m. yesterday. There will bo delay on telegrams to Kimbell, Lake Pukaki, Lake Tekapo, Burkes Pass, and Cattle Valley. The Hermitage is cut off. Telegrams are being sent to Albury, ten miles south of Fairlie, at present;' Tho monthly meeting of Northland Ratepayers' Association, presided over by Mr. Finlay M'Leod, was held on Friday night, when it was decided to interview His Worship tho Mayor by deputation regarding tho Wellington City Empowering Bill. It was resolved to urge upon the Wellington City Council tho necessity of finishing Anderson Park at an early data, and to utilise tho extra spoil in filling up the gully in Karori Road. It was also decidod that the City Council be urged to grade and metal tho right-of-way adjoining Mr. Russell's store, and that a "footpath bo formed giving outlet to Mount Road North.

A caso which should act as a deterrent to volunteers who refuse to tako volunteering seriously was heard beforo Mr. H. W. Bishop, S.M., at the Christchurch Magistrate's Court. A member of the Christ's Collego Rifles was sued for capitation and tho incidental fees for which members of volunteer corps are liable under tho Act, the amount altogether being £1 19s. 6d. Tho officer commanding the corps stated that tho volunteer referred to had failed to attend tho spccifiod number of parades, and had in other ways displayed a lamentable lack of interest in the company to which he belonged. He was ordered by tho Magistrate to pay tho amount of the claim with costs.

At a meeting at Mamaku last week over ninety persons were present, and a lengthy .discussion on tho timber trade resulted in the following resolutions being adopted:— 1(1) "That this mooting of timber workers jview with concern tho largo importation of Oregon pino and the threatened importation of Mauchurian timber. Owing, it is said, to tho falling-olf in orders, a number of men liavo already been discharged and thrown on tho congested labour market, and unless prompt action is taken tho position of tho timber workers will bo serious. (2) That this meeting of workers, representing iivo sawmills in and near Mamaku, respectfully urgo the (iovernmont to take such action as may be deemed necessary to restrict the further importation of foreign timber until full inquiry has been made, to enable Parliament to finally deal with tho subject. (3) That this meeting enter a protest against tho inference that , high wages are tho causo of higher cost of timber production in New Zealand. (4) That Sir Joseph Ward bo asked to receive a deputation at Rotorua, and that a largo petition be prepared for presentation later on."

A suggestion was made at tho meeting of tho Farmers' Union at Auckland on Friday evening that a motion of congratulation should be to the promoters of tho Industries Exhibition on tho success of their efforts. Captain Colbeck was on his feet at once. These wore tho gentlemen, ho said, who were defeating the objects of the Union. Tho greatest industry of all, farming, had been left unprotected, and ho much resented congratulating the representatives of those who had "given tho fanners a good hiding." Continuing, tho speaker said there was far too much pandering to this other class. Tho members in tho room wero all paying 33 per cent, for the clothes they wero wearing. Mr. Boddio did noc agree with this view. While tho producers wero undoubtedly suffering an injustice, ho did not think that was any reason to "fly down the throats of the Association," and anything that would establish mutual confidence and sympathy between tho two sections of tho community was desirable. The producers had sustained losses, but while tho industrial section had boon wise in its generation tho farmers had "let things go by the board." It was resolved to thank the Association for its courtesy in extending invitations to be present at tho exhibition to members of tho Union.

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The health return for the week ending August 8 is as follows: — City—Scarlet fever, 12 cases; diphtheria, 5; tuberculosis, 1. Hutt County—Diphtheria, 2 cases. At 8.10 o'clock on Saturday night tho Fire brigade received a call from 129 Taranaki Street. Tho cause of tho fire was tho upsetting of a candlo, and tho bed and bedding of a back room wero considerably damaged. The house, tho contents of which were uninsured, was occupied by Leonard Nelson. Sentries in uniform keep watch of tho doors of Parliament buildings, and messengers are still running about the passages and maintaining a general eye over things. In the evenings tho buildings are ablaze with light, but the halls and corridors are free of members. Only one or two members still haunt the precincts. •m l "' V' ? can dfctt (Mayor of Invercargill), who arrived in Auckland on Friday, travelled over the Main Trunk Line, and expresses great admiration of tho scenery to bo witnessed on route. Speaking to a ' Herald" representative, Mr. Scandretf said the Main Trunk was the tourist railway or the Dominion, and he has been astonished at the wonderful engineering feats accomplished in the construction of the line. ill's. Neligan (wife of the Bishop of Auckland), speaking at tho Pan-Anglican Congress, eulogised the Maori race as capable of the highest culture and civilisation. After only sixty or seventy years of civilisation they were able to take their part in the Ministry, the Government, and professional life. Tlioy possessed a delightful senso of humour, and a wonderful poetic nature, and were religiously minded. Indeed, they might call them " Irishmen with brown faces (laughter) —being in a true sense very similar in character to the Irish. They had the same characteristics, both as to their virtues and their faults. (Laughter.) The great aim should bo to keep the white man Christian in that country. Grass Street is a somewhat precipitous thoroughfare leading by zig-zag paths from Oriental Bay to Roseneath, and so, via Haitaitai, to Kilbirnie Valley 'and suburb. On such a day as yesterday it has an attraction for tho pedestrian who desires to reach higher altitudes, crisp, clear air,-and also to obtain some most beautiful- landscape and seascape views. It is to be regretted, therefore, that tho pleasure of tho walk is marred at tho outset by the filthy open drains run-, ning down tho upper part of Grass Street, and it would certainly bo in the interest of the public health generally, and the residents of the locality in particular, if the sanitary authorities visited the street before tho hot weather sets m and sccurcd some amendment of the present stato of affairs. Coronation Day (August 9) was observed on Saturday, August S. In the usual courso of events, Monday would havo been the day chosen for the observance of tho occasion by li.M. ships and the saluting parties on land, but in view of tho circumstances that tho warships in Auckland would bo then wired in readiness for the fleet illuminations, and that the electrical communications would probably suffer by the concussion and shock of tho discharge of tho guns., it was deemed advisable, after consultation with his Excellency tho Governor, to fire tho Coronation Saluto throughout the Dominion on Saturday. In Wellington a detachment of tho Royal Now Zealand Artillery paraded at tho battery on Pipitea Point at 8 a.m.- on Saturday and fired tho Royal Salute. At a meeting of the Dominion Scouts, held on Friday night, the names of Sergeant Hyde (Gordon Highlanders), Sq. Sgt-Major Hastings (Rimington's Scouts), Troopers Rubick and Berry (New Zealand Contingents), and Corporal Zuizondyk (Transvaal) wore added to the committee. _ The secretary reported that since last meeting, held a week ago, 23 new members had joined the corps, and that applications for enrolment were . coming in most satisfactory. A letter from a number of ox-S.A. service men in Palmerston North offering to form a detachment of twenty meii to join the corps was received. It was decided to leave this question and the question of affiliation with tho King's Colonials for discussion at a meeting of .the'members to bo held ,i about titty-end of tlicriionthv-'iThS question of joining the present corps of volunteers in detachments of ten or twelve to each company was also raised, but tho unanimous opinion of the men was that they could assist and benefit the existing volunteer companies much better by forming a separate body. It was pointed out that this company, when actually in tho fiold, would probably bo attached, in squads, to the different units composing tho Wellington battalion. Tho meeting adjourned until Wednesday, August 19.

It is understood that the Military Court of Inquiry, held at the Garrison Hall recently to investigate further the _ circumstances connected with the dismissal, on a charge of insubordination, of Sergt.-Major William Talbut from tho Herctaunga Mounted Rifles, has decided, on the evidence adduced, to sustain the scntenco of dismissal previously declared by the Officer Commanding the District (Lieut.-Colonel A. Bauchop, C.M.G.). The finding of the Court was dispatched to his Excellency tho Governor on July 31 last, and tho decision, as above reported, has not yet, so states Colonel W. H. Webb (Secretary of the Defence Council), been returned, stamped with the imprimatur of his Excellency's approval. It is stated that tho inquiry, which, by tho way, has cost tho country something like £100, was held to extend to Sergt.-Major Talbut a privilege which, for some reason or other, was denied him when'his case was previously dealt with, namely, that of giving and calling evidence in his defence. Sergt.-Major Talbut states that he intends, if tho officia.l decision is in terms of that which has been reported, to move for an appeal. It is also rumoured that another ex-member of the corps, who was dismissed for insubordination contemporaneously with Sergt.-Major Talbut, is moving to bo allowed to give and call evidence in his defence.