LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 409, 19 January 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At tho Mount Cook Police Court yesterday morning, before Mr. H. Baker, J.P., one first offender, charged with insobriety, was convicted and discharged.

' Questioned by a Gisborne reporter respecting the suggested extension of time being granted to the Native Laud Commission, the Chief Justice stated that this matter had not yet been settled, but tho Hon. Mr. Ngata's retirement as an outcome of his appointment to Ministerial rank would be most probable.

Detective Williams arrested a man named Joseph Chew, nt Carterton'on Sunday on a charge of having committed arson, at Carterton on January 15. Chew was carrying on business as a cycle agent, and his shop and the two adjoining it were burned down. Ho .was .brought before the Court at Carterton yesterday, and remanded to January 26, bail bemg_ allowed in the sum of £100 and two sureties , of £50 each. ■•'"...

Traps, gins, and snares may catch the feet of J.P.'s just like ordinary people, it seems. "Your Worships," said a solicitor in the S.M. Court yesterday morning, "have heard him admit the fact's as stated by mo." Two justices on the bench beamed assent. "Ah, then, that's all right," continued the solicitor, with the peculiar smile of the man who wins. "I only want your Worships to reiiiombor it, as wo may want you as witnesses in other proceedings that may follow." ' , '

The Official Assignee (Mr. Alex. Simpson), has been appointed interim receiver andmanagerof. the estate of Thomas W. Arthur Stringer, storekeeper, Wellington. The application, which camo before.Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, Registrar of the Supreme Court (in the absence, of a Judgo), was made on be■holf of Messrs. W. and G. Turnbull and Co., Wellington, and A. S. Paterson and Co., JOuuedin, who were represented by Mr. M. Myers. On : Thursday a petition to have Stringer declared a bankrupt will bo heard. It is alleged that debtor has left the Dominion. • - :.■■ : ■■':. ■'.■ • .-'.

, It is the intention of Messrs. H. E. Shaclclook and Co., ironfoundors and stovfrmakers of Dunedin, to establish a branch of their, business.in. Wellington. A largo .brick-store; capable of extension a? occasion' demands,' is being erected for them in Lower Tory Street. This store , (the plans - for which were prepared by Mr. E. G. Coleridge) : has a frontage to Lower Tory Street of 70ft. by. a depth of 61ft... As the site is oii reclaimed land, the foundation of reinforced concrete has been sunk down to the solid, and £ho brick walls have been made 27 inches' in thickness, so as to bear another four stories if necessary. Tho store is to.cost about £2500.i

For many years; says the "Poverty Bay Herald," Parliament has voiced a strong demand for the compilation of a consolidation of. the intricate Native land [epilation, which has found its place so profusely amongst the pages of.the Now Zealand'statute law. The work, however, is of great magnitude, and a revision of the numerous Acts of Parliament entailed such consideration and expert knowledge that the Statutes Revision Commission, which last year completed the compilation of the ordinary statutes, - declined to take- on tho task. This important work, however, has since been undertaken by Robert Stout, Chief Justice, who held the presidency of the late commission. Spoaking to a "Herald" reporter, Sir Robert. Stout, who passed through , Gisborne last Saturday,' stated that he had tho compilation near completion, having been occupied with it tho whole of tho Christmas, holidays. Tho Chief Justice confidently added that ho would complete the work prior to his departure on a holiday visit to the Old Country on March 1 and that it would be ready for presentation to Parliament during the coining session.

Palliser Bay as a watering place for Wairarapa people could, it was stated the other evening at the Mastorton Chamber of Commerce,, be made so accessible to Masterton that it would be even a very pleasant ono day's outing. This could be brought about by means of a motor launch service from Pigeon Bush down tho Wairarapa Lake, through the outlet of the lake into Palliser. Bay. Here there is a fine stretch of beach, and generally a placo where a very pleasant and profitable holiday could be spent. . By leaving by the . early morning train to Pigeon Bush, tho run from Masterton to the bay would occupy only from throe.to four .hours, according to the speed of the motor launches. It would bo necessary, if a motor, launch service were established, for boating aeeomrnodationto be provided and the course on tho lake to be properly charted on account of shallows and mud banks at tho outlet. The difficulty in regard to travelling on the lake in the past; lias been the danger of squalls, but this would not bo the case with motor launches, and tho difficulty would thus 1 be got over. . . ; ;

About fifty residents 1 attended a .meeting held at Pahautanui on Saturday night for tho purpose of considering the question of tho formation of a sub-union to the Wellington Rugby Union, taking in the districts of Johnsonville, Porirua, Paremata, Paekakariki,' Upper Hutt, and Silverstream. Mr Robb (secretary New Zealand Referees' Association) presided, and there were also present Mr. S. S. Brown (chairman of the Wellington Rugby Union) and representatives from each of the towns mentioned. The meeting was. enthusiastic, and a strong committee, consisting of Messrs. Robb. AVillivE , . Brady, A. Nicol, W. Harris,Bennington,and Dr. Robertson, was formed to canvass the district for support. The'com--mittoo was given power to subsequently approach the Wellington Rugby Union and ask it to formally accept the new union. Several prominent settlers of the district have already offered tho promoters of tho sohomo financial assistance. Mr. Basil Willis was appointed hon. secretary to tho. movement. The .now committeo will meet at Johnson--villo on Saturday, January 30, regarding tho proposed scheme.

For instructions on the latest and most becoming style of Hairdressing, for Hair Treatment, Face Massage .and Shampooing, viVt Mrs. Rolleston, Willis Street (over Carroll's) Personal attention, advico free. Tel. 1599.

Theru arp more ways tha none of bleadin" tea, but there's; only ono honest and right way" anil that is to jblend for. quality, Many teas are Mended for value—that is, teas of oei-tain prices aro lumped together in order to -.ako certain of profit. Crescent Blend Tea is blended for quality, irrespective of tho prices of. the teas required to make the blend. It is a scientific combination of tho strong robust teas of and tho fine delicate teas of Ceylon.' Two shillings per lb. from all stores,—Advc,

Mrs. ."W. H. Booth has presented a very handsome sot of altar clotns and hangings and / a heavy carpet to the sanctuary of St, Mark's Anglican Church, Carterton. This gift, together with the new organ, has furnished tho church completely.

Pcoplo .whose sympathies were touched by tho fatality which recently overtook a por-. tion of the ship's company of H.M.S: . I'lncountor in Sydney Harbour will find gratifying reading in tho following little note, which comes from H.M.S. Cambrian. It is as , follower—"Editor, Dominion. Would you kindly insert, that the concert given by H.M.S. Cambrian in aid of tho relatives of those lost in tho recent disaster to tile pinnace of H.M.S. Encounter realised £20 after alt expenses had been paid—for which we have to thank tho people of Wellington.— Yours faithfully, F. E. Sutcliffe (chaplain)." A return issued by the Labour Department yesterday stated that the number of labourers employed on co-operative,works in November last was 8206, as against 4490 in tho corresponding month of last year, which may be taken as an indication that the month of a-general election is, not unfruitful to some good people. The figures show that the number of men employed on co-operative works in November last nearly doubled those employed in November .1907, though there woro 704 less men engaged on the Main Trunk line at the time of the last reportthat is compared with tho previous year.. The extra men are spread over other lines in conrso'of construction. ,

Under'the. Arbitration Amendment Act of last session, applications for enforcement of awards and industrial agreements will take the form of civil proceedings before a stipendiary magistrate. The first batch of Wellington cases under the new procedure has been set down for hearing on February 2, plaints having been entered in 22 eases by Inspector Lβ Cren. Eight other cases in which cases of interpretation are involved will be taken before the Arbitration Court. Tho Act allows tho inspector to proceed in either Court.' It. should, be noted by those interested that two clear days' notice of intention to defend must be given, otherwise tho magistrate is not bound to hear tho defence.

A bookseller states that it is a complaint that members of.the trade can never get enough copies of the monthly Government railway time-table to meet\the demand. This (he says) is not for the want of trying, for he had made ,more than one application for extra copies without result': Ho was now getting three; dozen copies (at 9d. a dqzen), which were sold at one penny each, and.could do with quite doublo that number, as inquiries for them were mado orury day.- One very prominent Government official, whose duty calls him away from TVeUihgton a good deal, states that ho" called at nearly every book shop in Christcliurch in pursuit of a time-table without being able to get one, and met with the same complaint everywhere. .

. The trustees of the new Otaki Maori College and Hostel, at a meeting held in the Diocesan library last evening, decided that in view of recent developments, the buildings would not be proceeded-with on the present site-. As recently reported, some human skeletons were unearthed during the preliminary work of excavation . on : the site originally chosen, arid out of ■ consideration for tho religious susceptibilities of the Natives, who regard their burial places as strictly "tapu," ' the contract was suspended until tho trustees had considered the matter. The Otaki Maoris state that they were quite unaware that "this'particular spot had ever been used as a' burial ground, and its use for that purpose must date back to "before tho days of To Itauparaha. ; •.. . - , :

One young man .who was included in the Mamari's list of immigrants will evidently have to readjust his ideas somewhat (states the Auckland "Herald"). He expected to find a'number of managers or owners of big sheep estates ready and ansious_ to secure his services.' Ho has had no previous expert enco in the sheep line, but ho had learned, to' ride, and thought'ho would liko an'engagement : on' an estate '-'looking round the sheep." ."When informed that on the .big sheen, runs .the rides very, often led over, rough, mountainous'!■ country,.. and' that "mustering" very often had to be conducted where ncThorse. could'ever get, he. was pained and shocked.. He had no ambition to' get.into rough country, ami -was'looking for a nice soft job as an "estate assistant at from £4 to £5 a week." He also inquired if.bush work was,"very hard."