LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 426, 8 February 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The English mail via • Brindisi, which should reach Auckland on Sunday, and Wellington on Monday night, will not come via Auckland this week, the connection having been, missed 'at Sydney. Though no advice will be received until to-morrow, tho postal authorities oonsider it practically certain that the mail is on board the Marama, which loft Sydney on Saturday for Wellington direct, and is duo to arrive here pn Wednesday. The Wimme.-a, with a Sydney mail ,on board, arrived in tho stream at Auckland at 2 a.m. 'to-day. "Archie" M'Noil,. tho prisoner who escaped from -the Terrace ,Gaol, is in tho' Wauganui district. A Press Association messago states that ho-was seen'thore on Friday. Mr. H. W. Climio, C.E., has been engaged to report on a high-pressure water supply for Hastings. Tho yacht White Heather, which has been oruising in the Sounds, returned to Wellington yesterday evening. The following casos of infectious diseases are reported by "tho Health Department for tho week ending February 6:—-In the city: Scarlet fovor, 2; tuberculosis, 1. In Hutt County: Diphtheria, 1. • The Union Company's steamer Manapouri, which is to leave for Rarotonga and Tahiti on Tuesday, will carry a considerable quantity of mail matter. Of the 247 bags of ma.ils which arrived from*. Sydney by tho Mokoia, 110 bags will go on to tho Islands and Amorica per tho Manapouri. Working models always interest tho meohanical mind. There is a capital one of "The lied Mill" (moulin' rouge) being exhibited in tho show window of Messrs. Kirkbaldie and Stains at present. In construction it resembles the Dutch windmills with j its big sail-bearing arms, so common a sight i in Belgium and Holland, and is an advertisement for "The Red Mill"'Musical Comedy Co,, which is to commence a season at the Opera House on Monday next. Speaking in regard to tho theatre bj-law, Mr. Join; Fuller, of Messrs. Fuller Mid Sons, told a "Lyttolton Timos" rcpoiter that'tho Auckland City Council controlled tho overcrowding difficulty in thoatres with a bylaw that made it an offence for anyono to Btand in a theatre during a performance. In each part of tho auditorium a notice showed the number of porsons that that part was licensed to seat. The by-law had worked very successfully, and it was superior to the by-law at 'present being tried In Christonuroh, . , ' ■

At a meeting of tho Wellington, Operative Bakers' Union, held on Saturday evening last,- at; tho './i'rados Hall, Cuba .Street, a motion; to) disaffiliate from the Wellington Trades Council was carried unanimously;'/. •Professor T. H. Easterfield, Ph.D.; of Victoria .College, occupied the pulpit at the Missions to Seamen's Church last ovenirig. Tho congregation was .not:a large .'.'one.-,' , Tho. preacher delivered a simple homily on thosubject of Christian sacrifice and' self : de'niaLJ whioh ■ was very attentively/listened. to., ]':■_ About'a fortnight ago (says the' "Feild-, ing Star") there were extra high tides, and the.■ dwellers in the"cottages, at tho''.Hbro-, wheniia beach .were surprised to.'find .one .morning a large hot, considerably torn', yet. containing a - ( large number,of fish;:". The net contained 26 sharks frorir 18 inches to. six feet long,' four schnapper : and sundry .other' fish. ■'■ ■ ' \ ; i'. : ••'','..'••■■'■.'.■"■ Some people have peculiar ideas of .what constitutes sensible amusement. .For the munificent sum of five shillings ;a man,;fuiiy, clothed, jumped into the: Avon River at the' Cashel,Street bridge:on, Friday'(states the. "Press"), and. swam about a hundred yards down stream. His performance was watched by a laughing crowd, and he was cheered as ho; climbed., out-on the river, bank., He; was then the one cool man in the crowd. > /.At ■, yesterday's'' meeting of the 'Wellington City ..Tramways, Young was -re-elected secretary, for the ensuing year. .The only, other candidate/.was Mr. W. ''H.v.Westbrooke. ;, Advantage was taken of the..qecasion.;hy : ;the Hon. John Rigg to addre/ss.;/the meeting on the. subject of,: the labour-paper, proposed -to be .started in : Wellington. The proposition was/favourably received;. •""■'.-■' •', ,"- ';'..' '.-'v.-i.V'.V ■"■ : -A posse of police, under the.guidance of Sergeant Rutledge,. of Mount .'Cook, Police Station,, madei-a -raid/on:an alleged,sly grog-; shop, in Taranald. Street at midday yesterday; It is:stated.tbat, a large, quantity of. liquor' was-.seized, so/much, in/fact, that..ari/.express .had'to/be.'chartered to convey it to the police' station.'{Another raid was made on a hbus'e in/Frederick Street,,,where/another, swag .'of liquor, is-said to have been' found. 'The.ser-: geant's .offico / at Mount Cook bore 'some : resemblance" to'a bottling store yesterday/afternoon;.; ;'';:';'';,.;/.:-:./;/ ■, : :. /;'.:/; v. .; - A localifruit:merchant,/speaking'in. regard to.'■ the attitude' taken lip /by--.tho./.Christ. churchfrait and prpduco auctioneers ,'ih: re r fusing the bids'of those:not cbnneotsd with the trade, states, that. legally, they ha/d not a'foot,.to stand 'oh./,\- "An auctioneer must take a'bid;f rom/anypho',", said he, ''and/anyone,: if his bid is not accepted, could proceed against the; seller: by, law /(if'he thought/,'it worth.while) and.win. .No'bid is,refused.at ■'.the."Wellington' markets,, and the ;rbsult;.'is. that on growers/get .much .bettor .prices for/their stuff- /here', than -in: Christchurch?..''.!.;.;,-.-.;;■•;■;;•,;:'.;-,: ;'- : -:/,;- : -;vf/..'•■ :>v:- ";■■''/ ■'-Grapes,- cool/and. luscibus-T-grapes ; fr6m.tbe siinhy vineyards of; Australia—brightened yip' ■'the,! windows, of the local fruit-shops■/on Saturday for the first ;; time',' this season. Strange-to, /say ,';■ the first l ' consignment •; to arrive from "the' other, sido" .'was /from A'de-. laido'.'' "Last -season. South .Australian' grapes were/.from' three weeks to: a 'nionth behindNow South 'Wales :■ sorts' in" arriving: at/the, local/;market.' \ Only '20 casos ; arrived /fromAdelaide; ; by ■ the; Uliiriarba. on-:Friday, morn-: ing,',but ion ,the .afternoon-, of; the. same, day .the' : supply.'was -augmented .bjl;-a line. : of:'7s; cases of. Sydney grapes."' They were ;mdstly; / white;: grapes,' and - small':'(owing* .doubtless; j/tp: their, being the -first,of the season),--and' ■ in;half-a-dozen cases the/fruit; had- 'softened during - the voyage.' The fruit came in. 181bV cases,.(thoso'from Adelaide,,packed in graihuA lated cork), and realised from 12s. 6di to :18s'; :6d.' per case. v.Some 'were noticed for sale (retail):'.;at; Bd.. per lib.;. .Regular shipments, should ; ■now' , ; arnvo ii by the: Melbourne, and Sydney,steamers each weok.-, /■;,;..: / . : ;/V,;;,: , ; ■'■■ .The neyeWceasing ,battle,''town yersuß country,, is being;,fought out -to" the' bitter end over,''the',Napier':Harbour/Board ■;.£200,000' loan oxtension.'prbpoMl; ! ithel'poU'for which is' to bei taken to-morrow; ■;'.Amongst.,those .-sup;: portinglthe.meas'ure are;thovHo'n.'.'J. Di-.'Or-' mond,.ahd.Mr. A.L. D. Fraser,,whilejMr.yA; E, r : J.ull,i';bf j.Wa'ipawayi-isJ opposing, thasoheme tooth .and /nail.'-." ■; The Hawke'si / Bay.papefs ■ (says. :'oUr,'; travelling, /representative),,;;are : ■ flooded-.with' correspondence over the -matter(• and /meetings .are held-nightly./ '/At, Hastings,- : oh - Friday, -night: a meeting - addressed by the Hon.. J.-. D; Orraond vetoed, the 'scheme,' but., another ■' meeting -earlier i in the week , : at."Olive;• announced : itself -. in';.' its' favour. Tho : voting promises to.be very close;, '; The Hawke's Bay A. and P.-Association.is seeking.the aidof the Hawke's Bay) Jockey .Club/ to:fit:the Hastings :racecourse' (whore. ,the':Bhows and 'races' are held) '■ with-certain • accommodatioh.'ata cost of 'about £800.~./Last .week- the;■ratopayers///of;HastingS'vetoed;, a .loan..proposal : of some -£20,000":for'"-purposes-whioh/nncluded; sewerage; .'hence./the Vaction; .of-the/'Hawke-s Bay-.A. :and ; P,/;A'ssociatibri.!/ v'-The present' derhand -for/fresh flat,'.fish; in/ New, Zealand-exceeds,the supply: (said 'Mr;' /J-' ;J.--'-Niveni Napier manager of the;//.Now Zealand -Trawling" Company to a Dominion representative)^'--'and) there should thereforb be scope, for. further, .enterprise, by- trawlihg ; - c'ompaniesr _; A 'possible, deterrent,' however, 'were the initial which' were, /very ■great. ■ ,The' Sydney market. absorbed;all the fish /unsold by his company ■ in ' the Dbnnnioh, which, were shipped in , a salted. condition: Asked how. it: was;that; in- the main, /the" country districts' between' Napier and Wei-' ■lingtbn. -were so -.badly/ served:.as regards, .a: ;'fish; supply, Mr.^Niven,'/stated,that, it'was because the' fish would hot /keep., /New' Zealand - fish' were.caught',in. warm waters,.: and were always; subjected /to /a:.higher, tempera-" ,ture.than,' say, those captured,on,the/great' .fishing-grounds near'lceland;-. Suoh fish were laid /on; the" deck" of a'-" ship ■■ during /a'.three ' weeks',/voyage 'to. ; ; Gre/at 'Yarmouth, and then' sold;in a quite fresh",.obnditian,.';-.■,-.:/ '-i:'/-V v"i /'.- "I must/compliment, Sir Joseph .Ward .upon. the recent' appointments ..to.' the/ Ministry,": said Mr. A.: W.-. Rutherford at Hanmer on Tuesday evening. ■' 'Four/ of- the'... appoint-; ments .are: - of -level-headed, common-sense men.withoUt fads. 'The-fifth; Mr. Hogg, al-/ ways/had. reputation of being the most .sucoe'ss'fuiV/'bqbdler'rin. the .House—that : -is, ! the;',most successful ..'member' in"-, obtaining grants for his: district.- Mr.;,Hogg/is/.what Mr;./ Seddon - in his /latter - days ■ used; to - call .a/ 'humanitarian,' and.-ho Was .-taken/'in/as./a partner for/Mr. Fpwlds;;who Was feeling- a bit. lonely. : -But,; joking, aside, - Mr. Fowlds has.-m-ade,-one of the,best. Ministers for Edu-/. cation, the country has/had;:; Mr. ,Hogg 'maymake ':a'- success .of the lwrtfoho of Labour, and if ho does he will-bo-'entitled'to stand onthe highest rung of, the'ladder;: not only as a - ( politician, ; but - as a statesman. /- The Cabinet" is holding office at one of the most critical ,'juuoturcs: in the' .history of i: the' Dominion, and.l -.'am'/sure we all wish that Sir Joseph,, with the'aid of those he has called/to his assistance, will.prove equal to; the Times." -, /> ~-■;■ -:: The /.W a P'ti : imported by, the Government from America about, four years ago. are ap-'. parently. quite, at 'homo' -in .the: rugged -but magnificently picturesque : 'lake,;' and 'mountain.'country:of Western'Otago.'; | /Whbh on a recent trip 'to the /Sounds,' in ' company withthe new Minister for Tourist and Health Resorts (Hon. T. Mackenzie),, Mr. T./.E; DorinOj of; the- : Tourist.'Department,'-.'.landed, at the /bay /where-;'the' animals 'had-been put ashore; and after an oxcursion into 'the' bush he located a fine bull wapiti, .having a magnificent head , and a lino commanding' pres-ence.-He-worked round to.tho hill side of. the,boast,/and:thea drove hira slowly through/ tho. bush, towards /the" shore,:,so"that those on board, including the/Minister (who:had injured his leg), might'get a galnce, at the stranger.., As .the: wapiti approached- ..the shore, '.twa others from the steamer assisted, as -.beaters, but the bull'evidently "got'the. scent,"; and/ moved off' Tesolutely : into; the thick bush/but of. harm's • way , before "/.he; could'bo seen from the steamer. .Mr- Donne states that: he noticed/-the spoor ■ of" otherwapiti, young . as. well 'as. matured,, from which' ho gathereel that the herd was doing very we 11.,: Native bird-lifo/was in/abundaut ovidenco in the Sounds district. ' / Teas grown'in'different localities have differ-' entcharnotoristics, and even tuq tea - from anj' particular, garden'is riot the same in two successive seasons.:' Cliniatio changes, differences/ of soil,' exorcise influences, and it /is -the.art of the tea blender to bring together the differ-: ent teas and by combination to produce a particular flavour. Crescent Blend Tea is a choico combination of Ceylon and Indian Teas,-and the flavour nevor varies, AUetorekeopeM, is. perJk'- '• {;■'■'•:'•' ■ " ;; 3/ '■'■:'■

The -Harbour Board ' has appointed Mr. N.' M'Brido, of the harbourmaster's-staff, to take "■. charge of the To Aro Boat Harbour. Certain' additions at the Boat Harbour'have been, urgontly required for some time past; and ■;now that a' caretaker has been 'appointed some movement to this end - will doubtless bo inade. ~ ' _ ; ' The boat thief made his appearance at the Te Aro Boat Harbour 'on Saturday, and disappeared as silently as he came, taking with lnm a big double-ended boat belonging:,-.,t0 Messrs. Bringins and', Bailey. The boat; was devoid of gear, and the thief must.have; come preparediwith bars, etc.-The, matter is now mthe-hands of-the police.;. •