LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 428, 10 February 1909, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho postal authorities advise that : the Marama, which left , Sydney for Wellington on February 6 ; has on board an. English and Australian mail, which is due here to-morrow morning. ' '■■/'. . : ■ Tho Postal Department advise that the mails which left Wellington on January 1 per s.s. THimaioa, and connected at Sydney with the Brindisi mail per the E.M.S.' India, arrived in London on the morning of'February.G, one day late". . ... -.':.' Parliament lias been further prorogued by Gazette Extraordinary until April 8. . ■'.'.■ Twenty-four applications , have been received for the position of engineer to tho Wellington Harbour Board. .. At to-morrow evening's meeting of- the City Council, Councillor Hindmarsh will move:—"That monthly fram tickets be issued to residents - of Berhampore and Wand Bay at reduced rates." .. : ' The Wellington edition of the new book telephone list that is being published by Mr. Victor Beck under' arrangement with tho Post and Telegraph Dopartmentj will be issued .within a fewdays. , ■', :• i A trophy valued, at five guineas has been subscribed to personally by membors of the W-ellington , Hospital Board- of Trustees for presentation at the Port Nicholson Club's sports on Saturday; February, 27. ".....■ : "What's the bail? , ' asked one of three men who appoared at the Magistrate's Court yajterday on a charge :of assaulting and robbing an old man, who was : under the influence ,of liquor., Accused asked for.bail in a confident voice, but the Magisterial, pr'onounoement,, "Bail in £100 and two sureties of £50 each," sent three dejected 'beings trooping from the dook to the prisoners room;. ~ . . : .-.-■.. ■-.-: ■ ■■■. ."John ——,";. called,'the Clerk of the Court, whilst running through the list of oases. attheS.M. Court yesterday.': " Aye-, aye, sir," came- the lusty, response from'the crowd' in ; the. pit of the Court,; and aftor several convulsive Heaves in the: crowd : a bearded individual lurched : into the open space of the Court and strode towards the dock, the observed of all the Court, but sublimely unconscious that the seafaring .'"Aye, aye , .' in response to the calling' of his name was not the usual Court.procedure. ■' .■■ .':; ■-. /Worn with age, and deprived of his position by retrenchment, a carpenter applied for relief to the Benevolent Trustees yesterday; He. stated 'that;he had : formerly been .employed at the Do. Beers mine. Kimberley, but' the 'industrial '.'adjustment 1 ' which followed the Boer war. had left the Continent of Africa. —yasias/it is—too: sniall : to hold him. -New Zealand,'he said, had riot taken : him;very aindly by the hand either, and he asked the trustees to advance him his passage money; to Sydnoy. ■ The board agreed to advance half fare if the Carpenters'TJnion would find the-'other half. . : ; ; ■';:':.;. : : ':>-...;' . -The. first option.of the-Wellington'City Council to. acquire the Karori and Kelburne Tramway Company's property, expires on ; February 21, There was a mild agitation mado by the; residents, of Kelburne. a few months ago for the city to purchase • the undertaking, but the City Council seemed altogether, disinclined to accede: to the pleadings of ,tbe:hill-dwellers,:, who were.looking for'Oheaper , transit, possibly atthe expense ol the oity as a whole. money |b very, scarce, just now, .and.the : publio:is;n6t ■in,.any inood to inoreaso the rate.burdon; : which presses quite heavily enough as, it 4s.' There is now no possibility, of tno.- city ac-', ■ quiring the. Kelburne Tramway, this: month, and .another , seven years must elapse, before the , local body can do so oompulsorily. "; .:,• Some time agp,Messrs. Gammon Bros.',:of Hawke's Bay, .visited the Bay of Plenty, and ; wero muoh struck with-the .immense areas of. ■excellent and. valuable timber to be found in many parts ■ of tl-at extensive-district (writes, cur Auckland .correspondent). Ultimately they purchased 5000 acres of.timbered: .lands at. Ngawara from Mr.. Allan, 1 of Piako, ; and about:,l2,ooo acres 'of similar, lands .'at Neakaraaratria,'the latter being bought from/private, owners thro'ugh Mr. J.: E. Dalton, .of Tauranga, who ; has,., been, the local .agent, throughout , of.' ■Messrs.'.-; iGainmoii;.- -The 'Ngawara' property is;situated' about 2(Ftniles , from; the, coast, and Wakamarama about 14 .miles.- ! On both: estatos-the .-timber inoludes , rimu, totara, white.pine, ..and mataii;. The present 'estimate is that'. not' less -than :OP,pOp,OOOft. is available,.and as.tne..number of - employees will, be.. about .'-SOD. the undertaking will require probably.-12 .years .for its' completion; 'A sawmill-will; be .erected at. each place. Indeed, the work of introducing. ;machin6ry,and:,all necessary, adjuncts.is -already ;well advanced., , - -.;;:■.•,... . ../ : : On,Saturday last'H.MiS: Cambrian .loft: Auokland on a nine months' cruiso round-the; world;;' She : will "go,first to Rarotoriga; in" response to the .requisitions'; made , .by..;-, the. authorities' ■ therej ; . in -order;: to impress the natives of , the .Northern-Islands, principally I those, of Rakahanga, who; Have: lately -been :troublesomoj arid who, some .;months :ago, ; hauled a6\yn'tho British nag. 'From there:the Cambrian will go to Fanning Island,;the Pacific cable station, and thence on to Honoiulu...' After_ visiting various , :parts:'of : the South American coast,,.the warship will go . to Easter . Island.": '.The vlatter lies . midway between Tahiti and the South Americanooast, and_ possesses special ■ interest .on/account of its wonderful' ruir.s and colossal images. The next island to be visited will boPitcairn , lsland, , the liomp of nearly'2oo of ..the descendants ;of the mutineora : of'; tbe Bounty. 'This, island, is. out,of.\the: track of. sailing vessels and steamers, -and is visited every few years by a; British man-of-war, which generally take& to'.-'-tKe inhabitants 1 boxes: of clothes and other.comforts sent out by, charitable people from Home. The Cambrian goes from ' Pitcairn' Island to Papeete, the : French metropolis ' of 'Hie Eastern. Pacifio, andafter. that;, t<) Fiji, 'She returns ■', to England thence by way of. the Torres.Straits,--calling' at ; - several of., the Dutch possessions, Batavia, and other planes en. route,. :■;;■: :\- : ."... ■■, -.■■... ,: ■ : ';.;: 1 ; ;.. ■Miss Alice E. Henderson; who has been in charge of the Church of Scotland Zenana Mission in Madras for the past twelve year's, arrived in - Christchurch on Saturday on furlough;.- Miss' Henderson, who went to India •fromsNevr-Zealand-in the first ■• place, informed a "iiyttelton' Times" - reporter that the unrest in , India had not,. affected-the south to any great extent.,., "The':.Tamils',': she explained, "are ■ a , sane, level-headed people, generally speaking very :loyal. They are quiet and earnest, and of'all the natives of ludia, I' think, the most trustworthy They have won l the confidence 'of the Government, too. and there arc- Tamils to be found in high administrative offices , in the publio '■ service-and:in the judiciary, and they dp admirable ;work as members of the municipal council.- When the leaders of tho reformmovement aro anxions;that "•the'-annual mooting, of the.lndian National Congross should ■ be; quiet and orderly they come to Madras, Tho Congress met there in the last, week- in December, and the proceedings' wero' conduoted without unpleasantness' although the year had ;been a'trying one throughout India. Wβ don't have many troubles in the south. .'A wandering agitator occasionally visits the' Presidency and stirs up strife. ■ One from Calcutta lately travolled through to Ceylonj visiting some: of. the «duoational centres, and ; making seditious speeches to" the students. There were' riots in one or two towns, but the offenders Were almost invariably young men irom eighteen to twenty-five- years of age; .The most energetic of the southern: agitators was .a. young '. Brahmin student, just nineteen years of ago. Ho Was arrested and sent out of tho country, which was doubtless tho best course to pursue, although the incident was not without its . pathetic side. The agitators are very often disappointed office-seekers, men who have failed to ; seouro appointments in the Civil Sorvico and who have then turned against tho Government. Tho Government has been very lenient with them and with the disaffected newspaper editors in" the past, and tho more sovero measures lately taken have had very good pffeot." . ■ •'■ ; : -. Tens Rrown in different localities have difforont chhracteristlos, and eveu the tea from nay particular garden is not tho same in two successivi sensone.- Climatio chnnscs, diffotoncds of soil, oxercisos influouces, and it is tho art of tho tea blender to bring togisthof the diffor'ent teas arid by combination to produce a partioular flavour. Crescent Blend Tea is aohoioo 'combination'of Ceylon and Indian Teas, and toe flavour never varlos, Ml etoreltooiior*.' its. jax.Ji. ->'■ . ■ ■■■,■■■. * ■■-■ .n , ■•-■.,,.■.. ~:!■.

The charge of sheep-stealing at Featherston preferred against John O'Keefo will be heard at the Supreme Court tcnday;. ■■ . . ".,

1 A false alarm from Thorndon Quay caused the Firo Brigade to turn out just ;before,one o'clock this, morning, •;,.-. -.-•■'•.. ; Edward John Searl, who was found guilty on' li'riday of having forged and uttered a chequo, will be brought up for sentence this morning, , , .;-.■... "...-,. ~-;;,.' Mr. Roland T. Robertson, Italian Consul, (acknowledges the following donation .towards the earthquake relief'fund:— J. Staples and C 0.,. £25. ~v., ..,. . ' ..-■,-. ;-.;■;,,-.;,: ' Proceedings are. being taken against two largo firms in the city who have allowed calico signs to remain on their verandahs; contravening -one of" the" city: byJaws. The validity of tho by-law will be tested at the Magistrate's Court on Friday. ;-..: - v ; • , .Owing to the.absence from Wellington of ,sdme of the members of the Wellington.Education Board, the deputation from, that . body which was to wait on the Minister for Education to-day will not do bo .until next Wednesday, . ...,.'.. . ,; The Hon. A. W. Hogg goes; out to Jobnsonville this forenoon in connection with the proposed linking up.of the Hawtr'ey Estate roads with those of the Johnsonville Town Board district. The Hon. Mr. Hogg will be accompanied by tho member for the. district. Mr.;-J.;P. Luke, M.P. ,;, ; : Karori Borough. Council : will.hold, a special mooting on. the evening of Tuesday,. Febru-ary-23, to consider;whether the;-.proposal-.to extend the. tramway to. the foot of Makara'. Hill shall: go :before the ratepayers. ; Tho. matter will be considered after the;ordinary business has been' dealt with.'.-. : ",'';;. Bettor tiaee were to dawn.for carpenters when.the new.'Legislative..Cpunoil Chambers were put in hand. At leastßOrit was saidjbut a number of .unemployed;carpenters complain that the promise that ; this work: would absorb a large number, of additional hands : has not been kopt.: Those who have-inquired, for -work on -the; building have met *no response, and-it is, therefore, conoluded that ■the., building ..will be erected by carpenters already in:the;service:of the Publio Works Department. _: .'■/. -.■■'•.- .. ; : | ■ .The Mafanui School Committee has ap-' proved the selection, by the Education Board; : of: Miss Roberts' (formerly of the Terrace District High School) as one of the assistants at the .new. school. , ' Fina l, consideration of. , the 1 ; appointment of .the head teacher, concerning which- considerable local, interest .has been manifested, will be given aKa special meetingof the committee, to be held on Friday evening. It is. understood that the "three candi-: dates, whose.names have been : submitted to the committee by the board; are Messrs. Darrooh' (Mitcholltown), Malcolm- ; Pabiatua), and Blake (TeAro). -,/..-,; *;}., ' -.An "order;: was made, by'.tho ..Assessment Court yesterday, .'that/the area of the Rhodes Jistate .to -be excluded: from , the rating area ; for; the ■ Wadestown', tramway loan shall; be. the area lying generally "east, , and north' of the green .line on th 6 plan submitted^being seotions 1 t0.03, and.l2B to 157 on, Ward's plan ,of. the subdivision of .the Rhodes "Estate, and seotion 79 on-the' plan of Wadestown arid ,Qoldie's Brae; ■ If,; however, at any time,, reasonable-, iroad : '.: access from .; the '.tramway.; is' given : to. : ,the: land running : ; be;tween, the green ', and; Hβ pink ■ lines -on'.the plan submitted/ application may; be made" to .the. Assessment Court. to .inoludesuch area , ,as--part-thqrebf.'l -i'-'. ':,>-"\ ; ; :/, '.:'■:';; /''iv,y^' '.!_ Jb. question: concerning" thei-"cabled 1 bbjec-. :tiohß _by Mohammedans to the- appointment ot,a Hindu member "of the .Viceroy's. Coun-' oil i drew "from Miss" Alice; E. Henderson v : an , . Indian missionary now in Chrietclrarcli,: the ■reply/that of a totalpopulationof 300,000,000 m : India, probably , 75 per' cent, were Hindus, ; while some 60,000,000 were; Mohammedans.; .The' latter, were the more 'compact people, and they were commonly regarded'as;being very loyal. ■ It was-suggested: that' , .their' numerical inferiority; to the ; Hindus made theni more inclined' to side ivith the. British than would-otherwise be the case, but ; as' to that she could say.'■nothing r .6n< : n'er. own -ac-. ThV. Hindus, though ~ so strong, /numerically/; '.-were, without! unity or cohesion,. and' so long as'caste. existed 'in '-India' the Hindus.would -.never; be. able:toi-rule.ithe: ;'■:•/■'■ ..y..v"'-: -■■ : -.'-"''..', : -.-■-:..:■'■'::■.'' --- ='-- ". f ." .' -=' ■. -" • Questioned' by ; an' , 'Otago-Daily Times'' ? rejiorter as ■ to tho .actual; condition of: : thines - in Wellington in regard to thestate of trade rind unemplbymeut ( : Mr. ; J. V Lomas, ?Chief;. ■Inspector of : at present on a-visit ''to Otago; stated -that matters ..were'; , 'pretty bad there,'; : tot'not- adite. 1 so bad as; had-'been madeitoTappear. .There, were'eer-: ;tainly: a , .large, number.of Carpenters .'and' a good, many .painters out. of-employment, the 'principal ■;.-.causes' bein^ ! the; very;.'limited amount of, cottage,' building "going:-on; : for ;some'■•'tinie fact;:that: there ..were .really no big 'works'-.; in hand.- '-It, bad been: stated that:there'were 700 : ,"or, 800 : men'going : ; to the: Labour Bureau each week,. but: the fact-was:that ;it v same; 100 ;or,.more.: men :calling each 'day/-of the week..--.,,■ -Now, liOTwer; men were .--being ■sent: away ';■ every. week to: the; Stratford and ; Seadoh;.railway: ;construction .works,' and the. number of ■. un-; skilled /workeis..out of ■ employment 'was■ thereby, being'.reduced. , In regard to tradesmen there'was really:no immediate prospect, of'improvement// - i/v...-.:""--- . / v '■•■-;.• ■■-.: ■ .*.-= l - - : ■'• , :: The .means-adopted 1 ,, i with; th ; e 1 identification of a prisoner formed the subject 'of a - few. remarks.by: Mr. Justice Cooper yes-' terdayi. ;.:;It. was stated : in eviderico'that,. at :the time, prisoner -was "sitting .handcuffed in a railway carriage.'where'seats./lwere::also occupied.'by, seven '.orv'./eight.'Others!'.: ■ His, : Honour,; said. ;that,'in ::sucn; a : case,' prisoner, ought to bo placed in, ; say; the police station yard aniong. persons of the;sameheiglit, size, : .build .and, as 'far as possible, of/similar, per-. /sonal appearance.-: No prominenceVought: to be. , given :to one person.. 'Where two porspns put of .six or.seven in a carriage.were handcuffed;; the method was un-; 'satisfactory.'. In:the .-present -instance".'the.'prisoner had been arrested on another -charge, in the, country, and the deteotive.had taken the-first; opportunity' to have him' identified in connection with ? the / other offence.: The 'course which ho considered should have been' . adopted: -was; that which -was ■recommended by the commissioners in the noted ..'Beck case, and,'from his .experience,"it". was,'as a rule, followed in Now'Zealahd;;: , ' •;' ;/:. .:,:: -, 'The.whereabouts, of,the.'Dominion,Soouts, : of -whonj so much was heard a few months i'ag'o,' is'occasioning .not--a -littlo; '-anxiety : among /those interested, in their /.welfare.. A, represeritatiye of -The ; Dominion. . sought; to; ■ trace.the missing corps... After assiduous inquiries, he had to-confess that the mysterystill' remained -unsolved. The, formal offerof service was'made on September 3, 1908. Colbnel/A. W. Robin, ;.C.8., Chiefvof,the: General. Staff, states that, the offer ..was accepted "months ago,", and the corps attached ■to the forces undcr'ihe command, of the. Officer, Commanding the Wellington District. ;But- n'o'/oißcial- intimation of that fact-has, reached district,headquarters from the offico. of ' the Adjutant-General (Colonel H. D. Tuson), imwhose department the. matter-at present; is,'understood. to .lie.. The actingcaptain of the Scouts, under the influence of a:pardonable ouriqsity, addressed a.letter of inquiry to: the Minister for Defence (Right iHon. Sir J. G. Ward) on December 21, and on January 15 received a reply to the effect ith'at.the. "matter, was still under'considera-: tion'-" ■. ■•' ■.-.'. '; '■ " .-'. '■•' •.■".•■.; -.'.• ' ."'.'■■_.. •■• i column we publish an interesting account of the Government steamer's trip to the West Coast Sounds, -.:■ in which - a reference', is made to a difference of opinion which occurred between the new Minister,(the' Hon.; ■T. Mackenzie) and the /second officer of the ship. The latter was in charge of a large boat that was conveying a party to the shore in' Dusky Soundj at the mouth,-of;the Seaforth River. As the boat, approached tho shore the Minister: told tho':officer.;.tOitako .the boat up tho river to where an old hut •was located: Tho officer replied that his instructions from the captain wore that he was to' land tho people : at.the : nearest of :land_and return to the ehip. , ;'The Minister, it is said, ordered: the officer , peremptorily, to proceed up the river, to whioli the officer replied that ho' oould -not-.take orders from' a passenger. Another passenger explained that 1 Mr. Mackenzie was a Minister of , tho Crown; The officer said he was very sorry, but' he still oould only obey 'the-, commands ,J of his captain.' the chagrin of everyone who wanted a run ashore, tho Minister said that they-had hotter return to the ship, so that between 80 and 40 poople, inaiiy ; of them altogether unconnected with; the l ilinieteHs party, wore deprived of their, espected plea-

;The Telegraph Department notifies as fok jows:—Berne advisee " correspondence for Province Messina, Reggio, Calabria, is accepted, conditions normal..

The following advertisement appeared in a recent issue of the Auckland,"Herald" :— Wanted,, somo absolutely reckless individual or member Bona-fide Suicide Club, to act as Judge at the- Great; Baby Show,- Railway Picnic. ....•■''■•■■' ■-■■•':;'■■ ■. .' "• '.'• .•>.:.,-• :,

_'Yesterday a:large'number "journeyed' J to Day s Bay, where the annual picnic of the Public Worker Department was held.- The usual amusements which tend to make outings or this kind enjoyable were, indulged in, and a, pleasant time :wbs--spent by those 'who made.the. trip. ; .■■'■;■■• : : ■•. " . . ■' ■;•'■■

.Lately several regular, traders to Welling, ton have»had the misfortune, to ~suffer"temporary • break-down- in' the harbour; Yesterday the Union Company's cargo steamer,, Rosamond,'.which left thevwharf, atlVls:p:m.-,", for Greymouth, "through a slight. mishap to her engine-room, was compelled to lay:'• at anchor-in-: Worser Bay till about 5 p.m... wnen the fault.'was rectified, end'-the , vessel proceeded .pa her.way. -'v. :■ v;/,.;/ ■:■ r-— T ;... : "-:'

_v.A;tramway pass." was the subject if a.brief Qisqußswn'.at.the meeting:of Karori Borough' W no '' ;' evening. It 'was- mentioned that Mr,/ Seed, Inspector ,of: the Society. 1 for of-.Cruelty'to Animals,, had used his recently-issued pass over the Karori section,, and; councillors wished to know by whose authority. ; The council finally agreed to endorse the pass to"make it avaUable -over .-.their portion of the lino.' ■'-:,■ ■' : .

.j It often Happens that, sere and • dejected horses_are led stumblingrto the a respite of a few days, if no one-puts in a olaim to.ownership, they; are disposed- of; the;local authority-paying for burial.',- Now, suburban-.: oouncils, ,-:aar k loth i, to fnrniA these-costs, and, :at.:last .night's, meeting-of the v Karori,. Borough Council; the Mayor intimated that the Inspector of the Society :f or the Prevention /of., Cruelty,: was; '.ever :•. ready .to.;perform', the,-lastWrites in such cases. ;■: :

. ;Anxiety: about the missing brigantipe'Rio' Logo is likely to be intensified by wliaf/was seen from" : ,the deck .of:" the -Maori "while' steaming:'from. Wellington 7 Lyttelton■ on her last - trip south;;/ Advjce received by ihe Marine Department here from the' shipping master, at Lyttelton ''is : to--'the effect that, at 5 o'clock:on Monday-monimg:when the vessel 'was ; abputl 20/ miles ■■ north-ndrth-easfc. of GddleyyHead,- she passed -a buff Coloured sailors chest with ■ the initials;,''JJl.Oi""oa the lid; A papking ■' case -iVas also floating near/the ■•>"'• "■'<:'■': /:'■-■•;>: •-?■/■,,::':.';-..;

Druids like a joke (says the "Manawatu Daily Times"). At the reception given by the Mayor to the delegates who are attending the Druids' conference in Palmersfcoa' the fun was directed against the dryness "of the electorate (Taumarunui), represented by Mr. Jennings, M.P., who was present as a delegate. A follow Druid and Parliaments ian, Mr. Buick, told a story. ' Hβ wae travelling in the King Country by coach, and came to what he thought was an hotel, and proposed to dismount. The driver said no liquor ivaa to be ohtained, and bo Mγ. Buick kept his seat, but the driver loft his, and was a.way for a suspiciously long time. Later on the drivor discovered the identity of Mr. Buick, and expressed his feelings In the words:—"Why didn't you tell me? Wβ could have had oceaus of it. I thought you were a bloomiu' prohibitionist."