LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 490, 24 April 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho opening korpro of tho Wellington Savago Club will be held, at tho Masonic Hall this cveuing. . ■, Tho new gymnasium of the Tramways Recreation. ' and Sports Club in Wilson Street, Newtbwn, was opened last evening. . During the past fortnfght, sixteen building permits wore issued by the . City Council. Tho estimated value of tho buildings was £69,457 in the city, and £1675 in Melroso, a total of £61,132, as against £15,000 for the previous fortnight. , ' Our Featherston correspondent advisjs that ihe prosent floods in the Wairarapa aro likely to spoil duck shooting for some little time to come, as a lot of good shooting ground is now inundated, and tho birds have too much freedom. . ; ; A correspondent points out .that in a Court report appearing on April 22 it was stated that Mr. W, P.-James, S.M.,' heard' the Dannevirke bush case in the Lower Court. It should have been Mr. M'Cartney, of the Napier, circuit. Mr. James is at, present absent from the Dominion.' . A very pleasing; function took place at the Wellington South Bazaar, when Mke Millie Johnston, who instructed tho children for the maypole and. country dances, was the recipient of a ,yery dainty silver-mounted sugar basin and cream jug and silvermounted trinket case, frqm the children who took part in those' dances. The presentation was made by, Miss Mary Kennedy, ou behalf of the pupils. Miss Johnston feelingly expressed her thanke to, the children for thoir pretty gifts. , . , ~ , ..... < Tlie Prime Minister: (Sir Joseph Ward) has received tho following cablegram from Mr. Edward. Holt, Lord Mayor of Manchester :— ■"At a banquet at the Manchester Town Hall celebrating the'first anniversary of the Manchester Importers' and Exporters' Association (founded on the suggestion made i '. in your speech when the colonial Premiers' visited Manchester), it was resolved to send a cable congratulating you on Now Zealand's patriotic and handsome offer of a Dread:nought te the British Government." The 'following; 1 reply ; has . been traiismitted: — "Lord Mayor, Manchester. Deeply appreciate resolution Importers' Association. Our desire is to help to maintain supremacy British ■ Empire.on seas, and am glad that your association is doing .' its part in thoroughly practical way.—Ward." ..■■•.•/

Insignia of office and the inipressiveness of form and ceremony are dear to Mr. Richards; the Duuedin Town Clerk. The existence of the Mayoral chain of the City of Duncdin is due to him, but his ambition for the outward appearance, of Dunedin's council is not yet satisfied; .He confessed at the'recent ceremony; of investiture that he wanted a new Mayoral robe more in keeping, with the dignity of tho office, and he: also, thought the ■timo: had como',.Trhen councillors thomselves should'take.'iipoii.theirl'shipuldera'.somp omblem. of • .'office. . ;- Ho suggested! that ,each 'sjiould;, with* a: gown.': At present the'councillors came in with frock coat, Norfolk coat, cutaway coat, and all sorts of coate—(laughter) -j-but a robs would.show at once who was a councillor.' and who was not. ■; Mr. Richards would probably bo shocked at tho behaviour of tho Wellington City Council, whose me'mb'ere smoke at meetings. : . ■.: v. ■'■■; Coal-mine proprietors throughout Otago are 'at 'the present time loud in their complaints' over a serious shortage of railway wagons, the annoyance of the, position being accentuated by >tho fact t}jat .lately a number of railway wagons h?,ve,' according to, the .state-, ment of the Minister for Railways,, been removed to the North Island. Tho shortage is being felt by the companies very seriously indeedj_and one manager stated to an "Otago Daily Times" reporter that it was involving both tho companies as a whblo and the miners as well in considerable loss. Only a few hours a.day was being worked in the various mines, and in 6ome instances operations had been'at a standstill for a whole'day at a time, for, the. simple reason that the wagons Were not there to take the coal away. Tho position, if unaltered, would- become very, acute as ; the demand for, coal increased, as tho companies would not, be able to meet orders. As it was;\they wero. being vexy heavily handioapped in. this respect...An urgent de-, mand is to be made to the Minister for additional rolling stock, '; . ... / .

Tho wonder and fascination of Egypt, as described by the Rev. Dr. Gibb, and shown byexoellent lantorn slides, kopt a largo audience interested for an hour and a hall at the Y.M.O.A. )ast evening. The doctor had come along- to givo tho debating society, a good sond-off for tho season now opening, aiid Air. Richard Brown (president), briefly introduced him. In pleasantly familiar style, with many vivid descriptive touches and Quaint, terms of humour,: Dr. Gibb told of Cairo, of the Nile, tho Pyramids, tho ruins of Thebes, tho mummies of the Pharaohs, and the strango and not wholly commendable manners and customs of the modern inhabitants. ..Other travellers from Now Zealand had lent! some of the slides, arid hence it was that'ono of the most interesting pictures showed Mr. Robert M'Nab seated gracefully on a camel with, tho Sphinx on his right hand and the Pyramid of Cheops for a background. At Cairo Dr. Gibb-frankly cbufossed the solemn imprcssivonras of tho muezzin—"Allah akhbar." God is greatest—chanted once from themi.narots of 400 mosques. In tho museum of the same oity he reflected on the irony of oxistenco a3 he saw the globe-trotters staring at tho very flesh and features of'tbo Pharaoh of the: Exodus. . . . ~.; . ■ •-, ■ Tho problem of what to do with exMayors, in order to conservo to the pity'tho I accumulated wisdoms arid experience' acquired by them during thoir:poriod of. office, was referred to by Mr. Robert Chisliolm at tlio Mayoral investment ceremony in Dunodin. Ho suggested that cx-Ma.vors, instead of roiegating themselves into private life so far as municipal matters wore conoerned, nt the conclusion of their term, should be formed into an honorary advisory oommittoe, as was done in Glasgow. This plan did not in any way take tho control away from the council. Any matter of importance was first considered by the committee, and then submitted to the council with tho opinion arrived ut. - He would respectfully suggest to the Mayor that he would forgo another chain of honour for himself if ho, would tako this matter into consideration' and form soino such committee.. Mr. G. L. Donuiston said, that in Glasgow the Lord Provost, whoso office is equivalent to that of Mayor, was elected • for threo years, and when he ivas elected • ho was generally an elderly man; so it was not likely they would havo such an array of ox-Mayors! as we had hero. He'.wne nfraid such a committee might'uuduly ..swell, and have something awkward about it, but ho thought the -scheme was worthy of, some consideration, in order that tho services of those men might .bo retained. The Town Clerk expressed himself fts frankly averse to the scheme.-"Ho , thought it would bo better to leave matters to. tho youngor men . coming forward. It would almost, senra nn expression of no confidence in tho council to appoint such a- committee. Teas grown in different localities have different charncteriftics, and even' tho tea from any particular garden is not tho eame in,two buocessivo seasons. Climatio changes, differences of soil, exercise influences, audit is in the art of-tho tea blender to bring together , the different tons nnd by combinntion to proitoco n partioular flavour. Crescent Blond Tea is a choico combination of Ceylon arid Indian Teas, and the flavour Dover varies, All storekeepers, < 2s. por lbc ■ '

Jupp's Band wfflgivo a performance af Island Bay to-inorrow afternoon. '"'" "' Detectives Cameron and Abbott arrested 1 a v recent arrival from England last night on a charge of theft of a gold watch, ribbon guard, silver match-box, and gold ring, tho property of Henry Somes. Tho state of affairs in Sydney-at present appears to bo very prosperous. Tho following extract from a letter received by the latest mail, makes exhilarating reading:— "It is a great Easter hero; such times wore never known in Sydney. The Agricultural Snow is taking twice as much money as ever before Accommodation is at a They aro paying 12s. per day for shakedowne in our hotel (a £2 10s. a Wook house)." "Tho New Zealand post" (save "Punch") " brings us tho report of 'The Eltham Argue , ' (with which, we feel bound to add, ie incorporated 'The Kapcmga Mail') on tho sec.ond reading of tho Prevention of Crimes Hill, as cabled from London on Juno 14. 'Mr. Gladstono , (says "Tho Eltham Argus") 'stated that tho Government will provide tho machinery necessary for bringing every kind of good influence. ..to' boar on Pa'vliainont, teach them trades, show them what fools they bad been, and equip them for a new start in life' Wo have often suspected that some of tho bitterest home truths uttered in' the , Houso of Commons are kept back; from us by a corrupt London press; and wo aro glad our New Zealand contemporary has had the courage to reveal a vcrj sinister etato of things." : v ' There doo3 not appear to be much likoß hood of any 'great development in the export of grapes to New Zealand (says the Adolaido "Register!'),' although loading growers concerned in tho business admit that trade to tho extent of 1000 cases a week could bo , arranged if carowero exorcised to prevent a glut in the market. Tho cost, of packing ie considerable, as the fruit must bo plaoed in cork dust. Another disadvantage is tho fact that Victoria is competing in bho markets of tho Dominion, and as her growers aro able to pick'their fruit a day or so later than tho growers in South Australia they can safely pack it without tho use of cork. South Australia, however,' is not allowing tho trade now established to dio out, and further consignments will bo sont to Melbourne for shipment to Now Zealand markets. Tho fact remains, however, that the demand is not likely for some timo to exceed the weekly' average of 1000 cases. ; . : Tho Horowhenua "Chronicle" aekß what the combined representatives of tho Chambers of Commerce, in conference assembled recently, know- of the proposed : route for the iioyin-Marton railway, to justify their ■ decision that a trial Burvey. is not necessary. "Judging by tho opinions thoy have expressed, they are completely in tho dark, , ?, protests .'the "Chronicle." "The ;, whole country between 'Wellington, and Auckland favours the construction of this lino ! cause it will shorton the. journey by an hour or more; railway officials' realise that: the saving of the,sixteen riiiles oircuitouscourso by way of PalmerstonMyouWboan immense saving in wear and toaitof railway material; tho Union Shipping. Ccknpany perceive that trains arriving at Wellbgton an honr; earlier ; than at present niebns, quicker dispatch of,steamers to the South Island," and. a consequent gain at the . oijd of' their jgnrney. Looked at in every way the construction of thq Levin-Marton. railway, is a. crying Want, and the, combined wisdpm of the commercial men who ventured the opinion that the line was not necessary is not'worthy of ser» ious.i We; tako moro' notice of the children' of the Halcombe school who telegraphed last week to tho Prime Minister congratulating him on the offer of a. Dreadnought; to defend the Empire." '! ■ In consequence of Dr. r FindlayV remarks concerning prison reform, a press ropresontativo requosted information, from tho Inve> cargill gaoler. (Mr., Hawkins) concerning tho output of the taarkot Gardens which he mailages in connection.,with the gaol. Ho stated that at present the' local contingent of pi>, sonors hayp gome, fiyo acres and a half under cultivation, and that the undertaking hoe proved' an 'Unprocedentediisucoces*ji During' the pastvsea'son , 'the.prison'produced (amongst" others), the following surprising quantities of vegetables: Carrots and parsnips, 35 tons; potatoes; 10 tons; vegetable marrows, 3 tons; rhubarb, 1} tons; green peas',",].} tons:onions, f* ton; beans,' J ton; cabbages arid cauliflowers, 25.000; celery: (sticks), 3000;.! Id. addition,! there are' corresponding quantities of other, seasonable vegetables grown, in equally excellent condition, whflo somo 26j000 broccoli andsayoy cabbages .are getting into shape for tho winter supply. The bulk of the output goes to Timaru and to supply the Bluff shippiilg,' but a great amount is' also disposed'of wholesale locally. One Tiinaru merchant'offered to take the lot at,a satisfactory figure; but M 'ocal wantt bad to bo obnsidered,; the offer was reluctantly declined; So far this year £120; has been rocoiyod from sales, and tho estimated income for the 12 months is £400, while; expenditure (seed and manure) will amount to, only £40, leaving a net estimated balance of £360. Last year the net profit was some ; £2so, and bo the.results of their commercial but reflect the highest credit on tho gaoler and his colleagues. • ... V ::■'■'.':'.'. '.'