LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 506, 13 May 1909, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Barmaids' rings, and on.alleged extensive habit of lending tnem to-customers, formed, a salient feature in a -Supreme Court case reported elsewhere. '• . . The City Council authorities are proceeding with the survey;in connection,vrith the; Wad'estown tramway, required by the Public Works Department before the Order-in-Coun-cil, authorising the construction of the line, can be obtained. 'Nothing,'as(yet,.has been done in tho way of fencing the route, as this cannot be undertaken until the Department approves the plans./ "I do not believe in these "make-him-marry-the-girl' marriages, said Mr. Justice JJenniston :at ..the • Supreme Court,: , Christchurch, when dealihg with "a. criminal case. "I think that more : than half of the ,6ases of desertion are . due to a-compelled- marriage, and I think that it. would be better for • the girl, - .in most, cases, to; brave the matter out." . ' . A meeting of the council of the New Zealand Institute ofArchitects was' held in tHeir room yesterday, Mr. Joshua Charlesworth, one of the .vice-presidents,- in. the chair. ' A large, amount of routine- business was done. Mr. Troup, of the Railway Department,, was! elected a Fellow, and Mr. Oharlesworth, jun., of Wellington, and Mr. Wade, jun., of Auckland, were elected associates.

Some thirty-six members' attended tho monthly meeting. of tho Wellington Accountant Students' Association last evening, when Mr. Ernost. W. Hunt, F.1.A., -N.JCf.,-. delivored a paper on "Tho Form of Published Accounts." Mr; H. A. Gold,* in the absence of tho president, Mr. D. T. Stuart, F.1.A., N.Z., occupied, tho chair. Tho lecturer was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his paper.

Steady progresses being made by the City Engineer's department in tho matter of suburban drainage. Piping and trenching arc being proceeded with at Brooklyn in order to drain that portion of the suburb that can bo connected with the city. Tho tunnel through tho. hill at Island Bay, in connection with the drainage of that suburb, has been practically completed, but. the reticulation has yet to be done. The main outfall. sewer, which is to be brought to Duppa Street, is being proceeded with.

The Wellington Industrial Association is seeking to inculcate a national spirit in tie school-children by means of statistics culled from the Year Book. These havo been arranged in simple form, and with the sanction of tho chairman of the Education Board <Mr. Robt. Lee) they arc being distributed among the school-children. A comparative table is included, showing Now Zealand's population, area of cultivatedland, tho output of wool, meat, oto., the railway receipts (not expenditure), bank deposits, and quite a lot of interesting figures. The circular also gives somo of goods New Zealand can manufacture which are imported, and impresses on readers the importance of support-' ing local industries. ■ ; ■

Thoro aro two elements in tea—thelno and tannin; thcino has the stimulating effects for which alono we drink tea. Tannin produces dyspepsia, and is, therefore, injurious to tli'o system. . The percentage of theine in" teas varies, and the variation is according to tho quality; Theine is tho'attract from tho leaf, and pure tea must consist wholly of leaf and little or nothing of fibre and dust.' Crescent Blond Tea is nil leaf; it is exquisite in flavour, rich, and of full strength. Crescent Tea capttvuUa tho naktr; All grcoew, at 2s. per lb.-

Thirteen tenders have boon received by the Public Works Department for the erection of a road and railway bridge ovor tho Waiau Bavor, between Cheviot ana Kaikoura. The Minister for Public Health (the Hon. D. Buddo) states that there is no' intention at present to make material alterations in the working of tho Public Health Department.' The sorvices now performed by tho Department will be continued on the existing lines. . -

_ lho men of York assembled in force at Godbor's rooms last night to hold a reunion, Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.l\, presiding. An enjoyable programme was supplied by members of the Wellington Savago Club, assisted by Messrs. Morris, Lurral, Thompson, Wilson, and Fenton. Bcfreshmonts were handed round, and a generally very sociablo evening was spent. ' . i ,

The estimates for expenditure during the forthcoming year of the engineer's department of the City Council are being prepared. They will probably be placod before tho council at an eavly date. Tho amount proposed to bo set aside for street works is about the same as that set aside last year.' Street swooping, water supply, drainage, pumping, refuse collection, maintenance of the tramway permanent-way, etc., are among the matters covered. r r

Councillor Shirtcliffo will move at the next meeting of the i City Council tbat a return bo furnished to the Finance Committee at its next meeting showing (1) the present position of tho Sinking Fund, with , details of the various investments and valuations of the securities; (2) particulars of overdue rent and rates' at March 31, 1909, with a , report ,as to tho reason for their non-oollection in <mli case: the_ Financo' Committee to report to the following meeting of tho council.

Now that advancing winter rings in tho close of our fruit season we have to look abroad for supplies, Messrs. Geo. Thomas and Co. received a communication yesterday from Sydney referring to the general prospects of the citrous fruit season. "From what I can gather,'' says a Sydney merchant, "our, crops _ at present are fair—mandarins fairly plentiful, brcjigea about the same as last year, and lemons fair. The weather is very dry, and the crops want rain .badly. The growers think that unless, we got rain shortly the fruit will not grow, and will bo more liable to be cut by the frosts. Providing we get rain our prospects are good for mandarins for the first three montis of the season, so while they last we will have plenty of Granges for requirements. I am pleased to be able to report that the fruit fly hardly made any appearance' in the summer fruits."

>' A scrutiny of the' rolls used at the' city municipal elections last month has been made by, the returning officer (Mr. James Ames), with the result tihat it was shown that 7126 .residential voters exercised their pnvilego, and 9737 did not. He total number of names on .the roll is 30,146. ' The natural question confronting the officials is— How many of these 9737 who did not vote are alive, and are not duplicated on the roll? This matter will be brought beforo the .City Council;. as soon as possible,,-with a .view of deleting the names of -those removed '■•-■by death ,or ineligible by disqualification. It was stated in The Doiokion on May 4 that between 13,000 and 15,000 names should be struck off the roll, and that the cost of this deletion would be abbut-£SO. Mr. Ames also discovered 46 cases of apparently double voting,_ but in all probability this was duo to errors in crossing out the n&ines of those who voted. " h • r --'J, ' . '. i -

_ At tho last meeting of tho Public Service Superannuation Board; the Hon. D. Buddo presiding, a claim was considered from the widow of an officer who; had been retired as medically unfit. i The opinion. of tho Crown Law offioers was read, and it was decided, m accordance with, that opinion, that under Section 32,' Sub-section (e) of the Public Service Superannuation Act, the' widow was only entitled to a refund of her husband's contributions, and the compensation he was entitled to: at« the time, of his death. In another case, the board, decided to adhere to its former resolution, any-officers retiring -from i the wryiM ;«S"medjpi& i JlJiiii. should pay 'the 'doctors. ..fees.- for;examination. • An application .was .received, from an officer'/who was willing J to' pay the amount required UDder-\bection' 50; -{Sub-section •2, of ; : the Superannuation Act, , to enable him to count broken service, provided further' time was granted than that allowed, by the 'Act, and it was decided by the board that they had no power to grant ,the request. The recommendations of the committee appointed-,to prepare amendments-the regulations, were referred to the Crown - Law. officers for revision. * . .

For somo time past negotiations have been proceeding with respect to the leasing of certain portions of the sea beach on tho south side of tho Waitara River in order that the ironsand may' bo treated under a patent olectrio process, ,• which is said to bo civine adnnrablo results in England. It is now stated (the "News" reports) that Mr J Burgess son of Mr. Burgess, of Ngaire, has obtained a lease from , the Waitara Harbour Hoard of about twenty acres of the beach for a 'period' or fourteen ' years,' the maximum term allowed by the Harbours Act.' The first year s rent has been paid in advance, and Mr Burgess has, it is stated,: secured the New Zealand rights of this patent electric process. Waitara peoplo are very reticont .recarding tho matter as yet,' but those who have' been taken into the confidence of the promotersy and are therefore best able to form frii opinion, believe that an ironsand industry as outlined can bo successfully carned on, and that. it. will prove a very profitable businoss, having an important bearing on the future progress and prosperity of tho district.' Tho industry may be commenced withm tho i ;