LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 521, 31 May 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Wimmfcra arrived at Auckland at 10.80 a.m. yesterday, with-an.English and' Australian mail, which is due in Wellington by tho Mam Trunk express this evening. ' v TJio annual meeting of tho Wellington Suburbs Liconsing Committee is to bo hold at O'Donnell's Hall, Kilbirnie, at noon tomorrow. ' s, *- . Tho District Health Officer (Dr. Frengley) reports the following case 3of infectious diseases for tho week ending May 29: —In tho oity; Scarlet fever 1, blood poisoning 1.. At tho' Mount Cook Police Court on Saturday morning, boforo Dr. Maokin, J.P.,' John Peter Evans, charged with insobriety, was fined 10s., in default 48 hours' imprisonment. Alfred Olundo, also charged with insobriety, was fined 205., in.default 48 hours' imprisonment. Two first offenders for drunkenness were convicted and discharged. In the case of Frederick Bartlett, charged with * being drunk and disorderly in Vivian Street, Sergt. Rutlcdgo stated that, when cautionca by a constable, accused did not take any heed, and was looked up. Ho was fined 40s.j'in default 14 days l 'imprisonment. v The advantage of the telephone in country districts was exemplified near Kawhia' the other evening (telegraphs our Auckland correspondent), One of tho settlors (Mr.; J. Allen) connected with the Waimai. circuit hod ■received an important communication in re-, gard to stock sales which was to be placed before a public meeting of settlers As a reply was - wanted immediately, Mr. 'Allen rang up every house in the connection, and arranged a "telephonic" meeting. At tho' appointed time tho settlers assembled at the 'phones, ?and the 1 n<attcr,- ,Was thoroughly tlkcußsed, the meeting terminating with a vote of shanks being passed to Mr, Allen for his thoughtfulncss in bringing the telephone into requisition. The work of repairing tho Wainui water main here it was broken between Petone and Ngahauranga was finished last evening, and tho water was in full supply before midnight. The shifting of the thousands of tons of rock and earth that had come, down upon the old road over the main was undertaken by the Railway Department, under arrangomeiit with Mr. W. H. Morton, City Engineer, and nearly 40 men with ten drays and a couple of railway trucks, worked night and day to effect a clearance. When the corporation men were able to get at the main they foupd that one pipe, 12 feet in length, was split from end to end. A new pipe to replace it had been taken to the spot in readiness, and the repairing gang soon had it fixed. "Politics are now in a transition stage," said.Mr. Allen Bell, president of the Auckland Farmers' Union, during a discussion at the conference on tho question of the formation of a farmers' political party. "The twp present'parties," he went on to say, "may soon coase to exist. A great middle party is now in process of formation, and this party I am convinced wiibnot be composed of the farmers alone, but of tho moderate mombers of tho community in both tho country and tho towns. Thingß are working in that, direction; as suro as the day follows the night, this; is going to come about. That great party ia not yet organised." ho added, "but when its mombers are banded together you will -find that they are the pooplo who are going to hold tho reins of government in this country." .' -,

An appeal made by Mr. L. R. Wilson for ropliea trom men out of work in Christchureh has resulted in about fifty replies being received. Mr. AVilson states that nearly every trado was' represented, and the letters in' nearly every instance revealed that , the writers had done very little work sinco last October. 11l all eases tho men wero ready to do any' work. Many, had young families dependent on them, others were the sole support \of old parents. Nearly all had been spending' what little they liau saved during the.-"good" times. He n;ns convinced that the replies ho had received did not by any means represent tho truo state of affairs. Some letters had been written by tho wives of the men out of work and • were pitiful. Ono wife said that slio was writing becauso her husband would never writo. Very often tho wife and tho childrou suffered becauso the husband, through his very sensitiveness, made believe he was doing well when such was not the case. . Following the granting of applications for wholesale liquor licenses at Taupo and Awakino, further applications have been mado in several towns m 'the King Country, Forty applications have been received for a wholesale liquor license at Hangataua, and several for ono just outsido the Ohakuno Town Board boundary, while at the same time there are persistent agitations for licenses at Te ICuiti and Taumarunui. Thoso applications are being opposed by'strenuous and numerously-signed petitions. A good deal of feeling is being displayed over the matter, and although thoro is not a consensus of opinion 'in'favour of liquor ltconses, it is freely stated that tho condition of tilings is altogether different'from-what -.vas the cacc when the King Country was regarded as a sort of Native reservation. The growth of settlement lias resulted in tho ■ Europeans having a majority, of population over', tho Maoris, and it is contended by somo that the No-liieonse law is agaiust tho progress of the district. Tho question of allowing wholesale licenses in the new areas is now being considered by, the Hon. Dr. Findlay, Minister for Justice. Thoro arc two elements In tea—tnelno and tannin; theino has tho'stimulating effects. for which wo alone drink tea. Tannin , produces dyspepsia, and is, therefore, injurious to tho system'. The percentage of (lieine in teas varies, and tho variation is according to tho quality. Theino is tho attract from (ho leaf, and pure tea must consist wholly of leaf and little or nothing of fibre and dust. Crescent Blend Tea is all leaf; it: is exquisite in flavour, rich, and of full strensth. ; Crescent Tea captivates the palate, All grocers, at 2s. por lb.

David M'Call, who was stated to have been stabbed in a Kent Terrace boardirighouse on Friday night and was taken to the Hospital, is making satisfactory progress towards recovery. Our Auckland correspondent telegraphs that oysters are still wanted in greater quantities than are available. Each day tho Government 4opot at tho Railway Wharf is thronged to A more or less extent with in-' quirors, who receive precedence in" tho order of their calls. On Saturday 116 sacks arrived from Waiheko per outtor, and a further shipment is expected from Russell. The quality continues good, ono buyer being heard to remark at tho depot that a couple of sacks which he had received during tho week wero much better than last season's oysters. . Tho exceptional clearness of tho atmosphere during tho past'few days has'enabled the residents of the Fitzherbert district to enjoy tho unusual sight of a volcano in eruption, "'All day on Friday (says our I'almcrston correspondent) Ngauruhoo could bo easily seen with the pall of cloud hanging over it, while/ at intervals, sudden upheavals of cloud masses told that the mountain Was still very active. Writing with 'reference to tho same thing, our travelling correspondent states:—The . bright clear morning on Saturday enabled passengers by tho Auckland south Main TrunK express to obtain a magnificont view of the mountains Egmont, _ Ruapehu, and Ngauruhoo, from near Waiouru. Ruapehu, in the centro, shono in,tho soft' light with an almost dazzling whitenoss—a whiteness which creeps farther and farther down the mountain with tho approach of winter. On tho right, gazing eastward, was nuggety brown Ngauruhoe, overy now and then surmounted by a puff of stoam or'an angry black cloud to denote that its internal wrath was not slumbering. Away to the loft, one hundred and twenty miles, stood lonely Egmont. It is not often that train passengers obtain an opportunity of simultaneously .viewing Egmont, Ruapehu, aind Ngauruhoo, and tho spectacle on Saturday was as one of tho dearest seen for' many years on the route,