LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 564, 20 July 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The postal 'authorities ■ ,that the , Moana, which left Sydney, ; on ..Saturday/ for Wellington, has on board an Australian mail, which is due tore to-morrow morning.

i The first instalment of the city's current year rate demands is expected to be issued on Thursday or Friday next.. About 5600 no-, •tices will bo sent put this week,, leaving about 4000 to follow. 'The total amount involved is between £140,000 and £150,000. - >'

The .official commencement with the lighting extension at Kilbirnie has not been sanctioned yet, tho plans not having been.: approved by the Board of Control. The plans are expected to be returned to the Oity Electrical Engineer marked "approved" in a day or so. A. start will probably be made at Brooklyn next week as soon as the plans have been approved. . , -..';.'. "The science of politics," said Mr. Hottg at Petonp last night, "has attained ■.-. Hie dignity of a now religion. When ,1 listen to the fervid applause from audiences I have addressed from time to time, I seeni to think I am'listening; to a psalm and to; hymns that can hardly be expressed in language."

The "Besses' o' th' Barn" Band are likely to pay the colonies another visit. News to that effect hai been reoeived by Mr.' Wado, conductor of the Wanganui Garrifeon. Band. The famous English band toured Now Zealand in. 1900-7 undor the management of Messrs. J. and N. Tait. ...'■■ .. ■ ■;■ ; .':

A series of evangelistic njectings are being held this week iii the Kent Terrace Presbyterian Church. The first took place last: evening, when the Rev. W. J. Comrie preached to a good' attendance on "Sin." Sanltey's bvmns were useel,.and Mr. Goudie sang a solo. Mr. Meadows was at the organ. To-night tlie Kev. R.lnglis, of Khandallah, will spoah on "Repentance." to-morrow night the Rev. W. Douglas will 'bo tho preacher, on Thursday the Rev. Dr. Gibli. and on Friday the Rev. W; H: SWrer.

We liflTo to adviso tliat w« have taken up the sole agency for New Zealand for the Burgon and Ball Sheep Shearing Machines. Write for quotations tor installations. Andersons, limited, 19 BanJc Chambers. vm

A mooting of the creditors of John Milcsi, B&hmonger, of Riddiford Street, will ■be held on July 30. Ho was ad judged bankrupt yesterday. ■ •■:'■'

Tho Chinese of Wellington have erected a very handsome monument to the memory of the late Mr. Daniel Wong, Chinese missionary, who died in Wellington on March 28 last year. • " ( : -- ' '' . The number of. buildings erected in the city during, the twelve months April .1, 1008, to March 31, 1909, was 453, the total being made up as under: —Houses 414, shops and dwellings 10, office premises 8, churches 5, warehouses 5, factories 4, shops 4, stores . 2, school 1. ,■ ■' ■: . ■ .

Another week's work is expected to see tlio furnace at the crematorium completed, Mid the building will then bo ready for übc aftor the furnaco has boon allowed to dry. At the present time the caretaker of the Karori eemotory is engaged in forming approaches to the.building.*.' ■ : , ,\ *,

Mr. Thomas Horton, proprietor of the wellknown orchards at Hastings and Pahiatua, has offored Ui present to the City Council 10,000 trees for planting in and about, the city on Arbor Day or other occasions. The odor has been gratefully accepted by the council.-'. ■" s- ■ *■' •' • *

With reference to the proposal that Lord Kitxjhener should extend nis colonial tour to New Zealand, the Hon. G. Fowlds (Minister for Defence) says that a'-man:-.of. Lord Kitchener's eminence would bo able _to offer very valuable suggestions for the improvement'of, our defence 6ystenii Hβ adds: "Even his presence amongst the' officers would tend to be an inspiration for them in the carrying on of their work." ; ■

/ The- Wellington draughts championship is nearing a close. Mr. Reid played Mr. Darling last night, and won by 1 win to 3 djrawe. The former will meet Mr. Leggat. this evening to play o£E the final. MrrUeid has only 1 lost one "life," and Mr; Leggai lias lost no games so far. Great interestfhas been taken in this tourney,, and much good to'the game is, likely to result.; ■ * ■.'..'■."/:: '.:,■*.

:A settlement has practically been arrived at in reference to the 13 inches of disputed frontage to Herbert Street in which the City Council and Mr. H. Brittain,'chemist, are ooncprned. The papers, which are ready for submission to ,the District Land Registrar, provide that the council is to receive 8 inches of the .13 inches claimed, Mr. Brittain'..'re-ceiving-'a compensating, piece of, lan 3 on another.part of the section., , ... ■ ■■'■ • . ' .:

(An intereeting fact was mentioned by Mr.F.M. B.*-Fisher, M.P.. at yesterday's tneoting of the Unemployed Relief Committee;' when he stated that native bush is ; beginning to gr,ow again on tho Tinakori Hills. Mr.; Fisher suggested' that if. 4 or 5 acres of the land was fenced off so as to keep cattle out the city might set experiment under way. His Worship the Mayor pointed out .that: iliere , might 'besome difficulty 'in reserving the land, as some of it was held under long leases, but he would look into the suggestion, which he considered ,an excellent one. . ':'■, '..-' ■■,-■'.■.■ •'..•' ■. ■; :..'■■■ .'■■'-.•■ ..-■'.. ■■'•• •."■■' '

' On: bohalf :of the . Masterton sub-branch, the local hon.' secretary of the Navy Leaguo has invited tho ward-room officers of -H.M.S. Encounter to. be present '■', at '■■■'& smoke concert being organised by the league at Masterton. Captain Colomb hopes to ; be able to attend. Lieutenant Knox served der.his father, the 3ate Admiral,Colomb; and when giving his final lecture here last January Lieutenant Knbx special : referonce to \Admiral Colomb's advice to/.the; British nation, viz.: "Keep tfte command _of-the sea as you value "national life.'' With if yon can do everything; without it yoU will speed* ily ho.blotted but of the list of nations. , ■'■;'

. The Solicitor-General has recently i been looking into the Duty Act, and. as a re-, suit he has given an or/inion that in'no case can New 2iealand beer be legally sold in bulk except in the original casks (this includes 3gallon jars) which have been sent out stamped from a brewery. Consequently the practice common in some'quarters: of bottlers or h'otelkeepors, ,'fjljinp small' kegs _or.jars from; stamped casks'is illegal,'arid will have to be' discontimied, The , above practice has obtained 1 in .some t \parts for many"/yefifSi but,if, after dealers generally have been notified as above,; unstamped 2-gailon' kegs; or jars of beer'are :found proceedings will be taken.' :"'.;, ■;.",'■ ' ; ;'AboHt;tbe;erid : .of the present .week;, if the refitters ca'tf , finish up'in time, the bar bour steamer .Dnco (Captain AbramsV' will leave for the Chathams on a ; line-fishing cruiee. The trip is being organisedMiy the F.orr.y Company, as- a commercial enterprise. , A Dominion reporter interviewed Mr. Zohrab (managing director"of-'tho company) yesterday with reference to the object of the cruise! Mr. Zohrab was. not disposed to enter 'into!: details. ' '"Is/ it a commercial undertaking?" asked the reporter. ' Mr.' Zohrab smiled. • ''Yes, it is. You see, carrying live passengers across the harbour Jβ,not a very ; profitable business,, so; we're going to see what'we "can do with dead fish." ;,

': Tho , following is thcte.xt of a letter; received by. the local hon. secretary of the Navy T/pno;ue from a'representritivo of the Colonial Office now travelling in New^Zealand:—' 'Very many, thanks for your letter of the '10th. instant, and for so kindly sending me the in-. terestint; report of the excellent work which is being" done. by the -Wellington branch of ,the Navy League, upon which I may, offer you, -as hon. secretary, my; heartiest . ion-. rrratulaUons. I am sending the to .a. brother-in-law of mine in England, who is warmly-interested- in the. Navy League at Home, in order that lie may see, if lie does not. already know,. what splendid .work is being done out;here." : ■ ' : ' . ;.- ~ :':...

Th6-Federal Government of the Commonwealth is ; selecting a site' in each ,Stato |as. a" depot for reasoning timber. A"'vote' £3000 was passed for the ; purpose on last year's Estimates, but it has not .'.yet' been spent. It «'proposed to buy timber green and store it until it is needed for. use: \ The difficulty of procuring seasoned Umber is an old trouble in New-Zealand. It was agreed by an expert in the Auckland' Magistrate's tiourt that it is almost inipossible to got dry kauri. Mr. Napier observed that'he had just spent £200 m a verandah,.put up by a good builder and supervised by a good architect; and- still it had opened. more than half an inch. The magistrate, says the /"Star," capped this with a story of a man whose house had started to sprout all over.

At the request of the Finance Committee of the Oity Council, proposals have,been submitted by the-TJhion Clothing Company to facilitate the immediate carrying out of the street'widening at the corner'of Cuba and Manners Streets. The Finance Committee is now :in treaty with the Wesloyan Trustees, and it is hoped that an,arrangement may be made to get the work put"; in ■ hand without further d6lay. The offer, of the Wesleyan Trustees to make a gift of the land is useless without the o/xnseilt of .the tenants, who have control of the premises for the next fivo years. Now that the new Mayor and council have taken!the,matter iiij hand it is expected; a solution will quickly bo found. In any case tho public will: be thankful when the congestion of traffic at this corner can be relieved... . ';-.-.■;•.'' ■'• ■ '•'':■■.-,•',•? •■.; -

. Mr. W. Pryor, secretary of the Now Zealand Employers! Federations has received a letter from Mr. Moore, ■.secretary'; of tho Builders' Exchange, Montreal, enclosing th« draft copy of a Workers' Compensation for AccideiHs Bill. This Bill, which was being 'considered by the Government of the, Quebec Province, follows generally, the lines of, the New Zealand measure (a copy -ofwhich was forwarded to Mr. Moore by ,Mri. Pryor some time ago). ; It makes the total "rent" (the word used in the Bill for compensation) for disability to pursue ordinary work at 2000 dollars (£400), £100 less than the amount, paj'ablo ill New Zealand. The amount payable on death is half the average wages over a period of four years, the amount to be not less than 2000 dollars, and not more than 4000 dollars. An important point- in the Quobec Bill is that tho Court may reduco the amount of "rent" if the accident is caused through the inexcusable fault of the employee, and may , increase it if it is caused through the inexcusable fault, of-the employer. There is no appeal in New Zealand from tho decision of the Arbitration Court. In Quebec an appear to a superior Court is provided for. , .'. The time.giveri for an employee to make a declaration of liability is a year here; in Qneocc tho time given is four ■years.. In his letter Mr. Moore states that tlieeinploycrs were fighting hard to'havetho schedulo io .tho Act similar to that .of the New Zealand, Act, but.so far they had iiot been successful. The new measure is to come, into force on January 1 nexti . . ~;