LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 577, 4 August 1909, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mails which left Wellington on Juno 25 per s.s. Ulimaroa,; and connected at Sydney .with the .Naples mails per R.M.S. Ortona. arrived in London on the morning of August 2, one day early. Mr. F. M. B. Fisher, M.P., will introduce a deputation of European lauiidrymen to the Minister for' Labour to-morrow morning in. connection with the existence of Chinese laundries. ' , The through trip from Wellington to Auckland, via Now Plymouth, can be made on 1 Wednesdays and Thursdays the. Rarawa- connects with the express train at New Plymouth on those evenings. The conference of delegates representing the -various branches of tlio _ Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners resumed' its sitting at tlio Town Hall .yesterday morning. Tho conference will continue to-morrow,. but will not make its business public, until the conference,closes. • "We are all looking anxiously forward to the return of Sir Joseph Ward," said Captain Marshall, at the Civil Service Riflos smoke concort last night. "We expect important changes as far 'as volunteering is, concerned, and wo aro awaiting the ECherpo which Sir Joseph expects to porfect and lay before Parliament this year." The net proceeds of the benefit sports meeting held by tlio Port Nioholson Amateur Athletic Club) £17 odd,: have been handed tp the Hospital Trustees. The club has not paid for tlio trophies at the mooting, but is Molding them over till next soason, the Management Committee deciding that, as the gathering was held in aid of the hospital, tho trustees should bo given the not balance. As an instanco of how tlio Main Trunlt line is tending to open up trade, it is stated that Waikato coal-mines arc offering coal to flaxmillers all over the Manawatu, right down as far as Levin. Tlio coal is put into trucks at the mines, and is said to bo. delivered at Foxton, I'almeistoli North, and other places nt less than two-thirds of the price of certain well-known coals which have usld tho: market .

Tho collcction of animals at tho Newtown Zoo now comprises about 300 specimens, re- ; prosenting 100 species. Justices Cooper and Chrtpmaii will sit at 1 2 p.m. on Thursday to settle tho list of banco cases which are not heard at tho Supremo Court to-morrow. ■ • Tho reference rooms at tho Public Library now contain over 13,000 volumos of general literature, besides reviews,'- technical journals, magazines, etc. A short-cared owl, captured at tho French Pass, has boon forwarded to the Newtown Museum by Mr. A. Simpson, Official Assignee, Other recent additions in -tho shape of exhibits aro a seal: and two deer. It is understood- that tho question as to tho site for tho now firo. brigade station at Mastorton will l>o settled immediately after receipt of a final report on tho Official recommendation by tho fire board. Tho tram lines laid in the city and suburbs mcaauro 21.40 routo miles, or equivalent to 33J milos of singlo track. The number of oar miles run during tho-year ended March 31 was 2,205,639, and tho number of passengers carried by the eighty .cars in service was 21,670,902, . Tho Tauranga Gasworks, which havebeen erected in the Bay of Plenty centre by Messrs. R. Keene and J. Reid, of Wellington (under an agreement with the Tauranga Borough Council), are to be formally opened on Tuesday next. Messrs. Keene and Reid leave Wellington at tho end of the week to be present at-the ceremony. Tho Trustees for tho Homo for tho Aged Neody nict-. yesterday, there being present! Tho Chairman (Mr. William Allan), and Mossrs. J. G. W. Aitken, J. Danks, T. W. M'Kenzie, and A.' Lindsay, " Matters at the homo wore reported to bo in, a.'vory , satisfactory condition. Accounts amounting to £78 4s. 6d. wore passed for payment. ■ ' During the last week or two Mr. Barron, Chief Lands Commissioner, Ji.as been obtaining roport§ and valuations on a largo number of properties in Otago and Cautor< bury, under olfer to, the Government, Ho will now proceed l to ,tho Auckland Provinoe for the same purpose. Upon his .return lis will inspect the estate at MartiaboroUgh regarding which tho residents have expressed a wish for the Government to acquire. . Tho compensation , case, Walter Denton Rough .(joiner),-v. Prouse l Lumber, Ltd., in which several disputed, points 111 connection with" the; Workers' Coilnponsation for Accidents Act of last 1 year, are. sought to bo, settled, was mentioned again: in Chambers yesterday by Mr. P. J. o'Regan, counsel for plaintiff. Mr. Justice Cooper fixed the hearing for August 11, . when Mr. Justice Sim will probably be; able to take the case. In regard to the 'widening of Willie Streot the Town Clerk (Mr. J. R. Palmer) has informed the Shopkeepers' Association that t»\o Oity Council has made no promise to shortly, set back the alignment of the street iiear tlio Hotel Windsor. The widening of tho street; at that part could only be proceeded with as aiTangement-s could be made with tho holders of tho: leases , or, as' the leases' expired. 1 The' association L at its meeting yesterday -"ref ceived" tlio; letter. ; By the Corinthic, due at, Wellington about August 10, thorb aro expected to arrive 151 assisted .passengers (116 adults and 35 child-, ren). The nominated passengers, who have work- guaranteed for them. • number • 80 (60 adults and 29 children), The assisted immigrants who aro not 1 nominated, 7 ' and who are- being sent- out, by .the High- Commissioner^'are, mostly female servants,/ -The strangers include 31 domestics, 15 farmers, 11 farm labourers, : 3 shepherds, and 23 wives with families, who are coming out to join their husbands. The'new-comers bring capital in sums of from' £25 to £380. A special message from Auckland yesterday stated that the staff ;at To-Waikato Sanatorium was to ; bo retrenched j also that it was rumoured that, tho institution: might probably bo closed. Interviewed'on-the'sub-' ject, the' Hon.' D.. Buddo,.'.iiMincer ' for Health, told a reporter that no report had' been received by him with, reference; to any reduction in _ tlio number, of employees : at the .sanatorium.''j.Tliore;.w'ere at . present 60 pati^nts^iiintho"institution/ whiSh', I ''he'added,y it w ; as fiot iiitended:to close aS_ it was on one of : the ' most sites in the Dominion, and : wa| doing .excellent'service.';" -. ■ At the weekly meeting of: the Trustees of the Benevolent Institution, held - yesterday, thoro were' present: Mr; John Smitlr (Chairman)', Miss Richmond, i and Messrs. D. Roliertsorlj R. VV: Short,-.H. Cook, and J; Wakeham.' i The Master of the Ohiro Honie (Mr.- A. H. Truebridge), submitted n- return, showing that, in tho; liiain home, thoro wore 82 male, / and 29' female, inmates, a total of. 111. Of - the 'inmates • returned as •being on the books of the Intermediate AVard tho ; previous week, s''.had siiioe while 4 , new,: inmates 1 had been admitted, leaving the total at' 15. It was also - reported that thero was. a perceptible diminution in' the ntimbor! of applicants.appearing 1 before the, Trustcos for' grants, for temporary relief./ Y,'-;;:"":'"V 1 :'-'' It is rumoured, in Mataura (says the !'Mataura Ensign").that several people will shortly, bp .prosbcutod' for taking trout' out' of.! tho tributaries of the Mataura Rivet botween Wyhdham and Mataura. If, those ■\vho indulge jn fishing out of season duly know the habits of fish:they Would no doubt refrain from tho practice, as tho .fish are (laid to he unwholesome for consumption at that, timo., >Dr< Day, in tlie "British and Irish Salmonidaej". BayS ' that -leprosy., bas been Caused through eating unwholesomo" fish, or when they are out of season, after they have cast their/spawn.' Mr.i Buckland, who was'tlio : chief inspector of fisheries : for the British Isles,. relates . the' case: of a water: bailiff (known, as a;-ranger 'in this country) who was a strong, healthy man, .and who ate a, portion of ono fish, as a oonsequcnce of Which he was confined to hm bed for two days., ' A humorous reply: was given by tha i Minister, for'Justioo to a request made him 1 In 'I'imaru on Saturday. Mr.: J; Craigie, M.P., presented ft petition from the residents of Glon-iti, praying that the constable who did duty among tho rolling-downs of that district should . be; supplied with 1 a horse instead of a bicycle. 'lie Minister gravely informed Mr. .Craigio, that the niat- ' tor liatl not yet received the consideration of Cabinet. The responsibility for tho mat tor lay with the inspector; or, perhaps, tlio Commissioner of Police, lie could not say what tlio reasons wcr6 for giving the constable a bicycle instead of a.horso! A bicycle did not consume- a great amount of food, and a'horso might have beeii eating its head off ill the stable. Ho 'woulcl appreciate the fact: that a horso <would, lciid itself l moro to ,the dignity of tho constable than a bicyole, but if a .savihg could \o effected .it should be offected. . Courtesy domandod that he should refer the request to tho officer in chargo, and ho would see that that was, dbiio. • Mr. Craigio, who evidently appreciated , tho situation, ex- ■ plained that, the petition had boon given him for presentation, -and ho had , simply carried out his duty ,to .bis constituents. ' Recently Mr. S. Peareon, of Wellington, wroto Hon. D. Buddo (Aoting-Min-ister for Lands), suggesting'that loonl.oodics should bo given power to acquire land: outside their boundaries to subdivido. and sell to, workers under an easy phymont- system. It > was further suggested by Mr; Pearson that semothing should bo dohein New Zealand on the Hues of tho hew Aot- ftt Home. This Aot provides for tho appointment of Small 'Holdings Commissioners, paid by Uio State, whoso duty .it is to ascertain the extent of the demand for Bmall hoW'ings in oaoh oounty, or that there would l>o Such holdings if. suitable land weto ; available. The result" of tho investigations is then forwarded to the Boiiird Of Agriculture, whioh. if it sees fit, directs the County Council concerned to draft a scheme. There is, however, nothing to jprevont a council from acting ou its own initiativo. In reply, Mr. Buddo stated that the matter was ono which dosorvod oncourngemeilt. Tho aajy , difference between tho present system and tho ono advocated, was that the State,ill New Zealand had acquired the land,;whilst it . was ■ desired to see tho -local bodies do it. Thoro woro foiv workers in regular employinont who could manage to tako up a holding of as much as three but it was always desirable that a worker, should havci enough ground for a gardon. ; Even as near , as I'etono a substantml aroa of land ,liatl 1 been purchasod for workers' dwellings, aid of this, there was still a portion unoccucicd.

A mooting of the creditors of Willian. . , Hcndri Walker, milk-vendor, of Wellington, will bo held in the official assijnieo's office at 11 a.m. on Thursday, August 12. ; • Another consignment of machinery (Lnclud- > ing tho rotor) _ for tho City Council's now turbine plant' is on'' board tie steatner' Corinthic, duo hero from London about August 10. ~ , " ' ;• Tito Auckland l University 'is offering for competition two eoholarshins-rthe "Gillies"' and "Sinclair"—-of-tho value of £70 per annum for three years. Tho examination a fixed for the . end of October, at each of Uio • four centres, Entries close on Ootobor 1 , next. Full particulars concerning-; tho scholarships appear elsewhere. The tender of McßsrS. F. S. Greenshiolds and Company, at £380, has been signed for tho supply ,of 20 miles of; cablolfpr tho Tramways Department. The unsuccessful tenderers woroi—H. A. Smith and ; Co. £397, P. R. Baillio and Co. £450, Laurenco ; and Hansen £510, Ai, and, T. B\irt- £518, Turnbtill and Jones £550. . 1 Polling for tho election., of one member-of tlio Miramar Borough Council to fill tho ■ vacancy caused by the retirement of. Mr. H.' W. Coopar, who has removed to Wanganui, . was held yesterday. Ilio result wqb that Mr. James Muii was elected, defeating Mr. Robert Hall by a majority of: 27. : The voting was as follows!—-Muir 134, Hall 107 i Mr. it. E. Bennett was returning officer., ! j)^ • The man named Ernest King, alias fcw-y nan, who was arrested on Monday': on a •• charge of pocket-picking, 'atld was remanded at tho Magistrate's Court yesterday, is now further charged with the theft of a diamond .•ing, valued at £22 10s., the property of.Mr.' H. W. Lloyd, jeweller., Ho will appear'bo-. foro tfie magistrate this morning ,to 'answer, td the charge. , 'V:v.'"V' i /'' Time is apparently a Commodity which, though exceedingly .valuable at times, can-, not always bo exchanged for the currency of tho realm. In the Jlagistrate's, Court yea-'. . torday,- counsel was pressing for an order for payment iri a judgment-summons caso ia' which,an adjournment was asked for.' "He has had ample time to make settlement,'.'. lioSaid, ."the case has been adjourned—;— "Ohj it's not time he. wants," remarked Dr.': M'Arth.ur; "it's money." ' \ • '' > ' Tho coupon system was brought before tho Shopkeepers' Association yesterday by a letter from Messrs. Nelson, Moate, and Co., ' who strongly protested against it.; They stated-that on throo occasions during' the last ten years a petition; largely signodin tho chief centres, had been presented to tho Now Zealand Parliament, but nothing had' come of itj Although it was mostly, in- connection with tea that tho coupons were giveu, tradesmen and shopkeepers lb Humorous litics were affected _ adversely. 1 ' ! - The "prizes" given in connection with 1 tho coupons included fancy goodfi, ! _aud : ironmongery. If traders in these drtielos took a mere, lively interost.in the matter,, the coupon ByStem'would soon be suppressed ,Tho letter was received.. * , . > . - The dreary length to which some civil case« aro dragged out in the Magistrate's Court would try-the patience of-Job; were be D moderii stipendiary .magistrate./ One case— that of Bell v. Sample in a building claim—" which, has ; been adjourned many times, and , is not yet ; finishod|: has been,sufficient to es,: hnust the- patieiico of Dr. M'Arthur. Yes-, : terday, wheu a similar case was mentioned in , Court, 1 he suggested that an arbitrator should be appointed to, settle all questions in regard to valuo .of-items'in the! claim. '-When the > case of Bell v., Sample is. finished, if it js finished beforo the day of my death, 1 am . . not going to take on another such case. • I will hear' you arguo aity points of law; and will docido them, but I am not going to gointo'tho items of, the claim. - The'case of Bell v. i Samplo has been- a sample and a lesson to mo, i and I am not going to flit and hear argument as ;to ■ whether an ; article Bhould , cost 2s. 6d.)or. 25.,6Jd." . , Whilst, the •' fion. : -D. • Buddo (Minister-for • Health). was in Dunedin, it Was pointed out .teiiiW'hy Irtm;' the Hos« •>. pit-al' B<Sr<l . tm:- the 'Infectious ' Diseases ', Hospital, there was not sufficiently largo to. accommodate thbwhole''of the cases'; which at! timeff o occurred 1 ' in'-;'the . 'district.'.: 1 What;".\';' the ideputi'tidii'''Boslrbd i particularly to'knq'w : <v': ,WM ; , \vliethor board was, not 'allowed t0,... 'insist*' that ill patients who could' be isolated • at': their homes should riot be taken; to tho .. . hofcpital(j "ilw : whether', it ■ was . obliged.. to provide: special nurses for . all such cases, \ It' is '"Understood: - thtit!: Mr'.''Buddo-. h'aS-do* cid&l to reply fliat the Health Department would ; not', insist onthose .; patients " boing - admitted to tho hospital who could; bo •properly- , isolated at tlioir own homes; .' B<e garaing the second point, ,it has : been decided that only under excoptioiial'/cir'' , cumstances would the board be required. ' "to provide 'nurses for patients isolatedin '-, their own homes—as, for examplo, in 'tho ■■ ca.so of a child who had a sick motherland, who had no means to provide a'nurse. TheM ; was not set 1 aside tho right of tho Ekspartment to claim'from tho board their assistance in oases of extraordinary emergency, such as an epidemic whero it would bo necessary for tho board to 00-oporato with t-lio Department.'