LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 586, 14 August 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho postal authorities advise that the Molcoia, which left Sydney on Wednesday for Auckland, has on board an English and Australian mail, which is duo here on Monday evening by tho express train from Auckland; Tramway collisions are luckily few and far between, but one of these unfortunate occurrences happened yesterday, when two cars collided at tho Government Railway Station. Both cars damaged, but apart from the cars no injury was done.''

The excavation work at the Kelburno resorvoir, which, is to supply Northland with water, is practically completed,, and, a start is, being made with the concrete" work: Altogether about thirty men. are employed on the reservoir, and 111 pipeclaying. Power was lacking on the Karori tramlines yesterday morning, and as a result nearly an hour's delay was causcd in starting the tramway servico there. The tramway staff got .to work promptly, however, ana, matters were righted between • 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. ,

About 4300 ft, of the new Happy Valley Road has been completed, leaving about 600 ft. to be covered before the bridgo is readied, and about 3000 ft, to carry tho road to Baylis's quarry.- More than half of the formed portion of the' road has been metallod,

"The Civilisation of China" wi|l: bo tJhe subject of a lecture to bo given by Mr. Hwang, the Chinese Consul, at tho Town Hall Concert Chamber on Monday evening.' In his lecture Mr; Hwang will deal comprehensively with tho history of his country fixim the educational, social, and industrial pointsof view.

' It' is understood that';, there: will boa'coiiferarico t between the City .Council and tho Gas Company early next wefek, with a ..view 'to:, a final nmicablo settlement, of tho pute ;m.reference , to-, tho . right of-: tho.'coni-!. pany to carry .its gas main's, from; Constable Street to tho Miramar gasometer without tho consent ..of- tho council., .

: It would appear that the Public Trust Office has not removed lmo its new premises a day too soon. During July—the first month's tenancy of the new building on Lambfon Quay—9l, new estates were' placed in the hands of the Public Trustee- for- administration ~ and 86 new wills were . : deposited.'This is nearly double the averagenew 1 . business for a month. :' I '.

!,.. The value of the building work for- which pertaits were issued ,by ;,:tho City, Council's,building.inspector during'thojortnight ended bAugust 10 was. £9SS)S,' being £7142 for the city, and £2753 for-Melrose; Altogether 27 applications wtre received for permission to erect and alter ,or. extend -.buildings;, and,"in 21 oases, plans were examined and permits •ssued,. • ■. • ' ; -' l '

Regarding the proposed alterations in connection with the. Stamps Department,'the' Hon. Dr. Findlay states that nothing .is being done until the whole matter .has been carefully reconsidered.- . He hopes to receive, before, long, further expert reports with 'respect to the, proposals. Ho further stated..,that it; was .almost- certain that; tbo .matter'., would' be; finally; dealt 'with: at.an early meeting, of Cabinet. :; ; The vote of l £1400 piaccd : oh . vthe 'City Council's'estimates •" for , thfc;stormwatar' vert at-Island'Bay;, will ; have'been expended ,by; the'-.end of next, week. 750 ft.. of -tho culvert ;l;as been constructed from Humbor ;■ Street,"• leaving . another' 400 ft..:' to pover, before ithe old double culvert at Mersey-. Street is, reached.:. The 'culvert,: which is 7ft. wide: iind : 5.6 ft.-deep, has a reinforced concrete bottom and top: sides.' The culvort work has cniployed 50 . men ■ for some time ipast, tjhe men working week and. week about in gajigs of 25. ■ • - Early next > month.-■ the 'Wellington Stock Exchange ;is to" enter ' into -new .quarters, having decided to; vacate ;;,the Chamber- of Commeroe for tho'top.:flat of house and' Hiidfield's ntoyv,buildings at the corner of -Pa'nan]n:; Md;:Featbersi<)n.'.Streetß.' In the will be placed 'board/ where latcst-quotations, I wiil. be displayed; also , telegrams < and sales.'The 1 new ,'Stoclf :F,xchahgi>'; js. conveniently situated, as it will 'be ;directly opposite the now Post aiid Telcgl'aph Offioe, wlnoh is to front- Featberston Street. ■ :■, : .

- "That .the termination-of tho - Japanese Alliance is in. the best interests of: the British Empire" was the subject of a .postponed dobato; between tho Karon and. tho Catholic Young Men's Club, held in utile Boulcott Street Hall last "evening. Mr. A. It. Atkin-, sou was., the 'judge,'.and Mr. A'. H. Casey occuplod the chair.' Kairori, which took J- e negative: issue, won ..majority,; after, an excellent' dobato, ' The . 'following points were scored by: tlie debaters: —Kaxofi : Messrs. 6. S. Smyt-he, 71; Hi Si Hart, 8'l; J. 1 Caughley. 81; goneral arrangement, 23. Catholic Club: Messrs.- Pi J. M'Govern, 66; T. Boyce, 82; R. M.. Butcher, 80. . Tho production at tho Garrick of: Mr. Clyde Fitch's play, "Tho , Woman , in . tho Casa," recalls an amusing story which he tells regarding an incident that occurred during an amateilr rehearsal of;.,"As You tike It?!',: Mr. : Fitch' held this; perfonnarite in '& garden overlooked by a building in . 6oUrs6 of poustruction. "As my amateurs," says the popular 1 dramatist, - ."postured ■ arid, chanted the bard's beautiful lines, , bricklayers above us laid; bricks, carpenters planed boards; and masons chipped stones.. And one aftc-rnoon, during ai. silent pause in our rehearsal, we heard a voico from the now building say, gravely; 'I prithee,, malapert,: pass' mo-yon-dor brick."'. .. .. . ...

. With respect to . the : bushfalling works' on the • Rangitatau Block, the' Hon. D. Buddo (Acting; Minister. for Lands).'states- tliat tho emplovinent of the men working thel o shows satisfactory results. 'Only sixteen men had left the work, but not for reasons in con : liection' with, the . work itself. It : was intended to employ 50 per feent. of the men on clearing and opening road'.' lines after September, 1. So. far Cabinet had not'- decided whether the opening of _ tho block for selection should take.'place this y6ar, or be deferred until February,' when, after- tho "burns," it will bo sown in grass by' the Government. -' ''•: - ■

A recently-compiled-, return '.shows that, thore aro 1,559,528 acres of Native land in the- Hawke's Bay district. Of 'that area,. 789,080 acres have ' been sold, 571,077 haVe been leased or .are under" negotiation for lease, and 199,371 acrcs aro unalienated or ;n occupation of Nativo owners. It is. explained by the'Natiye Minister that the.bulls of the last-mentioned; land is t made up, of Owliaka's 81,294' acres, * which; is ' partly sub: divided,'and Puketoi 59,800 acres, and Eangipouwaiau 17,746 acres, which bavO' been subdivided. The greater portioti' of the balance, 40,631. acres; is stated to be profitably utilised, many, of the Nativeß; haviig taken uji fanning on up-to-dato lines. A statement of the total passengers carried, and the revenue earned, <on each route of the local tramways for the four weeks ended July '21; shows a' decrease 0f84,966 in the number of passongers, and a failing off -of £312 12s. lid. in revenue. ■ The• passengers totalled 1,558,045,: and.,the revenue amounted to £8540 2s. o}d. for the four weeks just closed, as against 1,593,011, and £8852 14s. HJd. respectively for: the corresponding period last year. Only three sections show an increase in traffic "afld revenue, .viz., Qonstablo Street, Wallace Street, and 1 Kilbirnib. Constable Street: increased by ,5632 passengers, Wallace Street'by 5422, and Kilbirnio by 3552. Tho decreases shown on the other lines were:. Island', Bay 13,085 passengers, Nowtown 31,164, Oriental Bay 3839, Aro Street' 2548, Brooklyn 252.: .■ Mr. Murdoch M'Lcan, of the firm of John M'Lean, Ltd.; the contractors for Arthur's Pass railway tunnel, arrived from Otira yesterday .morning.' He states that . oil the lower portion of tho Otira ond, the tunnel is in 53 chains.: Since he had left Otira'ho had received a report stating that "hard country" had been struck, which had thrown back the average progress a bit, but that was' only : to;bo expected. On that sido the portals: aro in for about lj chains, and tho arch-work is completed; . enabling the couoreto work to'proceed,, it'is hoped, continuously, For' about .15 chains tho tunnel has been widened to' its full _width. Tho average progress made in boring is about 66ft. por week. At tho' Bealey oudj ' the tunnel is ill about three chains —a. heading 12ft. by 9ft. The driving plant ,is ..now erected and working smoothly, and so far 100 water haa been etruck.

It is understood that tho magisterial vacancy causcd through the death of Mr; Turnbull, S.M., will bo filled at tire next moating of Cabinet. ... A party of representatives of bhc Palmerston North Savage Club are to visit tho Wellington Savago Club this evening.^\ The; visitors will arrive by tlie afternoon express.,

The prizes and certificates won at - the ; recent Scripture examinations in bonncotioa with tho Wellington Sunday Sohool Union x aro to bo presented at a publio meeting to be held in tho Wesloyan Church, Tar<uiaki Street, oh the evening of September 3. ,Iho . Hon. Geo.. Fowlds has.cousontod tp present tho first priiics, and deliver an address to tlio scholars. The other prizes and certificates will be presented -by tno examiners.:

'l'ho successful tenderers for the annual supply..of iron-foundry work for tho- City Council were Messrs; Neilson; Murray, and Wolstenholmo, at £956 10s. JOd., tho other local tenderers being: Messrs. D. Robertson and Co.j £1142 Is. Sd.i Luke arid Co., Ltd., £1157 55.; Murphy. and Son, £1226.1».V Bd.; Hutcbesoji and Campbell, £1243 195." 2d.: Crablrce ami Son, £1316 14s. 2d.; Cable and Co., £1309 0s! lOd. . , ; Attention was rpccntly drawn to tJw inconvenionca arising in connection with bankruptcy matters at Mastcrton owing toHho abolition of tho District Court. Referring to the matter, the Hon. Dr. Findlay states that tho. judges are now considering oncy. of arranging for sittings; of tholSuprem© Court there from timo to time. , If it jvoro decided to hold sittings it would, entirely meet the case. , .' Tho number of car miles run by tho local trams during tho four woolcb ended July 21 was 163,71.6 ; a fallin'g-olf tof 2796 miles,i as compared with the corresponding month'last year. The decrease was made up as under! City lines 2608 miles," Karori 136j : Miraimar 1", Sikitouh 35, and. is accounted forV by, tho fact that the tralfio has been so light during cortain hours that somo cars; have bcott withdrawn earlier than usual. ~,, -

With regard to the proposal to establish a prison reformatory farm in tho South Is- . the Hon. Dr. Fiudlay states that sugwould shortly be 1 submitted to him,' and, if lie Approved-of theiii,",h6 Vouid:immediately; bhi% them "before. Cabinet.;,: Mr. - iWaldegrave l (Under-Secretary for i Justioe) and: Dr. Hay (Inspector"• of -Prisoris); wcro both in tlio South Island,"for the purpose of getting information:to that end. Ho hoped ,to be in possession.: of the, data next - week. - Seal fisheries projectors; consequent upon .the i opening., 0f.,th0,, season,', aro, interested ■ (says the Biuff "Press",) in knowing that, auring a fivo weeks' , cruise of tho Kokcno in the Sounds, not more than thirteetf, seals were.,seen— namely,;one in Dusky Sound, two in Breaksea Sound, and a herd: of'ten' ' on an island at tho ontraaoo'to Daggs Sound. , The idea is there are two sealeries of more or less -importance at each of those ploccs." They..were one-and-all fur.eeals., - ' .

According to the Hon. Dr., Fiudlay (Mini-ster-far Justice) tho.listof new justices of the: • 'probably, .be; available fot publican tkm. next, week." It is proposed; to • ad<y : quately supply the wants of. every part, of the Dominion in' this; respect.'.-, Some' districts were almost without justices owing'tddeaths and removals sinoe general appointments were Uast made two or three'years ago. ' With a: view to making the new appointments-supply' (in point of'number and locality) ','tho, reasonable needs of the Dominion, h<3was now malt- < ,ing inquiries to ascertain; the number ofjustioos already in existfeno&j and the requiro- - ments of each, locality. The following .cablo .message " I .' has been . sent to . the Hon. A. Deakin (Federal Prime Minister).': -by"- the Hon. , J. --. ' Carroll, . Acting-Prime ~ Minister:— "The New Zealand , Government regrets to learn by cable that thb Federal Government has .seen lit to exclude Maoris from the bene- . fits of the old age pension scheme. In New Maoris enjoy and; • legal privileges; with- the European, popula- ' tion." Therefore the exclusion seems an un- : - fair restriction,' especially as we do not place ; any special restriction l on' Australian native' born;- and - hence- art aboriginal native Aus- . 'eiititled-tft ia' pension under ; our law. , Tbo characteristic disinchnatipn of Maoris outside tfyeir - own latod recliiccs'the prospect of any call on your pension fund on their, account to a minimum, -;-XV.' The Hon, Dr. 4 Findlay, Minister for Justice, informed a Dominion reporter yesterday that the ,Ilev. Mr.- Kayll, Adviser to the Prisons Department, had commenced his new duties.; Mr. Kaylr was, he'said, ongaged at Lyttelton- Gaol, making,careful investigation as. rogarded the- building, itself,;and as regarded, certain classes of prisoners.; In connection with that work he.would yiflit ; all the gaols in the Dominion.: The object of those investigations -Was tb 'sfee how far (looking at the structilfal character (if the prisons now in existence, and the various Classes' of pri-\ sons); an effective classification could bo . carried out;V'The Work' Would not occupy a great deal-of time, but iti was, in his opinion an essentia) proHtrtinary' to tbe bftst classification that oould be made in New Zealand with the means; at disposal. • *

The award under which tho' flaxmill hands are working in the - '-'Industrial District expired r on 'Thursday , last, , and: tbo . union has filed, a claim for increased remuneration. The flaxmill owners are up in arms (says _the : local Labour paper), aad are to meet in confeneiiCQ.'at, Foxton. /It is understood 1 they iiitend to try for a reduo-. tiou on'the prcsentrates. t _ lie ; following are the: principal incroasesl':asked for:— Washers', Is. 3d, (la.) por'' hour ; head paddockers, £2 14s. per week (Ib. ljd. pcr hour) ; rouseabouts, Is, i(10-}d.) per hour: drivers, £2 10s. to £2 14s. (£2 65.) per week'; excess for. strippers, 30s. per Week (2s. 6d, por day); . •is.' per - ton increase for piecework paddockihg; stfamp ''hands,ylOs. per. day., (Is. per <■■■; hour). : Compulsory; preference r io ; uiiion^sts, is aslted for. The figures in brackets denote •the present rate. ■, • • ,■■■*:•J)" '. Dr. Joske/ Dr.. Jamieson,' ajid Dr. Springthorpe, who wore' 'asked by the Premier of , Victona to supplj' him; \wth a report' on cigaretto-smbkiug, express the','opinion that ■,} cigarette-smoking' is - ' bad' fof boys and' growing youths',i)nd suggests thot it would be'wiso to cdubato'the youths of tho country , through > lectures and pamphlets given ,to Stato schools, .secondary and otlier . schools, , requesting thdiii not to smoke cigarettes. Respecting tho effectwhiih cigarette-smoking has on people.' DrsVJosko. JamiewMfj. 'jana . Springthorge say' that iiidiilgonoe iu it' by cortain individuals; is quite compatible w'itih. : cxccUent health. The tendenfcy, nowever, is, fhey ; stato, for boyii and youths, not physically strong to acquire the habit ' Thohabit grows upon them, nud the consequence of . such smoking' is that the bodily functions* including those'gf the circulatory system, are interfered' with, while tho giwyth, djgostion, and memory. aj\> itapiiired, and tho \vill-powor is. diminished. 'Indulged in' bofore 1 maturity, it tends in a very, largo, degree to 'rnako tho . smoker listless, will-loss, and morose. Tho Premier, Mr. llurrav, in commenting upon report, Mid ho ■believed, that tho modorate use of tobacoo,'smoked in a pipe, stimulated the brain power, but cigaretto-smokinc wa«- so ■hohfifur that, it: should be prohibited . liko opium-smoking was. ; ~v, -' <

A feature -.of: the .tenders . received .at' Thursday night's meeting of tho City Council was one from the. Powellised Timber Company, near. Ohakune,; for sleepers ;,for tho liyell Bay tram lino.- .Tins, process consists of' injeoting 1 molasses into .timber, and is largely used in Australia, and other parts:.of the world. Tho tender of the oompany Wasfor white pine, and was not accopted by tho counoil, as there, was no absolute'proof ex-, tending oyer -many: years that this class ,of timber would staiiu as well as other , timbers. ; It is stated that- had the tender been; for l'owellised black 'birch,: or rimil, the, fate of the tender might havo been .different, as tho Mayor and. a numbor of councillors, would ' prefer .to uso New Zealand wood for sleepers and other purposes, thereby, koeping . tho money in New Zealand, instoad .of .sending it to /Australia. It is' l probable that, tho Powellised -Wood Company, will bo' tenderers for further works 'with wood other' than, whito pjne, and. the fact that) if (•(«#; process enables /tho,city . to 'use a .quantity of tlia •timber,'empioymput willvbe. givcU'tOi a.lßrgo of men in; the distriot will, no doubt carry i weighty Tho, Powellised process ; will ' probably, liavo an offect, oh; a number- ,of woqds m New Zealandi which, are not; very durable owing to'thoi'f, being:grown in'moist. , ccuntry, 'but which aro rendered aSi dutftblo •• (by:.the: new process) bb t|io'well knowpi jar- . rah and black butt.. .In -Victoria and . Now South ■ Wales, a. number of soft timbers have beeni made as durable a 6 the hard woods by the übo of the Powellised ' '