LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 593, 23 August 1909, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

,—*_ c The Brindisi and Australian mail, which c arrived at Auckland by tho Wimmora yesterday morning, will arrive'in Wellington by ■ Die through, express this afternoon. J Taking advantago of 'the Act which per- | mits a proprietary of individuals to register , its business as a company, the well-known Cuba Street firm of James Smith and Sons, of tho New House, has become registered ] under the titlo of James Smith, Ltd., ' .Concerning a lone drift, our Otaki cor- j respondent slates: The punt recently washed ashore here turns out to be the property of Captain .Harrison, of Hpkianga. It appears ' that two punts broke their moorings at 1 Holtianga, but ono only driftod as far as ' Helensville. ' - I Tho Legislation Committee, of the City ] Council is moving in the direction of having t a Milk Supply Bill introduced "to Parliament , next session so as to give tho council author rity; td establish a milk -depot, at which the milk supply of tho city may be, treated and distributed. Power is; also sought for the ' buying and selling of milk and dairy produce, the provision of cool storage and maun- : facturo of butter. ~. Tho old wooden gate at the.'corner of Lombard and Customhouse Streets, which j leads into, Messrs. 11. Fielder and Co.'s prcriiisos, was found to bo on firo on Saturday i night. Constable Doggett obtained a few buckets of water from tho New Zcalandcr Hotel, and extinguished tho.; flames,' Tho brigade Was telephoned for; but- its ►services were not .renairoa. : ' :'. .■ .;.. •'.-.. ;-. '... .-. . A largo fine was paid at the Magistrate's : Court on Saturday,' and a small stamp of in- : significant appearance,-: but- representing the sum. of £100, new' graces tho criminal record-book of tio Court, r Thio fine, per- • haps ono of tho largest in tho records of the '■■; Wellington S.M; Court,'was . imposed i;.' on Wm. Alfred Masters, a commercial travel- | ler, who was convicted: of smuggling, opiutn ' into New Zealand. In addition to the fine; ] an order was mado for the forfeiture of !.t)?,o .opium, yhich was valued at about - The 'challenge which appeared earlier in , the.'week-from ~W; Stephenson," of: Christ- •: church, to J; W. Read, tho. local crack ■ player,' to: a: billiard match, of 3000 up, for • a'stake' of £25, and half the gate; has been : accepted, by ■ Read*; conditionally en an al- : teration'-of the terras.-" Head stipulates for ■' a stake of £50 and the wheel of ,tbe gate .1 to go to the winner: 'Ho also insists that. I the match, shall bo/played at Wellington, i In a.recent game at. Christchurck, 750 up,' ' Head' defeated Stephenson, and ■ a return 1 ■match, under :tho- conditions '-. stipulated, should produce somo-very; interesting- bil- , liards. ' ./■'.;■„• ', ; ;.,.-. '.'• A..,■■',';.-.•■'■'• *■ - ' ; The ospnlsion of two of the Wellington , delegates from the Waterside Workers' Conference was mentioned on Saturday morning, when' the chairman (Mr. J. Reed) .said he . had .received a note asking ifthoccnfcrenco would hear a deputation of members of the ■ AVellington Wharf -Labourers' Union, who : wished ito protest against the expulsion;of . Messrs. M'Cann and- Jones. The '..'chairman said the; conference could not receive any such: ! deputation. Unless it came- from the union ; 'pfncially;':. This ruling appeared to'give satis-. - faction 'to.-''. the • delegates .' present, qnd'. the matter ; dropped. '.Messrs; M'Cann and Jones ' entered--soon/after, .and ;'seated-themselves. J among; a dozen -other, spectators of ; tho ; oeediiigs.;'..'; :'•.■"'.; ;;,'; : .;-:.'..:7.V.:'.,; ''[:-'<}■■:■"'■■ : yi.'ii: :■ ■'■■ By the New Zealand Shipping: Company's i liner Paparpai due, in Wellington; about the! ;i middle of. this 1 , week, .163 passengers. (126 of 'j them being third-class) ;arec6mingi to Now : jZcalahd.: -Of the .latter class 63 are -assisted,'' .' ! 14 of. them being men, 29 women, and','.2o childreii::,The number pf-tkose seat, through ;1 tbe High'; Commissioner's 'offioo .isv22~L7 ' adults and 6; children—and those nominated ,! ' aro: 41—26 adults and ,-15. ohildren..'; ■".':, "ln- ■'; ohided among tho male, immigrants, a-ro; ,7 • farmers; a.: farm labourer, and; a dairyman, wliilst tho .womou include .13; domestics;; 1 J housekeeper, and' 7 wivesp who; are, coming ,'outVto join, their, husbands. 'The'' immigrants i bring ■■ with,,them' 'capital 'Varying' from £25 i to £MTper-capita.,;.'.\V;y : :, : .'o'/'.l',-i:; : :.> ; .; ' ; - < j Reference of ad- .' vancing'aidito'settlers by ibo Hon.'D.'Buddp j at Oxford bipThursda'y;; •He quoted;from thp '.' "Daily Mail?' :a, statement that.'a. number: ; pfyEnglishUfarmers. visiting- the; French NaV j 1 tional;Agricultural Show .were astonished;,by ; the immense amount the French Government ■', had advanced to its farmers, the s\im being £13,700,000, distributed among 125,000 cultivators. --," Trie Government of ..New Zealand, Mr. Buddo pursued, had advhnccd' £8,355,540; •Victoria £1,225;430, .and :-New Sou'tn Wales. ■ £789,333.' The expenses of management anidunted'in ,N.ew : Zealand, to ,1.7 per-ceht.y' ' in,' Victoria■ to 11.0, per cent;,-' and inNew' South iWales! to 6.9 per cent.;' ~7 As;; showing what,the New.Zealand Government;had dene: • to/relieve, the 'stringency, of tho nipney rdarkot,•':he -further,'mentioned;: that' during; tho \ year ending March 31,: 1909;,; th© .amount ' advanced to settlers; was and to workers £298,184,' making-a'grand total of loniisfpr the year pf-£1,792,019.,.-..; ': ; ,;; : ;-v-. : -Cincinnatusls; memory is/ recalled; by '.the account: w : hich 'Mr.;''- Massey has given :',,an Auckland: interviewer. of his : entry into' poli- ; tical; lifp ■ as.; inomber ;• for; Waitemata.'. ■•■"lt was harvest time "when _' the •'- seat; becamo vacant,'' Mr.': Massey;said.'" "I ■■ was : in ;my stackyard . building, a. ;cpriistack' when- a''telegraph messenger cam'o,along' with - a -tcle'-gram:-,Tho height from.the- , ground and; the message;was handed' up(U) ; me, oh one of, the prongs of a: pi.tchfork/by tho-'driver- of the'.wagpn .that \yas being'un- - .loaded, at :the.stack." ; This telegram, contained a request frem va numbor- of .Waitemata; .electors* that -Mr.' Massey - would meei tbem. on;: the following -day; for:.the purpose of receiving a .request to contest 'the. seat. : '%■■ met them on ; the following. day -as requested," : ,tbe narrator' proceeded;- -.'land-;I consented to accede to:thp'reqiiesti"!After a keen 'fight;, Mr.. Massey ; was Three .'years; later he.was elected for, Franklin,' for Avhich'..district;ho/-is, member .until- ; tho present, day.V'.",. ', T- ~'.;,'•. ~-,'. -'.'-■: '■'■ : .The subject of. land taxation' was touched on by the Hbh. v D.' Buddo at Oxford :: on Thursdayi'; He'.contended; -"that - tho term "unimproved .value" 'was "a -misnorier, -,' and ; could not- accurately, describe;;tho : value "of landVfor rating, purposes . at the present '. time.; Ho opposed the idea that the land's - producing capacity for the year, should bo taxed; f, it had often been contended that the State alone benefited largely by.the in--ci'easo-of;valuations,;.but that;was, a;mistake.;: In 1898 tp.1908 the lahd;tas had '.in-'-creased bv, £189-4 SO;, while rates levied by local bodies on 1 those enhanced .'valuations had increaHed by,£279,406., To his mind the -.valuation'-'should bu. made: on the, land,';, the capital value, and value of improvements. If; they estimated its worth pn prairie values to' ascertain.' the unimproved value, they; : \Vero taking no account of, railways, roads,; ,bridges, schools, which were all .necessary 'for ;-tlie.-'development' of tho country.. ~ In regard to the proposal of the Primp Minister, that the' Government -should ceasb; valuing fo'r'iocal.-' bodies,; and. supplying, copiosc-f ■the valuations, the speaker raid ho had re-: - ceived objections . from a' large'..number of local- bodies;.'.- '-;.:::■■:,: -.'.",;-:,';;;■■; ,"■ The story how, some -of Auokland'seUto. . were attracted to a secret "mill"; on Saturday morning, is thus told by tho Auckland '•Star": "That numbers of Aucklanders - will ■sacrifico-their business interests, when tliero is anything. in the nature of. a fistic exhibition' to ■' bo witnessed was evidenced this morning, when close on a hundred of pur leading .comprising doctors, lawyers,. members of various public bodies, and volunteer, officers, assembled at; tbP Drill, Hall at 10 o'clock tp witness a bare-knuckle contest between two heavy-weights., ' Tho utmost 'secrecy was observed and when '■ all were assembled in;tho drill room, a 1 well-known citiMii addrossedthoso present; stating, that tho affair was being conducted' unknown;,to the police, and asked anyone who had rip wish to'bq identified; with the contest under the conditions; to leave tho building.:'; All, .howover; remained. Another, leading citizen , then explained the .'reason of the contest,, ■ dramatically Teciting a couple of verses relating -.to-the manly art of self-defenco: Then the ring was cleared-, for tho fight. _'All', present were oh tho tiptoo of expectation when; the principals made; their appoaraneo 'Undor ' the'guidance of tho citizen above mentioned,; :who.gravely, held above..his head two wooden figures on a flat bit of wood, nndj" pulling. ■ a: string, set them at work pummelling eacn other in great stylo."Those present looked at ono another,; and then .burst l out, laughing, tusbing from .the building.!'..-.. : . ~, .

Thopolicohavo received word of tho arrest at ltotorua, of George Vonderschmidt, who is charged with bavins deserted his wife at Wellington. 'Accused will bo brouchteouth ' on Wednesday. ' ; ; ; . . ;';. . ■'.. A young man 'will appear before the Slajjis* trato this morning, charged-with raiding; •".""■..., •fowlhouscs at Jliramar. The offence is alleged .to havo'-, been committed; on Saturday, ' niglit.- •".■■•.■ ■'■ v '.'■ ■ y ,|. - ■ -*:.*■,; .'■ .. Tho trial of Hedlcy Nyc, who-is enarged with the murder of his father, has been fixed' '. :: for 10 o'clock to-inorrow,. at Palmcrston North. Mr. Wilford appears for" the do-; fence * ' . . * .-.'-, ■ ,• ' After, henring- Mr. M. J. Rcardon on the objects! and prospects of the Labour, paper, tho Waterside Workers' ■ .Conference thanked him for the information given, and decided to recommend tho ' paper to tho support of tho affiliated unioni and to co-oporato with the Canterbury ; , - Trades and Labour Council in the endeavour . 10, establish ono Labour paper'for the Do- •. minion. , , • ~ ', •• ■;..••' ; . , The team of schoolboy marksmen selected to represent New Zealand in the Lord Roberta Imperial Tropliy . match will as- . f/cmble in Wellington to-morrow, and will undergo somo preliminary practice prior to firing off at Pol hill Gully Range on Friday next. Private J. , R. M'Lcan (Wellipeton . Collcgo) is to;rcplaco Bugler Sams (Ximaru High School), wlio, sinco;hw selection, has ..-■■'- been discovered to lw over age. Tho boye will stay at the Y.M.C.A. - • : . ;'* , ' Our Auckland correspondent tclegraphe r—;'•. . flic waterside wooers, who have been having arather dull ahd unprofitable time of it lately,'will bo provided with plenty of,em-; ■■."..: ployment on the Auckland wharves towards ' thoend of tho present month; "Among; the steamers oxpectod: to roach Auckland, within tho liext 'fortnijtht aro the Cornwall 1 ;. from : . : . .Lircrpa'ol'.ahd Auetralia, Glendevon;and Tα- "; moana. front New .York ; and Australia,, Units -• and Aparima,. from Calcutta, Tytneric from ■ Sari. Francisco,-Ma'rare from London and Aus- ' ' tralia, Talunofrpmtho Eastern' Pacific.ls- ' lands,; Koromikp frbm Fiji,' anol; tho Corin- :•";'., thic from the;sbuthj besidestho usual, intar-.. >' • colonial, and.coastal steamers. _';;.' V, ! ; ■,C ,*•■".'''■-, ■'■